NHL Status Report: Nick Blankenburg, Marshall Rifai and Chris Tanev join Maple Leafs injury list; Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm expected sidelined 1-2 weeks

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

The NHL Status Report on October 23, 2026 outlined multiple injury updates across the league, with the most prominent concern centered on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto’s injury list continued to expand as defensemen Nick Blankenburg (upper body) and Chris Tanev (upper body) and forward-center John Tavares (lower body) were joined by defenseman Marshall Rifai (lower body), each categorized as week-to-week. Tavares will not travel with the Maple Leafs for their upcoming four-game road trip, which begins Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers at 7 p.m. ET.

Rifai and Blankenburg each joined the injury list on Thursday. According to the league’s report, Rifai left during the morning skate before Toronto’s 5-4 win against the New York Rangers, after which he was placed on the injured list. Blankenburg left after being hit by Rangers forward Will Cuylle. The Maple Leafs’ moving pieces also included call-ups and AHL stints: defensemen Cole McWard and Dakota Mermis were recalled from Toronto’s American Hockey League affiliate on Friday, while forward Dakota Joshua remained on a conditioning stint with the AHL club.

The report also addressed Edmonton’s immediate outlook leading into its Saturday home game against Toronto. Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm is expected to be sidelined for 1-2 weeks after being helped off the ice in the opening minute of the third period of Edmonton’s 6-5 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes. The league’s notes describe how Ekholm’s head hit the ice after a check into the boards from Hurricanes forward William Carrier, and Edmonton coach Mike Babcock commented on the situation, saying, “Obviously, it didn’t look very pretty, his head slammed on the ice,” adding that, “he’ll be OK in a couple of weeks or a week or 10 days or whatever.” Babcock’s remarks were attributed to the Oilers coach in the Status Report context.

Elsewhere in the league, San Jose’s lineup readiness was also affected by injury management ahead of Saturday’s visit to the Boston Bruins. Sharks forward Igor Chernyshov is expected to be “out here a little bit,” according to Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky, with the winger leaving a 6-2 victory at the Ottawa Senators after blocking a slap shot off his left arm by Oilers defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo. The league’s report said Chernyshov was scheduled to be re-evaluated on Friday, prior to San Jose’s road game in Boston at 7 p.m. ET.

The Florida Panthers’ lineup faced another uncertainty after Gustav Forsling left a game with an injury following a puck to the face. The league’s notes state that Forsling departed after the late stages of a 4-0 loss at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, and Panthers coach Paul Maurice had no update after the game. Florida returns to game action when it plays at the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

Colorado also had a return on the horizon. Logan O’Connor (lower body) is expected to make his season debut for the Avalanche against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday at 9 p.m. ET. The Status Report stated that O’Connor was placed on long-term injured reserve on Sept. 28 and had to miss at least 10 games. Colorado’s injury picture includes additional week-to-week considerations: coach Jared Bednar said forwards Nicolas Roy (lower body) and Zachary L’Heureux (upper body) are each week to week, while Bednar indicated Roy could be closer to a return.