NHL Injury Report Week 18: Mathew Barzal Done For Rest of Season

Welcome to another edition of the Fantasy Hockey Injury Report. Every week, we will discuss some key injuries around the league and how they may affect your fantasy hockey team. It’s never easy to deal with the injury bug, but it doesn’t have to be the demise of your fantasy hockey team. Let’s take a look at who’s dealing with what this week!
NHL Injury Report Week 18
Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets - Lower-body
Columbus winger Johnny Gaudreau has missed the last two days due to a lower-body injury and he is considered day-to-day. He was seen at practice on Tuesday, but we still don’t know if he will be able to return to the lineup. Gaudreau is nowhere near his point total from last season and has disappointed in fantasy hockey.
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche - Concussion
Cale Makar missed four games due to a head injury, made his return on Saturday night, and has now been placed into concussion protocol. We know how serious concussion can be, so it really raises some eyebrows that Makar wasn’t put into protocol the first time and has now suffered a second head unjust in as many weeks. What’s worst is that he finished the game on Saturday, so who knows how much damage was caused. For now, fantasy owners need to just sit tight and wait for another update, but we could be looking at a multi-week absence this time.
Evander Kane, Edmonton Oilers - Upper-body
Oilers forward Evander Kane has missed the last two games due to an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. We aren’t quite sure when Kane suffered his injury, but it’s serious enough that he’s had to miss more than one day. Edmonton is a good offensive team, but they are really on another level when Kane is in the lineup. Hopefully, he can make a return at some point this week.
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders - Lower-body
The New York Islanders will need to make a push for a playoff spot without the services of Mathew Barzal, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury. We don’t know what the exact injury is, but it’s serious enough that he is going to miss multiple weeks. The team wouldn’t say if he would be able to make a return for the playoffs, should the Islanders make it that far, but for fantasy owners, there’s no reason to hold onto the hope of him returning. He finishes the regular season with 14 goals and 37 assists.
Timo Meier, San Jose Sharks - Upper-body
San Jose superstar Timo Meier was unable to suit up for Monday’s game against Seattle due to a lower-body injury and we don’t know if he will be able to return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against Nashville. It’s safe to say that the Sharks are going to proceed with a ton of caution, especially with trade rumors surrounding Miere for the last few weeks. If the team is sold on moving him before the deadline, they may elect to just sit him out until a trade is completed. For now, let’s believe the team and say that he’s dealing with something that requires some time off the ice.
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Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.