NHL News
Ilya Samsonov Starts Versus Kraken Saturday
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov will guard the crease in Saturday's matchup against Seattle. He'll make only his third appearance of the month as the Golden Knights have been riding Adin Hill's hot hand. Samsonov has also been successful in his most recent outings, winning four of five starts to improve his record for the season to 7-3-1. He has allowed 3.06 goals with a .897 save percentage. The Kraken have struggled on the road and go with Philipp Grubauer, who is 3-9-0 for the season, so Samsonov will be expected to keep Vegas on the winning path.
2 hours ago
Leevi Merilainen Starts For Senators Saturday
Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen will get his first taste of NHL action this season on Saturday on the road against Vancouver. Linus Ullmark has carried a heavy workload lately but will get the night off versus the Canucks, with Merilainen coming in for his third career NHL appearance. He's yet to win a game, going 0-1-1 and allowing 4.23 goals with a .878 save percentage. However, Merilainen has shown promise in the AHL, posting a 7-2-2 record this season with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. The 22-year-old is in a tough spot on Saturday, but he'll be supported by a hot team that's scored at least three times in each game during its current five-game winning streak.
2 hours ago
Cam York Re-Enters Flyers Lineup Saturday
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York will return to the lineup on Saturday against Columbus. He was a healthy scratch for Thursday's action against Los Angeles. York is among the Flyers' top defensemen, but he's struggled for most of 2024-25. In 19 appearances, he's been limited to five points (three goals, two assists) while logging 38 blocks. York averages nearly 22 minutes of ice time for the season and should feature heavily again on Saturday as Travis Sanheim's partner on the first defensive pairing. However, he's not a good fantasy option, as York has gone scoreless in 11 of his last 13 outings.
2 hours ago
Lars Eller Placed On Injured Reserve
Washington Capitals center Lars Eller (illness) has been placed on Injured Reserve. He was unavailable for Friday's matchup against Carolina due to an illness, and Eller will be forced to miss at least two more games. The Danish veteran has done a good job for Washington as the third-line center since arriving in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He's notched six points (two goals, four assists) in 16 appearances while winning 53 percent of his faceoffs. Hendrix Lapierre took over his duties on Friday, while Washington has summoned Henrik Rybinski from the AHL to provide forward depth.
3 hours ago
Auston Matthews Unavailable Saturday
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (upper body) will not be available for Saturday's contest against the Islanders. The Maple Leafs star has re-aggravated an upper-body injury he suffered earlier in the campaign. Matthews was out for nine games because of the ailment. He is reportedly questionable for Monday's game against Winnipeg. With Matthews unavailable, John Tavares will likely operate as the first-line center against his former team. Max Domi might be back in a top-six role, with either Connor Dewar or Ryan Reaves filling the gap in the lineup.
3 hours ago
Roman Josi Returns To Action In Overtime Win
Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (lower body) returned to the lineup on Saturday against Los Angeles. After missing four games with a lower-body injury, Josi made an instant impact, posting an assist in a 3-2 overtime win. He led all Predators skaters with 26:25 of ice time and added a pair of blocks and two shots to his tally. Josi has been a regular on the score sheet all season, notching 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 30 games, but the team's difficult campaign has resulted in him carrying a minus-21 rating. However, the Predators have improved lately, going 3-1-1 in five games, and they might be able to turn things around in 2025.
3 hours ago
Mikko Rantanen Tallies Two Helpers, Extends Point Streak On Friday
Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen tallied two assists during Friday evening's victory over the Anaheim Ducks to extend his point streak to eight games. Rantanen earned both his points in the final period. He tallied the secondary assist on Cale Makar's game-winning power-play tally in the opening minutes of the period. He would then earn the primary assist on Nathan MacKinnon's empty-netter. During this impressive eight-game point streak, Rantanen has tallied 15 total points (four goal, 11 assists). In addition, he has posted three multi-point showings and averaged two shots on goal per contest. He will look to extend this streak further on Sunday evening, facing the Seattle Kraken.
12 hours ago
Nathan MacKinnon Tallies Three Points On Friday
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon tallied three points in their victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday evening. MacKinnon's first tally of the evening was a secondary assist on Valeri Nichushkin's tenth goal of the season. Then, MacKinnon dished out his second helper of the game, this time on a primary assist on Cale Makar's eventual game-winning power-play goal. MacKinnon would then score the empty-netter to clinch the victory. The 29-year-old superstar has tallied an impressive 14 points (five goals, nine helpers) over his previous six games. In total, the center sits with 55 points (14 goals, 41 assists) across 35 total games this season. He will look to stay hot on Sunday evening against the Seattle Kraken.
12 hours ago
Charlie Lindgren Sharp On Friday
Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced during his victory over the Washington Capitals. The Capitals got out to three-goal lead by the end of the second frame. Carolina's lone tally came in the back-half of the third period off a Seth Jarvis wrist shot. Over his past four outings, Lindgren has allowed just one goal or fewer in three of them. During this span, he has carried a stellar 1.50 GAA and a .942% SV with a 3-1 record. Prior to this impressive stretch, he posted a 4.04 GAA in his previous three outings. Overall, the 31-year-old sits with a solid 10-6 record and a .903% SV and a 2.58 GAA. Fantasy managers should continue to expect him and Logan Thompson to share the crease at an almost 50/50 split.
12 hours ago
Igor Shesterkin Leads The Way On Friday
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin stopped 41 of the 42 shots in his victory over the Dallas Stars. This was a much-needed victory for the Rangers as they have lost five of their past six contests and fallen towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Rangers were heavily outshot but their franchise goaltender got them back in the win column. His lone blemish came in the opening two minutes on a snap shot by center Roope Hintz. This was also a much-needed bounce-back performance for Shesterkin who posted an underwhelming 3.27 GAA with a 1-3 record over his previous four starts. Even though the Rangers have struggled throughout December, Shesterkin should still be viewed as a high-end goaltender. He will look to continue his win streak on Sunday afternoon against the Carolina Hurricanes.
