The 2025-26 season has barely gotten underway and is already showing signs that injuries may be a defining storyline. Analysts say the breadth and depth of injuries-across position, team, and veteran star-are an “alarming trend” as leagues and national teams prepare for major competitions.
What stands out isn’t just the number of injuries; rather, many of them affect core players-top forwards, defensemen, goaltenders-which forces teams to rework lineups, adjust strategies, and often rely on less-experienced call-ups. Depth is being tested hard.
Below are some of the most important injury stories of 2025 so far.
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Major Injuries — Stars Down, Seasons Changed
Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars)
On December 2, 2025, Seguin suffered a torn ACL in his right knee following an on-ice collision with an opponent — a serious injury that is expected to sideline him for several months and likely rule him out for most of the regular season.
This is a huge blow for a veteran forward who’s played over 1,000 games in the NHL and is on a long-term, high-value contract-to both he and the Stars’ offensive depth going forward.
A check on Reddit revealed frustration from many fans:
“That’s two straight lost seasons for him, right? Absolutely brutal.”
This hits especially hard given Seguin’s recent return from hip surgery just last season.
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Kyle Palmieri (New York Islanders)
Palmieri tore his ACL during a late November 2025 game. He was hurt while battling for a loose puck – yet despite the torn ligament, he even managed to register an assist on the play before going down.
He’s expected to miss 6–8 months, effectively ending his 2025–26 season. For a 34-year-old forward having an NHL career spanning decades, this is a huge setback.
It’s more than just numbers: Palmieri had 18 points in 25 games at the time of injury — a pace that had him playing a key offensive role for the Islanders. Reuters
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Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins / USA National Team)
McAvoy suffered a severe shoulder injury: by season’s end the injury was ruled a Grade 5 AC joint separation. Complications after a pain-killing injection also led to an infection that forced him into hospital care – and ultimately ended his season.
What looked like a “week-to-week” absence at the time became a season-ending one.
This is a big blow to the blue line for Boston, but also their power-play and defensive structure. Injuries like this to shoulders have long-term implications for top defensemen like McAvoy.
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Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
In November 2025, Matthews was put on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury after receiving a hit from an opponent.
First, the team had hoped he’d be out only a week; as of the latest updates, however, Matthews “still has not resumed skating,” casting doubt on an immediate return.
Given his importance as Toronto’s captain and top offensive weapon, even a short absence has ripple effects on the team’s attack, power play, and locker-room leadership — especially as the injury list in Toronto continues to grow.
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Broader Impact: Teams – and the League – Feeling the Strain
There are several teams throughout the league who, per a recent analysis, have struggled under the weight of multiple, concurrent injuries top to bottom — early in the 2025–26 season.
The effect shows on league-wide metrics like “man-games lost” and “total injuries,” which for some clubs in 2024-25 reached alarming levels.
These are significant losses for teams like the Islanders and Stars that will force a juggling of lines, provide more opportunity for young or inexperienced players, and could ultimately impact playoff aspirations.
For blue-line–heavy teams like Boston, losing a top defenseman like McAvoy undercuts defensive consistency, power-play setup, and overall roster balance.
For “flagship” clubs like Toronto, the absence of a star like Matthews affects not only on-ice performance but also team morale and fan expectation.
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Why 2025 – and the upcoming Olympic cycle – matters
It is an inopportune time for these players to get injured: several of them would be facing an upcoming season of pressure with not only the regular season but international commitments like the Olympics, World Championships, and national team play. Some early reports caution this could be a ‘stress test’ on rosters across the league.
For players with major injuries to recover from — ACLs, shoulder separations — the timeline for full recovery is long, possibly impacting not just the rest of this season but next.
With depth heavily tested, clubs with a strong farm system or those that manage minutes judiciously will have the best advantage. Others may struggle to remain competitive through waves of injury.
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Looking Ahead — What to Watch
Whether veteran players like Seguin and Palmieri, for instance, are able to bounce back and retain their game to the same level remains to be seen. Their ACL injuries, in particular, tend to take many months of rehab and sometimes affect a player’s explosiveness or confidence.
How will teams adapt? Will clubs lean more heavily on call-ups, younger players, or trades to replace lost production? Depth and flexibility may be as vital as star power.
Will the wave of injuries spur any sort of league-wide changes in terms of scheduling, player load management, or health protocols with major international events on the horizon?
And finally: how will these injuries impact team standings, playoff races, and — in some cases — long-term franchise strategies?Make sure you don’t miss the best offshore sportsbooks NFL promotions.