December 15, 2025
San Jose Sharks forward Will Smith (undisclosed) was placed on Injured Reserve on Monday, along with fellow forward Philipp Kurashev (upper body). Both players were hurt during Saturday's win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Losing Smith is a bigger blow for the Sharks, as the 20-year-old has been the team's second-highest scorer in 2025-26. Across 33 outings, Smith has produced 12 goals and 29 points. Smith and Kurashev skated alongside teenage phenom Macklin Celebrini on the top line against Pittsburgh. With both sidelined, players such as William Eklund and Jeff Skinner may now have an opportunity to step into the top six.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 15, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) will remain out on Monday against the Florida Panthers but is nearing his return. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters on Monday morning that he's hopeful Vasilevskiy will return to action before Christmas. After Monday night, Tampa Bay has three more games scheduled before the holiday break. Jonas Johansson will remain between the sticks on Monday. Although Johansson has gone 2-3-1 over his last six starts, he has posted a strong 2.19 goals-against average with a .916 save percentage. The Swedish netminder will face a sharp offense on Monday, as the Panthers are averaging 3.13 goals per game this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 15, 2025
St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway (ankle) has been ruled out for six weeks. He injured his right ankle at Sunday's practice. The injury is set to keep Holloway sidelined until at least late January. Very few things have gone right for Holloway in 2025-26, as he has totaled only 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 33 games. Alexey Toropchenko (leg) will replace Holloway in the lineup on Monday against the Nashville Predators, returning to action after a seven-game absence. Robby Fabbri will move into the top six. Since signing with the Blues earlier this month, Fabbri has posted assists in back-to-back games, and a spot on a scoring line elevates his fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 15, 2025
Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (upper body) is expected to miss at least the next two games. The former MVP is considered day-to-day after he sustained an upper-body injury in Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane had a goal and an assist against his former team, boosting his tally for the season to 23 points. He has registered six goals and 17 helpers in 24 appearances. Chicago plays a back-to-back next, facing the New York Islanders on Tuesday and the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday. John Leonard was recalled from the minors on Monday and is set to take Kane's spot on the second line. While Leonard has never made a significant impact in the NHL, he leads the AHL with 19 goals this season and should draw some interest among DFS managers until Kane returns.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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
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