13 hours ago
William Nylander Tallies Three Points On Friday
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander enjoyed a three-point night during Friday's victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Nylander tallied his first point of the game, on a primary assist on Auston Matthew's power-play strike in the opening frame. Later in the second, he tallied another primary assist, this time on Max Pacioretty's fifth tally of the season. In the final minutes, Nylander scored the empty-netter to put the game out of reach. This performance extended his point streak to five games. During this span he has scored four goals and tallied four helpers, with three of them coming on the power-play. Playing in a potent Toronto top-6 and the top power-play unit, fantasy managers should always lock Nylander in their lineup and view him as a safe lineup anchor for DFS.
13 hours ago
Mason Marchment A Game-Time Decision Versus Rangers
Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision on Friday versus the Rangers. He made an early exit from Wednesday's contest against Toronto, but Marchment has escaped serious injury, as X-rays on his ailment have come back negative. Marchment provides both grit and skill for the Stars, having produced 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 30 games with 41 hits. Jamie Benn or Evgenii Dadonov might play a larger role in Friday's game in Marchment's absence.
Yesterday
Sam Bennett In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (illness) might be absent for a second consecutive game on Friday versus St. Louis. "We will make a decision on Sam Bennett's energy level when he gets to the rink,'' Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said Friday morning. Bennett played through an illness on Monday against Edmonton but exited the lineup on Wednesday versus Minnesota. Anton Lundell, who has notched three assists in the past two games, will continue to skate on the second line if Bennett remains out. Jesper Boqvist's (upper body) has already been ruled out, so Florida's center depth is currently getting tested.
Yesterday
Philip Broberg A Game-Time Call Friday
St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg (illness) is a game-time decision on Friday versus Florida. He missed Thursday's 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay because of an illness. Tyler Tucker made his season debut on Thursday and will be expected to fill in for Broberg again if he can't play against the Panthers. The Swedish blue-liner has enjoyed a very good maiden campaign as a Blue, posting 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 21 outings with 23 shots, 27 hits, and 20 blocks. Broberg's return will likely bump Ryan Suter to the third defensive pairing.
Yesterday
Rasmus Dahlin Returns From Seven-Game Absence
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (back) is ready to rejoin the action on Friday versus Toronto. He's been absent for seven games while dealing with back spasms. Dahlin went scoreless in four outings prior to his exit from the lineup, but he's been in good form overall this season. Through 25 appearances, the Sabres captain has registered 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) with 74 shots, 36 blocks, and 26 hits. On home ice, Dahlin has scored nearly a point per game, posting three goals and nine assists in 14 contests.
Yesterday
Filip Gustavsson Sits Out At Least Two More Games
Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (lower body) will miss the team's upcoming back-to-back set. He's been unavailable for a pair of games, and Wild head coach John Hynes has confirmed that he won't use Gustavsson on Friday against Utah nor in Saturday's matchup against Winnipeg. Marc-Andre Fleury will be between the sticks for Friday's game, with Jesper Wallstedt likely getting the nod on Saturday. Gustavsson, who's had a very successful season with a 14-5-3, will have his next chance to return on Monday when Minnesota hosts Chicago in its final game before the holiday break.
Yesterday
Brock Faber Available Friday
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (upper body) will play against Utah on Friday. He was injured in Wednesday's clash against Florida when a puck hit Faber in the neck near the end of the game. However, the talented blue-liner will not have to miss additional time. Faber averages over 25 minutes of action per game and is typically busy all over the ice. He has totaled 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 32 games with 41 shots and 42 blocks. Faber was on a three-game assist streak before the Panthers found a way to nullify his threat offensively.
Yesterday
Artemi Panarin A Game-Time Decision Friday
New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (upper body) is considered a game-time decision for Friday's matchup against Dallas. He'll be hoping to return from a two-game absence. Panarin has gone pointless only once in his last seven appearances and leads the team with 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 29 games. No other Ranger has managed more than 25 points this campaign, which shows just how important Panarin is for the team. The veteran star is expected to be reunited with Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck if he gets the green light to play.
Yesterday
Anze Kopitar Strikes Twice In Victory
Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar scored twice in their victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday evening. Kopitar tallied his first goal in the final minutes of the second frame on a backhand shot to beat goaltender Aleksei Kolosov. Later in the third period, Kopitar would extend the Los Angeles lead on a wrist shot. The veteran center is now riding a three-game point streak. During this span, he has posted two multi-point efforts. Since the start of December, Kopitar has been held off the scoresheet just once and has tallied eight total points across seven games. Overall, the 37-year-old has registered 37 points across 32 total games this season. Fantasy managers should continue to view him as a solid center option in standard formats as he continues to see heavy ice time on a nightly basis.
Yesterday
Andrei Vasilevskiy Stands Tall In Thursday's Victory
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy tallied his third straight victory in Thursday evening's 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. In this game, Vasilevskiy stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced. Tampa Bay was heavily out-shot in this contest, but the 30-year-old was able to lead the way. Over his previous six starts, Vasilevskiy has held a 5-1 record with a strong .924 save percentage and a 2.01 goals-against average. Overall, through 25 games, he sits with a 15-9-1 record and a .911 save percentage with a 2.38 goals-against average. Fantasy managers should continue to view Vasilevskiy as a high-end goaltender, not only given his elite production, but also heavy workload. He should be expected to get the starting nod on Sunday evening when the Lightning host the Florida Panthers.
Yesterday
Ilya Samsonov
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Golden Knights
