December 17, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (illness) didn't finish Tuesday's practice, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Eichel's early departure from the session leaves his status uncertain for Wednesday's contest against the New Jersey Devils. The American star is battling an illness and could miss his first game of the season. It has been a sensational year for Eichel, who is attempting to post his first 100-point season. After 31 appearances, he is sitting on 12 goals and 41 points. Currently, Eichel is riding a five-game point streak, posting multiple points four times during that stretch. Brett Howden and Tomas Hertl will have a heavy workload in the middle if Eichel can't play against the Devils.
--Taavi PailkSource: Danny Webster
December 17, 2025
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (upper body) was placed on Injured Reserve and will miss at least three games. L.A.'s No. 1 suffered an upper-body injury during Monday's loss to the Dallas Stars. The team has called up Pheonix Copley from the minors to fill in for Kuemper on the roster. Anton Forsberg will probably get the bulk of the starts until Kuemper returns, although Copley could be used during the Kings' upcoming back-to-back set. The 33-year-old has logged a 7-6-0 record in the AHL this season, allowing 3.13 goals with a .885 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: Los Angeles Kings
December 17, 2025
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (undisclosed) didn't finish Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He exited the game in the third period after appearing to be hurt during a scuffle between several players. The Kraken have two more games to come this week, and it would be a blow for the team if one of their defensive leaders isn't available. Montour averages the second-most ice time among Kraken skaters at 21:55 per game and helps out on both ends of the ice. He has logged 16 points (six goals, 10 assists), 35 blocks, and 34 hits in 27 appearances. If Montour misses time, the Kraken will bring either Cale Fleury or Josh Mahura into the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Seattle Kraken PR
December 16, 2025
Minnesota Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian (lower body) won't be in the lineup on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. He is dealing with a lower-body injury, with the team considering Bogosian day-to-day. Jonas Brodin (upper body) will miss a third straight game, and Jacob Middleton (upper body) won't be available for a fifth consecutive contest. The injury situation is bad on the Wild's blue line. However, there has been some good news as well, with David Jiricek (upper body) ready to play despite his early exit from Sunday's win against the Boston Bruins. Recently acquired Quinn Hughes will anchor the defense in a tough matchup against Alex Ovechkin's crew, which is averaging 3.31 goals per game in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 16, 2025
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson (lower body) will miss Tuesday's game against his former team, the Washington Capitals. He is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury after being hurt during Sunday's win over the Boston Bruins. Marcus Foligno (lower body) is ready to make his first appearance of the month and will take Johansson's spot in the lineup. Meanwhile, Yakov Trenin is expected to move to the second line. Minnesota's offense has a challenging matchup on Tuesday, as Washington is among the NHL's best defensive teams, allowing 2.47 goals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 16, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov will be scratched for Tuesday's contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs after he was late for Monday's practice. His absence will leave a big hole on Chicago's blue line, as Levshunov's role within the team has grown throughout the season. He has become the Blackhawks' highest scoring defenseman with 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in 31 games and has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time this month. Levshunov ranks in the top five on the team for both blocks (32) and hits (30). Ethan Del Mastro, who was recalled from the AHL, will replace Levshunov in the lineup, while Wyatt Kaiser will join the second power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 16, 2025
New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal (undisclosed) is a game-time decision on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. The Islanders may be without their top two centermen for the contest, as Bo Horvat (lower body) will remain out for a second straight game. Barzal has entered the new week of action with a four-game point streak. He leads the Islanders with 16 assists, adding nine goals in 32 appearances. Due to the team's injury situation, Jonathan Drouin may slot in at center on Tuesday night, while Calum Ritchie and Jean-Gabriel Pageau are likely to see increased usage.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 16, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (lower body) will return from a four-game absence on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Woll has battled health issues all season, making only eight starts. He has done well when in the lineup, posting a 4-3-1 record with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. On Tuesday, Woll will attempt to record his fourth three-game winning streak of the calendar year. It's a good matchup for him, as the Blackhawks are without Connor Bedard (upper body) and average only 2.84 goals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 16, 2025
