The Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks will each be participating in their 21st game of the season tonight, putting them now squarely at the quarter-season mark. While many key players have healed up in time to join the fantasy fray, there are several skaters that have yet to even make their 2026-27 debut, including Mat Barzal (NYI), Brock Faber (MIN), Kevin Fiala (LAK), and Troy Terry (ANA), as well as, fantasy relevant goalies like Filip Gustavsson (MIN), Alex Lyon (BUF), and Thatcher Demko (VAN). Will any of them be ready to return to the ice this week? And who else has joined them on the sidelines? Let's dive in!

Dylan Guenther (RW) – UTA – day-to-day – Guenther is considered questionable ahead of Wednesday's battle with the much maligned Vegas Golden Knights, per Brogan Houston of the Deseret News. Guenther scored 40 goals in 79 appearances last season and has provided six goals on 46 shots through his 18 games thus far, cementing himself as a must-start winger across fantasy formats. Per Houston, Head coach Andre Tourigny said that Guenther is "pretty banged up," so there is a good chance that the Mammoth winger is able to overcome his battle scars and rejoin his team during their midweek back-to-back. If the 23-year-old is unable to suit up by then, his next opportunity will come on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.

Brayden Point (C) – TBL – injured reserve – Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point was placed on injured reserve Tuesday and is expected to miss some time, per Erik Erlendsson of lightninginsider.com. Point, 30, had recently rediscovered his scoring touch and was up to 10 points in his last eight games before exiting Sunday's loss to the Jets in the first period. 20-year-old prospect Sam O'Reilly was promoted from AHL Syracuse following the injury to Point and has been seen filling in at the bumper position on the Lightning's top power play during practices. Of course, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has thrown out a couple hundred different "top power play units," so what combination we actually see on Wednesday night in Buffalo is still a complete mystery. Nonetheless, the 32nd overall pick in the 2024 draft offers some intriguing fantasy value in Point's extended absence, especially if he is able to crack a potentially lethal top power play unit or skate in the top-six alongside Nikita Kucherov or Jake Guentzel. 

Kevin Fiala (LW, RW) – LAK – injured reserve – The Los Angeles Kings' shifty winger should be back in the lineup and ready to make his season debut on either Thursday (versus Islanders) or Saturday (versus Flames), per Emily Kaplan of ESPN. "Mr. Second Half of the Season" will likely reclaim his role in the top-six alongside the recently turned hot Quinton Byfield (four points in past four games) and will certainly get some looks on the power play. It is still unclear if he will immediately bump Alexis Laferriere from the top unit. Regardless, this week marks Fiala's return from an injury that has kept him sidelined since last February and the fantasy managers that kept the faith may soon be rewarded for their patience and devotion.

Mathew Barzal (C) – NYI – day-to-day – New York Islanders' forwardsMat Barzal (knee) and Mattias Maccelli (lower-body) have both been upgraded to day-to-day ahead of their team's three game road trip. Barzal is coming off a resurgent year that saw him post 19 goals and 53 assists in 81 games, but given the length of his injury he is a good bet to miss the 20-goal plateau for the eighth time in ten seasons. New York has dropped four straight contests heading into Thursday's date with the Kings, and as the Islanders could really use some reinforcements right about now, expect Barzal and Maccelli to hop right back into the thick of it once they are cleared to return — likely during New York's current road trip. 

Alex Lyon (G) – BUF – injured reserve – Lyon (shoulder) will be traveling with the Buffalo Sabres on their upcoming roadtrip, per Heather Engel of NHL.com. While this is a good sign for his upcoming debut, it should be noted that the Sabres' road trip actually spans six games and 11 days, so there is still plenty of uncertainty left in this update. In his absence, neither Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Colten Ellis garnered a save percentage above .885 or a goals against average below 3.00, so the starter's crease should be considered wide open for Lyon, once he is finally ready to play. The 33-year-old journeyman went 20-10-4 with a 2.77 GAA and .907 SV% in 36 games played with the Sabres last season, which are respectable fantasy numbers. If he can repeat that performance again this year, expect him to earn the "Lyon's" share of starts in Buffalo. 

Kevin Bahl (D) – CGY – out for season – On Sunday, the Flames announced that defenseman Kevin Bahl would undergo surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon and won't play again in the 2026-27 season. While Kevin Bahl is not exactly a household fantasy name, this injury is worth mentioning for its further implications in the fantasy hockey realm. As Bahl was Calgary's leader in ice time, his vacancy will temper some expectations of their D-corps, as well as, open opportunities for other skaters, namely 2024 first round pick Zayne Parekh. Parekh, 20, has been heating up lately with four points in his last five games and is the expected beneficiary of additional ice time with Bahl now done for the season. It will, also, be interesting to see if the stellar play of netminder Devin Cooley (5-3-0, 2.71 GAA, .914 SV%) can continue, given this blow to Calgary's blue line.

Troy Terry (RW) – ANA – injured reserve – Terry is expected to make his season debut on Wednesday versus Nashville, Eric Stephens of the Athletic reports. While fantasy manager's shouldn't expect Anaheim to break up their top power play group on behalf of Terry's return, the winger may still hold depth value if the Ducks keep scorching along for five or more goals per game. Terry has reached 50 points in five straight seasons and with Anaheim still having three games remaining this week, including two on "light nights," Terry could be worth a waiver add in many fantasy formats. 

That's all for this week, thanks for reading! My name is Garrett Finlay and you can follow me on X @garrett_fi51284 and on Bluesky @garrettfinlay.bsky.social where I am often talking goalies and fantasy hockey. I'll be back here providing injury news and updates every Wednesday, so until then – Happy Hockeying and good luck out there!