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 Fantasy Hockey Injury Report

Mason McTavish - Anaheim Ducks - Upper-body

Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish left last Saturday’s game due to an upper-body injury and was unable to suit up for the next game. He didn’t make the trip with the team, so he will not play against Chicago. The injury doesn’t sound serious, but the fact that he isn’t on the road trip means that it could be something that keeps him out of the lineup for a few more games. The Ducks' next home game is Sunday, so we’ll see if he’s able to return for that matchup. He has 21 points in 24 games this season.

Jacob Markstrom - Calgary Flames - Finger

Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom is expected to miss a few weeks due to a finger injury. He fractured his finger in practice after taking a shot in and immediately left the ice. The team has said that he won’t require surgery, which is good news, but he’s still likely to be out of the lineup for at least four weeks. Calgary is trying to keep pace in the Pacific Division, but this injury certainly doesn’t help this case. If he’s on your fantasy team, stash him on IR and wait for another update. 

Cale Makar - Colorado Avalanche - Lower-body

Cale Makar has missed the last two games due to a lower body and is considered questionable to play on Thursday. The talented defenceman played 25 minutes against Anaheim and nothing indicated that he suffered an injury. It doesn’t seem like any serious, but the team is going to want to give him the most amount of time to heal so he can return to the lineup at 100%. The good news is that he did take part in practice on Wednesday, so his return should be near.  

Alex Newhook - Montreal Canadiens - Ankle

Canadiens forward Alex Newhook is expected to miss 10-12 weeks due to a high ankle sprain. He injured himself against Florida and left the ice in a ton of pain. The team later confirmed the injury and his timetable for a return. This is a huge blow to a team that is already struggling to generate offence. Newhook was acquired from Colorado to bring some offence and speed to the team, but now, he could miss the remainder of the season if the healing process is closer to 12 weeks. Ankle injuries for a player with that much speed are rough. In shallow leagues, he can be dropped. There are certainly some options on the waiver wire worth considering.

Dougie Hamilton - New Jersey Devils - Pec **UPDATE**

Dougie Hamilton left last week's game against the Islanders with an upper-body and did not return. We later found out that he suffered a torn pectoral muscle and would require surgery. The news is devastating for a team that has already had to deal with its fair share of injuries, but it’s just as bad for fantasy owners. You can’t replace a player of his calibre and there is no real timetable for his return. Could he miss the remainder of the season? Quite possible, but right now, fantasy owners are smart to stash him on IR and hope that he can return before the end of the season.

Adin Hill - Vegas Golden Knights - Lower-body

Adin Hill has missed the last three games due to a lower-body injury and he is not on the team's current two-game road trip. The netminder left the game against Vancouver and has not been able to practice since. He has ten wins on the season with a 1.87 GAA and a .935 SV%, so this is a huge blow to everyone. Logan Thompson will take over the starting job and run with it, but Vegas is a better team with Hill healthy. They return home for a date with San Jose, but if Hill can’t practice from now until then, it’s likely that he won’t play any games this week.

Chris Kreider - New York Rangers - Lower-body

Chris Kreider is in danger of missing Saturday’s game against Washington due to a lower-body injury. He played over 18 minutes against Ottawa, so it’s surprising to see his name pop up on the injury report. The veteran winger has played every game this year and has 14 goals in 24 games. The good news is the team has a couple of days without games, so Kreider has a shot of suiting up for the next game. For now, there is no reason to panic, but he needs to be able to log a practice in the next two days or he risks missing both weekend games.