December 19, 2025
Buffalo Sabres center Tyson Kozak (upper body) played only a handful of minutes in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Starting on the fourth line, Kozak recorded one shot and one hit with a minus-one rating in 4:46 of ice time, but an upper-body injury forced him to leave the game in the second period. The 22-year-old made his 24th appearance of the season. Kozak ranks third on his team with 62 hits but has been anonymous offensively. So far, he has tallied only two goals and four points in 2025-26. Josh Dunne is likely to fill the gap on the fourth line if Kozak isn't ready to play on Saturday against the New York Islanders.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Conor Timmins broke his left leg in Thursday's 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres and will miss 6-8 weeks of action. The Sabres had a great night, with five different skaters lighting the lamp, but it was dampened by Timmins' injury late in the third period. The recovery timeline indicates that Timmins definitely won't be ready to play before February, and he will probably remain sidelined until after the Olympic break. Timmins doesn't do much on the offensive end but leads Buffalo with 70 blocks this season. He has gone goalless with 33 efforts on the net and has registered six assists in 33 games. Jacob Bryson is likely to replace Timmins in the lineup, but he doesn't have any fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry (lower body) exited Thursday's 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins in the second period. Jarry made his third appearance with the Oilers, but a lower-body injury cut his night at the office short. The former Penguin allowed one goal on 13 shots to continue his strong start with his new team. Calvin Pickard replaced Jarry and helped Edmonton to a 3-1 victory. Pickard could now see more action going forward if Jarry has to miss additional time. Jarry has begun his career in Canada with a 3-0-0 run, allowing 3.08 goals with a .887 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
December 19, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed) left Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the third period. The Lightning were without Nikita Kucherov (illness) and Brandon Hagel (upper body) for the contest and lost Cirelli after he had collected a power-play assist. The team may now be missing half of its top-six group in this week's final game, a matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Cirelli is third on the Lightning roster with a plus-15 rating and has amassed 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 30 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 18, 2025
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring (lower body) is expected to end a 14-game absence in Thursday's matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. Kesselring also missed time earlier in the campaign and has been limited to nine appearances in 2025-26. While Kesselring has been a two-way contributor in previous years, he hasn't yet scored any points this season. Without the puck, he has recorded nine blocks and seven hits. Kesselring will replace Jacob Bryson as Owen Power's partner on the blue line. However, Bryson may still get an opportunity to play, as Conor Timmins (undisclosed) is considered a game-time decision.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 18, 2025
Buffalo Sabres forward Peyton Krebs (illness) is expected to suit up on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. His status for the game was in doubt after Krebs missed Wednesday's practice due to illness. However, he appears to have made a quick recovery and will likely line up on the top line next to Tage Thompson and Josh Doan. Krebs mainly adds physicality to the line, as he ranks second on the team with 76 hits. He has yet to light the lamp this season with 37 shots on goal but does have nine assists in 32 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 18, 2025
Calgary Flames defenseman Jake Bean (undisclosed) is scheduled for surgery and will be out indefinitely, head coach Ryan Huska said on Thursday. Bean has been on Injured Reserve since Dec. 11 and last played for the Flames on Dec. 6. In total, he has made only 16 appearances in 2025-26, recording two points (one goal, one assist) and 29 blocks. Huska noted that Bean had been attempting to play through his injury, but said that undergoing surgery was "the best path forward for him". The Flames boss did not specify if Bean would miss the rest of the season. Among Calgary's d-men, Rasmus Andersson has been by far the best fantasy piece this season, providing steady offense and around two blocks per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
December 18, 2025
