NHL Status Report: Spurgeon, McCarron to return for Wild

Welcome to the NHL Status Report. Here is the latest lineup/injury news around the NHL.

Minnesota Wild

Jared Spurgeon will return for the Wild against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, MINNHL, Wild+). The captain has missed five games with a lower-body injury. Forward Michael McCarron will also return after missing a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Defenseman Morgan Rielly, who did not play in a 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, is day to day with a lower-body injury. Forwards Kirill Marchenko (lower body) and Colton Sissons (lower body), and defensemen Nick Blankenburg (upper body), Marshall Rifai (lower body) are all week to week. Sissons was injured against the Devils late in the second period.

Detroit Red Wings

Forwards Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton were activated off injured reserve and are expected to play against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT, SN+). Kasper (upper body) has not played since a season-opening loss to the New York Rangers on Oct. 2. Appleton has not played since the second game of the season because of an undisclosed injury.

Larkin, Edvinsson’s situations with Red Wings ‘status quo,’ GM says

New York Rangers

Alberts Smits is week to week for the Rangers because of an upper-body injury. The 18-year-old defenseman, who was the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, played 13:22 in a 3-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 5. The rookie does not have a point in 17 games this season and is averaging 14:29 of ice time. Defenseman Marc Del Gaizo was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Brayden Point (undisclosed) left in the first period for the Lightning in a 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. The forward played six shifts totaling 5:35 of ice time before exiting the game. Point has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 17 games this season. Tampa Bay will conclude its four-game road trip with back-to-back games at the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday and Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday before beginning a six-game homestand against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

St. Louis Blues

Logan Mailloux was activated from injured reserve by the Blues and will make his season debut against the Red Wings on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT, SN+). The defenseman had surgery on his right hand Sept. 27.  Mailloux had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 67 games for St. Louis last season. "I feel good," he said on Monday. "It's been, what, six weeks? I was lucky enough that it was just my hand and I was able to skate and stuff for a while. I feel good. ... I thought I was having a good (training) camp, I was feeling good. There's no good time to get hurt. It's definitely not ideal right before the season starts, but it's better I guess at the start of the year than the end of the year fighting for a playoff spot. I'm just happy to be done with it."

Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar will play at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, TSN4, ALT). The defenseman left practice Sunday for precautionary reasons. He has 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 17 games.

New York Islanders

Forwards Mathew Barzal (knee) and Matias Maccelli (lower body) wore noncontact jerseys at the morning skate and did not play for the Islanders in a 3-2 shootout loss at the San Jose Sharks on Monday. Barzal has yet to make his season debut after he reaggravated his injury prior to training camp. He led New York with 72 points (19 goals, 53 assists) in 81 games last season. Maccelli missed his ninth straight game since his injury Oct. 17. He has six points (two goals, four assists) in eight games. Ryan Pulock (upper body) skated in a regular jersey, but the defenseman missed his fourth straight game. Islanders coach Peter DeBoer said there is "potential" all three could play before their three-game road trip ends Saturday. The Islanders next play the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; Disney+, HULU, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).