NHL Injury Report & Waiver Wire Ahead Of Week 6 Games: Tage Thompson, Darcy Kuemper
The Fantasy Hockey season 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 5 Injury Report
Tage Thompson - Buffalo Sabres - Lower-body
Tage Thompson has missed the last two games due to a lower-body injury and there is no timetable for his return. He left Monday’s game against Montreal and hasn’t played since. He was later placed on IR, so that makes it even worse. Buffalo heads out for a three-game road trip out West, so if he makes the trip, then there’s a good chance he can return. If he stays home, it’s unlikely he will play at all this week. Fantasy owners should look for an alternative now.
Seth Jones - Chicago Blackhawks - Foot
Veteran defenceman Seth Jones has been placed on IR due to a foot injury and he could be out multiple weeks. He was ruled out against Vancouver and went straight to injury reserve, so it doesn’t sound very promising. He played 26 minutes against Seattle, so this kind of came out of nowhere. Jones has 10 points on the season--so he’s not a massive loss for fantasy owners-- but it’s still one less player to count on. For now, we need to wait for an update before deciding if we stash him on the bench or cut him loose.
Darcy Kuemper - Los Angeles Kings - Undisclosed
If you drafted Darcy Kuemper in fantasy hockey, you knew this day would come. The veteran netminder left Wednesday’s game against Colorado and was placed on IR Friday morning. Kuemper has dealt with his fair share of injuries in his career, so this isn’t a shock. The question now becomes; how long will he be out of the lineup? Short answer; no idea. We should prepare for Kuemper to miss an extended period of time so if you own him, go out and hope David Rittich is still on the waiver wire.
Kris Letang - Pittsburgh Penguins - Illness
Penguins defenceman Kris Letang has missed the last two games due to illness and his status for Tuesday’s game against Tampa Bay is unknown. He wasn’t able to suit up against Columbus and couldn’t go the next night against San Jose. Letang might not miss an extended period of time but even if he does return sooner rather than later, he’s not the player he once was. If you’re holding onto him hoping for some kind of late-career resurgence, you could be waiting a long time.
Fantasy Hockey Week 6 Waiver Wire
Jonathan Lekkerimaki - Vancouver Canucks - Yahoo!: 8% owned
Brock Boeser is still out of the lineup and it looks like he isn’t close to a return. Jonathan Lekkerimaki is getting a chance to skate on the top line and top power play unit, so he has my attention. He scored a goal against Chicago and continues to see just over 15 minutes of ice time per game. He’s a short-term solution as long as he continues to see important minutes and hold onto a top-six role.
Anthony Cirelli - Seattle Kraken - Yahoo!: 15% owned
This isn’t a sexy add but it could really help a fantasy owner. Anthony Cirelli is averaging a point per game and is playing over 20 minutes every night. He’s broken that mark in each of his last five games and the points are starting to come. The Kraken need offence and they need it yesterday, so maybe Cirelli’s offence will dry up soon, but right now, he deserves to be on a fantasy roster. He’s a great pickup in deeper formats.
Ryker Evans - Seattle Kraken - Yahoo!: 20% owned
Sticking with the Kraken, Ryker Evans is starting to pop up on fantasy hockey radars and for good reason. The kid has 11 points in 18 games but he’s also seeing a ton of minutes. He’s playing well over 21 minutes a night and that helped him rack up more points. He isn’t going to shoot the puck very much, but he can throw his weight around and block shots. He’s probably worth an add in category leagues because he can check off multiple boxes. This could all go away once Vice Dunn returns to the lineup, so take advantage of it while you can!
David Rittich - Los Angeles Kings - Yahoo!: 17% owned
This isn’t an ideal situation for Darcy Kuemper owners, but you knew we would meet here at some point. The veteran netminder is probably going to miss some time, meaning David Rittich is going to be trusted into the starter role for the foreseeable future. He has a 2.52 GAA and a .892 SV%, which isn’t great but could be a lot worse. He’s on a pretty decent hockey team, so that could save us. There aren’t a ton of great goalie options on the waiver wire, so you might as well scoop him up and hope for the best.
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.