The Fantasy Hockey season is in full swing and the injuries are starting to ramp up. Some players will be out for an extended period, but that opens the door for others to step up and seize their chance. There are a couple of players on the waiver wire that should be on your roster moving forward. Let’s take a look at those names and continue to build momentum throughout the week. 

 

 


Fantasy Hockey Week 11 Injury Report


Aleksander Barkov - Florida Panthers - Illness

Aleksander Barkov was a late scratch yesterday against Calgary with what the team is saying is an illness. The captain isn’t expected to be out long but with the flu making its way through the locker room, we don’t know if it’s going to be just one game or more. For now, it doesn’t sound like a long-term thing so fantasy owners should expect him back at the beginning of the week.


Roman Josi - Nashville Predators - Lower-body

Nashville defenceman Roman Josi has missed the last two games due to a lower-body injury and there is still no timetable for his return. The captain sustained the injury against Calgary and left after playing just five minutes. The team still calls him daily, but in the modern NHL, that means very little. Nashville plays three games this week, but there is no guarantee that he can suit up for any of them. For now, we need to sit tight and wait for another update on his condition. 


Bo Horvat - New York Islanders - Lower-body

Bo Horvat was a late scratch on Saturday due to a lower-body injury and we don’t know if he will be able to suit up against Chicago. The team has said that there is a chance he can play Sunday, but they may elect to give the veteran forward some extra time so he can be 100%. With Matthew Barzal and Anthony Duclair expected to be back for this game, there is no need to rush Horvat back, especially for a game that they should be able to win.


Victor Hedman - Tampa Bay Lightning - Lower-body

Captain Victor Hedman has now missed the last two games with a lower-body injury and it’s almost certain that he will miss more games. The injury came out of nowhere-- he played 22 minutes against Edmonton-- and then was listed as a late scratch against Calgary. We don’t have a ton of information about what Hedman is dealing with, but you can bet that the team will take extra precautions. Tampa’s next game is on Tuesday so we should get an update on his condition before that.

 

Anthony Stolarz - Toronto Maple Leafs - Lower-body

Anthony Stolarz left Thursday’s game against Anaheim due to a lower-body injury and was unable to backup on Saturday against Detroit. He did make the short trip with the team to do some light on-ice work, so it doesn’t sound like the injury is very serious. Stolarz has been very good for the Leafs this season, posting a 2.15 GAA and a .927 SV%, so hopefully, he can return to action sooner rather than later.

 

 


Fantasy Hockey Week 11 Waiver Wire


Brady Skjei - Nashville Predators - Yahoo!: 45% owned

It has been a season to forget for the Nashville Predators and many of their highly paid players. Brady Skjei hasn’t had the offensive production he was hoping for but he is in a good spot for the next few games. Roman Josi is out of the lineup and there aren’t many other players who can step up and take his spot. Skjei is expected to see a bump in ice time and handle the top powerplay duties. It’s nothing to get overly excited about, but if he is on the waiver wire, it might be smart to pick him up and see how things go. He’s a short-term solution until Josi is ready to return.


Anthony Duclair - New York Islanders - Yahoo!: 7% owned

The word on the internet is that Anthony Duclair is expected to return to the lineup soon, so now would be a good time to scoop him up off the waiver wire if he’s available. He hurt himself early in the season, but now that he’s returning, he will immediately be inserted into the top six and is going to be leaned on to produce. He has been able to score goals throughout his career and the Islanders are desperate for goals. He’s not going to explode, but he’s a good depth addition for a fantasy team that needs some offensive punch.

 

Mackenzie Blackwood - Colorado Avalanche - Yahoo!: 56% owned 

If you’re reading this, stop now and go add Mackenzie Blackwood. The veteran netminder was traded from San Jose to Colorado and looked very good in his first outing, picking up the win and stopping 37 of 39 shots. Colorado is desperate for some decent goaltending and Blackwood could be able to provide them some. He’s certainly a risky option, but the net is his as long as he can put together some decent starts. His ownership has gone up by 46% over the last week on Yahoo! so there is still a chance he is sitting on the waiver wire.


Jackson LaCombe - Anaheim Ducks - Yahoo!: 1% owned 

We know that the Anaheim Ducks are a rebuilding team and they are going to lose more games than they win. That being said, there are players worth monitoring for fantasy purposes, one being Jackson LaCombe. The kid has put together a decent season-- collecting ten points in 22 games-- and is on the first power play unit. He’s not going to rack up a ton of points this season, but he can go on a hot streak every now and then. If anything, he’s a high risk/high reward add in deeper formats.