NHL Injury Report & Waiver Wire Ahead Of Week 23 Games: Connor McDavid, Jonathan Quick
Fantasy hockey playoffs have officially started. Some leagues got started last week, while others are right now. If you’ve made it to the dance, congratulations.
That doesn’t mean your work stops now. NHL injuries at this time of year are brutal, making the fantasy hockey waiver wire just that much more important. Let’s dive right into things and see who we need to be keeping an eye on.
Fantasy Hockey Week 23 Injury Report
Connor McDavid - Edmonton Oilers - Undisclosed
Leon Draisaitl - Edmonton Oilers - Undisclosed
There is never a good time for an elite player to go down with an injury, but at the start of fantasy hockey playoffs is probably at the top of the list. The Oilers have announced that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will miss up to a week due to injuries. We don’t know specifically what they are dealing with, but regardless, the timing is just so bad.
Edmonton isn’t in danger of missing the playoffs, so they may give their two best players as much time off as needed to be ready for the playoffs. For fantasy owners, this is crushing. You can’t replace players like them, so the best we can do is wait for another update and hope they can return by the end of the week.
Elias Pettersson - Vancouver Canucks - Undisclosed
Elias Pettersson was unable to finish Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers due to injury and his status for the next game is still up in the air. He hurt himself trying to take a faceoff, but the team hasn’t told us exactly what the injury is. He tried to return to play, but wasn’t able. The Canucks can’t afford to lose another player to injury, so let’s hope this isn’t anything serious.
Tomas Hertl - Vegas Golden Knights - Arm
Tomas Hertl left Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay after a heavy collision with the boards and was unable to return. He was seen holding his arm as he left the ice, but the team hasn’t confirmed anything.
We do know that it’s an upper-body injury and that losing Hertl at this time of the year is a tough blow. The veteran came into that game having scored three goals against Detroit and netted one in that game before leaving. The team is going to do some tests to check the severity of the injury, but right now, it doesn’t look promising.
Fantasy Hockey Week 23 Waiver Wire
Jeff Skinner - Edmonton Oilers - Yahoo!: 26% owned
The Edmonton Oilers are going to need everyone to elevate their game while McDavid and Draisaitl are out of the lineup. Jeff Skinner hasn’t been good this season, but he might be starting to heat up. He has three goals in the last two games and saw just over 18 minutes against Seattle.
It doesn’t matter what he’s done this season, all that matters is what he can do for us this week. He’s going to get every chance in the world to produce and that kind of volume is something we can’t ignore. He’s my top target of the week.
Adam Henrique - Edmonton Oilers - Yahoo!: 3% owned
If you need help down the middle, Adam Henrique is a name to remember. He isn’t an offensive threat most nights, but he skated on the second line with Zach Hyman and Skinner against Seattle and scored on his only shot on goal. The opportunity is there for him, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to seize it. He’s a depth add and a very risky one.
Fabian Zetterlund - Ottawa Senators - Yahoo!: 19% owned
The Ottawa Senators play four games this week and some of those matchups are very favourable. Fabian Zetterlund has been promoted to the top line and is only 19% owned in yahoo! leagues. His ice time isn’t yet where we’d like it to be, but the upside for him this week is there. If you need a forward who can produce some points, this is the player to keep in mind.
Jonathan Quick - New York Rangers - Yahoo!: 10% owned
Jonathan Quick has played just two games in the month of March and the last one didn’t go very well. New York starts a California road trip this week and they have back-to-back games against Anaheim and San Jose. You’d have to expect that Quick will get the call in one of those games. If you need a goalie for just this week and are hoping to steal a few category points, this is the way to go.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.