Player news from trusted outlets
Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller played in Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars, just one day after the unexpected death of his father. The 27-year-old forward was named the game's first star at the American Airlines Center as a tribute to his courage and dedication during a difficult time.
Jakob Chychrun scored the game-winning goal Friday in a 4-2 victory over Toronto, extending his goal streak to five games. This was his sixth goal in five games. He is also on a remarkable 10-game point streak, accumulating 13 points (seven goals, six assists). This achievement ties him with Al Iafrate (1992-93) and Robert Picard (1978-79) for the longest point streak by a defender in Washington Capitals history, marking a significant franchise milestone.
Nathan MacKinnon recorded a goal and an assist in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Wild. The Colorado Avalanche star continues his scorching start, leading the NHL with 19 goals and 41 points this season. He has tallied five goals in his past five games, marking the best start of his career. MacKinnon is an early-season favorite for the Hart Trophy, which he won in 2023-24. He has finished second to Nikita Kucherov for the Art Ross Trophy the past two seasons.
Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals in Friday's 3-2 shootout win over Colorado. His first goal, which deflected off his skate, marked his 200th career NHL goal and ended the Avalanche's franchise shutout streak at 217:42. The Minnesota Wild winger scored his second goal from the slot off a feed from Ryan Hartman. Kaprizov (344 games) became the fourth-fastest player drafted in the fifth round or later to reach 200 goals, joining Hall-of-Famers Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, and Pavel Bure.
Seth Jarvis recorded a hat trick, scoring three goals on eight shots and going plus-2 in Friday's 5-1 win over the Jets. The Winnipeg native opened the scoring at 16:06 of the first period and added two more goals in the third, including an empty-netter, to lead the Carolina Hurricanes' offense. Jarvis has accumulated five goals and one assist in his last five outings, marking his first multi-point effort since October 23. He now has 15 goals, 22 points, 78 shots, 25 hits, and a plus-3 rating through 24 appearances this season.
Vanecek will protect the road goal versus the Stars on Friday. He has allowed 11 goals on 65 shots over his last three games, going 0-2-1 in that span. This will be the first half of a back-to-back for the UTA netminder, who faces a tough assignment against a Stars team that has scored 24 goals over its last six games (4-1-1 record). The Mammoth appear to be saving strength for Saturday's game versus the Blues.
Soderblom will start at home versus the Predators on Friday, per CHGO Sports. The 26-year-old netminder gave up nine goals on 30 shots versus the Sabres last Friday, marking his worst start of the year. Despite the recent struggles, the Chicago Blackhawks goalie will get a fairly favorable matchup against a Nashville team that has lost four of its last six games, scoring only 14 times in that span.
Juuse Saros will guard the road goal for the Nashville Predators against the Blackhawks on Friday, as reported by Brooks Bratten. The 30-year-old netminder is currently on a three-game losing streak, having allowed nine goals during that span. Saros has struggled for much of the season and faces a challenging matchup against a Blackhawks team that has scored 16 goals in their last six games.
Jonathan Marchessault (lower body) will not play for the Nashville Predators on Friday against the Blackhawks. The 34-year-old winger is considered day-to-day, which offers a possibility for him to return to action Saturday versus the Jets. Marchessault has struggled offensively this month, accumulating just two points over 11 games in November.
Nikita Kucherov recorded two assists in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 6-3 victory over the Red Wings on Friday, extending his impressive point streak to eight games. During this run, Kucherov has amassed 15 points, consisting of four goals and 11 assists. He currently ranks 12th in the NHL with 29 points through 22 games, and his 1.32 points per game places him eighth overall.
Kyle Palmieri's lower-body injury, sustained during Friday's game against the Flyers, is still under evaluation. However, New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy has indicated that initial reports are 'not good,' according to Andrew Gross of Newsday. The winger is expected to miss some time, and Maxim Tsyplakov is the likely candidate to draw into the lineup in his absence.
Minnesota Wild forward Vladimir Tarasenko (lower body) has resumed skating, making him the closest of the team's injured players to returning, according to Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News. While a firm timeline for his return has not been established by the Wild, it is unlikely he will play Saturday against the Sabres. Tarasenko could potentially be an option for the team at some point during their upcoming road trip through Western Canada, signaling progress in his recovery.
New Jersey forward Stefan Noesen was confronted by Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson on the ice Friday, as Thompson settled an old score. The two players squared off in a physical interaction during the game.
Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson settled an old score with New Jersey's Stefan Noesen by squaring off against him on the ice Friday. The confrontation resolved a long-standing beef between the two players.
Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal is expected to miss two to three weeks of action after sustaining an upper-body injury. The team officially announced the timeline for Dostal's absence on Friday, confirming he will be sidelined for this period.
Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body) will not be in the lineup for Friday's home game against Winnipeg, marking his second consecutive absence due to the injury. Brandon Bussi is expected to start in goal for the Carolina Hurricanes, with Frederik Andersen serving as the backup. Kochetkov has posted a 4-0-1 record, a 1.70 GAA, and a .926 save percentage in five appearances during the 2025-26 season.
Thomas Milic will make his NHL debut on Friday, starting on the road against Carolina for the Winnipeg Jets. Milic was called up due to Connor Hellebuyck's knee injury. This season with AHL Manitoba, he has recorded a 2.14 GAA and a .921 save percentage in nine appearances. The Hurricanes, with a 14-6-2 record and ranking third in goals per game (3.50), present a challenging first assignment for the rookie goaltender.
Adam Fox registered three assists in the Rangers' 6-2 victory over Boston on Friday, extending his scoring streak to five games with nine helpers over that span. Four of those assists came on the power play, including two from Friday's game. Fox now has 25 points (three goals) in 26 outings this season, with eight power-play points, showing a potential rebound from last year's dip in PP production.
Artemi Panarin delivered a stellar performance, scoring a goal and registering three assists in the Rangers' dominant 6-2 victory over Boston on Friday. This outing marks his fifth multi-point game in his last 12 appearances, during which he has accumulated six goals and 19 points. Despite earlier cold patches, the 34-year-old now boasts 26 points (eight goals) in 26 appearances this season, with expectations for his offensive pace to further increase.
Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot (upper body) will miss Friday's game against St. Louis, marking his third consecutive absence and fourth in the last seven outings. He has recorded two goals and 10 points in 18 appearances this 2025-26 season. Chabot's next chance to return to the lineup is Sunday in Dallas.
