NHL News
William Eklund Will Not Play On Friday
San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund (undisclosed) will drop out of the lineup on Friday versus Vegas. He was injured in Monday's matchup against Vancouver and needs more time to recover. The 22-year-old is considered day-to-day. Eklund has been San Jose's second-highest scorer this season, registering 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 36 outings. With his absence on Friday, Barclay Goodrow will get a look on the first line. Goodrow is having a difficult campaign with the Sharks, sporting only three points (two goals, one assist) through 32 appearances with a minus-17 rating.
0 hour ago
Linus Ullmark Misses Road Trip
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (back) will not feature in this weekend's back-to-back against Winnipeg and Minnesota and looks set to miss some additional time as well. Ottawa starts a five-game road trip, and Ullmark will not travel with the team after getting hurt last Sunday versus Edmonton. The Swedish netminder has been in immense form lately, taking his record to 12-7-2 with a seven-game winning streak. He boasts three shutouts and has allowed 2.38 goals with a .915 save percentage during his first year with the Senators. Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) is also nursing an injury, so Leevi Merilainen and Mads Sogaard have joined the big club.
0 hour ago
Elvis Merzlikins Starts On Friday
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (undisclosed) has been named the starter for Friday's matchup against Boston. The Latvian netminder sat out Columbus' final game ahead of the holiday break, as he has reportedly been banged up. However, Merzlikins appears to have shaken off whatever bothered him and is ready for action on Friday. It's been another wild ride for Merzlikins in 2024-25, with him going 10-9-3. He put together a four-game winning streak last month but has celebrated just three victories in eight December starts. The 30-year-old has allowed 3.13 goals for the campaign with a .889 save percentage and one shutout. Friday's matchup puts Merzlikins in a challenging spot, as the Bruins have heated up with an 8-2-1 run.
1 hour ago
Mackenzie Blackwood Lands Five-Year Extension
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has signed a five-year extension. The 28-year-old has featured just four times for the Avalanche since he was acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks, but the team has apparently seen enough to ink him to a fairly lengthy extension. The deal is worth $26.25 million and will give Blackwood a $5.25 million cap hit starting next season. He's currently finishing off a two-year contract that counts $2.35 million against the cap. Blackwood has gone 3-1-0 with Colorado, allowing 2.03 goals with a .931 save percentage. He carries an 84-92-25 career record. Blackwood's move to Denver has given a big boost to his fantasy stock, and it looks like the Avalanche see him as their No. 1 for the foreseeable future.
1 hour ago
Kirill Kaprizov Out On Friday, Considered Day-To-Day
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) will not play on Friday against Dallas and is considered day-to-day. He'll be out for the second time this year. Kaprizov has been a scoring machine throughout the campaign, posting 23 goals and 50 points in 34 appearances. As a result of Kaprizov's injury, we should see Matt Boldy join the first line. The 23-year-old will look to break out of an offensive slump on Friday, having gone scoreless in four of the past five games. Marcus Foligno is also poised to move up in the lineup, linking up with Marcus Johansson and Frederick Gaudreau on the second line.
1 hour ago
Auston Matthews Ruled Out For At Least Two More Games
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (upper body) will not rejoin the lineup this week as the team gets ready to face Detroit on Friday and Washington on Saturday. The Maple Leafs captain recently re-aggravated an upper-body injury and will sit out a third consecutive contest on Friday. Matthews' next chance to return comes on Tuesday versus the Islanders. With him out, John Tavares will continue to skate as the first-line center. Pontus Holmberg is projected to center the second line in Friday's matchup.
1 hour ago
David Pastrnak Available On Friday
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (upper body) will be in the lineup on Friday against Columbus. The star winger suffered an upper-body injury against Washington on Monday, exiting the contest after logging only nine minutes of action, but Pastrnak will not miss additional time. Pastrnak has had a hot month with 13 points. However, it's been a down year for him overall, as the prolific forward has settled for 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 36 appearances. Pastrnak last averaged fewer than a point per game in 2017-18.
