December 17, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) is nearing his season debut, but he may not be ready at the start of 2026. "I don't know," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said Wednesday when asked whether Tkachuk would be available for this season's Winter Classic on Jan. 2 against the New York Rangers. Before the season started, Zito said Tkachuk was expected to be out until "December-ish." Tkachuk's return would be huge for a Panthers team that has lost Aleksander Barkov (knee) for the season and has taken several injury blows throughout the campaign. The back-to-back champions are currently just outside the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 17, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers winger Tyson Foerster (arm) was ruled out for five months on Wednesday. He had surgery on his arm on Monday, effectively ending his 2025-26 campaign. Initially, Foerster was ruled out for 2-3 months with an upper-body injury when he was hurt at the start of December. Foerster needs the Flyers to make the playoffs to have a chance of playing again this season. Before he exited the lineup, the 23-year-old winger contributed 10 goals and three assists in 21 outings. Foerster is still Philadelphia's second-highest goal-scorer this season, as the team has had a balanced offense. Eight forwards have reached 15 points, with Trevor Zegras at the top of the pile with 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) through 32 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 17, 2025
Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield (illness) will return to the lineup on Wednesday night against the Florida Panthers. Due to illness, Byfield was unavailable for the first time this season when the Kings faced the Dallas Stars on Monday. Byfield is the third-highest scoring King this season, totaling 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 31 appearances. Yet, he has been ice-cold this month, finishing all six December outings pointless. This is Byfield's worst point drought since April 2024. He will look to end it on Wednesday night as a member of the Kings' second line and first power-play unit. Alex Turcotte will drop down in the lineup, though he should continue to see additional ice time due to Phillip Danault's (illness) continued absence.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 17, 2025
Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (undisclosed) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. He sustained an undisclosed injury in Monday's win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, exiting the contest in the third period. Fortunately for Florida, Forsling won't have to miss additional time. The Swedish blue-liner has played in all 32 games this season, logging 14 points (one goal, 13 assists), 39 shots, 37 blocks, and 26 hits. He has been a great asset for the Panthers, though Forsling's contributions on the attacking end have been lacking recently. He has not scored any points in four straight games, appearing on the score sheet just twice in 10 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 17, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev (undisclosed) will be in the lineup on Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. Initially, his status was uncertain for the game after Dorofeyev left Sunday's win over Columbus early due to an unspecified injury. In Wednesday's contest, the Russian winger has a chance to tie his longest point streak of the season. He has made it on the score sheet in three consecutive games, posting two goals and one assist. Overall, Dorofeyev has managed 13 goals and 21 points in 31 outings. He is tied for third in the league with eight power-play goals and has notched 12 power-play points in total. New Jersey has a 75.8 percent penalty kill, making this a great matchup for Dorofeyev.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 17, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (upper body) won't be in the lineup on Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. He will sit out his first game of the season due to an upper-body injury. Theodore will be missed on both ends of the ice, as he is Vegas' top-scoring defenseman with 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) and ranks third on the team with 48 blocks in 31 games. Jeremy Lauzon (undisclosed) was activated from Injured Reserve on Wednesday and will enter the lineup as Theodore's replacement. However, he has a much more limited skill set than Theodore and should not be expected to make a big difference in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 17, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (illness) won't play on Wednesday night against the New Jersey Devils. He has been ruled out due to illness, missing his first game of the season. Eichel left Tuesday's practice early and wasn't on the ice for Wednesday's morning skate. The four-time All-Star is considered day-to-day and could rejoin the lineup for this weekend's back-to-back against Calgary and Edmonton. Brett Howden will take over as the top-line center against New Jersey, giving him additional fantasy value. Meanwhile, Reilly Smith is projected to re-enter the lineup on the fourth line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 17, 2025
New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (upper body) was activated from Injured Reserve and is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 31-year-old has been out of action since late October due to an upper-body injury. Before suffering the injury, Pesce made nine appearances at the start of the season, recording three assists, eight shots, and 24 blocks with a plus-three rating. He makes a welcome return for a Devils team that has slipped to fifth in the Metropolitan Division. Pesce is set to link up with Luke Hughes on the second defensive pairing, bumping Dennis Cholowski out of the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 17, 2025
