Date: 29 February 2026
By IceHockeyMan Newsroom
Update: Additional matchups will be added as projected lineups are updated throughout the day.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Islanders
Faceoff: 00:00 CET
Blue Jackets – Projected lineup
Forwards
Mason Marchment – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner – Sean Monahan – Danton Heinen
Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Dmitri Voronkov – Isac Lundestrom – Miles Wood
Defense
Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov – Denton Mateychuk
Dante Fabbro – Erik Gudbranson
Goalies
Jet Greaves
Elvis Merzlikins
Scratched
Jake Christiansen
Egor Zamula
Kent Johnson
Injured
Brendan Smith (knee surgery)
IHM Lineup Note: Columbus can play straight-line, north-south hockey with heavy slot drives, but the key will be controlled exits under pressure. Werenski’s activation adds a second-wave threat; the risk is the back side if coverage is late on reloads and the gap opens in transition.
Islanders – Projected lineup
Forwards
Ondrej Palat – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal
Jonathan Drouin – Calum Ritchie – Emil Heineman
Anders Lee – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb
Defense
Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Carson Soucy – Scott Mayfield
Goalies
Ilya Sorokin
David Rittich
Scratched
Maxim Shabanov
Anthony Duclair
Adam Boqvist
Injured
Kyle Palmieri (ACL)
Alexander Romanov (upper body)
Semyon Varlamov (knee)
IHM Lineup Note: New York will try to keep the game layered through the neutral zone with tighter tracking and fewer free entries allowed. Barzal’s line drives pace off controlled entries, while Sorokin stabilizes aggressive defensive reads when the Islanders push their gaps at the blue line.
Colorado Avalanche vs Chicago Blackhawks
Faceoff: 00:00 CET
Avalanche – Projected lineup
Forwards
Gabriel Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Artturi Lehkonen – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Parker Kelly – Zakhar Bardakov – Gavin Brindley
Defense
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Goalies
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Scratched
None
Injured
Logan O’Connor (hip surgery)
Joel Kiviranta (undisclosed)
IHM Lineup Note: Colorado remains an elite transition team when MacKinnon has speed through the middle lane. Toews and Makar can tilt the ice with fast breakouts and quick re-entries, but the priority is clean puck support on retrievals to avoid getting caught on long-change turnovers.
Blackhawks – Projected lineup
Forwards
Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky
Oliver Moore – Frank Nazar – Teuvo Teravainen
Tyler Bertuzzi – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato – Nick Foligno – Landon Slaggert
Defense
Alex Vlasic – Louis Crevier
Matt Grzelcyk – Artyom Levshunov
Connor Murphy – Sam Rinzel
Goalies
Spencer Knight
Arvid Soderblom
Scratched
Sam Lafferty
Colton Dach
Kevin Korchinski
Injured
Wyatt Kaiser (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note: Chicago’s path is simplified: survive shifts, manage the puck, then attack off quick strike counters. Bedard’s line must create separation on entries, while the defense needs strong box-outs and inside positioning to limit slot looks against Colorado’s layered attack.
Los Angeles Kings vs Calgary Flames
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Kings – Projected lineup
Forwards
Warren Foegele – Anze Kopitar – Corey Perry
Artemi Panarin – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Taylor Ward
Jeff Malott – Alex Turcotte – Samuel Helenius
Defense
Mikey Anderson – Brian Dumoulin
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Jacob Moverare – Cody Ceci
Goalies
Darcy Kuemper
Anton Forsberg
Scratched
Angus Booth
Injured
Drew Doughty (lower body)
Joel Armia (upper body)
Andrei Kuzmenko (lower body)
Kevin Fiala (fractured leg)
IHM Lineup Note: LA can lean into cycle pressure and low-to-high possessions, but without key pieces they must protect the middle and avoid trading chances. Kopitar’s unit should be deployed to control matchups and slow Calgary’s forecheck momentum.
Flames – Projected lineup
Forwards
Yegor Sharangovich – Mikael Backlund – Matt Coronato
Connor Zary – Nazem Kadri – Joel Farabee
Blake Coleman – Morgan Frost – Matvei Gridin
Martin Pospisil – John Beecher – Adam Klapka
Defense
Kevin Bahl – Mackenzie Weegar
Yan Kuznetsov – Zach Whitecloud
Joel Hanley – Zayne Parekh
Goalies
Dustin Wolf
Devin Cooley
Scratched
Ryan Lomberg
Brayden Pachal
Injured
Jake Bean (undisclosed)
Samuel Honzek (upper body)
Jonathan Huberdeau (hip surgery)
IHM Lineup Note: Calgary’s best chance is structured pressure: hard rims, strong F1 routes, and quick slot layers once pucks are recovered. Defensive pairs must keep tight gaps to prevent LA from exiting cleanly and setting up controlled entries.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Maple Leafs – Projected lineup
Forwards
Matthew Knies – Auston Matthews – Max Domi
Matias Maccelli – John Tavares – William Nylander
Easton Cowan – Nicolas Roy – Bobby McMann
Dakota Joshua – Scott Laughton – Nicholas Robertson
Defense
Morgan Rielly – Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe – Troy Stecher
Simon Benoit – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Goalies
Joseph Woll
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched
Steven Lorentz
Calle Jarnkrok
Philippe Myers
Injured
Chris Tanev (groin)
Dakota Mermis (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note: Toronto is built for controlled entries and east-west creation, especially when Nylander is the primary carrier. Matthews can manage the middle with low support, but the Leafs must stay disciplined on turnovers or Ottawa will punish via quick counter attacks.
