December 15, 2025
Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield (illness) will miss his first game of the season on Monday night against the Dallas Stars. The Kings camp is currently dealing with an illness bug, and Byfield will join Phillip Danault (illness) on the shelf. The latter will be unavailable for a second consecutive game. Sitting out some action might do good for Byfield, as he hasn't scored a single point in six games. Despite the December slump, Byfield remains on track for a third straight 50-point year. On the Kings squad, Byfield ranks second with 15 assists and has amassed 19 points in 31 games. Andrei Kuzmenko is expected to re-enter the lineup in a first-line role on Monday, while Alex Turcotte will operate as the second-line center.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 15, 2025
New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad won't be in the lineup on Monday against the Anaheim Ducks after missing a team meeting. He will likely rejoin the action on Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks. With Zibanejad missing from the lineup against Anaheim, the Rangers will head out without their third-highest scorer. It took a while to get going for Zibanejad this season, but he is now on track for another 60-point campaign. In 33 contests, the veteran forward has tallied 11 goals and 25 points. Jonny Brodzinski is expected to fill in for Zibanejad on Monday. At the same time, the Rangers will welcome Matt Rempe (upper body) back into the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard (upper body) won't return to action until January. The team placed him on Injured Reserve and plans to re-evaluate Bedard in early January. Due to an upper-body injury, Bedard missed his first game of the season on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. The injury had paused Bedard's sensational campaign, in which he has recorded 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) over 31 games. With Bedard unavailable, Frank Nazar will work as the first-line center, flanked by Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky. Meanwhile, Jason Dickinson has joined the second line.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson registered two power-play assists in Sunday's 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers. Impressively, this was Hutson's third consecutive outing with multiple assists, making him only the 10th rearguard in NHL history with at least three straight multi-assist games at age 21 or younger. For the season, Hutson has managed 23 assists, tying him for third among defensemen. Additionally, he has scored five goals on 54 shots in 32 games. The 21-year-old also offers some defensive stats for fantasy teams, recording 49 blocks.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov had a three-point night against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, logging two goals and an assist in a 6-2 home win. He did all of his work in even-strength situations, tying Mikko Koivu for the second-most goals in franchise history. Sitting on 205 markers, Kaprizov now needs only 15 more goals to break Marian Gaborik's Wild record. Currently, Kaprizov is on pace for a 50-goal campaign, so he should move past Gaborik at some point in 2025-26. Just two players have scored more goals in the league this season, and Kaprizov's 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists) in 33 games have him tied for 15th in overall scoring.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins center Benjamin Kindel had the best outing of his young career on Sunday, finishing a 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth with three points. He scored Pittsburgh's third goal and recorded two assists. After a slow start to the month, Kindel has shown signs of life, posting points in back-to-back games. He ranks second in goals among rookies with eight tallies and has picked up 14 points in 28 outings. Half (7) of Kindel's points have come on the power play, although he scored all of his points during even-strength play on Sunday. While he hasn't been a consistent offensive threat, Kindel has shown great promise as an 18-year-old, and his fantasy stock will only keep increasing.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch (illness) returned to the lineup with a two-assist performance in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Tuch missed one game due to illness. It was a small bump on the road for the versatile forward who has had a great month so far. In six December appearances, Tuch has notched three goals and six points. Going forward, Tuch's production may improve even more, as the Sabres are currently playing their best hockey of the year. They are riding a season-best three-game winning streak. Tuch is Buffalo's second-leading scorer, putting up 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 31 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes enjoyed a good debut for his new club on Sunday, scoring the team's fourth goal in a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Hughes fired in a wrist shot inside the first minute of the third period. The 2024 Norris Trophy winner jumped on the top power-play unit and skated with Brock Faber on the first defensive pairing, eating up 26:55 of ice time. In the game, Hughes had three shots on goal but didn't register any defensive stats. Hughes has previously shown the ability to average over a point per game, and his production is bound to improve in Minnesota, with better players surrounding him. Currently, he sits on 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) through 27 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Minnesota Wild defenseman David Jiricek (lower body) was unable to finish Sunday's 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. He had a fine outing, recording a plus-two rating, but a lower-body injury limited Jiricek to 12:52 of ice time. The Czechia blue-liner made his 14th appearance of the season. He has been a non-factor in fantasy hockey, going scoreless so far. Matt Kiersted is likely to fill Jiricek's spot in the lineup if he isn't available for Tuesday's tilt against the Washington Capitals. Kiersted only recently made his season debut and doesn't offer anything from a fantasy perspective.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 15, 2025
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson (undisclosed) was injured during Sunday's 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins. He collected a power-play assist in the game before leaving the action in the second period. The injury comes at a bad time for the Swedish veteran, as he has heated up in recent games. Over the last four contests, Johansson has contributed three goals and three assists. Across the season, he has posted 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 33 games. Johansson skates on the second line and the second power-play unit. The team currently has an extra forward in Hunter Haight, who may enter the lineup on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 14, 2025
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium made his team debut in Sunday's 2-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils, contributing a goal and an assist. He left a strong impression on Canucks fans, helping Vancouver get a couple of power-play goals in the first period. With this performance, Buium became the first defenseman in franchise history to notch multiple points in the opening period of his debut. Buium logged 2:33 of action with the man advantage and played a total of 19:50. He had two shots on goal, blocked one shot, and handed out one hit. All season, the bulk of Buium's offensive output has come on the power play, with 10 of his 16 points scored in those situations. The 20-year-old currently shares the rookie lead in power-play points with Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 14, 2025
St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway (lower body) could be forced to miss time after getting hurt at Sunday's practice. He suffered a lower-body injury and needed to be helped off the ice. The Blues will continue their season on Monday against the Nashville Predators. Holloway has so far featured in all 33 games this season, posting 17 points (eight goals, nine assists). He has been a disappointment in fantasy hockey for most of the campaign, finishing five of his last seven appearances pointless. Alexei Toropchenko (leg) is expected to return to the lineup on Monday and might replace Holloway against Nashville.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
December 14, 2025
Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson will guard the crease in Sunday's matchup against the Boston Bruins, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports. He gets a chance to log his third start in four games after Jesper Wallstedt beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Saturday. Gustavsson seems to have established himself as the clear No. 1 in Minnesota again. He carries a 9-8-3 record for the season and has posted a 2.64 goals-against average with a .907 save percentage and two shutouts. Beating the Bruins won't be easy, as David Pastrnak's crew ranks seventh in the league with a scoring average of 3.28 goals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jessi Pierce
December 14, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi will start Sunday's matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 27-year-old rookie will look to continue his excellent season with another win on Sunday. In his most recent start against the Washington Capitals, Bussi became the fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach 10 career wins, accomplishing this in just his 11th appearance. He has won each of his last eight starts. Bussi has recorded one shutout while allowing 2.07 goals with a .910 save percentage. The Flyers have one of the league's weakest offenses, averaging 2.83 goals per game, making this a very favorable matchup for Bussi.
--Taavi PailkSource: Carolina Hurricanes
December 14, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York (upper body) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes. He has been out for four games due to an upper-body injury. York will take Ty Murchison's spot in the lineup. For the season, York has averaged two blocks per game, while posting one goal and 11 assists in 23 outings on the offensive end. The 24-year-old ranks second on his team with an average ice time of 23:31. On Sunday, York is expected to play a major role again as the Flyers seek revenge for Saturday's shootout loss against Carolina.
--Taavi PailkSource: Philadelphia Flyers
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