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko recorded his 10th career shutout on Tuesday night, pushing aside 23 pucks in a 3-0 road victory over the New York Rangers. It's his first shutout this season, making Demko the sixth goalie in history to have double-digit shutouts with the Canucks. Demko has sat out a lot of time again in 2025-26 due to injury, but he has made a strong return to action. The American netminder has gone 2-1-0 over his past three starts, allowing 1.35 goals with a .938 save percentage. This run has improved Demko's record for the season to 7-5-0. He has logged a goals-against average of 2.45 and a save percentage of .910. In his next start, Demko will attempt to win a third consecutive outing for the first time this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 17, 2025
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini became the third player this season to reach 50 points for the campaign, totaling four points in a 6-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. He had two goals and two assists, scoring a spectacular spin-o-rama goal as the game-winning marker. Celebrini became the third teenager in NHL history to reach 50 points during a season in 34 or fewer games and hit the plateau three games faster than any other player in franchise history. After an impressive start to the season, Celebrini has found a way to elevate his game further in December, going for 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in eight games. He has already recorded four games with three-plus points this month. San Jose's teenage sensation will have three more games before Christmas, entering the stretch with 51 points (18 goals, 33 assists) in the bag.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 17, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl surpassed 1,000 career points during Tuesday's 6-4 road win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He needed only one point to become the first German player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points in the regular season. Draisaitl finished the contest with four points, all coming through assists. The former MVP helped set up three power-play goals. This was Draisaitl's 824th career game, making him the fifth-fastest player born outside North America to reach the 1,000-point mark. Edmonton's No. 29 is a scoring machine and has showcased it in style this month, averaging two points per game across eight outings. For the season, Draisaitl has posted 17 goals and 47 points in 34 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 17, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (upper body) missed Tuesday's practice, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Vegas' defensive star has sustained an upper-body injury and could be absent from the lineup for the first time this season when the team faces the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. In 31 outings, Theodore has posted 20 points (four goals, 16 assists) with 48 blocks. He leads all Vegas skaters in ice time at 24:01 per game, working with Noah Hanifin on the first defensive pairing and anchoring the second power-play unit. Jeremy Lauzon (undisclosed) practiced fully on Tuesday and could be Theodore's replacement in the lineup against New Jersey.
--Taavi PailkSource: Danny Webster
December 17, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (illness) didn't finish Tuesday's practice, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Eichel's early departure from the session leaves his status uncertain for Wednesday's contest against the New Jersey Devils. The American star is battling an illness and could miss his first game of the season. It has been a sensational year for Eichel, who is attempting to post his first 100-point season. After 31 appearances, he is sitting on 12 goals and 41 points. Currently, Eichel is riding a five-game point streak, posting multiple points four times during that stretch. Brett Howden and Tomas Hertl will have a heavy workload in the middle if Eichel can't play against the Devils.
--Taavi PailkSource: Danny Webster
December 17, 2025
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (upper body) was placed on Injured Reserve and will miss at least three games. L.A.'s No. 1 suffered an upper-body injury during Monday's loss to the Dallas Stars. The team has called up Pheonix Copley from the minors to fill in for Kuemper on the roster. Anton Forsberg will probably get the bulk of the starts until Kuemper returns, although Copley could be used during the Kings' upcoming back-to-back set. The 33-year-old has logged a 7-6-0 record in the AHL this season, allowing 3.13 goals with a .885 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: Los Angeles Kings
December 17, 2025
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (undisclosed) didn't finish Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He exited the game in the third period after appearing to be hurt during a scuffle between several players. The Kraken have two more games to come this week, and it would be a blow for the team if one of their defensive leaders isn't available. Montour averages the second-most ice time among Kraken skaters at 21:55 per game and helps out on both ends of the ice. He has logged 16 points (six goals, 10 assists), 35 blocks, and 34 hits in 27 appearances. If Montour misses time, the Kraken will bring either Cale Fleury or Josh Mahura into the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: Seattle Kraken PR
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