January 3, 2026
Minnesota Wild forward Danila Yurov lit the lamp two times in Friday's 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. He put Minnesota 2-0 up in the second period and potted the team's fourth goal early in the third. On Friday, the Russian rookie had more goals than in his previous 16 appearances combined. After returning to the top six, he could find more success at the start of 2026. Yurov's overall tally for his first NHL year reads six goals and nine points in 35 games. He is tied for sixth among rookies with 14 even-strength points.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 3, 2026
New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere tied the NHL Winter Classic record with three assists in Friday's 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. Het set up hat-trick hero Mika Zibanejad for a pair of goals and also helped Artemi Panarin to score. Lafreniere recorded more points than he had managed over his previous eight appearances. The 24-year-old has been plagued by inconsistency throughout the season, scoring points in only 15 of his 43 outings. Overall, he has collected eight goals and 15 assists through 43 contests. On paper, Lafreniere finds himself in a great spot to make a mark, as he is part of New York's top-six group and skates on the first power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 3, 2026
New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad rocked the Florida Panthers on Friday night with a five-point performance in a 5-1 win, setting the new Winter Classic scoring record and becoming the first player to post a hat trick in the special matchup. It marks the third-ever hat trick in an NHL outdoor game. Zibanejad scored in each period, while setting up Artemi Panarin for a couple of goals. Two of his points came on the power play. Although Zibanejad hasn't been at his best this season, his outstanding performance in his first outing of 2026 could be a sign of better things to come. In 42 games, he has recorded 15 goals and 20 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 3, 2026
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) was placed on Injured Reserve, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports. Blackwood will be re-evaluated after the team's upcoming three-game road trip, which begins on Saturday with a clash against the Carolina Hurricanes. Colorado has recalled Trent Miner from the AHL to fill Blackwood's spot on the roster. Blackwood has been extraordinary for the Avalanche this season, posting a 13-1-1 record with a league-best 2.07 goals-against average. He is ranked second in the NHL with a save percentage of .924 and has notched two shutouts. While Miner could see action during this weekend's back-to-back, Scott Wedgewood is expected to get the bulk of the work until Blackwood returns.
--Taavi PailkSource: Corey Masisak
January 3, 2026
Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (upper body) lasted for only three minutes in Friday's 5-1 Winter Classic loss to the New York Rangers. He was hurt early in the first period and was ruled out for the remainder of the game during the second period. Jones exited the special matchup after taking a puck near his left collarbone. "We'll get him looked at tomorrow," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said postgame. "It doesn't look terrible right now. He's just got to be looked at tomorrow." Jones, who skated in his 900th career game on Friday, is having a good first full season in Florida. He has registered 24 points (six goals, 18 assists), 78 shots, 47 blocks, and 38 hits in 40 outings. Donovan Sebrango will likely fill his spot if Jones can't play in Sunday's contest against the Colorado Avalanche.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 3, 2026
Vancouver Canucks center Linus Karlsson scored in Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks shortly after the team announced that he had signed a new contract. The Swedish forward has taken a significant leap in 2025-26 and was rewarded with a two-year, $4.5 million extension. This season, Karlsson has been playing on a one-year, $775,000 deal. He has offered great value for money in Vancouver, scoring 10 goals and 17 points in 37 outings. Only Kiefer Sherwood (17) has more goals for the Canucks. Additionally, Karlsson has recorded 51 hits while averaging 10:38 of ice time. Currently, Karlsson is showing his best form of the season, scoring in three of the last four games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 2, 2026
Los Angeles Kings winger Trevor Moore (illness) is on track to return to the lineup Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports. After missing Thursday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning due to illness, Moore participated in Friday's practice wearing a regular jersey. He worked with Quinton Byfield and Warren Foegele on the second line. Moore's return will bump Joel Armia down the lineup, and Jeff Malott appears to be the odd man out. Following a 40-point effort in 2024-25, Moore faces an uphill challenge in reaching 30 points this term. He has five goals and eight assists in 37 contests, going scoreless in nine of his past 10 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: Zach Dooley
January 2, 2026
