2 days agoSan Jose Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek (upper body) will not dress for Monday's clash against Detroit. He sustained an upper-body injury against Pittsburgh on Sunday and is considered day-to-day. Playing on a struggling team, Vanecek hasn't celebrated many victories in 2024-25, going 2-5-1 while allowing 3.36 goals with a .899 save percentage. Mackenzie Blackwood, who is 3-5-3, will start Monday's game, with highly-rated prospect Yaroslav Askarov summoned from the minors to work as the backup. The Sharks have a back-to-back set later in the week, meaning Askarov might see action very soon. He has managed a 6-3-0 record in the AHL this season with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Curtis Pashelka
2 days agoNew York Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly is scheduled for a heart procedure on Tuesday and will be out indefinitely. Reilly has missed seven games because of a concussion, and his heart condition was discovered during concussion testing. The 31-year-old is expected to continue his career following the procedure, but Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said on Monday that Reilly could be out for "several months." Reilly has made 11 appearances this season, failing to score a point. The Islanders have also missed Adam Pelech (upper body) and Alexander Romanov (upper body) from defense lately, but the latter might be back on Tuesday versus Calgary. Romanov is regarded as a game-time decision for the contest.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 days agoToronto Maple Leafs center Calle Jarnkrok (lower body) has undergone groin and sports hernia surgery and will be out month-to-month. The Swedish veteran has yet to play this season, and it's possible we won't see him until 2025. Jarnkrok has offered solid production in a limited role on the Maple Leafs squad, recording 60 points (30 goals, 30 assists) in 125 games since joining the team as a free agent in 2022. The 2023-24 campaign was also marred by health issues for Jarnkrok, as he ended up skating in only 52 regular-season games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 days agoToronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (upper body) is expected to miss at least one more week of action. He hasn't played since Nov. 3 due to an upper-body injury, sitting out six games. Matthews exited the lineup after notching five goals and 11 points in 13 contests. His injury has allowed Max Domi to cement a top-six spot, but he is having a really tough time. Domi hasn't scored a single goal this season and last added to his points tally nearly a month ago, in a 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Oct. 21. The Maple Leafs have still somehow gone 5-1-0 during Matthews' absence, averaging 3.17 goals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 days agoEdmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (upper body) is set to miss 5-10 days of action. He was hurt at the weekend against Toronto and won't play in Monday's meeting with Montreal. Edmonton has a busy week with four games, but it looks like Nurse could be an option on Saturday versus the Rangers. After struggling in last year's playoffs, Nurse has been solid for the Oilers, recording nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 18 appearances with 45 shots, 32 blocks, and 34 hits. Josh Brown will enter the lineup in his stead on Monday, making his season debut. Brown has recorded 610 hits over 290 career games but is very limited offensively, with 34 points (11 goals and 23 assists) accumulated.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoNew York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere took his point streak to four games with the game-winning goal in Sunday's 2-0 victory at Seattle. He opened the scoring at the 17:30 mark in the second period. Zac Jones added a second goal for the Rangers early in the third. Lafreniere now has two separate point streaks of at least four games this season, notching 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 16 games overall. He recorded two such streaks during the entire 2023-24 campaign. The 23-year-old has taken another step forward in his game and looks primed to see a lot more success as the partner of Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck on the second line.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoNew York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots to collect his second consecutive shutout in Sunday's 2-0 victory over Seattle. The veteran was in action for the fourth time this season and maintained a perfect record. Quick is now the fourth goaltender in league history to win four consecutive starts to begin a season at age 38 or older. With Igor Shesterkin firmly positioning himself as the No. 1 at the club, Quick doesn't get a lot of action. But he has been very reliable for the Rangers, allowing only 0.91 goals this season with a spectacular .970 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoCarolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas stretched his point streak to 13 games with a big four-point effort in Sunday's 4-1 win against St. Louis. He tallied two goals and two assists, picking up one power-play point. This was already the second four-point game of the season for Necas, who has amassed 10 goals and 17 assists during his scoring streak. He has recorded 11 goals and 19 assists in 17 games overall this season, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to register 30 points in a season. It's been an incredible run from Necas, and it might last a while, as Carolina's hot offense will be pitted against some struggling defenses this week.