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (upper body) will skip a second consecutive contest on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Matherson's absence has left a huge gap on the blue line, as the veteran leads all skaters on the team in ice time with 24:54 per game. He has notched 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 32 games while blocking 69 shots. Arber Xhekaj has joined the lineup during Matheson's absence, with Jayden Struble moving into the top-four group. Both Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson absorbed additional minutes in Tuesday's loss to the Philadelphia Flyers and have extra fantasy value until Matheson returns.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 18, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) is expected to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings. The team activated Vasilevskiy from Injured Reserve earlier this week, while reassigning Brandon Halverson to the minors. It's unclear whether Vasilevskiy will start the contest. However, having the former Vezina winner back is definitely good news for the Lightning. The Russian netminder has won 11 of his last 14 starts, carrying an 11-6-2 record for the season. He has recorded one shutout, allowing 2.31 goals with a .917 save percentage. The Kings average the fifth-fewest goals in the NHL (2.58), making this a good matchup for Vasilevskiy if he returns to the crease on Thursday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 18, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) was activated from Injured Reserve and is poised to end an 18-game absence on Thursday versus the Los Angeles Kings. Declan Carlile is expected to come out of the lineup to accommodate McDonagh's return. Tampa's blue line has been badly hit by injuries this season, and McDonagh hasn't seen any action since Nov. 8. Erik Cernak (undisclosed), Victor Hedman (elbow), and Emil Lilleberg (undisclosed) remain out against L.A., so McDonagh could have a heavy workload in his return. The veteran rearguard has managed six points (three goals, three assists) in 15 outings this season, sending 15 shots on goal and blocking 26 efforts from the opposition.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 18, 2025
New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (illness) is a game-time decision for Thursday's matchup against the St. Louis Blues. The Rangers' leading scorer is battling an illness and wasn't available for the morning skate. Even during a down year, Panarin is averaging nearly a point per game, recording 11 goals and 23 assists in 35 appearances. If Panarin can't play, Conor Sheary could start Thursday's game as a member of the top six. Sheary has popped up with a couple of good performances this month but hasn't provided consistent fantasy production all season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 18, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho posted a game-high three points in Wednesday's 4-1 victory against the Nashville Predators. He did all of the scoring in the third period, helping Carolina turn a tight road game into a comfortable victory. Aho netted two goals and delivered one assist. With his 21st career multi-point period, Aho passed Ron Francis (20) for the second most in franchise history. Only Eric Staal (25) has managed more. The Finnish star badly needed this one, as Aho was stuck on a five-game point drought before Wednesday's contest. It was his worst run without any points since March 2023. Overall, Aho can be fairly happy with his campaign, tallying 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 33 contests.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 18, 2025
St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer recorded his third shutout of the season on Wednesday night, stopping the Winnipeg Jets from scoring with 24 saves in a 1-0 win. Hofer became the fifth goalie this season with as many as three shutouts. Minnesota's Jesper Wallstedt is the only one with four. While Hofer has impressed at times, he still holds a disappointing 6-7-2 record. The 25-year-old has allowed 2.97 goals with a .896 save percentage. St. Louis averages the second-fewest goals in the league, making it tough for the team's goalies to please fantasy managers. Jordan Binnington, who is 7-8-5 for the year, will take over the crease for Thursday's matchup against the New York Rangers.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 18, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (lower body) played only 5:44 in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators, exiting the action during the second period due to a lower-body injury. Martinook leads all Hurricanes forwards with 56 hits in 33 games and has chipped in with four goals and seven assists on the offensive end. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is expected to come into the lineup if Martinook is unavailable for this weekend's back-to-back against Florida and Tampa Bay. Kotkaniemi's fantasy value is at an all-time low, as he has managed only five points (two goals, three assists) in 17 appearances this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 18, 2025
Nashville Predators right wing Jonathan Marchessault (lower body) logged only 5:27 of ice time in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He was forced to leave the game early due to a lower-body injury. Marchessault's season in Music City has been a nightmare, and a significant injury would only add to his frustrations. The three-time 30-goal scorer has lit the lamp only seven times in 28 outings, adding three assists. His minus-18 rating is tied for the third-worst mark in the league. Rookie Reid Schaefer could get an opportunity to impress in a larger role if Marchessault misses time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
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