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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Robert Thomas (undisclosed) is confirmed to be in the lineup for the St. Louis Blues in Ottawa on Saturday. He played limited minutes (14:28) in Thursday's 5-2 loss to Boston, below his 18:55 average. Thomas is expected to center the top line with Jake Neighbours and Pavel Buchnevich and will also feature on the first power-play unit. He has recorded four goals and 13 assists through 24 games this season.
Jonas Johansson will defend the home goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Islanders on Saturday, making his second consecutive start. This opportunity arises as No. 1 goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Johansson currently holds a 5-3-0 record with a 3.06 GAA and an .892 save percentage across nine appearances this season.
Nikita Kucherov (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day and is not expected to play for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Islanders on Saturday. He will miss at least one game, with no clear timeline for his return to the lineup. Through 25 outings this season, Kucherov has compiled 12 goals, 34 points, and 81 shots on net.
Andrei Vasilevskiy will miss his second consecutive game Saturday for the Tampa Bay Lightning due to an undisclosed injury. Jonas Johansson will start in his place against the Islanders, with Brandon Halverson serving as backup. Vasilevskiy, who holds an 11-6-2 record with a 2.31 GAA and a .916 save percentage over 19 appearances this season, is hopeful to return Monday in Toronto.
Victor Hedman (undisclosed) was activated from long-term injured reserve Saturday, per the NHL media site. He is expected to return to the Tampa Bay Lightning's lineup against the Islanders after a 12-game absence. This season, Hedman has recorded 12 assists, 23 shots on goal, 28 blocked shots, and seven hits in 15 appearances.
Charlie Lindgren (upper body) is not expected to be available for Sunday's matchup against Columbus, according to The Washington Post. He also missed Friday's game, and his return timeline remains unclear. This season, Lindgren has posted a 5-3-1 record with one shutout, a 2.90 GAA, and an .893 save percentage through 10 appearances for the Capitals.
Linus Ullmark is confirmed to start in goal for the Ottawa Senators against St. Louis on Saturday, as he was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports. Ullmark recently posted a 20-save performance in Tuesday's 5-2 win over Montreal. This season, he holds a 10-6-4 record with a 3.05 GAA and an .876 save percentage through 20 appearances. St. Louis ranks 30th in the league with 2.54 goals per game.
Igor Shesterkin will start his seventh consecutive game Saturday, facing Colorado at home. The 29-year-old Russian has a 5-1-0 record with a 2.18 GAA and .922 save percentage since Nov. 24. Overall, he is 12-9-2 with a 2.43 GAA and .912 SV% in 23 appearances this season. Shesterkin faces a tough challenge against Colorado, who lead the NHL in scoring with 4.04 goals per game.
Jonathan Quick (lower body) was activated from injured reserve Saturday after a six-game absence. The Rangers returned Spencer Martin to AHL Hartford in a corresponding move. Quick is expected to play in Saturday's home game against Colorado or Sunday's home matchup versus Vegas. This season, he has posted a 3-3-0 record, surrendering 10 goals on 177 shots.
Joseph Woll (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday by the Maple Leafs, who recalled Artur Akhtyamov from AHL Toronto. Woll sustained the injury during Thursday's 5-1 win over Carolina. This season, he has a 4-3-1 record with a 2.44 GAA and a .923 save percentage across eight appearances. Dennis Hildeby is expected to handle most starts until Woll or Anthony Stolarz (upper body) return.
Shane Pinto (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday after sustaining the injury in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Rangers. Ottawa recalled Hayden Hodgson from AHL Belleville. Pinto will miss a minimum of three games, beginning with Saturday's matchup against St. Louis, though his return timeline is currently unclear. This season, he has recorded 12 goals, 18 points, 65 shots, 18 blocked shots, and 34 hits in 27 appearances.
Mikko Rantanen scored a goal on two shots, dished two assists (one on power play), went plus-2, and added six PIM in Friday's 4-1 win over the Sharks. The 29-year-old extended his point streak to five games, tallying three goals and seven helpers during this run. He now leads the league with 65 PIM this season, alongside 13 goals and 38 points across 28 outings, showcasing multi-category appeal.
Washington Capitals forward Ryan Leonard sustained an upper-body injury on December 5, 2025, during Friday's game against the Ducks and was unable to return. He was rocked by a heavy hit from Jacob Trouba in the first period. Leonard had been in strong form, recording eight points over his last six games prior to the injury. His absence could impact the Capitals' depth, potentially leading to Sonny Milano stepping in or a call-up from AHL Hershey if the injury proves to be long-term.
Shea Theodore contributed a goal and an assist, scoring from the right circle with 13 seconds left in the first period off an Eichel pass, as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-0. This win marks the Golden Knights' third straight victory.
Akira Schmid, traded from New Jersey to Vegas on June 29, 2024, secured his third career shutout, second this season, making 24 saves against his former Devils team in a 3-0 Golden Knights victory. Schmid has performed well this season, starting 15 games with a .896 save percentage and a 9-2 record for Vegas.
Karel Vejmelka is slated to start in goal for the Utah Mammoth on Friday's road game against the Vancouver Canucks. This start follows his impressive 27-save shutout performance against the high-scoring Ducks on Wednesday. Vejmelka will face a Canucks team that has struggled offensively, scoring only 13 goals over their last six games and securing just one win in that span. This marks the first half of a back-to-back for the Mammoth.
Charlie Lindgren (upper body) will not dress for the Washington Capitals' Friday game against the Ducks. This absence is a new development, coming after he stopped 23 of 24 shots just Wednesday versus the Sharks. The Capitals, unable to make a regular roster move, have signed Parker Milner to a professional tryout agreement to serve as the backup to Logan Thompson for the game.
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (lower body) will not play Friday against the Devils and is considered day-to-day. The injury reportedly occurred during his season debut on Tuesday, leaving him 'worse for wear.' Akira Schmid is slated to start in his place, with Jesper Vikman serving as the backup. Hart's availability for Sunday's game against the Rangers remains uncertain.
Hunter Haight, the Wild's 2022 47th overall pick, has been with the team for seven games but has not played, despite impressing in training camp and scoring 20 goals in his AHL rookie season. After playing the first two NHL games, he was sent down, recalled, scratched for five games, played one AHL game, then recalled again and scratched for the last two games, while the Wild's fourth line struggles.
Winger Paul Cotter, traded to the New Jersey Devils from Vegas on June 29, 2024, faces his former team. Last season, he set a Devils franchise record with 245 hits, scoring a career-high 16 goals and 22 points in 79 games. This season, he has 18 goals and 10 assists in 106 games with the Devils, though he's struggled early amidst the team's recent three-game losing streak.
