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Mathew Barzal Set for Season Debut Saturday
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal (knee) was activated from Injured Reserve and is expected to make his season debut on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks. Barzal sat out the first month and a half after re-aggravating a knee injury before training camp. His absence has been a huge blow to the Islanders' power play, as the team has converted only 16.4 percent of their chances. The Islanders' overall offensive record hasn't been great either, with 2.94 goals averaged. Anaheim ranks 30th in goals allowed, so Barzal will have a good opportunity to make an immediate impact.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
More Recent News
Artemi Panarin Unavailable Against Flames
Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (personal) won't play on Saturday against the Calgary Flames. He will miss his first game of the season for personal reasons. Panarin's absence is a huge blow for the Kings, as he leads the team in goals (eight), assists (11), and points (19) after 17 games. Alex Turcotte will be Panarin's replacement on the first line. Playing with Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere boosts Turcotte's fantasy appeal, but he's averaged just 0.26 points per game in his NHL career.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Chris Kreider Ruled Out for 6-8 Weeks
Montreal Canadiens left wing Chris Kreider (lower body) will be out for 6-8 weeks, the team announced before Saturday's game against Colorado. Kreider suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday night against Boston, appearing to hurt his left leg. Through his first 19 games with the Canadiens, Kreider has registered nine points (three goals, six assists) and 21 hits. With him out, Florian Xhekaj will enter the lineup against Colorado. Owen Beck will likely also feature in the lineup during Kreider's absence.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Cale Makar Unavailable for Two Weeks
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (lower body) has been ruled out for two weeks ahead of Saturday's tilt against Montreal. Both Makar and Nathan MacKinnon (lower body) were hurt in Thursday's loss to Ottawa and will exit the lineup this week. While Makar is expected to return in a couple of weeks, MacKinnon will miss at least a month. Makar is once again among the highest-scoring defensemen in 2026-27, posting 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 19 appearances. Alex Gagne is set to take his spot in the lineup, and the blue line will lean more on Devon Toews and Sam Malinski.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Nathan MacKinnon to Miss One Month
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (lower body) will be unavailable for at least one month. The team lost him to a lower-body injury in Thursday's matchup with Ottawa, and MacKinnon will miss his first game of the season Saturday night against Montreal. MacKinnon is having another excellent season, boasting a team-high 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 20 games. Nazem Kadri and Brock Nelson are expected to have bigger roles for the Avalanche, though the coming weeks promise to be difficult, with Cale Makar (lower body) also sidelined.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
J.T. Miller Records Two Assists Against Canucks
New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller played a pivotal role in Friday's 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, notching two assists against his former team. He set up Gabe Perreault for the game-tying goal at even strength and collected a power-play assist on Oliver Bjorkstrand's game-winner. Miller hasn't found the back of the net in seven outings this month, but he has six assists. In total, he boasts 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 21 games. Miller has significantly toned down his physicality this season, averaging around one hit per game, but that hasn't helped him to regain the point-per-game form he had in Vancouver.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mitch Marner Extends Home Point Streak to 10 Games
Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner recorded an assist in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to Nashville, extending his home points streak to 10 games. Only a handful of teams have managed to contain Marner this season, as he's gone scoreless just once in his last 15 appearances. Marner is tied for fifth in the league with 21 assists and has 24 points in 19 games. Vegas hosts Vancouver on Sunday, giving Marner a fantastic opportunity to match the franchise record for the longest home point streak.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Roman Josi Adds Another Assist to His Tally
Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi continued his prolific campaign with another assist against Vegas in a 3-2 shootout win on Friday night. He helped set up Ryan O'Reilly's game-tying goal midway through the third period. Josi also had the decisive shootout goal in the contest. With 20 games played, Josi already has 21 assists and 23 points. Borje Salming (22) is the only defenseman born outside North America to post more assists through the first 20 games of a season. After dealing with health issues in recent years, Josi has found another gear and will be in contention for the Norris Trophy if he keeps this up.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ryan O'Reilly Scores Twice in Friday's Victory
Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly ended a three-game point drought with two goals in Friday's 3-2 shootout win over Vegas. These were his first goals in eight games. Strangely, the Predators have strung together a seven-game winning streak despite their top-line center struggling. After a hot start, O'Reilly has posted just four points (two goals, two assists) in six outings this month. Overall, he's managed nine goals and 19 points in 20 games. O'Reilly has notched nine of his points on the power play and looks to be in a good spot to start building a point streak, with Nashville facing the San Jose Sharks and their 76.0 percent penalty kill on Sunday.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Johnathan Kovacevic Moved to Injured Reserve
New Jersey Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (ankle) has been placed on Injured Reserve, retroactive to Nov. 10. He missed Thursday's game against Washington with an ankle injury and won't be available for Saturday's rematch. Kovacevic has recorded two assists, 10 SOG, eight blocks, and 13 hits over 13 outings. Brett Pesce (illness) was also out Thursday night, forcing Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe to make several defensive changes. Vladislav Kolyachonok had an impressive season debut, scoring the game-winning goal in New Jersey's 5-2 victory. That will give him momentum heading into Saturday's rematch, but fantasy managers shouldn't get excited.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Isak Rosen Out Saturday
Winnipeg Jets right wing Isak Rosen (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Saturday's tilt against Chicago, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports. The Swedish forward didn't practice on Friday after being banged up in Thursday's win over Dallas. Rosen shouldn't be a big miss for the Jets, as he's managed only two points (one goal, one assist) in 19 outings and averages less than one hit per game. Nino Niederreiter will fill in for him on the fourth line. While Niederreiter has good NHL pedigree, he no longer has fantasy value, having gone scoreless in all 10 appearances this season.
