Welcome to the NHL Status Report. Here is the latest lineup/injury news around the NHL.
San Jose Sharks
Kiefer Sherwood made his Sharks debut at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. The forward was acquired in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 19 but hasn’t played since Jan. 10 because of an undisclosed injury. “I’ve been itching for a while and just hoping to try to get back before the before the break; I want to get to know the guys a little bit on the ice,” Sherwood said after the morning skate. “Obviously, it’s one thing off the ice; they’ve been extremely welcoming and excited. So, I’m just excited to try to feed them and, yeah, just add to the joy that they come in the rink with every day.” Sherwood had 23 points (17 goals, six assists), in 44 games prior to the trade. He can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. “We went and acquired him for a reason, and I think we need to get him in the mix with our group here a little bit,” San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “When we first got him, he obviously wasn’t healthy enough, and now that he’s checked a lot of boxes for us to get him in the lineup … we just felt like this is a good opportunity, with [Ryan Reaves] banged up, to get him in.” Reaves, a forward, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday; he is day to day with an upper-body injury.
New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes (lower body) will miss his third straight game when the Devils host the New York Islanders on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN2, MSGSN). The forward, who was named to Team USA’s roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, was injured during the first period of a 3-2 overtime win against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 29. New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe was unsure if Hughes skated Wednesday after he shot pucks on his own Tuesday. “Jack is just not improved enough to the point that our medical team will let him get out there, so he’s not going to be available for tomorrow,” Keefe said after practice. “Based on what they’ve told me, they’re not concerned about [him missing the Olympics]. He’s in the day-to-day category, and it just so happens we don’t have a lot of days left here. I don’t even know exactly what the schedule is when they go over there, but I don’t think they have any concern at this point.” Hughes has 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 36 games. … Forwards Nico Hischier and Connor Brown did not practice (maintenance) but are expected to play Thursday.
