It was a busy Friday as far as the trade market was concerned, with the biggest deal being Quinn Hughes to Minnesota. That should give divisional rivals Colorado and Dallas plenty to be concerned about, as at least one of those three teams will not make it out of the first round. I will discuss all the trades below.
All stats are through Saturday night unless otherwise noted.
Visit RotoWire's NHL Daily Starting Lineups to find out starters for every game on the schedule!
WEEK OF DECEMBER 15-21
5 Games – New York Rangers
4 Games – Anaheim, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Toronto, Utah, Washington, Winnipeg
3 Games – Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Philadelphia, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Vegas
Boston plays four games at home.
Carolina, Chicago, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg play three games on the road.
Detroit, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, the New York Rangers, San Jose, St. Louis and Tampa Bay play three games at home.
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ Columbus, @ Dallas. vs. Columbus
Tired: @ Columbus (Tuesday), vs. Columbus (Saturday)
Rested: vs. Dallas (Friday)
Notes
The Ducks play a pair of back-to-back games this week... Look for Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso to share the net, unless Petr Mrazek (lower body) returns at the end of the week to supplant Husso... The Ducks also play Columbus twice (and
It was a busy Friday as far as the trade market was concerned, with the biggest deal being Quinn Hughes to Minnesota. That should give divisional rivals Colorado and Dallas plenty to be concerned about, as at least one of those three teams will not make it out of the first round. I will discuss all the trades below.
All stats are through Saturday night unless otherwise noted.
Visit RotoWire's NHL Daily Starting Lineups to find out starters for every game on the schedule!
WEEK OF DECEMBER 15-21
5 Games – New York Rangers
4 Games – Anaheim, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Toronto, Utah, Washington, Winnipeg
3 Games – Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Philadelphia, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Vegas
Boston plays four games at home.
Carolina, Chicago, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg play three games on the road.
Detroit, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, the New York Rangers, San Jose, St. Louis and Tampa Bay play three games at home.
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ Columbus, @ Dallas. vs. Columbus
Tired: @ Columbus (Tuesday), vs. Columbus (Saturday)
Rested: vs. Dallas (Friday)
Notes
The Ducks play a pair of back-to-back games this week... Look for Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso to share the net, unless Petr Mrazek (lower body) returns at the end of the week to supplant Husso... The Ducks also play Columbus twice (and surprisingly are the tired team in both games). If there are any fisticuffs, Ross Johnston should be in the middle of things.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Utah, vs. Edmonton, vs. Vancouver, vs. Ottawa
Tired: None
Rested: vs. Vancouver (Saturday)
Notes
The Bruins play four times this week, including three games in four nights... Jeremy Swayman will likely get three starts with Joonas Korpisalo playing once... David Pastrnak returned to action Tuesday after missing five games with an undisclosed injury. He had two goals and five assists in two games... Pavel Zacha saw his four-game scoring streak end Thursday. Zacha has eight goals and 22 points in 31 games.
BUFFALO
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, vs. New York Islanders, @ New Jersey
Tired: @ New Jersey (Sunday)
Rested: vs. New York Islanders (Saturday)
Notes
The Sabres play three games in four nights... Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen should start twice, with Alex Lyon picking up one start... Peyton Krebs was considered one of the jewels, along with Alex Tuch, of the Jack Eichel trade with the Golden Knights back in November of 2021. Well, Krebs has yet to find the back of the net in 31 games this season, chipping in with eight helpers.
CALGARY
Games this week
@ San Jose, vs. Seattle, vs. Vegas
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Flames are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games after Morgan Frost scored the overtime winner in a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles... Dustin Wolf won his fourth straight game and has allowed only six goals on 105 shots since Dec. 4... Rasmus Andersson continues to impress (and increase his trade value, as he can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season), as the defenseman has seven goals and 22 points in 33 games.
CAROLINA
Games this week
@ Nashville, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay
Tired: @ Tampa Bay (Saturday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Hurricanes play three road games in four nights this week... They have a three-headed monster in net with Brandon Bussi, Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. Look for Bussi to play twice with Kochetkov picking up the other start... Kochetkov picked up the shootout win Saturday, stopping 15 shots in a 4-3 win... Seth Jarvis scored his 18th of the season Saturday, while Shayne Gostisbehere picked up a pair assists to give the defenseman 21 this season.
