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
December 5, 2025
Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland (upper body) will rejoin the lineup on Friday against the Utah Mammoth. He has missed two games due to an upper-body injury. Garland is projected to start the contest as the partner of Brock Boeser and Max Sasson on the second line. He will skate on the second power-play unit. So far this season, Garland has produced 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 21 outings, firing 54 shots on the net. After recording points in each of his last two appearances, Garland has an opportunity to post his second three-game scoring streak of the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 5, 2025
Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (lower body) will remain out for an 11th consecutive game on Friday against the San Jose Sharks. However, Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan delivered some good news on Friday morning, noting that Harley could return to action next week. Nils Lundkvist (lower body) might also be back on the Dallas' blue line next week. Due to injuries, Vladislav Kolyachonok and Ilya Lyubushkin are working as the second defensive pairing for the Stars. Meanwhile, Kyle Capobianco has received opportunities on the second power-play unit. He has notched four points (one goal, three assists) across the past seven games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 5, 2025
Anaheim Ducks forward Mikael Granlund (lower body) will hop back into the lineup for Friday's tilt against the Washington Capitals. A lower-body injury has kept Granlund on the sidelines for 10 games. The Ducks are expected to use Granlund on the third line next to Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome, who will re-enter the lineup following a two-game stint as a healthy scratch. Granlund has collected nine points (three goals, six assists) in as many appearances this season. However, his numbers are deceiving, as Granlund had a huge five-point performance against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 23. He has finished five of his nine outings without any points.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 5, 2025
Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (upper body) will miss a second consecutive game on Friday versus the Anaheim Ducks. He exited the lineup earlier this week due to an upper-body injury, opening a spot for Declan Chisholm. In his return to action, Chisholm recorded an assist in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. He will now attempt to score points in back-to-back games for the first time since December 2024. For the season, Chisholm has managed two assists in 11 games, failing to find the back of the net with eight shots on goal. Rasmus Sandin also benefits from Carlson's absence and has joined the second power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 5, 2025
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal played a leading role in Thursday's big matchup against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, factoring in half of his team's goals in a 6-3 victory. He had two assists before scoring the Islanders' fifth goal on the power play late in the second frame. Barzal had recorded only one point in his previous five outings. Recently, Barzal has struggled to make an impact, but his season has gone well in general. The 28-year-old is the Islanders' second-highest scorer, with 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) through 27 outings. As a member of the top six and the first power-play unit, Barzal averages over 21 minutes of ice time. His scoring rate could significantly improve if the Islanders sort out their power play, which is currently one of the worst in the league at 13.8 percent.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 5, 2025
Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm showed off his creative side in Thursday's 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues, logging three assists. He already had two helpers after the opening period and ended up setting up three different teammates for goals. Lindholm's final assists came on the power play late in the second period. It was Lindholm's third multi-assist game in four contests. He has begun to make up for lost time, having missed 10 games with a lower-body injury in November. Lindholm is close to averaging a point per game for the first time since 2021-22. After 19 appearances, he boasts four goals and 12 assists. Last season, Lindholm had only 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 82 outings, so it's looking like a really nice bounce-back campaign for him.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 5, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl contributed a goal and three assists during Thursday's high-scoring 9-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. The German superstar finished with three power-play points, scoring Edmonton's third goal. Draisaitl had his 28th career four-point game, surpassing Mark Messier on Edmonton's all-time list to take the fourth spot. Connor McDavid also had four points (three goals, one assist) on Thursday, so the Oilers' leaders really stepped up in this game. The challenge is now to produce a similar effort on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. Draisaitl will head into the weekend with 16 goals and 35 points through 28 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 5, 2025
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid finished Thursday's 9-4 win over the Seattle Kraken with four points, including his 13th career hat trick. McDavid lit the lamp in each period and had two power-play goals to tie Mark Messier for the fourth most hat tricks in franchise history. Overall, McDavid had three power-play points in the contest. The Oilers captain became the third player in the league this season to reach 40 points. He has recorded 14 goals and 26 assists in 28 appearances. After a slow start by his standards, McDavid is firmly on track for his sixth consecutive 100-point campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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