2026-27 NHL · Opening week

NHL Week Planner

Sep 28–Oct 4: who plays the most, who sits, who is due back.

SeasonOpens Tue, Sep 29tomorrow
Games this week39Sep 28–Oct 4
Players out56plus 44 day-to-day
Last check5:00 AM ETSep 28 · checked hourly

Sep 28–Oct 4: 39 games. NYR and VAN play 4 or more. 19 teams play 2 or fewer. 12 back-to-backs. 58 injured players have an estimated return this week.

01 // Busy teams4+ games · stream from these
NYR New York Rangers4Tue @ BOS · Thu vs TBL · Fri @ DET · Sun vs UTA
VAN Vancouver Canucks4Tue @ EDM · Thu vs EDM · Sat vs CGY · Sun vs VGK
02 // Light teams2 or fewer · bench candidates
OTT Ottawa Senators1Sat @ TOR
ANA Anaheim Ducks2Fri @ VGK · Sun vs FLA
BUF Buffalo Sabres2Thu @ CBJ · Sat vs CHI
CBJ Columbus Blue Jackets2Thu vs BUF · Sat vs UTA
COL Colorado Avalanche2Wed vs LAK · Sat vs STL
DAL Dallas Stars2Fri vs STL · Sat @ NSH
DET Detroit Red Wings2Fri vs NYR · Sun vs WPG
LAK Los Angeles Kings2Wed @ COL · Sat @ SJS
MIN Minnesota Wild2Thu @ NSH · Sat vs BOS
MTL Montréal Canadiens2Tue @ TOR · Sat @ PIT
NJD New Jersey Devils2Thu vs PHI · Sat @ NYI
NSH Nashville Predators2Thu vs MIN · Sat vs DAL
NYI New York Islanders2Wed @ TOR · Sat vs NJD
PIT Pittsburgh Penguins2Wed @ PHI · Sat vs MTL
SJS San Jose Sharks2Thu vs FLA · Sat vs LAK
STL St. Louis Blues2Fri @ DAL · Sat @ COL
TBL Tampa Bay Lightning2Thu @ NYR · Sat vs WSH
WPG Winnipeg Jets2Fri vs BOS · Sun @ DET
WSH Washington Capitals2Fri @ CAR · Sat @ TBL
03 // Back-to-backsGoalie and rest risk
TOR Toronto Maple LeafsTue, Sep 29Wed, Sep 30
PHI Philadelphia FlyersWed, Sep 30Thu, Oct 1
NYR New York RangersThu, Oct 1Fri, Oct 2
BOS Boston BruinsFri, Oct 2Sat, Oct 3
CAR Carolina HurricanesFri, Oct 2Sat, Oct 3
DAL Dallas StarsFri, Oct 2Sat, Oct 3
STL St. Louis BluesFri, Oct 2Sat, Oct 3
WSH Washington CapitalsFri, Oct 2Sat, Oct 3
CGY Calgary FlamesSat, Oct 3Sun, Oct 4
SEA Seattle KrakenSat, Oct 3Sun, Oct 4
UTA Utah MammothSat, Oct 3Sun, Oct 4
VAN Vancouver CanucksSat, Oct 3Sun, Oct 4
04 // Due back this weekEstimated returns from the latest injury report
Matthew PoitrasBOSCDTDTue, Sep 29
Alexander NikishinCARDOutTue, Sep 29
Brady TkachukFLALWDTDTue, Sep 29
Ivan DemidovMTLRWDTDTue, Sep 29
Vincent IorioNYRDDTDTue, Sep 29
Dakota JoshuaTORCDTDTue, Sep 29
Nick PaulTORLWDTDTue, Sep 29
Lukas CormierVGKDOutTue, Sep 29
Raphael LavoieVGKCDTDTue, Sep 29
Trent MinerCOLGOutWed, Sep 30
Otto SalinLAKDOutWed, Sep 30
Corey PerryLAKRWDTDWed, Sep 30
Joel EdmundsonLAKDDTDWed, Sep 30
Mathew BarzalNYICDTDWed, Sep 30
Dan VladarPHIGDTDWed, Sep 30
Denver BarkeyPHICDTDWed, Sep 30
Helge GransPHIDDTDWed, Sep 30
Andrei KuzmenkoPITLWDTDWed, Sep 30
Bryan RustPITRWDTDWed, Sep 30
Tristan BrozPITCDTDWed, Sep 30
Alex LyonBUFGDTDThu, Oct 1
Olen ZellwegerBUFDDTDThu, Oct 1
Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenBUFGDTDThu, Oct 1
Damon SeversonCBJDDTDThu, Oct 1
Brock FaberMINDDTDThu, Oct 1
Seamus CaseyNJDDOutThu, Oct 1
Johnathan KovacevicNJDDDTDThu, Oct 1
Aidan ThompsonNYRCOutThu, Oct 1
Jake O'BrienSEACDTDThu, Oct 1
Mackie SamoskevichSEARWDTDThu, Oct 1
Adam GaudetteSJSRWDTDThu, Oct 1
Alex Barre-BouletSJSCDTDThu, Oct 1
Patrick GilesSJSRWDTDThu, Oct 1
Maveric LamoureuxUTADOutThu, Oct 1
A.J. GreerANALWDTDFri, Oct 2
Drew HellesonANADDTDFri, Oct 2
Pavel MintyukovANADDTDFri, Oct 2
Henry MewsCGYDOutFri, Oct 2
Cameron HughesDALCDTDFri, Oct 2
Colin BlackwellDALCDTDFri, Oct 2
Jake OettingerDALGDTDFri, Oct 2
Matt DucheneDALCDTDFri, Oct 2
Dylan LarkinDETCDTDFri, Oct 2
Jacob Bernard-DockerDETDDTDFri, Oct 2
Logan MaillouxSTLDDTDFri, Oct 2
Garrett BrownWPGCOutFri, Oct 2
Alex OvechkinWSHLWDTDFri, Oct 2
Mattias SamuelssonBUFDOutSat, Oct 3
Alec RegulaEDMDIRSat, Oct 3
Mattias JanmarkEDMCIRSat, Oct 3
Kevin FialaLAKLWIRSat, Oct 3
Jake SandersonOTTDDTDSat, Oct 3
Jorian DonovanOTTDDTDSat, Oct 3
Kurtis MacDermidOTTLWDTDSat, Oct 3
Shane PintoOTTCDTDSat, Oct 3
Warren FoegeleOTTLWDTDSat, Oct 3
Patrick ThomasWSHCDTDSat, Oct 3
Mackenzie MacEachernVANLWOutSun, Oct 4
05 // Injury changesChecked Sep 28, 5:00 AM ET

43 changes from the Sep 26 report to the Sep 27 report.

  • A.J. Greer ANA LW Out → DTD
  • Drew Helleson ANA D Out → DTD
  • Pavel Mintyukov ANA D New DTD
  • Matthew Poitras BOS C Out → DTD
  • Alex Lyon BUF G Out → DTD
  • Jiri Kulich BUF C Off the list was Out
  • Olen Zellweger BUF D Out → DTD
  • Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen BUF G New DTD
  • Damon Severson CBJ D New DTD
  • Cameron Hughes DAL C Out → DTD
  • Colin Blackwell DAL C Out → DTD
  • Jake Oettinger DAL G Out → DTD
  • Matt Duchene DAL C Out → DTD
  • Dylan Larkin DET C Out → DTD
  • Jacob Bernard-Docker DET D Out → DTD

All 43 changes

06 // Next weekOct 5–11

CAR, PHI, PIT and OTT play 4+ games. Six-week grid

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