NHL Injury Report October 23rd
Published: Oct 23, 2021
Welcome to another edition of the Fantasy Hockey Injury Report. The injury report is going to keep you up to date on all the important injuries going on around the league, and how that might affect your fantasy hockey team. Make sure to check back regularly for any updates. Let’s take a look at some players that are either ruled out, or that we need to monitor.
Jeff Carter - Pittsburgh Penguins - Center
The Penguins are already down Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at center, and now they will be without Jeff Carter due to COVID-19. It’s tough to say how long the veteran center will be out, but this is a huge loss for the team, and fantasy owners. He could return early next week, so keep an eye out for more information.
Kris Letang - Pittsburgh Penguins - Center
Sticking with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kris Letang is also out of the lineup due to COVID-19. With so many players already out of the lineup, it’s hard to understand how they will be competitive over the next few games. Hopefully they can get some healthy bodies into the lineup sooner rather than later.
Patrick Kane - Chicago Blackhawks - Winger
Another player entering the COVID-19 protocol is Patrick Kane. He’s been really good to start the season, and despite entering protocol, there’s no word on whether he has tested positive or not. He may not miss any time if he can provide some negative tests, but his status for Sunday’s game is questionable.
Mike Smith - Edmonton Oilers - Goalie
The Division leading Edmonton Oilers have placed Mike Smith on IR due to a lower-body injury. The veteran goalie has been good this season, so if he can’t come back soon, the Oilers may be in some serious trouble. It’s remarkable that he’s been able to stay relevant at his advanced age, but fantasy owners should continue to trust him until father time officially catches up to him.
Drew Doughty - Los Angeles Kings - Defence
Drew Doughty left Friday’s game due to a knee injury and his return to the lineup is still unknown. It’s likely that he doesn’t play Saturday, but we don’t know if he will miss Tuesday’s game too. He’s considered day-to-day for now.
Jonathan Bernier - New Jersey Devils - Goalie
Already without MacKenzie Blackwood due to a heel injury, Jonathan Bernier is also out of the lineup due to a lower-body injury. The veteran last played on October 19th, and there’s still no timetable for his return.
Nikita Kucherov - Tampa Bay Lightning - Winger
Nikita Kucherov hurt himself last Saturday and has been placed on LTIR. This is a huge blow for fantasy owners who were expecting big things from the Russian winger after missing all of last season due to injury. Tampa Bay has already ruled him out until November 13th, and the expectation is he might not be ready to return when eligible. This isn’t a good situation, but until we get more information, it’s best to stash him away on IR and hope he can return sooner rather than later.
Blake Wheeler & Mark Scheifele - Winnipeg Jets -Center/Winger
Both Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele have also entered the COVID-19 protocol, and there’s a sense that the Jets may be dealing with an outbreak. There’s been no information as to when we might see either player back in the lineup, but it should be by the end of next week. Stash them on your bench until then.
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.