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson (upper body) won't play in Tuesday's contest against the Philadelphia Flyers and is considered day-to-day. Matheson will miss his first game of the season. He has been a two-way force for the Canadiens, posting 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 32 appearances and blocking 69 shots from the opposition. Arber Xhekaj will replace Matheson in the lineup, while the entire blue line can expect to see a larger workload, as Matheson leads Montreal's skaters in ice time with 24:54 per game. Matheson's first chance to return will be on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 16, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (triceps) will be in the lineup for the first time this season on Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens. He underwent surgery to repair a ruptured right triceps tendon in March. Ristolainen is projected to skate with Nick Seeler on the third defensive pairing. While Ristolainen was a 40-point scorer with the Buffalo Sabres early in his career, fantasy managers have received modest value from him during his time in Philadelphia. Last season, he registered 19 points (four goals, 15 assists), 100 shots, 94 blocks, and 97 hits in 63 outings while averaging 20:31 of ice time. Given his lengthy injury absence, Ristolainen's workload may be limited on Tuesday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 16, 2025
Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier scored two goals in Monday's 4-1 road win against the New York Rangers. With the game tied at one, Gauthier popped up with a power-play goal early in the third period and completed his third multi-goal effort of the season with an empty-netter. On Monday, Gauthier took over the goal-scoring lead in the Ducks camp. He boasts 18 markers for the campaign and has tallied 36 points in 33 appearances. It has been a superb year for Gauthier, although his recent production has been inconsistent. The 21-year-old has finished half of his eight appearances this month scoreless.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 16, 2025
Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle recorded three assists as the team beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in overtime on Monday night. The Senators were facing defeat with only a couple of minutes left to play in the third period. Yet, Jake Sanderson sent the game into the extra frame with a goal 1:54 from the end of regulation, and Brady Tkachuk delivered Ottawa the victory in overtime. Nick Cousins also scored in the contest, helping Stutzle post his third three-point game of the season. The Senators have alternated between wins and losses lately, but Stutzle has been consistent with his production, and it has been outstanding. The German star has finished with multiple points in four consecutive games. Another such effort on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins would tie Stutzle for the longest multi-point streak in franchise history. During the hot streak, Stutzle has become Ottawa's leading scorer, posting 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 32 appearances this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 16, 2025
Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg provided most of his team's goals in Monday's 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues, recording his 11th career hat trick. Only 27 seconds had been played when Forsberg opened the scoring. He potted a power-play goal in the second period and had an empty-netter late in the game. Kent Nilsson (14) is the only Swedish player in NHL history with more hat tricks. It has been a difficult year for everybody involved with the Predators, but Forsberg has started to make the most of a bad situation. After Monday night, he holds a season-best five-game point streak. The 31-year-old leads his team with 14 goals and ranks second with 25 points in 32 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 16, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart notched two goals in Monday's 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He made a big impact on special teams, opening the scoring during a short-handed situation early in the game and netting Florida's fourth goal of the contest on the power play in the second frame. Reinhart now has four career games with both a short-handed and a power-play goal, tying him for the most among active players. Overall, Reinhart has potted 17 goals this season, grabbing five of them with the man advantage and three with his team a man down. He is tied for the league lead with five game-winning markers. Over 32 appearances, Reinhart has also produced 15 assists, putting him on track for a third consecutive year with a scoring average of at least one point per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 16, 2025
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (upper body) left Monday's 4-1 defeat to the Dallas Stars in the first period. He sustained an upper-body injury in a collision with Stars forward Mikko Rantanen. Before exiting, Kuemper stopped all five shots he faced. Anton Forsberg, who replaced Kuemper in the crease, gave up three goals on 20 shots. While Kuemper carries an underwhelming 10-6-6 record this season, he has performed well. The 35-year-old has collected two shutouts with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. Meanwhile, Forsberg has allowed nearly three goals per game (2.82) and holds a .893 save percentage. Pheonix Copley or Erik Portillo may see action this week, with the Kings heading into a back-to-back next and Kuemper's availability uncertain.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
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