The Minnesota Wild will be short a pair of regulars tonight against the Florida Panthers, with defenseman Zach Bogosian and forward Marcus Foligno both ruled out because of injuries before puck drop.
Bogosian, 36, is working through a lower-body issue. He had appeared in all four of Minnesota’s games before tonight, logging 16:02 per game while going without a point. His absence opens the door for David Spacek to get back into the lineup.
Foligno is also sidelined with a lower-body injury. With his brother Nick Foligno already unavailable, Minnesota is running a very different fourth line tonight. Once both brothers are back, though, the Wild are expected to return them to Michael McCarron’s wing after the trio posted a 71.4% xGoals% in their first three games together.
In Utah, the Mammoth are dealing with another injury hit near the bottom of the forward group. Before facing the Buffalo Sabres, the team announced that winger Michael Carcone is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Carcone has one goal and one assist in five games this season, and he’s likely headed for injured reserve soon.
The Nashville Predators also confirmed that forward Mavrik Bourque would sit out tonight with an upper-body injury. The good news is that it doesn’t look like a long-term problem, since Bourque practiced with the team this morning. The former first-round pick has one assist in his first four games with Nashville.
There was better news in Chicago, where Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reported that Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teräväinen was back on the ice this morning. Teräväinen had been dealing with an ankle injury suffered in Chicago’s recent game against the St. Louis Blues, but after it initially appeared more serious, he has returned to the lineup tonight.
In Other News...
Artyom Levshunov Is Showing Why The Blackhawks Keep Betting Bigger
Artyom Levshunov has given the Blackhawks a real reason to keep leaning into his upside early in the 2026-27 season. The young defenseman has been used heavily in the offensive zone, where his skating and ability to keep plays alive have helped Chicago spend more time going the right way. Paired with Bowen Byram, he has helped drive a strong expected goal share, and his work retrieving pucks in the defensive end has looked cleaner than it did a year ago.
There is still a little roughness in the middle of all that promise, which is part of the point with Levshunov. His passing remains closer to average than dynamic, so the play-driving package is not yet fully polished, but the Blackhawks are clearly comfortable letting the game come to him. For a team that has been willing to bet bigger on young talent, his start is another reminder that the long view is starting to show up in the details. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Open Homestand Facing A Forward Test They Didnt Need
The homestand starts under less-than-ideal circumstances for the Blackhawks, who welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to the United Center while trying to sort through a depleted forward group. Chicago is already dealing with injuries to Connor Bedard and Andrew Mangiapane, and the absence of center Frank Nazar only adds to the pressure as the team looks to settle in for seven straight at home.
Lineup changes were inevitable, and the Blackhawks have turned to Nick Lardis in a bigger role as they try to keep the offense moving. For a club that was hoping the homestand would provide some stability, the opening game instead becomes a test of how much flexibility the roster really has when the lineup starts to thin out. [Read more 🡒]
Ed Olczyk Is Back In The Blackhawks Fold Again
Ed Olczyk is back in the Blackhawks orbit in a familiar and fitting role, with the team naming the Chicago native and former player a team ambassador. The move brings another recognizable face into a franchise that has spent plenty of time reconnecting with its past, and Olczyk is expected to help bridge that history with what the organization is trying to build now through appearances and team events.
There is also a television element to the reunion, since Olczyk is returning as an analyst for select CHSN games. For Blackhawks fans, it adds another voice who knows the market, the crest and the expectations that come with it, and his first assignment in that role is set to include a meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes. [Read more 🡒]