Senators – Projected lineup
Forwards
Drake Batherson – Tim Stutzle – Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk – Dylan Cozens – Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio
Stephen Halliday – Lars Eller – Fabian Zetterlund
Defense
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot – Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven – Jordan Spence
Goalies
Linus Ullmark
James Reimer
Scratched
Kurtis MacDermid
Injured
David Perron (sports hernia)
Nikolas Matinpalo (undisclosed)
IHM Lineup Note: Ottawa can generate chaos with a heavy forecheck and net-front traffic, but puck management on exits is non-negotiable versus Toronto’s speed through the neutral zone. If the Senators get stretched, Leafs transition will create high-danger looks.
Carolina Hurricanes vs Detroit Red Wings
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Hurricanes – Projected lineup
Forwards
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson
Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin
Goalies
Frederik Andersen
Brandon Bussi
Scratched
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Mike Reilly
Injured
Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note: Carolina’s identity is relentless forecheck pressure and rapid retrievals that turn into layered offense. If the Canes win races and keep clean reload positioning, they can tilt shot volume and control matchup flow.
Red Wings – Projected lineup
Forwards
Marco Kasper – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat – Andrew Copp – Patrick Kane
Emmitt Finnie – J.T. Compher – Mason Appleton
Elmer Soderblom – Michael Rasmussen – James van Riemsdyk
Defense
Simon Edvinsson – Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot – Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Albert Johansson – Jacob Bernard-Docker
Goalies
Cam Talbot
John Gibson
Scratched
Erik Gustafsson
Travis Hamonic
Dominik Shine
Injured
None
IHM Lineup Note: Detroit needs clean zone exits and quick support routes to beat Carolina’s pressure. Larkin’s line can create rush looks, but extended defensive-zone shifts against Carolina’s cycle will test puck retrieval execution.
Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Canadiens – Projected lineup
Forwards
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Kirby Dach
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Alex Newhook – Jake Evans – Zachary Bolduc
Josh Anderson – Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher
Defense
Mike Matheson – Kaiden Guhle
Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble – Alexandre Carrier
Goalies
Jakub Dobes
Samuel Montembeault
Scratched
Arber Xhekaj
Joe Veleno
Alexandre Texier
Injured
Patrik Laine (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note: Montreal can create pace off quick puck movement from the back end, but they must protect the middle on turnovers. Suzuki line is the possession driver; the key is turning speed into inside-lane chances rather than perimeter volume.
Capitals – Projected lineup
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Anthony Beauvillier
Aliaksei Protas – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Tom Wilson
Connor McMichael – Justin Sourdif – Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime – Nic Dowd – Ethen Frank
Defense
Martin Fehervary – Rasmus Sandin
Jakob Chychrun – Matt Roy
Declan Chisholm – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Goalies
Charlie Lindgren
Logan Thompson
Scratched
Dylan McIlrath
Hendrix Lapierre
Injured
John Carlson (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note: Washington’s attack still funnels to Ovechkin’s weak-side shooting lane, but without full blue-line stability they must manage risk. If the Caps keep their F3 high and exits simple, they can avoid feeding Montreal’s transition game.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres
Faceoff: 01:00 CET
Lightning – Projected lineup
Forwards
Gage Goncalves – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Jake Guentzel – Dominic James – Brandon Hagel
Zemgus Girgensons – Yanni Gourde – Pontus Holmberg
Oliver Bjorkstrand – Scott Sabourin
Defense
J.J. Moser – Darren Raddysh
Ryan McDonagh – Erik Cernak
Charle-Edouard D’Astous – Emil Lilleberg
Victor Hedman
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
Scratched
Curtis Douglas
Declan Carlile
Injured
Anthony Cirelli (upper body)
Nick Paul (lower body)
Max Crozier (core muscle)
IHM Lineup Note: Tampa can still manufacture premium looks through Kucherov’s half-wall manipulation and rapid puck rotation. If they dress 11F and 7D, shift management becomes critical, especially on the backcheck and defensive-zone matchups.
Sabres – Projected lineup
Forwards
Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Jason Zucker – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Noah Ostlund – Josh Norris – Josh Doan
Josh Dunne – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malenstyn
Defense
Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Zach Metsa – Michael Kesselring
Goalies
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Alex Lyon
Scratched
Jacob Bryson
Anton Wahlberg
Colten Ellis
Injured
Zach Benson (upper body)
Jordan Greenway (middle body)
Conor Timmins (broken leg)
Jiri Kulich (blood clot)
Justin Danforth (lower body)
IHM Lineup Note: Buffalo’s ceiling is driven by Dahlin and Power creating offense from the blue line and pushing pace. The Sabres must avoid long defensive shifts and keep their spacing on exits clean to prevent Tampa from feasting on turnovers.