San Jose Sharks defenseman John Klingberg (lower body) is considered doubtful for Saturday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has been ever-present in the lineup since late November but might have to skip the first game of 2026 due to a lower-body injury. After a couple of very tough years, Klingberg has been a decent contributor for the Sharks, posting 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 31 games. He's on track to finish with a positive plus/minus for the first time since 2018-19. Timothy Liljegren (upper body) is on the cusp of returning to the lineup and looks to be a likely replacement for Klingberg on Saturday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (illness) is considered probable for Friday's matchup against the Minnesota Wild. He has sat out two games due to illness. Gudas is projected to replace Drew Helleson in the Ducks' defense, joining Olen Zellweger on the second defensive pairing. Minnesota ranks ninth in hits per 60 minutes this season, making Gudas's return on Friday night a nice boost for the Ducks. The Czech veteran is second on his team with 94 hits and has registered eight points (one goal, seven assists), 35 shots, and 49 blocks across 27 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (upper body) is out week-to-week, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Vegas got star forward Jack Eichel (lower body) back for Friday's contest against the St. Louis Blues but will be without McNabb for several games. The team will mainly miss McNabb's presence in the defensive zone, as he leads Vegas with 98 blocks and is tied for third with 63 hits in 38 appearances. Offensively, McNabb has contributed two goals and one assist. Jaycob Megna replaced McNabb in the lineup on Friday.
--Taavi PailkSource: Danny Webster
January 2, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (lower body) plans to return to the lineup Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. He has missed four games due to a lower-body injury. The team moved Brendan Smith (lower body) to Injured Reserve on Friday, allowing Werenski to be activated for Saturday's contest. Werenski, who has just been named to Team USA for the 2026 Olympics, was in red-hot form before his injury, averaging two points per game across five appearances. He's having a career year with the Blue Jackets, scoring a team-high 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 35 outings. Denton Mateychuk has filled in for Werenski on the first power-play unit and will lose fantasy value with his return.
--Taavi PailkSource: Aaron Portzline
January 2, 2026
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (lower body) was activated from Injured Reserve and will dress as the backup on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sorokin, who suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 19, has been unavailable for six games. After backing up David Rittich on Saturday, Sorokin is likely to return to the Islanders' crease on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils. In December, Sorokin won five of his seven starts, improving to 12-10-2 for the season. He has recorded three shutouts with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (lower body) will miss at least one week. The veteran forward sustained a lower-body injury on New Year's Day against the Utah Mammoth. The Islanders have three games scheduled over the next seven days, starting with Saturday's matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The injury is a setback to Horvat's bid for his second career 70-point campaign. In 36 outings, he has produced a team-high 21 goals and 12 assists. With Horvat out, the Islanders will use Mathew Barzal as the first-line center, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau shifting to the middle on the second line. Maxim Tsyplakov will fill in for Pageau on the right wing.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 2, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho welcomed 2026 with mixed emotions on Thursday, bagging a season-high five points in a matchup against the Montreal Canadiens but ending up on the losing side. Aho finished the contest with two goals and three assists, but Carolina blew a 4-2 lead to lose 7-5. The Finnish forward had two power-play points during his second career five-point outing. After a couple of rough weeks in December, Aho has put together a string of impressive performances, totaling seven goals and 14 points over his last eight appearances. The scoring surge has made Aho Carolina's runaway points leader, with 16 goals and 24 assists through 40 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 2, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews produced a big performance on New Year's Day, totaling four points in a 6-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. He potted his 14th career hat trick and delivered one assist, helping Toronto win the game from a 4-1 deficit. Matthews passed Pat LaFontaine for the most hat tricks by a U.S.-born player in NHL history and now needs only two more tallies to break Mats Sundin's franchise record. Recently, Matthews has begun to regain form, tallying eight points (four goals, four assists) across his past three appearances. Yet, he still isn't averaging a point per game for the season, sitting on 18 goals and 13 assists after 34 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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