December 12, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell (hand) was activated from Injured Reserve on Friday and will return to the lineup for Saturday's tilt against the San Jose Sharks. Due to a broken hand, Rakell was forced to sit out 20 games. He will likely go straight back into the top six and the first power-play unit. Before he was injured, Rakell was enjoying a productive start to the season. He had an early-season five-game point streak and notched three goals and five assists in nine outings. From a fantasy standpoint, Saturday's matchup is favorable for Rakell and the rest of Pittsburgh's offense, as the Sharks allow 31.3 shots and 3.25 goals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 12, 2025
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (lower body) will miss his first game of the season on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Islanders' leading scorer suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's win over the Anaheim Ducks and is considered day-to-day. Mathew Barzal will take over top-line center duties against Tampa Bay, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau will center the second line after spending some time on the right wing. Jonathan Drouin (back) is expected to return from a five-game absence on Saturday and will fill the gap on the top line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 12, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) won't play on Saturday afternoon against the New York Islanders but could return to action on Monday versus the Florida Panthers. He will miss a sixth consecutive game on Saturday due to an undisclosed injury. However, Vasilevskiy practiced on Friday and should be back between the sticks soon for Tampa. The Russian netminder owns an 11-6-2 record for the season and has registered a 2.31 goals-against average, along with a .917 save percentage and one shutout. Jonas Johansson has done a decent job as Vasilevskiy's replacement and will search for a third consecutive victory in Saturday's matchup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 12, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is scheduled to undergo elbow surgery on Monday and will be out until February. Hedman has already missed significant time this season and will be sidelined once again after aggravating a previous injury. He made just three appearances after a 12-game spell out. Hedman is expected to be fully ready for the Olympics tournament, which begins on Feb. 11. Declan Carlile took Hedman's spot in the lineup Thursday against the New Jersey Devils and could now have a regular role for several weeks. Meanwhile, Darren Raddysh's fantasy prospects continue to grow. He has become Tampa's top defenseman, eating up huge minutes and posting multiple points in back-to-back games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 12, 2025
Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann (lower body) will be out of commission for three weeks. He suffered a lower-body injury in Wednesday's win over the Los Angeles Kings and will start his spell on the sidelines on Friday night against the Utah Mammoth. McCann only recently returned from a lower-body injury, which kept him out for 17 games. He has posted eight points (five goals, three assists) in 11 appearances this season. Ryan Winterton is projected to replace McCann in the top six on Friday. Winterton has not made a fantasy impact, going 11 outings without scoring any points. Overall, he has totaled four points (two goals, two assists) in 28 appearances this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 12, 2025
Goaltender Stuart Skinner was traded by the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, along with defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin. Skinner has had a couple of very inconsistent campaigns in the Oilers crease, and the team finally decided to move on from him. This season, Skinner has posted a decent goals-against average of 2.83 with an 11-8-4 record, but his save percentage stands at a disappointing .891. In Pittsburgh, Skinner will compete for playing time with Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 12, 2025
The Edmonton Oilers acquired goaltender Tristan Jarry in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. In the deal, Edmonton parted ways with goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round draft pick. Along with Jarry, the Penguins also received forward Sam Poulin. Jarry, who had spent his entire NHL career with the Penguins, is signed through the 2027-28 season with a $5.375 million cap hit. After a couple of tough campaigns, the 30-year-old netminder is enjoying a bounce-back year in 2025-26. Jarry has a 9-3-1 record through 13 starts, allowing 2.66 goals with a .909 save percentage and one shutout. Edmonton desperately needed an upgrade between the sticks, as only two teams in the league have posted a lower save percentage this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 12, 2025
Colorado Avalanche left wing Joel Kiviranta (upper body) exited Thursday's 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers late in the first period. He was limited to only seven shifts due to an upper-body injury as the Avalanche flexed their muscles against the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the game that Kiviranta's injury is "nothing too serious." Kiviranta has missed most of the campaign with a lower-body injury. He has registered two points (one goal, one assist) and 21 hits across 14 outings in a bottom-line role. If Kiviranta needs to take some time off to nurse his injury, Zakhar Bardakov would get a new opportunity to play.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 12, 2025
Ottawa Senators center Lars Eller (lower body) may face another spell on the sidelines after getting hurt in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Eller played in his second game since returning from an undisclosed injury, and his day at the office ended early after Eller blocked a shot from Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski in the second period. Eller has next to no fantasy value, but he has added a lot of experience to the improving Senators team, while posting an outstanding 60.5 percent success rate in the faceoff circle. The Danish veteran has recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in 28 games. Stephen Halliday will get a chance to play on the fourth line if Eller misses Saturday's tilt against the Minnesota Wild.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 12, 2025
Boston Bruins winger Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) left Thursday's 6-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets after logging only 7:30 of ice time. He managed a power-play assist before his exit in the third period. Boston also lost defenseman Jonathan Aspirot (upper body) in the contest. Arvidsson only recently returned from a lower-body injury, recording one goal and three assists in five outings. Overall, he has contributed seven goals and six assists in 25 contests this season. If Arvidsson isn't ready to play on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild, the Bruins will likely bring Michael Eyssimont back into the lineup. The team would also have to make changes to its second power-play unit.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 12, 2025
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (lower body) was limited to 10:01 of ice time in Thursday's 5-2 home victory against the Anaheim Ducks. He departed the game midway through the second period due to a lower-body injury after Horvat got tangled with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson and fell awkwardly. Islanders head coach Patrick Roy announced after the game that Horvat is considered day-to-day. It's extremely important for the Islanders that Horvat doesn't miss an extended period, as he's been their best player this season. Through 32 games, Horvat leads the Islanders with 19 goals and 31 points. Horvat would miss his first game of the season if he doesn't recover in time for Saturday's tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 12, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (lower body) may have to miss time after getting hurt during Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks. He suffered a lower-body injury during a collision with Sharks forward Adam Gaudette early in the third period. Ekman-Larsson finished the game with zero points in 13:44 of ice time. After capping off November with a nine-game point streak, Ekman-Larsson has gone scoreless in all five December appearances. He has managed 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) in 30 games for the season. If Ekman-Larsson is not in the lineup on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers, it would be his first absence of the campaign. Philippe Myers is expected to step in for him.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 12, 2025
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (foot) missed the end of Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. He needed help to leave the ice after blocking a shot from teammate Miro Heiskanen with his foot. It was a rough night all around for Hintz, who finished with a minus-two rating and saw his point streak end on four games. Hintz has averaged close to a point per game this season, contributing nine goals and 17 assists in 27 games. Matt Duchene could replace Hintz in the top six if he has to miss additional time. The Stars will return to work on Saturday night against the Florida Panthers.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 12, 2025
Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (lower body) must sit out at least eight weeks of action. He sustained a lower-body injury last week in a game against the Vancouver Canucks. The eight-week timeline suggests Cooley will return just before the Olympics break, but it would not be surprising if he returned after the break, which could give him more time to get back into game shape. Cooley has scored a team-high 14 goals and sits on 23 points through 29 outings. Barrett Hayton has settled into a top-six role during Cooley's absence, although the team may soon consider other options since Hayton is having a miserable season, scoring only one point in his last 18 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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
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