The hockey season is slowly coming to an end, which means we have to start making some tough decisions. At this point of the year, it’s about finding players on the fantasy hockey waiver wire that can produce. 

NHL injuries at this time of the year may become season-ending, but that doesn’t mean all the hard work from the start needs to be lost. Let’s take a look at some names that we need to keep an eye on for the upcoming fantasy week.

 

 

 

Fantasy Hockey Week 19 Injury Report

Matthew Tkachuk - Florida Panthers - Lower-body

There is no question that everyone was in love watching the 4 Nations Tournament. A best-on-best tournament is always so exhilarating, but the downside will always be injuries. NHL teams know that by allowing their players to participate, they could end up getting hurt, sometimes pretty seriously. Matthew Tkachuk is one of those players. 

He struggled to play just over six minutes against Canada in the finals and he was ruled out by the Panthers for their games over the weekend. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but there are rumblings that he may be done for the season. The team is still trying to gather information on the severity of the injury, so fantasy owners will need to sit tight and wait for an update.

Brady Tkachuk - Ottawa Senators - Upper-body

Just like his brother, Brady Tkachuk was unable to avoid the injury bug. The good news is his prognosis is much better. He was able to play in the finals and the team doesn’t expect him to be out of the lineup for long. 

Ottawa will need their captain in the lineup if they want to continue to push for a playoff spot, so let’s see if he can return to the lineup at some point this week.

 

 

 

Charlie McAvoy - Boston Bruins - Shoulder

It’s crazy to see just how many American players suffered serious injuries in the tournament. Charlie McAvoy was admitted to hospital due to an infection in his shoulder. He injured himself against Finland but was able to suit up for the game against Canada. 

Once they found out how severe his injury was, he didn’t play again. The team hasn’t given up a firm timetable as to when McAvoy may be able to return, but if you’re hoping for him to make a return before the Trade Deadline, there’s a beachfront property in Saskatoon with your name on it.

Thatcher Demko - Vancouver Canucks - Lower-body

The Vancouver Canucks have placed Thatcher Demko on IR and there is no timetable for a return. If you drafted Demko at the beginning of the season, you knew this was a possibility. He’s missed so many games due to his knee injury and it sounds like no one knows how to treat it. 

It’s always hard to part ways with a top goalie, but if you’re trying to make a push for the playoffs and can’t stash him on IR, it’s time to move on.  

Josh Morrissey - Winnipeg Jets - Illness

Josh Morrissey was unable to suit up for Canada in the final due to illness and he didn’t play over the weekend. The flu bug was going through every locker room in the tournament, but it doesn’t sound like Morrissey will be out for very long. 

Expect him to return to action at some point this week and help the Jets continue their push to finish first in the NHL.

 

 

 

Fantasy Hockey Week 18 Waiver Wire

Mason Lohrei - Boston Bruins - Yahoo!: 5% owned

The Boston Bruins are dealing with some significant injuries on the blue line. We know that McAvoy is out for a minute and the team also announced that Hamps Lindholm will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, meaning there’s a spot on the top power play unit that is up for grabs. 

Mason Lohrei is going to get a chance to showcase what he can do and play more minutes, and if he can make those minutes count, he could be a nice addition for the remainder of the season. He’s widely available in most leagues and is worth considering in deeper formats.

Riley Greig - Ottawa Senators - Yahoo!: 4% owned

Not only are the Ottawa Senators dealing with Brady Tkachuk’s injury, but they are also down some key players at center. Both Shane Pinto and Josh Norris were out of the lineup against Montreal, and we don’t know how long their absence will be. 

Riley Greig has moved up to the top six and will be counted on to provide some offence. The Senators can’t afford to be dropping many games down the stretch, so if Norris and Pinto are out for more than a game, they need to dig deep and find offensive production for others. 

 

 

 

Matt Savoie - Edmonton Oilers - Yahoo!: 3% owned 

Forward Matt Savoie made his NHL debut over the weekend and registered his first career NHL point. The 21-year-old has been very productive in the AHL-- racking up 37 points in 41 games-- and will now get a chance to play in the top-6. 

How long will that last? Who knows, but playing alongside Leon Draisaitl can only make you better. We might be a week early here with Savoie, but better to grab him now than lose him because we were late to act.

Nico Daws - New Jersey Devils - Yahoo!: 2% owned 

It’s a very small sample size, but Nico Daws has been fantastic in his two starts this season. He has won both games and sports a ridiculous .968 SV%. We know he’s not going to be able to maintain those numbers down the stretch, but he is making a case to see more starts until Jacob Markstrom can return from injury. 

Daws will have some tough matchups coming up, but the Devils are a very good hockey team so it shouldn’t scare us. He’s a temporary solution if you need goaltending help.