CHICAGO
Games this week
@ Toronto, @ Montreal, @ Ottawa
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
Chicago makes its annual trek to Eastern Canada for all three games this week... Connor Bedard suffered an apparent shoulder injury Friday and could miss the week, as an update is not expected until Monday. Bedard has been having a fabulous season with 19 goals and 25 assists in 31 games... Ryan Greene moved from the top line to third line center Saturday, as the 'Hawks shuffled their lines in the absence of Bedard.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Seattle, vs. Winnipeg, @ Minnesota
Tired: None
Rested: @ Minnesota (Sunday)
Notes
The Avalanche are heads and tails above the rest of the league, as they are 23-2-7 this season with a plus-54 goal differential... The only time they have trouble is in the shootout where they are 0-4, tied with Washington for the worst record in the NHL... Gavin Brindley missed 10 games with a lower-body injury and returned this past week, scoring a goal and adding an assist in his first game back. He is seeing time on the first line, alongside Nathan MacKinnon.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, vs. Minnesota, @ Anaheim
Tired: None
Rested: vs. Anaheim (Tuesday), @ Anaheim (Saturday)
Notes
The Blue Jackets play the Ducks twice this week and will be the rested team for both games... Mathieu Olivier (upper body) would normally be involved if there is any rough stuff, but he may not return as he has been out since Nov. 24 and currently remains on injured reserve...Denton Mateychuk has six goals and 12 points in 31 games this season. The sophomore defenseman gives the Blue Jackets a great one-two offensive punch from their blue line with Zach Werenski.
DALLAS
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, @ San Jose, @ Anaheim, vs. Toronto
Tired: @ Anaheim (Friday)
Rested: vs. Toronto (Sunday)
Notes
The Stars play four games this week, including three games in four nights... Jake Oettinger will likely play three games, with Casey DeSmith playing once... Miro Heiskanen has four goals in his last six games and has seven tallies and 22 assists in 33 appearances... Roope Hintz is without a point in his last two games, but had eight goals and 18 points in his previous 18 outings.
DETROIT
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, vs. Utah, @ Washington, vs. Washington
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Red Wings play a pair of back-to-back games, so look for John Gibson and Cam Talbot to share the crease... They play a home-and-home series with Washington on the weekend and that should be to the liking of Simon Edvinsson, who leads Detroit with 44 PIM... Alex DeBrincat has six goals and 11 points in his last seven games... Patrick Kane has three goals and 14 points in his last 12 contests.
EDMONTON
Games this week
@ Pittsburgh, @ Boston, Minnesota, vs. Vegas
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Oilers' matchup in Pittsburgh on Tuesday certainly got more interesting after the two teams swapped goalies Friday, with Tristan Jarry coming to Edmonton while Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak went the other way... The Oilers also received Samuel Poulin, a 2019 first-round pick, and gave up a second-rounder in 2029... Edmonton plays four times this week, including three games in four nights. Look for Jarry to play three times with Pickard playing once... The Oilers also added Spencer Stastney from Nashville on Friday, making the trade of Kulak later that night easier to swallow.
FLORIDA
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Carolina, vs. St. Louis
Tired: vs. St. Louis (Saturday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Panthers play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week... Sergei Bobrovsky should get three starts, though Daniil Tarasov has actually played quite well as his backup and could share the net this week... Brad Marchand continues to amaze at the age of 37. The winger has 17 goals and 33 points in 30 games to lead the Panthers in scoring.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
@ Dallas, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay
Tired: @ Tampa Bay (Thursday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Kings play three road games in four nights and finish their weekly schedule Thursday... Darcy Kuemper should get a pair of starts with Anton Forsberg playing once... Adrian Kempe has four goals and eight points in last seven games and leads the Kings in scoring... Anze Kopitar's offensive output has really tailed off in his final NHL season. The veteran has only six goals and 16 points in 27 games this season, a pace that will see him get 48 points, a far cry from the 67 points he picked up last season.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Washington, @ Columbus, vs. Edmonton, vs. Colorado
Tired: vs. Colorado (Sunday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Wild pulled off a wild deal Friday, acquiring Quinn Hughes from Vancouver in exchange for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick... The move enables the Wild to compete with Dallas and Colorado in their own division as Hughes is considered the second-best defenseman in the world, behind Cale Makar... The Wild play four games this week including three games in four nights... Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt should share the crease.
