December 20, 2025
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (lower body) will miss a fourth straight game on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. He isn't traveling with the team after sustaining a lower-body injury earlier this month. Horvat's absence is a huge blow for the Islanders, as he leads the team in goals (19) and points (31). Furthermore, Mathew Barzal (undisclosed) is also dealing with a health issue and has been a game-time decision for a pair of contests this week. The team would be without its top two centers if Barzal had to sit as well. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has moved into the top six in Horvat's absence, although he is mostly known for his defense, and fantasy managers don't have much to gain by picking him up.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 20, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis (upper body) will miss time after crashing into a goalpost 20 seconds into overtime during Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Jarvis' injury "is not good. He's going to be out for a while." The 23-year-old finished Friday's contest with a pair of assists and is Carolina's second-highest scorer. In 34 appearances, Jarvis has notched 29 points (19 goals, 10 assists). He leads the team in goals. Carolina will also miss Jarvis' physicality, as he has amassed 43 hits this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 20, 2025
Center Phillip Danault (illness) has returned to the Montreal Canadiens, who reacquired him from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2026 second-round draft pick originally belonging to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Danault moved to L.A. in 2021 as an unrestricted free agent, signing a six-year, $33 million contract. He had a productive four-year stint with the Kings, but the wheels have come off for Danault in 2025-26. The 32-year-old has gone goalless in 30 appearances, dishing out only five assists. Montreal scores significantly more goals than the Kings, so Danault should have much more success offensively in the second half of the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 20, 2025
The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired winger Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken, giving up a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick. Marchment is in the final season of a four-year, $18 million contract. The Kraken acquired Marchment this offseason from the Dallas Stars for a third- and fourth-round draft pick. He made 29 appearances for the team, logging 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and 38 hits. Marchment's numbers have dropped significantly compared with his years in Dallas. The 30-year-old will beef up the Blue Jackets' lineup and could be a valuable asset in the postseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Nashville Predators right wing Jonathan Marchessault (lower body) was labeled day-to-day on Friday. He sustained a lower-body injury on Wednesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. The veteran escaped a serious injury, but he could still miss some action. Nashville continues its season this weekend with a back-to-back against the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers. Marchessault has yet to get going in 2025-26, posting only 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in 28 contests. With Marchessault sidelined, Luke Evangelista and Matthew Wood could see increased ice time, and Tyson Jost is expected to fill his spot in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 19, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry (lower body) was placed on Injured Reserve on Friday. He is set to miss at least three games due to a lower-body injury. It's an unfortunate blow for the 30-year-old who has only just joined the team. Jarry has posted a 3-0-0 record with the Oilers since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 12. Edmonton has a back-to-back scheduled for this weekend, meaning both Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram could get action. Neither goalie looks like a good fantasy option, as they will face very tough opponents in Minnesota and Vegas.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 19, 2025
Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (upper body) will miss a third consecutive game on Saturday against the Washington Capitals. The former MVP was injured last Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks, and it remains unclear when he can rejoin the action. Kane has been impactful this season, notching 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 24 games. In his absence, John Leonard has received a chance on the second line, recording one assist across two games. He figures to remain in the role for Saturday's tough matchup against one of the NHL's best defensive teams.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 19, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (upper body) will miss this weekend's back-to-back and is considered week-to-week. He sat out his first game of the season on Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. With 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 31 games, Theodore is the runaway scoring leader among Vegas' defensemen and has 48 blocks. On Wednesday, Jeremy Lauzon hopped into the lineup as Theodore's replacement, registering one shot, one block, three hits, and two penalty minutes. Meanwhile, Noah Hanifin led the blue line in ice time with 26:07, logging 2:18 of action on the power play.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 19, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (illness, lower body) has not joined the team for this weekend's back-to-back on the road against the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Vegas' star man has been dealing with an illness this week and also has a lower-body injury, missing his first game of the season on Wednesday night against the New Jersey Devils. With Eichel sidelined, the Golden Knights travel to Alberta without their top scorer. Eichel notched 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in 31 games. In his absence, Mitchell Marner is set to skate as a center, while Brandon Saad practiced on the first line on Friday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 19, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (lower body) won't be in the lineup on Friday against the Florida Panthers. He was injured in Wednesday's win over the Nashville Predators and is considered day-to-day. The power forward has registered 11 points (four goals, seven assists) and 56 hits in 33 contests during his 12th NHL campaign. Jesperi Kotkaniemi will enter the lineup as Martinook's replacement. The Finnish forward has tallied five points (two goals, three assists) and 26 hits in 17 outings. He is not expected to have a major impact on Friday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 19, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (lower body) will play on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Initially, he was iffy for the contest after suffering a lower-body injury during Wednesday's win over the Los Angeles Kings. Rodrigues has produced eight goals and 16 points in 33 games this season. However, he could go pointless for a fourth consecutive game on Friday, which would mark his worst run in 2025-26. The 32-year-old will be on the third line with Mackie Samoskevich and A.J. Greer and has a spot reserved on the second power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 19, 2025
Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin (knee) underwent ACL surgery in his right knee this week and will be re-evaluated after the Olympics, the team announced on Friday. The veteran injured his right knee at the start of December and was initially expected to miss the rest of the regular season. Friday's statement suggests that he may still get an opportunity to play this campaign. Seguin has made 27 appearances in 2025-26, scoring seven goals and 17 points. The 33-year-old will miss a large chunk of the season for a second consecutive year after he had hip surgery in December 2024.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski wrote his name into the history books on Thursday night, becoming the first blue-liner in franchise history with back-to-back multi-goal games. He was Columbus' lone scorer in a 5-2 home loss to the Minnesota Wild. In the entire league, only three defensemen in the past 10 years had scored multiple goals in consecutive games. Werenski recorded his second career 20-goal campaign last term and is currently on track for a 30-goal year. In 34 outings, Werenski has lit the lamp 13 times, ranking second among defensemen in scoring with 38 points.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson kept Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs at bay on Thursday night, stopping 22 shots in a 4-0 victory. Thompson has been in impressive form throughout the season, but this marks only his second shutout of the campaign. The 28-year-old is second in the league with a 2.00 goals-against average and also holds second place among all goalies with his .925 save percentage. In December, Thompson has been a bit inconsistent, going the entire month without back-to-back wins. He will look to rectify it this weekend during a home-and-home set against the Detroit Red Wings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark recorded his first shutout of the season in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, finishing with 24 saves. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner won his third consecutive start and improved to 13-8-4 for the season. He has registered a 2.89 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage. Ullmark currently has the worst save percentage of his NHL career, which shows that it has not been smooth sailing for him this season. However, he has improved it to .913 this month, offering fantasy managers hope that the Swedish veteran could have a strong second half of the campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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