The 2026-27 season is barely underway, and several teams are already dealing with injuries that could have long-term impact. This NHL injury report looks at the latest updates involving Bryan Rust, the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Philadelphia Flyers.
Bryan Rust Could Be Coming Off NHL Injury Report Soon
Bryan Rust remains on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury during Pittsburgh’s preseason finale against Buffalo. Rust left that game early in the second period, and the Penguins have been without one of their most important forwards since then.
The good news is that Rust could return on Monday night, meaning Pittsburgh could be getting him back for their next game against the Winnipeg Jets. The Penguins have started the season well offensively, but getting Rust back would give them another proven scoring option and make their forward group considerably deeper.
Rust’s return on Monday night will likely be a game-time decision. So, stay tuned for the latest NHL injury report.
Rangers Facing a Tough Injury Situation
The Rangers have already lost Adam Sykora for an extended period after the forward suffered a lower-body injury. Sykora is on injured reserve with a projected return in late January, making this much more than a short-term inconvenience for New York.
Joonas Korpisalo is another important absence. The goaltender is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and is currently projected to return around October 9. The Rangers have been able to turn to Dylan Garand in his absence. The rookie registered a shutout in his first game this season, taking the pressure off Korpisalo to return ASAP.
Now Joe Veleno has joined the NHL injury report. Veleno suffered a lower-body injury early in Sunday’s 4-2 win over Utah after an awkward collision with Clayton Keller. He needed assistance getting to the dressing room and did not return. Head coach Mike Sullivan said Veleno was still being evaluated, meaning that there’s no clarity on the severity of the injury.
Losing Veleno will be a problem for the Blueshirts as they are already thing enough down the middle as it is.
Senators Have Several Key Players on the NHL Injury Report
Artem Zub remains on injured reserve with a knee injury and is currently on track to be out until at least October 10. The Senators managed well enough without him in their season opener on Saturday night. But they’ll want to have him back soon.
Jake Sanderson’s situation is more concerning because the defenseman just reaggravated an injury that already caused him to miss part of training camp. Sanderson left Saturday’s win over Toronto after the first period and did not return. Travis Green said he was “a little bit concerned,” although he also believed Sanderson recognized the problem early enough to avoid making it significantly worse.
Andre Burakovsky is also dealing with an upper-body injury. He has been listed as day-to-day and did not play against Toronto after skating in a non-contact jersey during Friday’s practice. Ottawa will want to get Burakovsky off the NHL injury report soon.
Flyers Also Dealing With Injury Concerns
Rasmus Ristolainen suffered an apparent hand injury after blocking a shot against Carolina on Saturday. He briefly returned for the third period before leaving again after just one shift. The good news is that he traveled with Philadelphia for its Tampa Bay game, and the current expectation is that he may not miss much time.
Nikita Grebenkin is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury. His absence adds another wrinkle for a Flyers team already trying to navigate several early-season injuries.
The NHL injury report is already getting full, and these situations could change quickly. For Pittsburgh, New York, Ottawa and Philadelphia, the next few days should provide much clearer indications of which injuries are minor setbacks and which could become genuine problems.
NHL Injury Report: Bryan Rust, Rangers, Flyers and Senators