MONTREAL
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, vs. Chicago, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Pittsburgh
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Canadiens play four games this week, so look for rookie Jacob Fowler to get a pair of starts with Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes each getting one... Should Fowler keep playing well, it does not bode well for one of the other two netminders as the Habs likely don't want three goalies on their roster at the same time... Montreal plays back-to-back games with Pittsburgh on the weekend and Arber Xhekaj will likely be in the middle of things if there is any trouble.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
@ St. Louis, vs. Carolina, vs. Toronto, vs. New York Rangers
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
Steven Stamkos has been red-hot of late. He got off to a slow start with four goals in his first 22 contests, but has eight goals in his last eight games, as well as a pair of helpers... Roman Josi has a goal and six assists in 10 games since missing 12 contests with an upper-body injury... Jonathan Marchessault has only seven goals and three assists in 26 games this season. He is likely to be dealt elsewhere by the deadline... The Predators received a 2027 third-round pick from Edmonton with Spencer Stastney going to the Alberta capital.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
@ Vegas, @ Utah, vs. Buffalo
Tired: None
Rested: vs. Buffalo (Sunday)
Notes
The Devils lost out on the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes, so he won't be reunited with brothers Jack and Luke in the short term... Colton White was held without a point in his first 10 games this season, but has three assists in his last two games this week... Dawson Mercer has no points in his last six games... Jacob Markstrom has had a tough go of it of late. He has lost three of his last four decisions, and that does not include allowing three goals on seven shots in the first seven minutes before being pulled in an 8-4 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ Detroit, vs. Vancouver, @ Buffalo
Tired: @ Buffalo (Saturday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Islanders have been pleased with the play of Calum Ritchie, part of the return when they dealt Brock Nelson to Colorado last season. Ritchie has four goals and seven points in 23 games this season, including two goals and four points in his last seven games. The 20-year-old is seeing second line time as well as second unit power-play time... Jonathan Drouin returned to action Saturday after missing five games with a back injury. He saw playing time on the first line with Mathew Barzal and Emil Heineman.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, vs. Vancouver, @ St. Louis, vs. Philadelphia, @ Nashville
Tired: vs. Vancouver (Tuesday)
Rested: @ St. Louis (Thursday)
Notes
The Rangers play a rare five-game week, so make sure all your Blueshirts are active in your fantasy lineup... Igor Shesterkin should get three starts with Jonathan Quick playing twice... J.T. Miller scored twice Saturday, including the overtime winner, to give him nine goals and 20 points in 31 games. He has turned his game around of late with five goals and 11 points in his last 11 games.
OTTAWA
Games this week
@ Winnipeg, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Chicago @ Boston
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Senators play four games this week, including three games in four nights... Linus Ullmark and Leevi Merilainen should share the crease... Drake Batherson has been on fire of late with five goals and nine points in his last six games, giving the 27-year-old winger 13 goals and 30 points in 28 appearances... Jake Sanderson is considered one of the top-10 offensive defensemen in the NHL. He has six goals and 24 points in 31 contests, including 11 points with the man advantage.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
@ Montreal, @ Buffalo, @ New York Rangers
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Flyers will get Rasmus Ristolainen back on this road trip. The defenseman has been out of action since late March when he underwent surgery for a triceps tendon rupture. The Flyers have missed his presence on the blue line... Travis Konecny has regained his offensive touch of late with three goals and nine points in his last seven games... Trevor Zegras has 12 goals and 30 points in 30 games, only two points shy of his point total all of last season in Anaheim.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. Edmonton, @ Ottawa, @ Montreal, vs. Montreal
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Penguins picked up Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round pick in 2029, dealing Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin to Edmonton... They will welcome Jarry back Tuesday as Edmonton makes their only visit to Pittsburgh... The Penguins also play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week... Skinner and Arturs Silovs should share the crease... Sidney Crosby had two points Saturday and is only two points away from tying Mario Lemieux for the career lead in points by a Penguin.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Calgary, vs. Dallas, vs. Seattle
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Sharks got Yaroslav Askarov back Saturday after missing three games due to an illness... Collin Graf has been hot of late with three goals and two assists in his last five games. The 23-year-old has moved himself into a top-six forward, as well as seeing power-play time on the second unit... Will Smith was injured Saturday and his status for next week is up in the air with an undisclosed injury... Tyler Toffoli has a pair of four-point games in his last seven outings. Unfortunately, Toffoli was held off the scoresheet in the other five games.
