NHL Injury Report & Waiver Wire Ahead Of Week 11 Games: Roman Josi, Mackenzie Blackwood
The Fantasy Hockey season is in full swing, and the NHL 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 Fantasy Hockey 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 defenseman 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.
Player News
Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) will make another minor league rehab start.
The Brewers haven’t publicly released an exact date for Woodruff’s return to the big leagues, but it sounds like there’s a chance it’s coming shortly after his next rehab start in the upper minors. The 32-year-old former fantasy ace fired 5 2/3 scoreless frames on Wednesday in his latest tune-up for High-A Wisconsin.
Brice Turang was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup due to illness.
It’ll be rookie Isaac Collins, who connected for his first big-league homer on Tuesday night, taking over at the keystone in his absence. Turang might need a couple days to rest and recover before getting back into Milwaukee’s lineup. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.
Jimmy Butler (pelvis, glute) is available to play against the Rockets in Game 5 on Wednesday.
As expected, Butler will be good to go once again after initially being listed as probable for this game. He played 40 minutes on Monday to help Golden State take a 3-1 lead in the series, and he will likely continue to play a ton of minutes to help the Warriors attempt to end the series on Wednesday.
Mike Trout was removed from Wednesday’s game against the Mariners for precautionary reasons with left knee soreness.
Trout told reporters following Wednesday’s contest that he’s already feeling better and expressed optimism that he’ll be ready for Thursday’s series opener against the Tigers. He also noted that he’s already undergone some preliminary testing, which didn’t reveal anything serious. It’s a significant concern for fantasy managers since Trout missed most of last season with a torn meniscus in his left knee. It sounds like his early exit was out of an abundance of caution and he’s not dealing with anything serious. He should be considered day-to-day for now.
Mookie Betts knocked in four runs with a triple and a single in the Dodgers’ 12-7 defeat of the Marlins on Wednesday.
Jesús Sánchez got turned around in center field on the triple, which really ought to have been an out. Still, the triple did travel 389 feet, which is the second farthest Betts has hit a ball this year. It was Betts’ second extra-base hit in two weeks and eighth of the year. At .250/.339/.407 through 28 games, he’s still looking for his first hot streak this season.
Making his 2025 debut, Tony Gonsolin fanned nine while allowing three runs over six innings Wednesday in a win over the Marlins.
He would have had an even better line if not for some outfield hijinks behind him. Gonsolin’s stellar showing included 17 missed swings and a 43% CSW over 77 pitches. Nine strikeouts stands alone as the second-highest total of his career behind a 10-strikeout game against the Rockies in 2020. Gonsolin probably won’t stay healthy and he definitely won’t get to face Miami every time out, but given that he’s fine physically right now and he actually will take on the Marlins again next week, he should be rostered in mixed leagues.