Fast will miss 2-3 weeks with a quad strain.
Fast suffered the injury in the Rangers shootout loss to the Devils last night. Fast will be out until January and his injury means that Boo Nieves will likely draw back into the lineup on Saturday.
NHL Hockey Player News
Goalie Start
Elliott will start Friday in Buffalo.
Elliott surrendered three goals on 28 shots in the Flyers 4-3 win over the Red Wings on Wednesday. Elliott has been impressive in his nine December starts, going 7-2-0 with a 2.11 GAA a .926 SV%. One of those wins came against the Sabres, who he will face again tonight—he stopped 19 of 20 shots in a 2-1 win on December 14th.
Goalie Start
Elliott will likely start Friday in Buffalo.
Elliott surrendered three goals on 28 shots in the Flyers 4-3 win over the Red Wings on Wednesday. Elliott has been impressive in his nine December starts, going 7-2-0 with a 2.11 GAA a .926 SV%. One of those wins came against the Sabres, who he will face again tonight—he stopped 19 of 20 shots in a 2-1 win on December 14th.
Goalie Start
Stalock will start Friday in Florida.
Stalock gave up four goals on 32 shots in the Wild’s win in Ottawa on Tuesday. Since taking over for the injured Devan Dubnyk, Stalock has posted a 2.43 GAA, .924 SV% and one shutout while going 4-2-0. Tonight he faces a Panthers team that has gone 6-6-3 while averaging 3.73 goals for and 4.13 goals against per game on home ice this season.
Dubnyk (lower-body) returned to practice on Thursday but isn’t expected to play before the Christmas break.
Dubnyk will likely miss his fifth and sixth consecutive games on Friday and Saturday. Look for Alex Stalock to likely start on Friday and could see both games of the back-to-back. Monitor Dubnyk’s status as the Wild return from the break.
Call up / Send down
The Blue Jackets have sent Sonny Milano to Cleveland (AHL).
Milano, 21, has five goals and five assists (10 points) in 28 games with the Blue Jackets this season. He returns to the Monsters, where he has collected two assists in four games.
Call up / Send down
The Bruins have assigned Colby Cave to Providence (AHL).
Cave failed to record a point or a shot but had two PIMS in 11:15 TOI in his NHL debut on Thursday. Cave returns to the AHL, suggesting Ryan Spooner and/or Riley Nash will be back on Saturday.
Line Change
Haley will be back in the Panthers lineup on Friday.
Haley was a healthy scratch in Arizona on Tuesday but will replace Connor Brickley (undisclosed) in the lineup tonight. The pugilist has averaged just 7:26 TOI/GM this season but has recorded seven points (2G / 5A) and 75 PIMS in 33 games.
Line Change
Weegar is expected to be back in the Panthers lineup on Friday.
Weegar has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace Ian McCoshen (undisclosed) in the lineup tonight vs. the Wild. Weegar has just one goal and one assist in 19 games this season.
Matthews (concussion) returned to practice on Friday; will be a game-time decision on Saturday.
Matthews has missed the last six games but was back skating on the top line between William Nylander and Zach Hyman at Friday’s practice and is hopeful that he will play tomorrow vs. the Rangers. The Maple Leafs went 2-4-0 without Matthews in the lineup. If he plays, he brings 13 goals and 13 assists (26 points) in 26 games this season.
Goalie Start
Lehner will start Friday vs. the Flyers.
Lehner stopped 30 of 31 shots in the Sabres loss to the Bruins on Tuesday. Lehner has lost four of his last five starts despite posting a strong 2.16 GAA and .939 SV%—the Sabres have averaged just 1.60 goals for per game in front of him in those games. Tonight he faces a Flyers team that has won seven of their last eight games.
Goalie Start
Reimer gets the nod Friday vs. the Wild.
Reimer gave up two goals on 41 shots in the Panthers win in Arizona on Tuesday. Reimer has played much better in his last five starts, going 2-2-1 with a 2.18 GAA and .936 SV%. Tonight he will take on a Wild team likely without Devan Dubnyk, but come in having won seven of their last 10 games.
McCoshen (undisclosed) will miss at least the next two games.
McCoshen must has suffered an injury in Tuesday’s win in Arizona and will be out through the Christmas break. MacKenzie Weegar will replace him in the lineup tonight vs. the Wild.
Injury
Brickley (undisclosed) will not play Friday vs. the Wild.
Brickley is dealing with an undisclosed injury so he will be replaced by Michael Haley in the lineup tonight. With Brickley dealing with an injury, he likely won’t play tomorrow either.
Goalie Start
Stalock is expected to start Friday in Florida.
Stalock gave up four goals on 32 shots in the Wild’s win in Ottawa on Tuesday. Since taking over for the injured Devan Dubnyk, Stalock has posted a 2.43 GAA, .924 SV% and one shutout while going 4-2-0. Tonight he faces a Panthers team that has gone 6-6-3 while averaging 3.73 goals for and 4.13 goals against per game on home ice this season.
Goalie Start
Grubauer was in the starter's crease on Thursday; expected to start Friday in Arizona.