Source: Ken Wiebe
Source: Ken Wiebe
Logan Cooley Ruled Out for Saturday
Utah Mammoth forward Logan Cooley (upper body) won't play on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks, Ben Anderson of KSL Sports reports. His absence will extend to three games and could go longer as the team waits for the results of some tests. Cooley has scored a team-high 11 goals this season, adding 10 assists in 18 games. Dylan Guenther (upper body) and Nick Schmaltz (lower body) also exited the lineup this week, giving Vincent Trocheck the top-line center role. Meanwhile, Daniil But and Kailer Yamamoto have moved to the top six, boosting their fantasy value.
Source: Ben Anderson
Source: Ben Anderson
Alexander Wennberg a Game-Time Decision Saturday
San Jose Sharks center Alexander Wennberg (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision on Saturday against the Utah Mammoth, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports. We saw Wennberg return from a 10-game absence this week, but he's dealing with another health issue and may be sidelined again. After a strong 55-point campaign, Wennberg has managed just three points in 11 games this season and hasn't scored yet. He's been a busy man on the third line and the first power-play unit, leaving San Jose with a significant hole to fill if Wennberg isn't available.
Source: Curtis Pashelka
Source: Curtis Pashelka
Miro Heiskanen Still Out Saturday
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (upper body) will sit out a fourth straight game on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. Heiskanen suffered an upper-body injury versus Washington on Nov. 3 and was first listed as day-to-day, but he's now been out for over a week with no clear return date. The team has also lost Lian Bichsel (lower body) and Kyle Capobianco (leg) from defense. Thomas Harley has taken over the No. 1 defenseman role, while Nils Lundkvist and Esa Lindell have more duties as well.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Ryan Lindgren a Game-Time Call Saturday
Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body) will be a game-time decision for the second contest of the 2026 NHL Global Series in Finland on Saturday against Carolina, Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network reports. The Kraken lost Lindgren to an upper-body injury just four games into the season. His return should boost a defense that's leaking 3.59 goals per game. However, Lindgren has minimal fantasy value. He finished last season with nine points (two goals, seven assists), 48 SOG, 118 blocks, and 47 hits in 76 games.
Source: Mike Benton
Source: Mike Benton
Jordan Staal Could Return Saturday
Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (calf) could return to action on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken at the 2026 NHL Global Series in Finland, Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com reports. The 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy winner has missed 16 games with a calf injury, but he's practiced this week and worked on the power play Friday, a strong signal that Staal is ready to return. Staal hasn't replicated his 2026 playoffs MVP form this season, going scoreless in six outings. With Carolina's frontline back at full strength, Eric Robinson figures to be the odd man out Saturday.
Source: Shawn P. Roarke
Source: Shawn P. Roarke
Tom Willander Available Against Rangers
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tom Willander (lower body) looks ready to return from a four-game absence on Friday against the New York Rangers, Adam Kierszenblat of The Hockey News reports. The Canucks are planning two defensive changes, with Willander and Cameron Crotty replacing Luke Schenn and Guillaume Brisebois. With the Canucks struggling, Willander has been limited to three assists in 16 games this season and has no goals on 12 SOG. The Rangers don't travel well, putting Willander and the rest of the Canucks in a good spot to have some joy during a frustrating campaign.
Source: Adam Kierszenblat
Source: Adam Kierszenblat
Filip Chytil Expected to Return Friday
Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil (shoulder) is set to return to action on Friday against the New York Rangers, Adam Kierszenblat of The Hockey News reports. He has missed five games with a shoulder injury. The Canucks still need to activate Chytil from Injured Reserve. Friday will mark a special occasion for Chytil, as he'll face the Rangers for the first time since they traded him to Vancouver in 2025. After moving across the border, the Czech forward has dealt with several health issues. This season, Chytil has appeared in just seven games, recording two assists. Chytil is expected to take a spot on the second line and the second power-play unit, so he may be able to do some damage against his former team.
Source: Adam Kierszenblat
Source: Adam Kierszenblat
Jonathan Marchessault Remains Out Friday
Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault (lower body) will miss a sixth straight game on Friday against Vegas, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports. The veteran forward was on the ice for an optional morning skate on Friday, but he hasn't been cleared to return from a lower-body injury. Marchessault has struggled to produce offense this season, recording five points (two goals, three assists) in 14 games. With Marchessault out, Nils Hoglander has moved to the second line, tallying one goal and three assists in the last two games.
Source: Brooks Bratten
Source: Brooks Bratten
Dylan DeMelo Out Week-to-Week
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (lower body) will be out week-to-week after exiting early in Thursday's blowout win over Dallas, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports. With DeMelo out, the Jets lose a defenseman who does a lot of dirty work and occasionally chips in offensively. In 19 appearances this season, DeMelo has registered eight points (one goal, seven assists), 17 SOG, 23 blocks, and 27 hits. DeMelo's absence will likely allow Haydn Fleury to re-enter the lineup. Fleury lacks fantasy appeal due to his offensive shortcomings, though he has recorded assists in each of his last two outings.
Source: Ken Wiebe
Source: Ken Wiebe
Lian Bichsel to Miss Upcoming Back-to-Back
Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (lower body) is expected to miss at least two games, Robert Tiffin of NHL.com reports. The Swiss blue-liner suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's defeat to Winnipeg, and we likely won't see him on the ice over the weekend when Dallas faces Buffalo and Florida in a back-to-back set. Bichsel leads Dallas in hits with 39. He is also among the team leaders with 24 blocks. Offensively, Bichsel has posted one assist in 17 appearances, making him a non-factor in fantasy. Still, Bichsel's absence is significant since the Stars' blue line has already been without Miro Heiskanen (upper body) and Kyle Capobianco (leg).
Source: Robert Tiffin
Source: Robert Tiffin
