Rust scored a goal in Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Mammoth.

Rust found the back of the net for a third straight game and is up to six points (three goals, three assists) during that productive stretch. Rust is up to 11 goals and 27 points this season, and he's on pace to reach the 25-goal plateau for a third consecutive season as long as he stays healthy.

DeSmith will serve as the starting goaltender for Monday's home game against the Kings, Brien Rea of Victory+ reports.

DeSmith has seen limited playing time recently, as Monday's start will be just his second in the Stars' last seven games. However, he's been effective when called upon, as he's gone 7-1-3 with a 2.23 GAA and .920 save percentage over 11 appearances this season. He'll draw a relatively favorable matchup Monday, as the Kings are scoring just 2.65 goals per game this season, which is the fifth-worst mark in the league.

Lilleberg (undisclosed) was labeled as week-to-week by head coach Jon Cooper, who told reporters Monday he was hoping to have the defenseman back before the Olympic break, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Considering the Olympic break isn't until February, it certainly doesn't sound like Lilleberg is going to be back anytime soon. With just three points in his last 15 outings, the blueliner doesn't offer much in the way of offensive productivity, though he did chip in 33 hits and 19 blocks over that stretch. Lilleberg's extended absence will open up a spot on the blue line for Steve Santini until Ryan McDonagh (undisclosed) is ready to come off of injured reserve.

McDonagh (undisclosed) is day-to-day, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports Monday.

McDonagh remains on injured reserve and will miss his 18th straight game against Florida on Monday. However, he appears to be progressing toward a return to the lineup. McDonagh has collected three goals, six points, 15 shots on net, 26 blocked shots and eight hits through 15 appearances this season.

Vejmelka stopped 12 of 16 shots in Sunday's 5-4 overtime win over the Penguins.

Vejmelka has won back-to-back starts for the second time this month, and he's won four of his last six outings. The record doesn't tell the whole story, though. The 29-year-old netminder has allowed at least three goals in four straight starts, a span in which he's posted a 3.54 GAA and a subpar .877 save percentage. Vejmelka might remain a valuable source for wins, but his peripheral stats haven't been favorable for fantasy managers who continue to trust him, even though he's firmly entrenched as the Mammoth's No. 1 goaltender.

Vasilevskiy (undisclosed) participated in Monday's game-day skate but still isn't cleared to suit up, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Vasilevskiy was originally a possibility to play versus the Panthers on Monday, but now it seems the hope is to get the netminder back before the Christmas break. With the veteran backstop still on injured reserve, the Lightning will continue to roll with Jonas Johansson between the pipes. Whenever Vasilevskiy does get the all-clear, he should retake his spot as the No. 1 option for Tampa Bay.

Carcone scored two goals, including one on the power play, in Sunday's 5-4 overtime win over the Penguins.

Carcone hadn't scored a goal since Nov. 26, when he found the back of the net in a 4-3 loss to the Canadiens, and this was his first two-goal effort of the season. Carcone is up to six goals and 12 points across 32 games in 2025-26, but as a bottom-six forward, he shouldn't carry a lot of fantasy upside in most formats -- especially since he may not stick on the second power-play unit.

Mercer registered an assist and placed a shot on goal in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Vancouver.

Mercer picked up a secondary helper on Luke Hughes' goal in the second period. With the apple, Mercer has 12 assists, 22 points, 66 shots on goal and 25 blocks through 33 appearances this season. He used Sunday's contest to earn his first point since moving out to the right wing to play alongside Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt on New Jersey's top line. The assist snapped a six-game drought and gives Mercer a solid outlook in fantasy moving forward if he continues to see a high volume of minutes. He is on pace to post his first 40-plus point campaign since the 2022-23 season.

Guenther scored the game-winning goal in Sunday's 5-4 overtime win over the Penguins.

Guenther extended his scoring streak to four games and stepped up when Utah needed him the most, scoring the game-winner just 42 seconds into overtime. Guenther is up to 15 goals this season and is firmly entrenched as one of the most reliable offensive weapons on the Utah roster.

Kulak (not injured related) was added to the active roster Monday.

After being acquired by Pittsburgh from Edmonton on Friday, Kulak sat out two straight games as a non-roster player while he settled his immigration paperwork. Now that he has received clearance, he should be available to make his Pittsburgh debut against his former team when the Penguins host the Oilers on Tuesday. Kulak has two assists, 33 shots on goal and 38 blocked shots in 31 appearances this season.