December 10, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis (lower body) will miss a month, Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun reports. He was placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, retroactive to Dec. 8. Mermis sustained a lower-body injury in Monday's win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Maple Leafs recalled Henry Thrun from the minors on Wednesday, and he is likely to replace Mermis in the lineup on Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. Philippe Myers is another option for the blue line, which remains without Brandon Carlo (lower body) and Chris Tanev (upper body) on Thursday. Meanwhile, Morgan Rielly (illness) is questionable after missing Wednesday's practice.
--Taavi PailkSource: Lance Hornby
December 10, 2025
Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans (personal) won't be in the lineup on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He will miss the game for personal reasons. Montreal expects to have Evans back for Saturday's contest against the New York Rangers. Evans has gone six games without scoring any points. Across the season, he has totaled eight points (four goals, four assists) in 29 outings while amassing a team-worst minus-19 rating. Owen Beck was recalled from the minors on Wednesday and figures to enter the lineup against Pittsburgh. The 21-year-old has not scored any points in two NHL appearances this season and does not provide any fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 10, 2025
Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (upper body) is expected to remain out on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, Paul Chapman of The Province reports. Canucks head coach Adam Foote said following Wednesday's practice that Pettersson is "unlikely" to play against Buffalo. The Swedish forward has already missed two games due to an upper-body injury. He is the team's top scorer, alongside Quinn Hughes, boasting 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) through 28 appearances. David Kampf has taken on top-line center duties during Pettersson's absence. After 10 appearances, Kampf is still looking for his first points of the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Paul Chapman
December 10, 2025
St. Louis Blues center Nick Bjugstad (upper body) will be out "at least five days," head coach Jim Montgomery announced on Wednesday. The veteran forward suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday's loss to the Boston Bruins. St. Louis will play three games over the next five days. Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist), Alexei Toropchenko (leg), and Nathan Walker (upper body) are also out, leaving the Blues shorthanded up front. To address the situation, the team signed Robby Fabbri to a one-year, two-way contract on Wednesday. Fabbri, who previously played for the Blues from 2015 to 2019, could make his first appearance of the season on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 10, 2025
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (knee) was back at practice on Wednesday. He skated for the first time since having knee surgery on Nov. 22. The reigning MVP was ruled out for 4-6 weeks, so he appears to be recovering well and could be back in the net for Winnipeg soon. Hellebuyck carries an 8-6-0 record for the season and has allowed 2.51 goals with a .913 save percentage. Eric Comrie has had a heavy workload recently, but he has won only two of nine starts since the Jets lost Hellebuyck.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 10, 2025
Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (upper body) was a full participant at Wednesday's practice and could rejoin the lineup for Thursday's tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington has been without Carlson for three games after he sustained an upper-body injury. His presence has been missed at both ends of the ice, as Carlson boasts 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) and 38 blocks in 26 appearances this season. During his absence, Declan Chisholm and Dylan McIlrath have played, while Rasmus Sandin has received increased playing time in the Capitals' defense.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 10, 2025
Los Angeles Kings winger Andrei Kuzmenko will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken. The Russian forward has been ineffective since November and played a season-low 6:58 in Monday's win over the Utah Mammoth. He has posted four goals and eight points in 26 contests. Kuzmenko was also scratched for three games last month. On Wednesday, Jeff Malott will take Kuzmenko's spot in the lineup, joining Alex Turcotte and Corey Perry on the fourth line. Malott averages nearly three hits per game but has been anonymous offensively. In 19 appearances, he has scored two goals and has not registered a single assist.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 10, 2025
St. Louis Blues forward Nick Bjugstad (upper body) was unable to finish Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. He sustained an upper-body injury in the second period. Bjugstad has been a non-factor for most of the season, amassing five points (four goals, one assist) in 25 outings, but his experience and availability are assets for the team. The Blues are struggling badly with injuries and were already without four forwards for Tuesday's game. Hugh McGing looks set to be the next man up to enter the lineup if Bjugstad lands on the shelf for Thursday's clash against the Nashville Predators. The 27-year-old has gone scoreless in his previous six NHL appearances and should not be seen as a fantasy target.
