December 30, 2025
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault will start Tuesday's matchup against the Florida Panthers. He hasn't seen NHL action since Dec. 9. It has been a tough campaign for Montembeault, who has registered a horrible .857 save percentage while allowing 3.65 goals. The 29-year-old carries a 5-6-1 record. Recently, Montembeault had a conditioning stint in the AHL, finishing with a 0-2-0 record, a 2.53 goals-against average, and a .904 save percentage. It will take a brave manager to trust Montembeault against the back-to-back champions, who have averaged nearly four goals per game (3.92) during a 9-3-0 run.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 30, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (illness) will play Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was unclear if Karlsson would be available after he missed Monday's practice due to illness. The former Norris Trophy winner has scored only one point in his past five appearances. Still, it has been a fine campaign for Karlsson, who has totaled 26 points (three goals, 23 assists) in 37 appearances. Karlsson leads the Penguins in average ice time with 23:55, and nothing suggests he will have a reduced workload Tuesday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
December 30, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (lower body) will miss a second consecutive game on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. He remains day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury in Saturday's win over the Ottawa Senators. Auston Matthews (lower body) is a game-time call and could join Nylander on the sidelines Tuesday night. If that's the case, players like Nicholas Robertson, Scott Laughton, and Bobby McMann will have additional fantasy value. Nylander's next chance to play will come on Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
December 30, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (lower body) is a game-time decision on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. The Maple Leafs captain sustained a lower-body injury while blocking a shot during Sunday's matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. Toronto's frontline has already been without William Nylander (lower body), and losing Matthews would be another bad blow. If Matthews can't play on Tuesday, John Tavares would assume first-line center duties, while Nicholas Roy and Scott Laughton could also see increased ice time. Tavares has begun to heat up with a three-game point streak, and a spot on the first line would make him an even more attractive fantasy target.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 30, 2025
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon recorded a seventh-consecutive win on Monday against the St. Louis Blues in a 4-2 victory. The Blues got two pucks past Lyon inside the opening 8:09 of action, but the Sabres' offense kept his and the team's winning run alive. Buffalo has matched its fourth-longest streak in franchise history with nine consecutive wins. Lyon has played an integral part in the success, registering a 2.22 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage during the run of victories. The 33-year-old has improved his record for the season to 10-6-3. He boasts one shutout and has a 2.82 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. After Monday night, Lyon is just two wins away from tying Gerry Desjardins' franchise record for the longest winning streak by a Sabres goaltender.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 30, 2025
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson was on fire Monday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, producing four points in a 5-2 road win. He opened the scoring just 26 seconds into the contest and notched a hat trick of assists. With the four-point effort, the Swedish veteran matched his career high from March 2017. Sitting on 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) through 38 games, Johansson now needs just three more points to surpass his scoring total from last season. He could very well have the best campaign of his career as a 35-year-old, as Johansson has previously never reached the 60-point plateau. Currently, he is on pace for a 66-point year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 30, 2025
Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos turned back the clock on Monday night and produced a game-winning performance in a 4-3 victory over the Utah Mammoth. The 35-year-old veteran recorded two goals and one assist. Midway through the third period, the Predators trailed 3-2 before Stamkos turned things around with two goals, including a power-play marker. This was Stamkos' third multi-point effort in five games. After logging nine points through the first couple of months, the two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner has erupted for 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in 13 December appearances. He is the NHL's leading goal-scorer this month and is tied with teammate Ryan O'Reilly for the most points. For the season, Stamkos has managed 17 goals and 25 points in 38 contests.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 30, 2025
Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome extended his point streak to five games in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. The Capitals' playmaker finished with one goal and two assists, logging one power-play point. This was Strome's 18th three-point game since moving to Washington in 2022, breaking a tie with Alex Ovechkin (17) for the most by a Capitals player over that span. While Strome's scoring rate has dipped from last season, when he averaged a point per game for the first time in his career, the 28-year-old has become more effective at even strength. Strome is among Washington's leaders with a plus-14 rating. He has contributed eight goals and 23 assists in 37 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 30, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart bagged three points in Monday's 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals, scoring twice and delivering one assist. After notching a power-play goal in the first period, Reinhart completed his three-point night late in the game, helping Florida battle out a home win from a 3-3 tie. The Panthers return to action on Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens, and Reinhart will enter the matchup with a five-game point streak. He has produced three goals and six assists during the scoring surge. Reinhart is attempting to average at least one point per game for a consecutive season. Currently, he sits on 21 goals and 21 assists through 38 contests.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 30, 2025
Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry produced two goals and had one assist in Monday's entertaining 5-4 loss to the San Jose Sharks. The Ducks fell 4-1 behind in the contest before attempting a comeback. Terry posted his team's first and last goals, ending a three-game scoreless spell. Over his last six appearances, Terry had managed only one point, so this performance should be a confidence-booster for him. Overall, fantasy managers can be pleased with Terry's contributions this season. He has been scoring nearly a point per game, amassing 12 goals and 28 assists in 39 outings. His 38 points are surpassed only by Leo Carlsson (42) on the Ducks squad.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 30, 2025
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini led his team to a 5-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night, finishing the contest with one goal and two assists. The 19-year-old became the youngest player in franchise history to hold an eight-game point streak. He has scored in each of the last three games, amassing 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in total during the streak. We haven't even reached the halfway point of the season, yet Celebrini is already just three points shy of his scoring total from last year. The uber-talented sophomore has posted 21 goals and 39 assists in 39 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 29, 2025
Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk will be a healthy scratch on Monday night against the Seattle Kraken. His performances have not been up to par during his second season of a seven-year, $38.5 million contract. In 37 appearances, DeBrusk has contributed only nine goals and seven assists. Just one of his goals has come during even-strength play. Last season, DeBrusk produced a career-high 28 goals and finished with 48 points in 82 outings. With DeBrusk in the press box on Monday, Liam Ohgren will get an opportunity in the top six. Since being acquired from the Minnesota Wild in the Quinn Hughes deal, the 21-year-old has notched two goals and one assist in six games with the Canucks.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 29, 2025
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (lower body) was activated from Injured Reserve and is set to play in Monday's tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was labeled a game-time decision earlier in the day. A lower-body injury sidelined Pinto for 10 games. Despite his multi-week absence, Pinto remains Ottawa's third-highest goal-scorer with 13 markers. In 27 outings, he has also had six assists. Defenseman Tyler Kleven (lower body), who has missed three games, is also available on Monday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 29, 2025
St. Louis Blues forward Pius Suter (ankle) will sit out at least four weeks of action. He injured his right ankle during Saturday's 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Suter has gone 10 consecutive games without registering a point. However, he was sharp early in the campaign and has managed 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 37 games for the season. Robby Fabbri is slated to replace Suter in the lineup on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres. Since joining the team on Dec. 10, Fabbri has recorded two assists in six appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 29, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body) is "probably out for the year," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Monday. He is set to undergo lower-body surgery, and Carolina placed Kochetkov on Injured Reserve ahead of Monday's clash against the New York Rangers. The Russian netminder also missed time at the start of the campaign due to a lower-body injury and has made only eight starts in 2025-26, going 6-2-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average, a .899 save percentage, and one shutout. Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen will share the Hurricanes' crease for the rest of the way. Recently, Bussi has operated as the primary starter, posting the second-longest single-season point streak in franchise history with a 10-0-1 run.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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