Grubauer stopped all 17 shots that he faced in relief of Braden Holtby in the Capitals loss to the Islanders on December 11th. The Capitals have a back-to-back on Friday/Saturday so it looks like Grubauer will go tonight in Arizona. He had a terrible start to the season, but has stopped 66 of the last 68 shots (.971 SV%) that he has faced.
Goalie Start
Quick led the Kings onto the ice for warmups.
Quick allowed one goal on 37 shots in the Kings win in Philadelphia on Monday. The win snapped a brief two-game losing streak for Quick, who comes into tonight at 7-5-1 with a 2.22 GAA and. 929 SV% at the STAPLES Center this season.
Line Change
NHL Player News: Your Ultimate Source for Hockey Player News
At Daily Faceoff you can stay in the know regarding all 32 teams and their top players this season. From trades, to injuries, and everything in between, you can find all the latest NHL player news today here. Staying up to date with player news NHL can also give you a competitive edge in your fantasy hockey leagues, as well as your NHL bets.
Check out all the latest NHL updates below and learn more about the hottest updates in the hockey world today.
Who are the top NHL players to watch this season?
There’s never been more talent scattered across the NHL than there is this season. With living legends like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin still setting records left-and-right, alongside today’s current superstars such as Connor McDavid and Nathan Mackinnon, the level of talent in the NHL is at an all-time high. Along with these established stars, there’s plenty of budding stars emerging every season such as Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Matvei Michkov.
What are the latest updates on NHL player suspensions or disciplinary actions?
Already this season we’ve seen the hammer brought down by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Notable suspensions and fines include Ryan Reaves of the Toronto Maple Leafs who was given a five-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against the Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Jeannot who was dealt a three-game suspension, also for an illegal hit to the head.
In the 2023-24 season, there were a total of 14 suspensions and 17 fines issued throughout the NHL. The longest suspension served was dealt to former-Detroit Red Wing David Perron at six-games after a cross-checking penalty dealt ironically against his current team in the 2024-25 season, the Ottawa Senators. Additionally, Perron was fined $148,437.48 for his actions.
How are NHL player performances impacting fantasy hockey?
NHL player performances make a direct impact on the outcome of any fantasy hockey matchup. Staying up to date with the latest news and performances of your team’s players can be the difference between winning and losing.
Some notable fantasy hockey performers that flew under the radar in most drafts this year include Martin Necas (123 ADP) of the Carolina Hurricanes and Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks. While sleeper picks are always a great get, nothing is worse than a bust taken early on. Some of the most disappointing players of the fantasy hockey season includes Zach Hyman (28 ADP) of the Edmonton Oilers and Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars (33 ADP).
Whether you’re checking out how your current rostered players are performing or scouting for hidden gems on the waiver wire, the latest player news can help you make your next winning move this season.
Which NHL players are having breakout or comeback seasons?
Every season there are several players who have breakout years, establishing themselves as some of the best up-and-coming stars in the league. In the 2024-25 season early breakout candidates have emerged such as Dylan Strome of the Washington Capitals (on-pace for his first 100-point season) and Ivan Barbashev of the Vegas Golden Knights (on-pace for career-high in points).
Additionally, nothing beats a comeback story, and that can be said about surging veterans such as Anze Koipitar of the Los Angeles Kings, and Matt Duchene of the Dallas Stars.
How often is NHL player news updated?
Our player news is updated regularly throughout the season, bringing you fresh player updates every day throughout the calendar year. Providing our users with a one-stop destination for everything you need to know from across the NHL, our player news is the go-to spot for all the biggest stories in the hockey universe.
What types of information does NHL player news cover?
Our NHL news covers every aspect of the hockey season. From injuries to trades to rumours and even suspensions, we’ve got you covered through it all with credible and fast-updates all-season long.
Are there specific sources for reliable NHL player updates?
All of our sources come from credible and reputable areas. When you’re at Daily Faceoff, you can trust that we are never going to spoon-feed you fake news. You can trust you’re only reading legitimate news that matters.
How does NHL player news impact betting lines?
Player news has a massive impact on the latest hockey betting lines. From daily game lines and prop bets, to Stanley Cup futures bets, every trade, roster change, and injury can shake up the odds set by oddsmakers.
By staying informed on the latest NHL updates, you can become a better NHL bettor as you’ll have a winning edge thanks to our in-depth news coverage.
DFO’s Specialized News Categories
Get the most out of your hockey news with our in-depth coverage of the NHL with our comprehensive player news updates. Below we’ve compiled go-to destinations for player injuries, trades, signings, line combinations, and more!
- NHL Player Injury Updates and Recovery Timelines – See all the latest NHL player injury updates, timelines for their return, and impact made on each team.
- NHL Waiver Wire Moves and Implications – Check out all the latest moves made on the NHL waiver wire and their implications on the teams involved.
- NHL Latest Line Combination Changes – Bringing you every line combination from across all 32 NHL teams, check out the latest NHL line combination changes made ahead of their next tilt.
- NHL Player Signings and Contract Details – Your go-to spot during NHL free agency, check out the latest NHL player signings and contract details today.
- NHL Roster Changes and Transactions – Looking to see what the latest moves made by your favourite team were? Then check out the latest NHL roster changes and transactions here on DFO.