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 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 14 Injury Report

Igor Shesterkin - New York Rangers - Upper-body

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin has been placed on IR with an upper-body injury and there is no timetable for his return. It’s been a tough few months for the team and now they will have to try and find a way to win hockey games without their best player. 

Igor last played on December 30th and was immediately placed on IR following the game. He’s probably not going to return to the lineup once first eligible, but this is a hard hit for everyone, mostly fantasy owners who were hoping for a strong second half from the Russian netminder.

Valeri Nichushkin - Colorado Avalanche - Lower-body

Valeri Nicushkin has not played the last two games due to a lower-body injury and is expected to be out 7-10 days. Nichushkin hurt himself against the Winnipeg Jets and was unable to finish the game. 

With Colorado now (mostly) healthy and winning games, losing the Russian winger for an extended period of time would be a problem. The silver lining, he’s only going to miss about a week, so he has a very good chance of either returning to the lineup at the start of this week, or by early next week.

 

 

 

Patrik Laine - Montreal Canadiens - Illness

Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine has missed the last two games due to illness and we don’t know his status for Monday’s game against Vancouver. Laine missed most of the first half of the season due to a knee injury but made an immediate impact when he was in the lineup. 

The Canadiens are a team that doesn't generate a lot of shots on goal, and they struggle to find the back of the net. Laine has been a force on the power play, so hopefully, he can return at some point this week.

Linus Ullmark - Ottawa Senators - Back *UPDATE*

Linus Ullmark hasn’t played since December 22nd and it doesn’t sound like he will be back in the lineup anytime soon. Ullmark is dealing with a back injury and the team says that he is week-to-week. What does that mean? He’s probably going to miss a few more weeks and may not play in January. 

He hasn’t been seen on the ice and there is no timetable for when he could return. Back injuries for a goalie are very tough and you don’t want to come back too early and risk reinjury. Ottawa is in the mix for a playoff spot, so this news really is a tough blow. 

Thatcher Demko - Vancouver Canucks - Back

The Vancouver Canucks are dealing with a rash of injuries and now may be without Thatcher Demko for more than one game. The veteran netminder suffered the injury in a harmless collision with one of his teammates. He didn’t play last game and his status for Monday is questionable. 

The team said that he would be on the upcoming road trip, so it doesn’t sound like the injury is long-term. Demko has already missed a ton of action this season so any extended period of time out of the lineup would be the worst-case scenario for the Canucks and fantasy owners.

 

 

 

Fantasy Hockey Week 14 Waiver Wire

Matthew Knies - Toronto Maple Leafs - Yahoo!: 45% owned

If you aren’t on the Matthew Knies train, you might be too late. Knies had himself a fantastic weekend, racking up five points against the Boston Bruins and a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers. Six points in two games is pretty elite for any player. 

He is skating on the top line with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, which probably plays a role in his recent success. He’s not going to rack up six points every weekend, but he can be a point-per-game player in the second half. If he’s on the waiver wire, make sure you scoop him up.

Jonathan Quick - New York Rangers - Yahoo!: 26% owned

Picking up a New York Rangers goalie at this point in the year is certainly a choice, but it’s one that we need to consider. With Igor Shesterkin out of the lineup, the expectation would be that Jonathan Quick sees the bulk of the action. 

The Rangers have been terrible this season, so that will make Quick a risky option on most nights. The veteran netminder has been decent this season and if you spot start him, you could maximize his value. He’s a short-term solution if you’re desperate for a goalie.

 

 

 

Jakub Dobes - Montreal Canadiens - Yahoo!: 9% owned 

Yeah, Jakub Dobes is back here because I need to make sure you all understand how important it is to be adding him. He now has two wins in two games and sports a ridiculous 0.48 GAA and a .982 SV%. Will he maintain those numbers for the rest of the season? Of course not, but the kid had made one thing clear; he is here to play hockey and win games. 

Sam Montembeault has been streaky at times this season and with Montreal right in the mix for a playoff spot, head coach Martin St- Louis may be forced to go with the hot hand. Dobes will lose a game at some point, but if everything lines up as it should, he could play two of the three games Montreal has this week. Grab him now before it’s too late

Cam Fowler - St. Louis Blues - Yahoo!: 43% owned 

The Cam Fowler experiment in St. Louis has started off really well. The veteran defenceman has three goals and an assist since joining the team and is seeing a healthy amount of ice time, over 23-minutes per game. 

He’s also found a spot on the top power play unit, so his value is as high as it’s ever been. I don’t know if he can keep this pace up, but one thing is for sure; he’s making the most of his opportunity. He’s more of a depth add in deeper formats if you can still pick him up for free.