Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko (upper body) will be on the shelf for a third consecutive game on Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. An upper-body injury has paused Marchenko's season after he posted a team-high 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 22 games. In Marchenko's absence, Kent Johnson will head out on the top line Friday night. A spot next to Dmitri Voronkov and Adam Fantilli boosts Johnson's fantasy value, although he has been having a torrid time this season. The 22-year-old has finished 14 of his last 15 appearances scoreless, recording five points (two goals, three assists) in 23 games for the campaign.

Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz (lower body) will be unavailable for six weeks. The veteran suffered a lower-body injury on Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars. Losing Schwartz is a big blow for the 11-6-6 Kraken, as he has been the team's leading scorer this season. In 23 appearances, Schwartz has recorded eight goals and 15 points. Jared McCann, who returned from a 17-game absence on Wednesday, is set to replace Schwartz in the top six. Meanwhile, Kaapo Kakko (lower body) is nearing his return and may be available as soon as Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Andre Burakovsky (undisclosed) is expected to rejoin the lineup on Friday against the Nashville Predators. He has recently battled an undisclosed injury, missing three games. The Blackhawks will use Burakovsky on the first line and the second power-play unit. During the campaign, Burakovsky has tallied five power-play points and 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) overall in 18 games. The 30-year-old, who has recorded four multi-point efforts in his past 10 outings, is enjoying a good bounce-back season after finishing with only 37 points last term.

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman (lower body) will return to the lineup for Friday's tilt against the Colorado Avalanche. He has missed four games due to a lower-body injury. It has been a tricky season for Hartman, who has tallied seven points (four goals, three assists) in 20 outings. In his last seven outings, he has managed to find a way to the score sheet only once. On Friday, Hartman will center the third line, as the Wild's frontline continues to miss Marco Rossi (lower body), Vladimir Tarasenko (lower body), Vinnie Hinostroza (lower body), and Marcus Foligno (lower body).