It’s so great to have hockey back on our televisions. There have been some amazing games to start the year (not you Oilers & Avalanche) and we are seeing the emergence of the next wave of superstars. We also have to deal with injuries, something no fantasy hockey team wants to worry about. Let’s dig right into the action and see which players may be missing some time and which players need to be added to your squad.

 

 


 

Fantasy Hockey Week 2 Injury Report

Aleksander Barkov - Florida Panthers- Lower-body

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov is expected to miss 2-to-3 weeks of action due to a lower-body injury. He went hard into the board against the Boston Bruins and couldn’t put much weight on his leg. The team did confirm that there is no fracture, so he isn’t going to miss significant time. Still, it’s always tough when a team loses their captain. 

Matthew Tkachuk - Florida Panthers - Illness

John Tavares - Toronto Maple Leafs - Illness

Matthew Tkachuk and John Tavares both missed Saturday’s game for their respective clubs due to illness. This is the time of year when players start to get sick, but both aren’t expected to miss any additional time. While we are here, let this be a reminder to wash your hands and drink your orange juice.

Joseph Woll - Toronto Maple Leafs - Lower-body

New year, same story for Joseph Woll. The Leafs net minder has a ton of skill--no one will ever question that-- but all that doesn’t matter if he can’t stay healthy. He has missed all 3 games to start the year and there is no timetable for his return. It’s a tough start for fantasy owners who were counting on Woll to be a top goalie, but there is still a lot of time left in the season. He’s eligible to return at anytime, so now we just have to sit back and wait.

Macklin Celebrini - San Jose Sharks - Lower-body

Macklin Celebrini scored a goal and picked up an assist in his first NHL game, but the fun came to an end pretty quick when the team placed him on IR and informed us that he would be out “week-to-week.”The 1st overall pick in 2024 was dealing with a lower-body injury in training camp, but we don’t know if the two are related. Still, this isn’t what you want to see. If you have him on your fantasy team, place him on IR and wait for the next update.

 

 


 

Fantasy Hockey Week 1 Waiver Wire

Jonathan Huberdeau - Chicago Blackhawks - Yahoo!: 37% owned

Are we going to see Jonathan Huberdeau return to being an elite hockey player? It’s way too early to tell, but the veteran forward has three goals and two assists so far this season and is playing some important minutes. Calgary isn’t expected to be a good team, but if Huberdeau can be a point-per-game player on this team, it would be a steal getting him FOR FREE off the waiver wire.

Barrett Hayton - Utah Hockey Club - Yahoo!: 15% owned

The Utah Hockey Club is going to be fun to watch this season. They have started the season 3-0 and are scoring goals in bunches. Barrett Hayton is playing on the top line and has already scored three goals and added two assists. If Utah continues this goal-scoring pace, they are going to win a lot of hockey games. It’s a long season, but right now, they are the team to be following.

Lane Hutson - Montreal Canadiens - Yahoo!: 48% owned

I am going to say this one last time: if you don’t have Lane Hutson on your fantasy hockey team, you’re doing it wrong. He has five points to start the season, two of which have come on the powerplay. Everyone was worried about his defence, but that isn’t an issue. He’s playing over 22-minutes a night and is going to be a staple in Montreal’s top-4. He was here last week and his ownership has increased by just 2%. If he is on the waiver wire, you must pick him up. This isn’t a suggestion, it’s an order. I don’t want you to miss out on a player who could potentially win Rookie of The Year.

Sam Montembeault - Montreal Canadiens - Yahoo!: 56% owned 

I’m trying not to overreact here, but Sam Montembeault could be one of the best waiver wire pickups this NHL season. We know that the Montreal Canadiens are rebuilding, but when Montembeault is in goal, he is making a case for himself to start 55-plus games this year. He has allowed one goal in two starts this season. Can he maintain this pace? Of course not. Can he finish as a top-15 goalie in fantasy hockey? Absolutely! If by some chance he is on the waiver wire, go scoop him up and don’t look back.