Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) is nearing his season debut, but he may not be ready at the start of 2026. "I don't know," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said Wednesday when asked whether Tkachuk would be available for this season's Winter Classic on Jan. 2 against the New York Rangers. Before the season started, Zito said Tkachuk was expected to be out until "December-ish." Tkachuk's return would be huge for a Panthers team that has lost Aleksander Barkov (knee) for the season and has taken several injury blows throughout the campaign. The back-to-back champions are currently just outside the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Tyson Foerster (arm) was ruled out for five months on Wednesday. He had surgery on his arm on Monday, effectively ending his 2025-26 campaign. Initially, Foerster was ruled out for 2-3 months with an upper-body injury when he was hurt at the start of December. Foerster needs the Flyers to make the playoffs to have a chance of playing again this season. Before he exited the lineup, the 23-year-old winger contributed 10 goals and three assists in 21 outings. Foerster is still Philadelphia's second-highest goal-scorer this season, as the team has had a balanced offense. Eight forwards have reached 15 points, with Trevor Zegras at the top of the pile with 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) through 32 games.

Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield (illness) will return to the lineup on Wednesday night against the Florida Panthers. Due to illness, Byfield was unavailable for the first time this season when the Kings faced the Dallas Stars on Monday. Byfield is the third-highest scoring King this season, totaling 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 31 appearances. Yet, he has been ice-cold this month, finishing all six December outings pointless. This is Byfield's worst point drought since April 2024. He will look to end it on Wednesday night as a member of the Kings' second line and first power-play unit. Alex Turcotte will drop down in the lineup, though he should continue to see additional ice time due to Phillip Danault's (illness) continued absence.

Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (undisclosed) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. He sustained an undisclosed injury in Monday's win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, exiting the contest in the third period. Fortunately for Florida, Forsling won't have to miss additional time. The Swedish blue-liner has played in all 32 games this season, logging 14 points (one goal, 13 assists), 39 shots, 37 blocks, and 26 hits. He has been a great asset for the Panthers, though Forsling's contributions on the attacking end have been lacking recently. He has not scored any points in four straight games, appearing on the score sheet just twice in 10 appearances.