December 14, 2025
San Jose Sharks forward Will Smith (undisclosed) made an early exit against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. San Jose also lost Philipp Kurashev (upper body) during the contest but still produced a spectacular comeback, winning 6-5 in overtime after trailing 5-1. Smith has struggled to make an impact in recent games, but he has had a great sophomore campaign overall. In 33 outings, Smith has contributed 12 goals and 17 assists. San Jose is carrying Zack Ostapchuk as an extra forward, but the team may need to call up a player from the minors if both Smith and Kurashev are unavailable on Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 14, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev (undisclosed) scored a power-play goal in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets but wasn't able to finish the game, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The Russian forward missed the third period, logging only 11:04 of ice time. Dorofeyev is tied for the most goals on his team with 13 goals, adding eight assists across 31 appearances. Vegas will be off until Wednesday night, giving Dorofeyev a good amount of time to recover. Still, it's uncertain if that will be sufficient for him to avoid missing his first game of the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Danny Webster
December 13, 2025
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury (concussion) has been cleared for action, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports. He has missed 14 games while dealing with a concussion. The Jets may bring Fleury back into the lineup on Saturday night against the Washington Capitals. Fantasy managers can ignore Fleury due to his limited skill set. In 15 outings this season, Fleury hasn't scored a single point, while blocking 26 shots from the opposition and delivering 20 hits. The 29-year-old may end the calendar year with just a single point in regular-season play -- an assist recorded during a 3-2 overtime victory against the Edmonton Oilers on March 20.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mike McIntyre
December 13, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec (lower body) missed Saturday's win over the Anaheim Ducks and looks set for a multi-game absence. Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said Nemec will miss "some time" after he was injured during Friday's practice. The Slovakian blue-liner is having a breakout campaign. He has registered 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), 50 shots, and 46 blocks in 31 contests this season. Dennis Cholowski took Nemec's spot in the lineup on Saturday, although he had a limited role and should not be considered for fantasy teams. In the game, Cholowski had one shot on goal and one block across 13:03 of action.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 13, 2025
Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans (personal) will hop back into the lineup on Saturday against the New York Rangers. He skipped Thursday's win over the Pittsburgh Penguins for personal reasons. Evans will take his usual spot on the third line, skating with Josh Anderson and Alexandre Texier. Jared Davidson will depart the lineup on Saturday to make room for Evans. Following a 36-point year, Evans' scoring rate has significantly dropped in 2025-26. He has managed only four goals and eight points in 29 appearances. The 26-year-old has not scored any points in his last six outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 13, 2025
Dallas Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (lower body) will return from a three-game absence on Saturday night against the Florida Panthers. He suffered a lower-body injury last Friday in a contest against the San Jose Sharks. The Stars will pair Lyubushkin with Kyle Capobianco on the third defensive pairing. Nils Lundkvist (illness) will exit the lineup against Florida. Although Lyubushkin isn't a factor in fantasy leagues, he has performed well for the Stars. Over 21 games this season, the Russian defenseman has recorded five assists, 15 shots, 41 blocks, and 30 hits. Four of Ilya Lyubushkin's five helpers have come in his past nine outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 13, 2025
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (leg) will play on Saturday night against the Florida Panthers. Hintz was injured during Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, exiting the action late in the third period. Luckily, he avoided a serious injury and is going to remain in the lineup on Saturday. While Hintz finished Thursday's matchup scoreless, he has been sharp this season. Across 27 contests, Hintz has tallied nine goals and 26 points. He has been held off the score sheet in back-to-back games only twice in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 13, 2025
Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren (upper body) was activated from Injured Reserve on Saturday and will back up Logan Thompson against the Winnipeg Jets. Lindgren has been unavailable for three games due to an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old has been impressive in his last few outings, winning four of five starts. The good run of form has helped Lindgren improve his record for the season to 5-3-1. He has produced a 2.90 goals-against average with a .893 save percentage and one shutout. With Lindgren available to return to the lineup, Washington returned Garin Bjorklund to the minors on Saturday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 13, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (leg) will play on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. He was initially iffy for the contest after injuring his left leg in Thursday's loss to the San Jose Sharks. Ekman-Larsson has had a great campaign with the Maple Leafs, recording 20 points (four goals, 16 assists), 47 shots, 26 blocks, and 40 hits in 30 appearances. However, he has been held off the score sheet in each of his five outings this month, marking Ekman-Larsson's longest point drought of the season. The Swedish veteran will attempt to end it against an Oilers team that will have new goaltender Tristan Jarry between the sticks for the first time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 13, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (illness) is a game-time decision on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. The Swedish superstar missed the morning skate due to illness. Fellow forward Dakota Joshua (illness) is also a game-time call for Saturday's matchup. Nylander was dropped to the third line on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, but he still made a big impact in a 3-2 overtime loss with two assists, which ended his point drought at four games. Dry spells have become very rare for Nylander, who leads the Maple Leafs with 23 assists and 34 points in 26 appearances. Bobby McMann (suspension) is available to return to the lineup Saturday and may replace either Nylander or Joshua. Matias Maccelli is also an option to rejoin the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 13, 2025
Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor (hip) is expected to remain out for at least 1-2 more weeks, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. After he had offseason hip surgery, O'Connor was close to making his season debut in November. Currently, he is dealing with a new issue. "His hips are good," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters on Friday. "It's just something that came up when he was getting back on the ice and something he's been dealing with and he wants to get it fixed and feel right before he gets back, understandable." O'Connor has had four consecutive 20-point campaigns as a bottom-six forward in Colorado. Meanwhile, Bednar had good news regarding another bottom-six piece, Joel Kiviranta (eye), who could play on Saturday against Nashville after making an early exit from Thursday's win over Florida. The Finnish forward is dealing with an eye issue.
--Taavi PailkSource: Aarif Deen
December 13, 2025
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (upper body) was activated from Injured Reserve on Friday, making him eligible to return to the lineup for Saturday's meeting with the New Jersey Devils. Dostal has been sidelined for three weeks due to an upper-body injury. Working as Anaheim's No. 1, Dostal has had a fantastic campaign, going 11-5-1. He has logged a 2.81 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Ville Husso has filled in for Dostal in the crease, with Petr Mrazek (lower body) unavailable. Should Dostal start on Saturday, he would be returning in a favorable matchup, as New Jersey has managed just 2.90 goals per game this season -- the 11th-lowest average in the league.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 13, 2025
New Jersey Devils winger Arseni Gritsyuk (undisclosed) will miss this weekend's games against Anaheim and Vancouver, Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com reports. The Russian rookie began the week with a three-point effort against the Ottawa Senators but is now nursing an undisclosed injury. Gritsyuk is tied for fifth in scoring among first-year players, sitting on 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) through 31 outings. New Jersey also lost Timo Meier (personal) up front this week, giving the team's offense a different look. Juho Lammikko will probably replace Gritsyuk on Saturday against the Ducks, but he has no fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: Ryan Novozinsky
December 13, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (shoulder) will not play on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. He appeared to have injured his right shoulder during a faceoff late in Friday's 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Chicago's young superstar bagged two assists on Friday night to continue his spectacular season. Bedard has tallied 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 31 games, tying him for fourth on the NHL's scoring charts. Given the nature of the injury, Bedard could be facing a longer absence, which would be a massive blow for the Blackhawks' playoff hopes.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 13, 2025
The Vancouver Canucks acquired defenseman Zeev Buium from the Minnesota Wild on Friday. The Wild traded away Buium, along with center Marco Rossi (lower body), left wing Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first-round pick, to land defenseman Quinn Hughes. Buium is in the middle of his rookie campaign and has flashed potential by recording 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 31 appearances. He is tied for seventh in scoring among first-year players. Going forward, Buium should be able to improve his output, as he will have a larger role on Vancouver's blue line.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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