--Taavi PailkSource: St. Louis Blues
December 10, 2025
Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano was limited to 9:17 of ice time on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins after a puck struck him in the face. Vatrano has had a tough year, and this is another unfortunate blow for him. After posting at least 40 points in three consecutive seasons, Vatrano is currently only on four points (three goals, one assist) through 30 outings. The Ducks could use Nikita Nesterenko or Jansen Harkins as Vatrano's replacement in the lineup if needed. The team returns to action on Thursday night against the New York Islanders.
--Taavi PailkSource: Seth Rorabaugh
December 10, 2025
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Colten Ellis entered concussion protocol after getting hurt during Tuesday's 4-3 overtime victory against the Edmonton Oilers. Ellis was pulled from the game late in the first period following a collision with Oilers forward David Tomasek. The 25-year-old stopped all six shots he faced against Connor McDavid's crew. He was replaced by Alex Lyon, who finished with 21 saves on 24 shots. Ellis has posted a 4-3-0 through his first eight NHL appearances this season, posting a 3.25 goals-against average with a .895 save percentage. If Ellis misses additional time, Lyon will share the Sabres crease with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 10, 2025
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (head) was hurt during a shootout in Tuesday's matchup against the Nashville Predators. Wedgewood returned to action on Tuesday after missing three games with a back issue. He stopped 25 of 28 shots in the contest, which needed a shootout after a 3-3 tie. During the shootout, Wedgewood took a blow to the head during Nashville's second attempt. He remained in the game for the third round, but Mackenzie Blackwood was set to face Nashville's fourth shot after an NHL concussion spotter pulled Wedgewood. Ultimately, the fourth round wasn't needed, as Colorado couldn't score on its third attempt, giving the Predators a 4-3 victory in the game. While Blackwood made a very brief appearance on Tuesday, he will be in for a busy period if Wedgewood misses additional time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 10, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (undisclosed) picked up another injury in Tuesday's win over the Montreal Canadiens. He was playing his third game after a nearly month-long injury layoff. Tampa's defensive star may now have to miss more time. Hedman's injury issues this season have given a massive boost to Darren Raddysh's fantasy stock. He has been a regular on the top power-play unit, logging at least 22 minutes of ice time in nine consecutive games. Raddysh has two of Tampa's goals in Tuesday's 6-1 victory. He has posted 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 24 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
December 10, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Bobby McMann will miss Thursday's game against the San Jose Sharks due to a suspension. He was handed a one-game suspension for high-sticking Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand in Monday's loss. McMann has been among Toronto's top goal-scorers this season with eight markers. In 29 games, he has also contributed six assists. Nicholas Robertson and Matias Maccelli are the candidates to fill in for McMann on Thursday night. McMann will be eligible to return to action on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 9, 2025
Buffalo Sabres left wing Jason Zucker (lower body) is facing another spell on the sidelines after he was placed on Injured Reserve on Tuesday. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff expects Zucker to "miss some time" due to a lower-body injury. Zucker was unavailable for most of November due to a viral illness. He had been hugely impressive since returning, amassing 11 points (five goals, six assists) in nine games. For the season, Zucker has notched 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 21 games. Josh Dunne will take Zucker's spot in the lineup on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers, but he has no fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 9, 2025
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (undisclosed) is poised to rejoin the lineup on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports. The Czech superstar has joined his teammates for pregame warmups after initially being regarded as a game-time decision. Pastrnak, who has missed five contests, is once again averaging over a point per game this season, scoring 11 goals and serving 18 assists in 26 appearances. Alex Steeves has seen time on the first line during Pastrnak's absence and must now settle for a lesser role.
--Taavi PailkSource: Lou Korac
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