Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub (knee) will slot into the lineup for his season debut on Thursday against the New York Islanders. He has finally shaken off a knee injury, providing much-needed reinforcement to Ottawa's blue line. On defense, the team will remain without Jake Sanderson (lower body) and Nikolas Matinpalo (upper body). Zub, who recorded a career-high 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) in 81 games last season, will join Thomas Chabot on the first defensive pairing. As a result, Jordan Spence must settle for a third-pairing role. Spence hasn't done much offensively this season and now has even less fantasy appeal.

Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig (strain) will suit up on Thursday against the New York Islanders. He missed the end of Tuesday's loss to St. Louis with what head coach Travis Green described as a "strain," but Greig has been cleared to play on Thursday night. Graig has one point in five outings this season. He's struggled to produce offensively and likely won't make a significant impact against the Islanders either, as he will work on the fourth line and won't have power-play duties.

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram (upper body) is day-to-day and won't play on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. This will be Byram's second absence this season, after he missed one game at the start of the month for personal reasons. Since moving from Buffalo, Byram has struggled to meet his usual standards. He has recorded one assist and a minus-seven rating in his first six appearances for the Blackhawks. Still, Byram will be a big loss for Chicago, as he leads the team with 24:42 of ice time per game. With Byram out, Ethan Del Mastro is expected to join the blue line, but he offers little value from a fantasy perspective.

Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil (shoulder) will make his 2026-27 debut in Thursday's matchup with the Florida Panthers. This will be his first regular-season appearance since Feb. 2. Chytil has dealt with several health issues and missed the start of this season with a shoulder injury. He will center the third line on Thursday night and skate with the second power-play unit. While Chytil isn't a flashy player, he's averaged close to 0.5 points per game in his career, which gives him some fantasy appeal. Arshdeep Bains will sit as a healthy scratch to accommodate Chytil's return.