Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (lower body) plans to return to the lineup Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. He has missed four games due to a lower-body injury. The team moved Brendan Smith (lower body) to Injured Reserve on Friday, allowing Werenski to be activated for Saturday's contest. Werenski, who has just been named to Team USA for the 2026 Olympics, was in red-hot form before his injury, averaging two points per game across five appearances. He's having a career year with the Blue Jackets, scoring a team-high 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 35 outings. Denton Mateychuk has filled in for Werenski on the first power-play unit and will lose fantasy value with his return.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (lower body) was activated from Injured Reserve and will dress as the backup on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sorokin, who suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 19, has been unavailable for six games. After backing up David Rittich on Saturday, Sorokin is likely to return to the Islanders' crease on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils. In December, Sorokin won five of his seven starts, improving to 12-10-2 for the season. He has recorded three shutouts with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (lower body) will miss at least one week. The veteran forward sustained a lower-body injury on New Year's Day against the Utah Mammoth. The Islanders have three games scheduled over the next seven days, starting with Saturday's matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The injury is a setback to Horvat's bid for his second career 70-point campaign. In 36 outings, he has produced a team-high 21 goals and 12 assists. With Horvat out, the Islanders will use Mathew Barzal as the first-line center, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau shifting to the middle on the second line. Maxim Tsyplakov will fill in for Pageau on the right wing.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho welcomed 2026 with mixed emotions on Thursday, bagging a season-high five points in a matchup against the Montreal Canadiens but ending up on the losing side. Aho finished the contest with two goals and three assists, but Carolina blew a 4-2 lead to lose 7-5. The Finnish forward had two power-play points during his second career five-point outing. After a couple of rough weeks in December, Aho has put together a string of impressive performances, totaling seven goals and 14 points over his last eight appearances. The scoring surge has made Aho Carolina's runaway points leader, with 16 goals and 24 assists through 40 games.