December 11, 2025
Washington Capitals right wing Ryan Leonard (shoulder) will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks. He will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 20-year-old rookie suffered a shoulder injury last week in a contest against the Anaheim Ducks. Leonard is fourth in scoring among first-year players with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 29 outings. Sonny Milano has replaced Leonard in the lineup. Milano has tallied six points (four goals, two assists) in 18 appearances this season and should not draw fantasy attention. He typically logs very little ice time, averaging less than 10 minutes per game for the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 11, 2025
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (upper body) was placed on Injured Reserve on Thursday. He was hurt in Monday's win over the Seattle Kraken and won't be available for a few games at least. Zuccarello has made only 15 appearances this season, registering two goals and 10 assists. On Thursday against the Dallas Stars, Vladimir Tarasenko is set to skate in Zuccarello's spot on the first line, giving him extra fantasy value. Minnesota also placed defenseman Jacob Middleton (upper body) on Injured Reserve on Thursday. In corresponding moves, forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel and defenseman Matt Kiersted were recalled from the minors.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 11, 2025
New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier (personal) won't be in the lineup on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has taken a leave of absence to attend to a personal matter. The Swiss star may miss multiple games, as New Jersey has a back-to-back scheduled for the weekend. Meier has been the third-highest scoring Devil this season, posting 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 30 games. He is tied with Jesper Bratt for the most power-play points on the team (9). Paul Cotter will join the top-six group for Thursday's game. Cotter has not been a useful fantasy option in 2025-26, notching only seven points (three goals, four assists) in 30 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 11, 2025
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (lower body) will make his first appearance since Nov. 11 in Thursday's matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. He has been out for 12 games due to a lower-body injury. Unfortunately, it has been another injury-disrupted campaign for Demko, who has made only 10 starts so far in 2025-26. He enters Thursday's clash with a 5-4-0 record, a 2.80 goals-against average, and a .903 save percentage. It is likely to be a busy night for Demko, as the Sabres average 3.00 goals and 29.0 shots per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 11, 2025
Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris (illness) will sit out a second consecutive game on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. He has been dealing with an illness and soreness this week. Health issues have limited Norris to only five appearances in 2025-26. The 26-year-old has been very productive when on the ice, producing two goals and five assists. Buffalo's frontline also lost Jason Zucker (lower body) this week, giving Peyton Krebs an opportunity to skate on the first line. Krebs is also part of the second power-play unit. Buffalo's forwards could have a field day on Thursday night, as Vancouver is ranked 26th in save percentage and has the third-worst penalty kill in the league.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 11, 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner (upper body) will rejoin the lineup on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators. He has been out of commission for 14 games due to an upper-body injury. The Blue Jackets captain will join Kent Johnson and Adam Fantilli on the second line. Jenner has notched 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 16 outings this season. He also adds a lot of physicality to the team, having averaged 2.2 hits for his career. It's a good matchup for Columbus' frontline on Thursday night, as Ottawa has the third-lowest save percentage in the NHL (.877).
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 11, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (undisclosed) will miss at least one week of action after he was placed on Injured Reserve. Hedman only recently returned from a 12-game absence. Now, he must sit out at least three games due to an undisclosed injury he sustained during Tuesday's win over the Montreal Canadiens. Hedman's absence will begin on Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils. To bolster its defensive depth, Tampa Bay has recalled Declan Carlile from the minors to take Hedman's spot on the roster. The major beneficiary of Hedman's injury will be Darren Raddysh, who has locked down a position on the first power-play unit. Raddysh is also seeing big minutes during even-strength play and has totaled 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) over his last 13 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 11, 2025
Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is set to return to action on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets after he was activated from Injured Reserve. McAvoy has missed 11 games due to a facial injury. He needed surgery after being struck in the face by a puck. The star defenseman hasn't scored in 19 appearances this season, but McAvoy does have 14 assists on his account. He has also recorded 32 blocks and 26 hits while averaging 23:46 of ice time. On Thursday, McAvoy will join his regular partner, Hampus Lindholm, on the first defensive pairing and will strengthen Boston's first power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NESN
December 11, 2025
Detroit Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat continued his prolific start to December with a three-point performance in Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. He notched two goals and one assist, recording his third three-point outing of the season. DeBrincat has landed on the score sheet in each of his five outings this month, totaling four goals and eight points. The veteran winger is having a spectacular year and could average more than a point per game in a campaign for only the second time during his nine-year NHL career. After 31 outings, DeBrincat boasts a team-high 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists). He is tied for fourth in the league with seven power-play goals.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 11, 2025
Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther finished Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers with two goals. He had Utah's first two tallies in the contest, setting the young franchise's new record with his seventh multi-goal effort for the club. The Mammoth are currently going through a tough time, but Guenther has remained productive. He has scored five goals over the last 10 games, adding five assists. Guenther is Utah's second-highest goal-scorer this season with 13 markers and ranks third with 25 points after 32 games. The 22-year-old will hope to post his third career three-game goal streak when Utah meets the Seattle Kraken on Friday.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 11, 2025
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett registered two goals and one assist in Wednesday's 4-3 road victory over the Utah Mammoth. He set up Carter Verhaeghe for a goal late in the first period and lit the lamp twice inside the opening 3:24 of action in the second. Bennett now has a whopping eight points (three goals, five assists) over his last four appearances. That is nearly half of his entire tally this season. In 29 outings, Bennett has contributed nine goals and 11 assists. 15 of Bennett's 20 points have come in 11 games since Nov. 17.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 11, 2025
Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn had a hugely impressive performance against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, factoring in all of his team's goals in a 3-2 overtime win. Dunn sent out a pair of power-play assists during regulation and finished the game with a power-play goal 1:21 into overtime. Playing in his 303rd contest with the Kraken, Dunn became the fourth-fastest active defenseman to post 200 points with a franchise. He has notched 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 28 outings this season, putting Dunn on track for his second career 50-point campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 11, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight posted his second shutout of the season on Wednesday night against the New York Rangers, finishing a 3-0 victory with 21 saves. Connor Bedard took care of things on the other end, recording a goal and an assist. After a great start to the campaign, Knight struggled with consistency in November, but he appears to have gotten over the hump in December. The 24-year-old has opened the month with a 2-1-1 run. Knight holds a 10-6-5 record for the season and has a 2.50 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. Next up, Knight and the Blackhawks face the struggling St. Louis Blues, who are averaging only 2.55 goals this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 11, 2025
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson (lower body) didn't complete Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. He suffered a lower-body injury, taking only a couple of shifts in the second period and missing the third. Edvinsson has been an all-around contributor for the Red Wings, totaling nine points (three goals, six assists), 33 shots, 57 blocks, and 37 hits in 28 contests this season. Detroit will return to action on Thursday night against the Edmonton Oilers, and Jacob Bernard-Docker is in line to fill Edvinsson's spot in the lineup if he can't play. Bernard-Docker does not hold any fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 11, 2025
Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann (undisclosed) was injured during Wednesday's 3-2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings. He exited the action late in the third period following a collision with Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg. McCann opened the scoring in the contest with a power-play goal. The 29-year-old skated in only his 11th game of the season after he missed time earlier in the campaign due to a lower-body injury. McCann has recorded five goals and eight points. Kaapo Kakko could be McCann's replacement in the top six if he has to miss time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
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