NHL Injury Report Week 24: Kevin Fiala Day-to-Day with Lower-body Injury
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!
Tage Thompson - Buffalo Sabres - Upper-body
Tage Thompson has missed the last three games due to an upper-body injury and there is still no timetable for his return. The team is calling his injury a day-to-day thing, but with the final weeks of the fantasy hockey season already started, this is brutal timing for fantasy owners. The Sabres are in action Tuesday against the Panthers, so let’s hope he can make a return to the lineup for that game.
Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins - Upper and Lower body
Patrice Bergeron has missed the last two games due to an upper and lower body injury and there’s no news on if he will play this week. The team is saying that he’s been dealing with some “bumps and bruises” and with the Bruins having already locked up top spot in the Eastern Conference, there’s no reason to have him out there if he isn’t 100%. It’s tough news for fantasy owners, but I would be shocked if he plays before Friday.
Kevin Fiala - Los Angeles Kings - Lower-body
Kevin Fiala has played three of the team’s last 11 games, so at some point, the Kings may elect to just hold him out of the lineup and make sure he is 100% for the start of the playoffs. He’s put together a very good season and will be counted on to help Los Angeles score goals in April. There’s no reason to have him out on the ice if he’s going to play one game and be forced to miss a couple afterwards.
Roman Josi - Nashville Predators - Upper-body **UPDATE**
Roman Josi has not played since March 19th and the team continues to give no update on his condition. The Nashville Predators still have a slim chance of making the playoffs, but despite that, if Josi isn’t 100%, then there is no reason to play him. For fantasy owners, he’s missed the entire playoffs, so it couldn’t get much worse at this point. If you’re in a redraft league and have made it this far without him, it might be time to look for a healthy body on the waiver wire who can, at least, give you something.
Thomas Chabot - Ottawa Senators - Upper-body
Already without Jakub Chychrun for the rest of the regular season, Ottawas will also have to try and make a push for the playoffs without Thomas Chabot. The team did say that he would miss about two weeks with an upper-body injury, basically ending his regular season. The Senators were expected to compete for a playoff spot this year, but it’s still disappointing to see a team with this much talent not live up to its potential.
Mikhail Sergachev - Tampa Bay Lightning - Undisclosed
Tampa Bay defenseman Mikhail Sergachev left Saturday's game in the third period against the Islanders and there is no update on his condition. Sergachev is putting together an amazing season, so fantasy owners will want him for the final week of the year. Tampa has already locked up a playoff spot and they are going to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, so there is very little for the team to play for. They may elect to give their young defenseman some rest and time off so he can be fully recovered to start the playoffs.