SEATTLE
Games this week
vs. Colorado, @ Calgary, @ San Jose
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Kraken are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and are currently five points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The good news is that they have played 29 games, the least in the NHL, and have four games in hand on San Jose, who currently hold down the final wild-card spot... Jared McCann was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and is likely out until the new year.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
vs. Nashville, vs. Winnipeg, vs. New York Rangers, @ Florida
Tired: vs. New York Rangers (Thursday)
Rested: @ Florida (Saturday)
Notes
The Blues play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week... Look for Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer to share the crease... Robert Thomas has three goals and three assists in his last four games, giving him 23 points in 29 outings... Brayden Schenn has slumped most of the season and has four goals and eight points in his last 23 games, dating back to Oct. 30... Hugh McGing scored in his NHL debut Thursday.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Florida, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Carolina
Tired: None
Rested: vs. Los Angeles (Thursday), vs. Carolina (Saturday)
Notes
The Lightning got bad news this week when Victor Hedman returned to injured reserve after only playing three games. He had missed 12 games prior to that and will undergo elbow surgery Monday that will likely keep him out of action until the beginning of February... Nikita Kucherov has a goal and seven assists in his last three games, giving the Russian 13 goals and 42 points in 29 appearances.
TORONTO
Games this week
vs. Chicago, @Washington, @ Nashville, @ Dallas
Tired: @ Dallas (Sunday)
Rested: None
Notes
The Maple Leafs play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week... Dennis Hildeby should get a couple of starts if Joseph Woll is back from his lower-body injury, but if he is not, Hildeby should get three starts with Artur Akhtyamov playing once... Auston Matthews has only 13 goals and 21 points in 26 outings. It would be the second time in his career that he has averaged less than a point a game, and the first time since his rookie campaign when he had 69 points in 82 games. That was 10 years ago.
UTAH
Games this week
@ Boston, @ Detroit, vs. New Jersey, vs. Winnipeg
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Mammoth play three games in four nights, as part of their four-game week... Karel Vejmelka should get at least two starts and possibly three, while Vitek Vanecek will pick up the remaining start(s)... Logan Cooley is out eight weeks with a lower-body injury... Kevin Stenlund had 14 goals in 82 games last season, but has only two in 33 appearances this year... JJ Peterka has four goals and eight points in his last seven games.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ New York Islanders, @ Boston
Tired: @ Boston (Saturday)
Rested: @ New York Rangers (Tuesday)
Notes
The Canucks are looking to the future after dealing away Quinn Hughes on Friday. They picked up former first-round selections in Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium, as well as a first-round pick in 2026... Buium has sublime offensive talent and could be a stud on the blue line for the Canucks, who are dead last in the NHL standings and will greatly improve if they secure the first overall pick, widely expected to be Gavin McKenna... Thatcher Demko returned to action Thursday after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury. He gave up three goals on 15 shots in a 3-2 loss to Buffalo.
VEGAS
Games this week
vs. New Jersey, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton
Tired: None
Rested: None
The Golden Knights defeated Columbus 3-2 on Saturday, with Brayden McNabb's first goal of the season being the game winner... Carter Hart stopped 26 of 28 shots and is 3-0-1 with an .890 save percentage... Mitch Marner set up all three goals and has six goals and 32 points in 31 games... Mark Stone is having a great year, when he plays. He has 24 points in 15 games, but missed 16 games with a broken finger. The Golden Knights are a much better team with Stone on the ice.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
@ Minnesota, vs. Toronto, vs. Detroit, @ Detroit
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Capitals play four games this week, including three games in four nights... Look for Logan Thompson to play three times with Charlie Lindgren playing once... They play the Red Wings in a home-and-home series on the weekend and if there are any shenanigans, look for Tom Wilson to be in the middle of things... Hendrix Lapierre has only five assists in 31 games this season. He last scored on March 18, 2024 in Calgary, a span of 72 games.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, @ St. Louis, @ Colorado, @ Utah
Tired: None
Rested: None
Notes
The Jets play four games this week, but they are evenly spaced out... Connor Hellebuyck missed 12 games after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. He was taken off injured reserve and came within 3:10 of shutting out the Capitals on Saturday, stopping 22 of 23 shots. The return of Hellebuyck is crucial to the Jets' playoff hopes... Gabriel Vilardi continues to score at a career-high pace. After going the first seven games of the season with only four assists, Vilardi has 16 goals in his last 24 games, including a pair Saturday.
