December 6, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (ankle) was removed from Injured Reserve on Saturday and will be in contention to play against the Nashville Predators. Kotkaniemi has missed nine games with an ankle injury. He is expected to replace Mark Jankowski on the fourth line. In 15 appearances this season, Kotkaniemi has recorded five points (two goals, three assists), a respectable total for a player who has averaged only 10:24 of ice time. Carolina also hopes to have defenseman K'Andre Miller (illness) back on Saturday after he missed Thursday's loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 6, 2025
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (lower body) will miss two weeks of action. He was injured in Thursday's loss to the New York Rangers and has been placed on Injured Reserve ahead of Saturday's matchup against the St. Louis Blues. In a corresponding move, Ottawa recalled Hayden Hodgson from the minors. Pinto has been Ottawa's best goal-scorer this season with 12 markers in 27 games. He has added eight assists. On Saturday, Ridly Greig will replace Pinto as the third-line center. While Greig has some offensive upside, fantasy managers certainly can't expect him to provide similar production to Pinto. Greig has recorded eight points (two goals, six assists) in 22 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 6, 2025
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (undisclosed) will miss a fifth consecutive game on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils. Pastrnak returned to the ice on Friday, skating before practice, but he isn't quite ready to make his comeback in Saturday's game. Alex Steeves is expected to maintain a first-line role against New Jersey. The 25-year-old has had a couple of great outings recently, finishing back-to-back games with multiple points. He may be poised for another good showing against a Devils team that has lost four consecutive games, allowing 16 goals during that stretch.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 6, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) will not return to action on Saturday against the New York Islanders. He was initially expected back after missing Thursday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jonas Johansson will remain between the sticks for Tampa, with Brandon Halverson backing him up. Johansson struggled on Thursday, allowing four goals on 31 shots in a 4-3 loss. However, he still has a winning record for the season at 5-3-0. Johansson has registered a 3.06 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage. The Swedish netminder faces a difficult matchup on Saturday. The Islanders have dropped only a handful of games over the last month, scoring six goals in their most recent effort, an impressive victory over the Colorado Avalanche.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 6, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed) won't play on Saturday against the New York Islanders. The three-time NHL scoring leader is dealing with an undisclosed injury, which will keep him sidelined for a third time this season. Kucherov has enjoyed a couple of huge weeks, taking up a position once again among the NHL's highest scorers. He has registered 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) in 25 games. Brayden Point (undisclosed), who has missed six games, is questionable for Saturday's matchup, so Tampa Bay may be without two huge top-six pieces. Kucherov is considered day-to-day, and his first chance to return to action will come on Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 6, 2025
Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen posted one goal and two assists in Friday's 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. He started his work with a power-play assist in the first period and completed it with a pair of even-strength points in the third. Rantanen scored as many as three points for the fifth time this season. Only three players have more three-point games in 2025-26: Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (7), Chicago's Connor Bedard (6), and San Jose's Macklin Celebrini (6). Two of Rantanen's three-point efforts have come in his last four appearances. He has been on fire recently and will head into Sunday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a five-game point streak and a three-game goal streak. Rantanen ranks third in the league with 25 assists and has posted 38 points in 28 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 6, 2025
Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor scored in a fourth consecutive game as the team returned to winning ways with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. Connor opened the scoring in the contest, recording his sixth career goal streak of at least four games. Only Ilya Kovalchuk (17) has managed more such streaks in franchise history. While Winnipeg has struggled to get wins on the board lately, the top line has continued to pick up points for fun. Connor has managed five multi-point efforts in his last 10 appearances, boosting his season total to 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) over 27 games played.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 6, 2025
Anaheim Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke contributed a goal and an assist in Friday's 4-3 shootout win over the Washington Capitals. In Wednesday's matchup against the Utah Mammoth, Sennecke saw his point streak end at eight games, but he quickly heated up again. The 19-year-old became the third rookie in franchise history to record at least five career multi-point games before his 30th contest. The Toronto-born winger has notched eight goals and 22 points in 28 outings. He leads all rookies in scoring, and Sennecke is in a good position to continue to rack up points, as the Ducks have one of the best offensive records in the league.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 6, 2025
Washington Capitals right wing Ryan Leonard (upper body) was limited to 4:38 of ice time in Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. He was unable to carry on after taking a big hit from Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba in the first period. Leonard notched a career-high four points in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the San Jose Sharks and has been hot offensively. He entered Friday's action with a four-game point streak. Overall, the 20-year-old has amassed 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 29 appearances during his rookie campaign. Sonny Milano, who has tallied six points (four goals, two assists) in 17 outings, is in line to take Leonard's spot in the lineup if he has to miss time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Washington Capitals PR
December 6, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (lower body) is considered day-to-day. Hart made a winning debut for the team on Tuesday, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in a shootout, but he was unavailable for Friday's tilt against the New Jersey Devils due to a lower-body injury. Akira Schmid returned to the crease and recorded his second shutout of the season with 24 saves. Schmid had allowed 10 goals over his previous three appearances. Vegas' No. 1, Adin Hill (lower body), hasn't played since Oct. 20, and Hart might battle with Schmid for playing time for a while.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 6, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (undisclosed) is considered questionable for Saturday's tilt against the New York Islanders, Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com reports. Point has missed six games due to an unspecified ailment. It has been a poor campaign for the former 50-goal scorer. In 21 outings, Point has recorded three goals and 11 assists. Nicholas Paul has filled in for Point in the top six, registering a five-game point streak. Point, who hasn't scored a goal for a month, will presumably take on his usual duties once he is back in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Erik Erlendsson
December 6, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (undisclosed) has been labeled as probable for Saturday's matchup against the New York Islanders, Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com reports. The star rearguard has missed nearly a month of action due to an undisclosed injury. Hedman had a four-game assist streak before exiting the lineup. Overall, he has dished out 12 assists in 15 games this season. The 34-year-old has yet to score despite firing 23 shots on goal. Darren Raddysh has done an incredible job on defense for Tampa during Hedman's absence, but he must settle for a lesser role when he returns.
--Taavi PailkSource: Erik Erlendsson
December 5, 2025
Nashville Predators right wing Ozzy Wiesblatt (upper body) has been ruled out for 8-10 weeks. He suffered an upper-body injury in Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers. Nashville will mainly miss Wiesblatt's physicality, as he is tied for second on the squad with 60 hits. Offensively, Wiesblatt has contributed one goal and three assists with 22 shots in 24 games. Tyson Jost will likely play regularly until Wiesblatt returns. He doesn't hold any fantasy value due to his limited offensive production. Jost has recorded four points (one goal, three assists) in 20 games this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Nashville Predators
December 5, 2025
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (illness) won't play on Friday night against the Utah Mammoth. After making two consecutive appearances, Joseph is forced to exit the lineup due to illness. The 26-year-old has been a bit-part player for the Canucks all season, making 11 appearances. He has recorded one assist, 10 shots, eight blocks, and four hits. Elias Pettersson will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for a pair of games. Fantasy managers should ignore him, as Pettersson hasn't scored a single goal this season with 14 shots and has logged only two assists in 24 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 5, 2025
Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (forearm, illness) is doubtful to play on Friday against the Utah Mammoth. He suffered a skate cut on his forearm during Tuesday's loss to the Colorado Avalanche and couldn't practice on Thursday and Friday due to illness. Kane is averaging nearly two hits per game and has contributed five goals and nine assists in 27 appearances. While Kane's absence would be a blow for the team, Vancouver's attack will get a boost on Friday night with the return of Conor Garland (upper body).
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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