January 4, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov was sensational in Saturday's 7-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, finishing the contest with one goal and four assists. Three of Kucherov's points came on the power play, including his goal. There have now been 23 five-point games in Lightning history, and Kucherov has been responsible for eight of those. The back-to-back Art Ross Trophy winner has been in video-game mode recently, posting a five-game goal streak and a seven-game point streak. During the hot streak, he has totaled seven goals and 10 assists. Next up, Kucherov will look to outperform the NHL's leading scorer, Nathan MacKinnon, heading into Tuesday's clash with the Colorado Avalanche on 59 points (20 goals, 39 assists) through 37 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 4, 2026
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh tallied three goals in Saturday's 7-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, becoming the third blue-liner in franchise history to score a hat trick. Raddysh registered an even-strength goal in the first period and had two power-play markers in the second. It has been a fairytale of a season for Raddysh, who has joined elite company like Cale Makar, Evan Bouchard, and Zach Werenski as one of the NHL's top-scoring defensemen. The 29-year-old has posted three straight multi-point outings, bringing his total to 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) in 35 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 4, 2026
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington pushed aside 25 pucks for his first shutout of the season in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. After Joel Hofer beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on Friday, Binnington got the nod for the second leg of a back-to-back and registered a much-needed shutout victory. In December, Binnington lost all but one start, producing a horrible .835 save percentage. The 32-year-old has been off form all season, allowing 3.40 goals with a .874 save percentage, while going 8-10-6 with 23 starts. Binnington has yet to win consecutive starts this season, a goal he will look to achieve in his next appearance.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 4, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews became the team's all-time top goal scorer with two markers in Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders. He reached 421 career goals, moving past Mats Sundin, who was the record holder since 2007. While the 2025-26 season has been a struggle at times for Matthews, he has become only the fifth active player with 20-plus goals in their first 10 seasons. Six of his markers have come across the past four games as Matthews approaches a point-per-game scoring pace for the season. He is up to 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists) in 35 games, with nearly a third of his points (10) coming since last Saturday.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
January 4, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (undisclosed) left Saturday's 4-3 overtime defeat to the New York Islanders with 8:58 remaining in regulation. He was unable to continue after blocking a shot. McCabe leads Toronto with 104 blocks in 41 games and has contributed three goals and 13 assists offensively. He is also the team leader with a fantastic plus-26 rating. Losing McCabe from the backline for an extended period would be a bad blow for the Maple Leafs, especially with fellow blue-liners Chris Tanev (groin) and Brandon Carlo (foot) already out of commission.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 4, 2026
Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (lower body) appears to have escaped a serious injury on Saturday versus the Chicago Blackhawks. The power forward left the contest in the first period due to a lower-body injury. He took an awkward fall following a hit from Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy. After the game, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery noted Wilson's injury "doesn't look too bad." Wilson, who was named to Team Canada for the 2026 Olympics this week, is in the midst of a career year. He has averaged more than a point per game, posting 22 goals and 20 assists in 41 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
January 3, 2026
Colorado Avalanche left wing Joel Kiviranta (lower body) is not traveling with the team during a three-game road trip, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports. The Finnish veteran will miss a second consecutive game on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. In 21 appearances this season, Kiviranta has recorded four points (one goal, three assists), 13 shots, and 30 hits. While he is an effective fourth-line grinder, Kiviranta doesn't provide any fantasy value. In his absence, Zakhar Bardakov will make a second straight appearance on Saturday. Bardakov is unlikely to contribute much, having tallied five points (one goal, four assists) in 26 games this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Corey Masisak
January 3, 2026
Colorado Avalanche forward Gavin Brindley (lower body) won't be in the lineup on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports. The 21-year-old rookie sustained a lower-body injury on Wednesday versus the St. Louis Blues. Brindley has been quiet for most of the year, posting nine points (five goals, four assists) in 27 appearances. Taylor Makar will come into the lineup on Saturday, with Brindley joining Joel Kiviranta (lower body) on the sidelines. After three career NHL appearances, Makar is still looking for his first point.
--Taavi PailkSource: Corey Masisak
January 3, 2026
Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith (personal) has taken a leave of absence and been placed on non-roster status. In a corresponding move, the Stars recalled Remi Poirier from the minors. DeSmith, who has posted a 9-2-4 record this season, left the team to address a family matter. While DeSmith has allowed four goals in back-to-back appearances, he has been a solid backup option for Dallas behind Jake Oettinger. The 34-year-old veteran boasts a 2.44 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and one shutout. Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan expects DeSmith to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 3, 2026
Boston Bruins winger Tanner Jeannot (undisclosed) will remain sidelined on Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, Jack Studley of Boston Hockey Now reports. The power forward is dealing with an undisclosed health issue and is considered day-to-day. Despite missing time, Jeannot continues to lead Boston with 113 hits. He has produced four goals and 11 assists in 38 games on the offensive end. Jeannot's next chance to return will be a meeting with the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. In the meantime, Michael Eyssimont will continue to log minutes on the fourth line. Due to his limited role on the team, Eyssimont has not had fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jack Studley
January 3, 2026
Los Angeles Kings winger Trevor Moore (illness) will miss a second straight game on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. On Friday, Moore appeared on track to return to the lineup against Minnesota after practicing with the team, but the veteran will sit out at least one more game due to illness. Jeff Malott will remain in the lineup on Saturday, while Joel Armia will continue to skate on the second line. Although the Finnish forward scored a short-handed goal in Monday's loss to the Colorado Avalanche, Armia hasn't been a factor in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
January 3, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (groin) is on track to rejoin the lineup on Saturday night against the Colorado Avalanche, Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site reports. Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour is reportedly "planning" for Gostisbehere to return Saturday. He has missed three games with a groin injury. Mike Reilly is projected to come out of the lineup. Gostisbehere notched three points in his most recent outing and has been a regular scorer in 2025-26. Currently, the 32-year-old is averaging more than a point per game, with four goals and 25 assists through 28 outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Walt Ruff
January 3, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (lower body) will miss his fourth straight game on Saturday against the New York Islanders. "He's progressing," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told reporters on Saturday morning. "I think he's trending in the right direction, and now my hope is maybe he's back with us Monday on the ice practicing". If Nylander can get through Monday's practice, he may be ready to return to action on Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers. Nylander has amassed a team-high 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 33 appearances. Easton Cowan has played regularly during Nylander's absence, but he hasn't made a fantasy impact.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
January 3, 2026
Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk had his first multi-point outing of the campaign on Friday, finishing a 4-3 shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken with three points. During the season period, he had a goal and an assist on the power play, and DeBrusk added an even-strength assist to his tally in the third. This was DeBrusk's second outing after he was scratched for a matchup against Seattle on Monday. Vancouver got a positive reaction from DeBrusk to the benching, but he still has plenty of room for improvement. The 29-year-old has totaled 10 goals and 20 points in 38 appearances this season, scoring only one even-strength goal.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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
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