NHL Player News

James (undisclosed) won't play against Montreal on Tuesday, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

James will miss his second straight game, and it's unclear when he will be ready to return to the lineup. He has provided two goals, three assists, 20 shots on net and 28 hits through 19 outings this campaign.

Douglas (undisclosed) will play Tuesday versus the Canadiens, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Douglas will return from a one-game absence to fill a fourth-line role. Based on his typical usage, he likely will see about five minutes of ice time while serving as an enforcer.

Eller (undisclosed) will return to the lineup against New Jersey on Tuesday, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.

Following a two-game absence, Eller will occupy a fourth-line role against the Devils. He has chipped in two goals, six points, 24 shots on net, 16 blocked shots and 19 hits across 26 appearances this season.

Brindley (lower body) was activated from injured reserve Tuesday.

Following a nine-game absence, Brindley will be available to return to the lineup against Nashville on Tuesday. He has collected four goals, seven points, 22 shots on net and 19 hits in 18 games this season. Brindley could have an increased role in Tuesday's matchup if Martin Necas (illness) is unavailable.

Kerfoot (abdomen) took part in Tuesday's practice, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.

Kerfoot didn't participate in contact drills during the session, and his return to the lineup doesn't appear to be imminent, but he is making progress. He hasn't played yet this season and underwent core muscle surgery in late October.

Krebs notched an assist, four hits and four PIM in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Flames.

Krebs has chipped in five helpers over his last 13 games, but he hasn't scored yet this season. He's at eight assists, 34 shots on net, 73 hits, 40 PIM, 18 blocked shots and a minus-8 rating through 29 outings overall. Krebs' mediocre offense is likely to keep him in a bottom-six role, but he had a career-high 10 goals and 28 points in 2024-25 while shooting 12.5 percent, so he should be able to pick up the pace.

Thompson scored a power-play goal on three shots and went minus-4 in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Flames.

Thompson hadn't scored since his six-game goal streak ended Nov. 26 in Pittsburgh. He was limited to one helper over his last six outings. The 28-year-old is now at 13 goals, 23 points, 104 shots on net, 35 hits and a minus-14 rating through 29 appearances this season. While he remains in a top-line role, his recent tendency for streaky offense could frustrate his fantasy managers.

Backlund scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM and went plus-2 in Monday's 7-4 win over the Sabres.

Backlund snapped an eight-game goal drought with his tally. During that span, he still managed four assists, eight shots and a plus-5 rating. The veteran center is up to five goals, 16 points, 62 shots on net and a plus-10 rating across 31 appearances. That's a level of production he's usually been able to attain in his career, though he fell short with 32 points in 76 outings in 2024-25.

Huberdeau scored a power-play goal on two shots and added two PIM in Monday's 7-4 win over the Sabres.

Huberdeau is picking up the pace again with two goals and an assist over his last four contests. The winger is up to six goals, 15 points (five on the power play), 42 shots on net and 29 PIM over 26 outings. Huberdeau remains in a top-line role and on the first power-play unit, but he's struggled to find consistency on offense and may be better approached as a streaming option in fantasy.

Matthews scored an empty-net goal on seven shots and blocked three shots in Monday's 2-0 win over the Lightning.

Matthews has three goals and three assists over his last six games. He's providing steady offense in a top-line role, though his scoring hasn't been as efficient this year, as he's at 12 goals, 20 points, 92 shots on net, 47 blocks and a plus-12 rating through 24 appearances. That's a 40-goal pace in a full campaign, but he's already missed five contests due to a lower-body injury in November, so the center will need to find a bit more offense to reach that level in 2025-26.