1 hour ago
Adin Hill Sharp In Monday's Victory
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced en route to defeating the Anaheim Ducks on Monday evening. Hill's lone blemish came in the third period on a snap shot from Mason McTavish which tied the game at the time. Tomas Hertl was able to break the stalemate later in the frame. Hill has now won six of his past seven starts and seven of his past nine. Over his past seven games, Hill has held a strong .925% SV with a 2.14 GAA. During this span, he has only allowed more than three goals on one occasion and allowed two or less in five. Overall, the 28-year-old sits with an impressive 15-5-2 record this season with two shutouts, and a 2.61 GAA and a .905% SV. He will look to extend his win streak on Friday evening against the San Jose Sharks.
3 days ago
Jiri Kulich Posts First Three-Point Outing Of The Season
Buffalo Sabres center Jiri Kulich posted his first three-point game of his season on Monday evening during their demanding 7-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Kulich would score the second goal of the game in the opening frame which would eventually serve as the game-winner. Kulich beat Ilya Sorokin on a wrist shot. In the second, Kulich would tack on his lone helper on a secondary assist on Zach Benson's strike. Kulich would tally his second goal of the night in the final frame to put the game out of reach. The former 28th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft has not contributed much offensively playing primarily on the third line but this breakout showing could build some confidence. Through 25 games, he has tallied eight points. Kulich should only be rostered in dynasty formats given his lack of consistent production.
3 days ago
Jonas Johansson Stops 36 Shots In Victory
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson led the way against the defending Stanley Cup Champions on Monday evening. Johansson stopped all 36 shots he faced. The Lightning were heavily outshot in this contest but the No.2 netminder was able to lead them to a victory. The Lightning were able to strike three times in the opening frame which was able to Johansson a nice cushion early on. This was only his seventh appearance of the campaign as Andrei Vasilevskiy continues to see a heavy workload in the crease. Across these seven outings, the No.2 option has held a 4-1-1 record with a 3.25 GAA and a .902% SV. Johansson should only be left for deeper formats as he has very limited opportunities to draw a start.
3 days ago
Dylan Holloway Scores First Career Hat Trick
St. Louis Blues left wing Dylan Holloway scored his first career hat trick during their victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday evening. Holloway scored his first goal of the game on a slap shot in the opening frame which beat Detroit netminder Cam Talbot. In the second frame, Holloway would find the back of the net for the second time, this time on a snap shot which further extended their lead. Holloway would cap off his first career hat trick with an empty-net goal in the final minutes. This was a much-needed breakout performance for the 23-year-old as he carried a six-game point drought into this game. Before this drought he was riding a seven-game point streak. Holloway will look to kickstart another point streak on Friday evening, against the Nashville Predators.
3 days ago
Jack Hughes Scores Twice In Monday's Victory
New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored twice and added a helper during their 5-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Monday afternoon. Hughes opened the scoring and tallied the eventual game-winner in the opening minutes. Hughes would score on a wrist shot which beat Jonathan Quick. In the second frame, Hughes would strike again, this time on the power-play. Hughes would tally his third point of the game on a primary assist in the final frame on Dawson Mercer's power-play goal. Over his past six games, Hughes has tallied ten total points (four goals, six helpers) while averaging over 4.0 shots per game with a +7 rating. Hughes remains a must-start option in all formats as he will look to stay hot on Friday evening against the Carolina Hurricanes.
3 days ago
Sidney Crosby Ties Team Record With Four-Point Showing
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby led the way on Monday evening during their victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Crosby tallied three helpers and a goal. These three assists tied him with Mario Lemieux's 1,033 total assists with the Penguins. Crosby tallied the primary assist on Bryan Rust's opening goal. Later in the first, Crosby would tack on two more helpers, both times on the power-play. He tallied his first on Michael Bunting's goal and the other on Philip Tomasino's strike. Then, in the final minutes, Crosby would score the empty-netter to put the game out of reach to cap off his four-point night. This was Crosby's second four-point outing over his past three games and third time he tallied at least three points in a single game over his past six contests. Crosby has the chance to make history Saturday evening in Belmont against the Islanders.