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov returned from injury with a 4-1 victory over St. Louis on Sunday. He sat out Saturday's 4-0 triumph over Ottawa with an undisclosed ailment. Spencer Martin had a great outing with a 24-save shutout. Kochetkov produced 29 saves on Sunday, giving up an early goal to Jake Neighbours before the Hurricanes ran over the Blues. Kochetkov, who is seeing a lot of action due to Frederik Andersen's (lower body) absence, improved to 9-2-0 on Sunday. He owns a 2.42 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Only Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck (12) has collected more wins among goalies in 2024-25.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoNashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos netted two power-play goals in a 5-3 road victory over Vancouver on Sunday. His second marker was the game-winner in the contest. With the two strikes, Stamkos took over the 11th spot on the all-time power-play goals list. He now has 219 of them on his resume. Five of Stamkos' six goals this season have come with the man advantage. His move to Music City hasn't worked out quite as well as many expected, and Stamkos was averaging even less than 0.5 points per game ahead of Sunday's matchup. He's now on 10 points (six goals, four assists) through 19 outings. You would expect to see Stamkos pick up his scoring pace at some point, but it's impossible to predict when that might happen.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoWashington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin showed off some of his best form in Sunday's 5-2 victory over Vegas, recording his 31st career hat trick. In typical fashion, Ovechkin started the damage with a power-play goal. He needed only five shots to get the three goals. This was another big step towards Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Ovechkin, who has netted eight goals already this month, needs to be on target 29 more times to take over the record. Fittingly, Ovechkin now also sits among the league's top goal-scorers this season, sharing the No. 1 spot with Florida's Sam Reinhart and Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl. He has lit the lamp 13 times, adding 10 assists in 17 games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoDetroit Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen (upper body) might make a quick return to the lineup. He missed his first game of the season on Saturday versus Los Angeles, but Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde hopes to have him available again on Monday against San Jose. The same applies to defenseman Simon Edvinsson (lower body). Rasmussen leads the Red Wings forwards with 30 hits and has logged four points (two goals, two assists) across 16 games. Tyler Motte took his place in the lineup on Saturday. He will likely head back to the press box if Rasmussen is ready to return on Monday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Helene St. James
3 days agoAnaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish (upper body) has been placed on Injured Reserve. The 21-year-old has been out for three games and doesn't appear to be ready to return in the upcoming games. Despite missing time, McTavish remains Anaheim's third-highest scorer this season, with eight points (two goals, six assists) amassed in 13 outings. Isac Lundestrom has seen an uptick in minutes during McTavish's absence, but he's more of a defensive-minded center and doesn't provide anything for fantasy managers. Lundestrom is on three points (two goals, one assist) with 14 games played this campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
3 days agoBoston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke (upper body) was back in practice on Sunday and appears close to returning to the lineup. Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery labeled him as doubtful for Monday's game against Columbus. Peeke has missed five games with an upper-body injury. He has recorded two assists, seven shots, 21 blocks, and 18 hits across 13 appearances this season. The 26-year-old is not a factor in fantasy hockey but would provide a boost to a Bruins backline that has lost Hampus Lindholm (lower body) for several weeks. Peeke's return will likely push Parker Wotherspoon out of the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Boston Bruins
3 days agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (upper body) was placed on Injured Reserve Sunday. He was absent for Friday's clash against Washington due to an upper-body injury, and it's unclear when Georgiev will be ready to return. After landing on Injured Reserve, he will definitely miss Monday's matchup against Philadelphia. Georgiev has won each of his last three starts, improving to 4-5-0 for the year. His inconsistent form has allowed Justus Annunen to make regular starts, but he had a poor outing on Friday, with three goals allowed on eight shots. Trent Miner made his NHL debut in Annunen's relief, turning aside 12 of 13 shots.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Colorado Avalanche
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