Wednesday’s slate carries several late calls, with Pittsburgh waiting on Bryan Rust, Washington already ruling out Matt Roy, and Edmonton preparing to put Jason Dickinson back in the lineup. Chicago, Colorado and Detroit are also managing fresh injury absences.
- Pittsburgh Penguins: Rust took part fully in Tuesday’s practice and will be assessed before the road game against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. He has missed Pittsburgh’s opening three games after suffering an upper-body injury in the Sept. 26 preseason finale against the Buffalo Sabres.
- Pittsburgh Penguins: Andrei Kuzmenko has been assigned non-roster status by the NHL following the Sept. 24 death of his father, Alexander. Kuzmenko returned from Russia on Oct. 2 and appeared in Pittsburgh’s past two games, but he will skate without playing on the current trip to Washington and Columbus. Coach Dan Muse said the club’s first priority is supporting Kuzmenko personally while helping him regain conditioning after time away.
- Washington Capitals: Defenseman Matt Roy is day to day and will miss Wednesday’s home opener against Pittsburgh. He was hurt Saturday in a 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay, departing with 5:04 left in the second period. Roy missed Monday and Tuesday practices and was absent from the optional morning skate. He has no points through two games after posting two goals, 17 assists, a plus-18 rating and a 20:37 average ice time across 79 games in 2025-26.
- Chicago Blackhawks: Teuvo Teravainen did not return after the second intermission in Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues because of a lower-body injury. He will not travel for Thursday’s visit to the New York Islanders, with further clarity expected within the next few days.
- Chicago Blackhawks: Andrew Mangiapane has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Sept. 29. The forward is week to week with a lower-body issue sustained in the season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights. Chicago recalled forward Dominic Toninato from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
- Edmonton Oilers: Dickinson is expected to play his first game of the season Wednesday at the Anaheim Ducks. The center’s foot was injured while blocking a shot against the San Jose Sharks on April 8; he continued through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, then aggravated the issue in training camp. Dickinson said he did not fully recover during the offseason and found his progress repeatedly stalling.
- Edmonton Oilers: Acquired from Chicago on March 4, Dickinson had one goal and three assists in 17 regular-season games with Edmonton, then added two goals and an assist in four playoff appearances. The 31-year-old signed a five-year, $20 million contract carrying a $4 million annual cap hit on June 21.
- Colorado Avalanche: Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux practiced Tuesday and could debut this season Wednesday at the Winnipeg Jets. Both forwards have lower-body injuries. Coach Jared Bednar expects each player to get into one of Colorado’s next two games, which include Thursday’s trip to the Calgary Flames.
- Colorado Avalanche: O’Connor was limited to 13 regular-season games last year after hip surgery and recorded two assists. L’Heureux, acquired from the Nashville Predators on June 24, produced four goals and one assist in 25 games last season.
- Detroit Red Wings: Mason Appleton and Marco Kasper are both week to week. Appleton was injured Sunday against Winnipeg after logging 9:23 in Detroit’s 3-2 loss. Kasper missed that game with an upper-body injury.
- Detroit Red Wings: J.T. Compher is day to day. He did not dress for Tuesday’s 5-3 victory against the Ottawa Senators.
What it means for the next games
Pittsburgh could receive a lift from Rust for Wednesday’s matchup in Washington, but Kuzmenko will remain out through Friday’s game at Columbus. The Capitals will have to cover for Roy on their blue line in the opener at Capital One Arena.
Chicago heads to Long Island without Teravainen and remains short a forward with Mangiapane on injured reserve. Toninato gives the Blackhawks another available depth option.
Edmonton opens a three-game trip in Anaheim with Dickinson expected to slot in at center. Colorado may get one or both of O’Connor and L’Heureux back in Winnipeg, with a second opportunity waiting the following night in Calgary.