Dallas Stars vs Nashville Predators
Faceoff: 02:00 CET
Stars – Projected lineup
Forwards
Jason Robertson – Wyatt Johnston – Mavrik Bourque
Sam Steel – Matt Duchene – Jamie Benn
Adam Erne – Justin Hryckowian – Colin Blackwell
Oskar Back – Arttu Hyry – Nathan Bastian
Defense
Esa Lindell – Miro Heiskanen
Thomas Harley – Nils Lundkvist
Ilya Lyubushkin – Lian Bichsel
Goalies
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Scratched
Kyle Capobianco
Alexander Petrovic
Injured
Radek Faksa (upper body)
Roope Hintz (illness)
Mikko Rantanen (lower body)
Tyler Seguin (ACL)
IHM Lineup Note: Dallas can run controlled possessions through Heiskanen’s puck movement and strong wall play from the top six. Missing key pieces means they must win the middle and keep their defensive-zone routes efficient to avoid being worn down.
Predators – Projected lineup
Forwards
Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Luke Evangelista
Filip Forsberg – Erik Haula – Michael Bunting
Cole Smith – Michael McCarron – Jonathan Marchessault
Zachary L’Heureux – Tyson Jost – Matthew Wood
Defense
Brady Skjei – Roman Josi
Nicolas Hague – Nick Blankenburg
Adam Wilsby – Nick Perbix
Goalies
Justus Annunen
Juuse Saros
Scratched
Ozzy Wiesblatt
Justin Barron
Injured
None
IHM Lineup Note: Nashville can drive offense through Josi’s activation and Forsberg’s inside-lane attacks. If the Preds win forecheck battles and generate net-front layers, they can stress Dallas’ depth and force penalties.
Seattle Kraken vs Vancouver Canucks
Faceoff: 04:00 CET
Kraken – Projected lineup
Forwards
Jared McCann – Matty Beniers – Jordan Eberle
Jaden Schwartz – Chandler Stephenson – Eeli Tolvanen
Berkly Catton – Shane Wright – Kaapo Kakko
Ben Meyers – Frederick Gaudreau – Jacob Melanson
Defense
Vince Dunn – Adam Larsson
Jamie Oleksiak – Brandon Montour
Ryker Evans – Cale Fleury
Goalies
Joey Daccord
Philipp Grubauer
Scratched
Josh Mahura
Ryan Winterton
Injured
Matt Murray (lower body)
Ryan Lindgren (upper body)
IHM Lineup Note: Seattle can play a strong forecheck game when the puck gets behind the opposing defense, but they must connect short passes in the neutral zone to avoid one-and-done entries. Dunn’s puck moving sets the breakout rhythm when gaps are tight.
Canucks – Projected lineup
Forwards
Evander Kane – Elias Pettersson – Jake DeBrusk
Drew O’Connor – Marco Rossi – Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren – Teddy Blueger – Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander – David Kampf – Linus Karlsson
Defense
Elias Pettersson – Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson – Tom Willander
Zeev Buium – P.O Joseph
Goalies
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched
Max Sasson
Aatu Raty
Tyler Myers
Injured
Filip Chytil (facial fracture)
Thatcher Demko (hip surgery)
Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
IHM Lineup Note: Vancouver’s best look is off controlled entries with Pettersson orchestrating the middle lane and Boeser finishing from the slot-side pocket. If Myers sits again, defensive zone retrievals and first-pass execution become even more important under Seattle’s pressure.
Q&A: Projected Lineups and Starting Goalies
Q1: What are projected lineups?
Projected lineups are the expected forward lines and defense pairs based on the latest practice information, morning skate reports, and beat-writer updates. They can change closer to puck drop.
Q2: When are starting goalies confirmed?
Starters are most often confirmed after morning skate or during pregame media availability. Final confirmation can also come 30 to 90 minutes before faceoff.
Q3: Why do line combinations change on game day?
Coaches adjust lines for matchups, injury status, travel fatigue, and special teams roles. Late scratches can force quick reshuffles and role changes.
Q4: What is the difference between scratched and injured?
A scratched player is healthy but not in the lineup. Injured players are unavailable due to a reported injury or medical status designation.
Q5: How should I read forward lines and defense pairs?
Lines reflect expected even-strength usage, while defense pairs indicate matchup structure and puck-moving roles. Special teams usage can differ from the listed units.
Q6: What do the IHM lineup notes focus on?
The notes focus on forecheck structure, neutral-zone approach, transition quality, and how personnel changes affect matchups, tempo, and scoring chance quality.
Q7: Can projected lineups change after this post is published?
Yes. Treat projected lineups as the latest snapshot. Always re-check starters and late lineup updates closer to puck drop.