2019 Fantasy Hockey Injury Report: January 15
Published: Jan 15, 2019
Welcome to the Fantasy Hockey Injury Report. Once a week, we’ll take a look at some injuries around the league that may affect your fantasy hockey team. Injuries will always happen and you can’t predict when, but it’s important to be ready for the aftermath and to have a plan ready. Let’s take a look and some players who are on the shelf for the upcoming week and beyond.
Victor Hedman - Tampa Bay Lightning - Defence
Injury: head, day-to-day.
Tampa Bay defenceman Victor Hedman is questionable for tonight’s game due to a head injury. He ran into an official on the ice and was unable to finish the game. The team hasn’t come out and said whether or not their star defenceman suffered a concussion, but if he isn’t in the lineup tonight, we can assume that he did. Tampa Bay will want to play it safe with Hedman, so fantasy owners will want to monitor his status for tonight.
Colin White - Ottawa Senators - Center
Injury: shoulder, week-to-week.
It seems like Ottawa just can’t stay healthy. Forward Colin White is expected to be out until after the All-Star break with a left shoulder injury. That gives us a time frame of at least one week. He will be reevaluated after the break, so there is some hope that he won't miss multiple weeks. Fantasy owners are hoping that the 21-year-old doesn’t miss an extended period of time. In 44 games this season, White has collected 11 goals and 15 assists.
Patric Hornqvist - Pittsburgh Penguins - Winger
Injury: concussion, out indefinitely.
Patric Hornqvist is really one of those players who just can’t stay healthy for 82 games.He’s played less than 75 games in each of the last two season, and with the team confirming that he’s suffering from a concussion, it’s likely that he doesn’t play more than 70 this season too. When Hornqvist is healthy, he’s a productive player. He’s collected 26 points (15G, 11A) so far this season in just 34 games. Fantasy owners should hold on to the veteran winger until we get more information about when he might return.
Joonas Donskoi - San Jose Sharks - Winger
Injury: upper-body, day-to-day.
Forward Joonas Donskoi left Saturday’s game due to an upper-body injury and his status for tonight’s game is still up in the air. The 26-year-old is likely to play tonight, but the team has not confirmed anything. Donskoi is on pace to surpass his career high in points from 2015-16 if he can avoid injury. For fantasy owners, Donskoi is a depth player that can certainly provide some value in deeper leagues.
Tyler Myers - Winnipeg Jets - Defence
Injury: lower-body, day-to-day.
Defenceman Tyler Myers has already missed the last two games due to a lower-body injury and it looks like he won’t be ready to return to action for tonight’s game against Las Vegas. Already without Dustin Byfuglien, the loss of Myers is a big blow for the Jets. The 23-year-old doesn’t wow anyone with his point production (13 points in 43 games), but with Byfuglien out long term, fantasy owners were hoping that Myers would benefit from some extra ice time, and hopefully, rack up some point. If he was on your radar as a player to add this week, it might be best to look for another option.
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.