NHL Injury Report Week 7: Aleksander Barkov Goes Down For The Florida Panthers
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!
Evan Rodrigues - Colorado Avalanche - Lower-body
Evan Rodrigues is expected to miss two-to-four weeks of action due to a lower-body injury. He injured himself in Wednesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks after playing just under five minutes. Rodrigues isn’t tearing up the league, but he’s a key part of the Avalanche team, especially with how little depth they have right now. He should be back at some point in late December.
Aleksander Barkov - Florida Panthers - Illness
Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov was held out of Saturday’s game against St. Louis due to illness. It is COVID-19 related, but it is serious enough that he may not travel with the team on their West Coast trip. He could potentially join them later on, but Florida will want to make sure that whatever Barkov has doesn’t spread to others.
James Reimer - San Jose Sharks - Lower-Body
San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer is expected to miss at least one game due to a lower-body injury. He played on Friday but didn’t look great in that game and head coach David Quinn came out afterwards and said that his goalie wasn’t 100%. This could just be an extra day off for a veteran netminder that has seen a ton of action.
Jordie Benn - Toronto Maple Leafs - Upper-Body
Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenceman Jordie Benn is expected to miss a few weeks due to an upper-body injury. The veteran defenceman injured himself against the Devils earlier in the week and was later placed on IR. Benn had been counted on to step up in the absence of Morgan Reilly, T.J. Brodie and Jake Muzzin, but with this news, the Leafs will once again need someone to step up and eat some minutes. Benn isn’t a fantasy household name, but he was doing just enough to be relevant.
Nikolaj Ehlers - Winnipeg Jets - Abdomen
Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers hasn’t played since October, but he could be back in the lineup in a few weeks. The talented winger underwent sports hernia surgery and is expected to be back in the lineup in about six weeks. He was originally ruled out indefinitely, so this at least gives fantasy owners a timetable to work with. Let’s see if he can return to form in the new year and get back to scoring goals as the Jets hope to continue their push for the playoffs.
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Player News
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.