3 days ago
Jake Neighbours Good To Go Versus Red Wings
St. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours (undisclosed) will be in the lineup on Monday against Detroit. He didn't finish Friday's matchup against Florida after absorbing a heavy hit, but Neighbours won't have to miss additional time. The 22-year-old is tied for the second-most goals on the team with 10 and has amassed 17 points across 35 contests. Neighbours is expected to work as a third-liner on Monday, but he should also see action with the first power-play unit. It's a juicy matchup for St. Louis' power play on Monday, as the Red Wings have the league's second-worst penalty kill.
4 days ago
Filip Gustavsson Returns To Work Monday
Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (lower body) will be back between the pipes on Monday versus Chicago. He's been out of the lineup for four games due to a lower-body injury. His last outing ended in a heavy 7-1 defeat against Edmonton, but Gustavsson has had a fantastic campaign as Minnesota's No. 1 option in the cease, posting a 14-5-3 record. He has allowed 2.24 goals with a .922 save percentage and two shutouts. Gustavsson's losses include a 2-1 overtime defeat against the Blackhawks on Nov. 10, but it's a great matchup for him. Chicago has won only five of 19 road games and averages the fourth-fewest goals in the league (2.56).
4 days ago
Sean Couturier Back For Battle Of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier (personal) will return to the lineup on Monday versus Pittsburgh. He missed Saturday's meeting with Columbus due to a personal matter. The veteran forward will operate as the first-line center, working with Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny. Couturier's efforts have resulted in six goals and 17 points in 32 appearances this season. He tends to go through cold spells and is in the middle of one right now, with seven of Couturier's last nine appearances ending without a point for him.
4 days ago
Jake Walman Unavailable Monday
San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman (lower body) will not play on Monday against Vancouver. The 28-year-old is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Walman has quietly been among the most productive fantasy defensemen in 2024-25, offering value across the board. Through 31 appearances, he has produced a career-high 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) with 80 shots, 30 hits, and 47 blocks. Henry Thrun is set to move to Walman's position on the first defensive pairing, while his absence may give Timothy Liljegren a job on the first power-play unit. Shakir Mukhamadullin will fill the open spot in the lineup.
4 days ago
Zach Werenski Questionable For Monday's Action
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (leg) might skip Monday's meeting with Montreal. He hurt his left leg against Philadelphia at the weekend and could be out of action for the first time this season. Werenski is one of four defensemen in the league with 30-plus points for the season, having tallied 11 goals and 21 assists in 34 appearances. Additionally, Werenski ranks second on the team with 56 blocks, so his absence would be a massive blow for Columbus. The rest of the blue line would need to put in extra shifts if he's out, with Ivan Provorov likely replacing Werenski on the first power-play unit.
4 days ago
Ivan Barbashev, Nicolas Roy Remain Out Monday
Vegas Golden Knights forwards Ivan Barbashev (upper body) and Nicolas Roy (upper body) will remain out for Monday's contest against Anaheim. Both players are unavailable for a third consecutive game. Pavel Dorofeyev has enjoyed first-line usage during Barbashev's absence but will skate on the third line on Monday, with Victor Olofsson elevated to the top line. On Monday, a line shakeup will also see Keegan Kolesar join the top six. Kolesar is fresh off a two-point game, while Olofsson has also recently enjoyed a good offensive spell, averaging a point per game across his last five appearances.
4 days ago
Leo Carlsson Not Expected To Play On Monday
Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (undisclosed) will likely skip Monday's contest against Vegas. He was injured in Sunday's 5-4 shootout win against Utah, leaving him questionable for Monday's action. According to Derek Lee of The Hockey News, the expectation is that Carlsson will not be able to play against the Golden Knights. If that's the case, we should see Mason McTavish take on a second-line job. McTavish is having a down year, with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 26 games, but he made an impact in Sunday's game with an assist and the shootout winner.
4 days ago
William Eklund
• LW
•
Sharks
