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 7 Injury Report



Frederik Andersen/Pyotr Kochetkov - Carolina Hurricanes - Knee/Upper-body

The Carolina Hurricanes are desperate to have just ONE goalie stay healthy. Frederik Andersen is no stranger to getting hurt and the word on the street is he will be out for a while. He’s going to miss more than a few weeks, so this team need Pyotr Kochetkov to stay healthy. He left Saturday’s game in overtime after a collision with a Columbus forward and we don’t know the status of his availability for the next game. Spencer Martin is the next man up, but he isn’t a long-term solution. If you drafted Andersen, you knew this would happen, but if you were wise, you also drafted Kochetkov and now both risk missing some time. We’ll wait for an update before deciding what the next course of action should be.
 

Zach Hyman - Edmonton Oilers - Undisclosed

Zach Hyman has missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury and his status for the next game is still very much up in the air. Hyman hasn’t played since facing the Senators and we don’t know how serious his injury could be. Edmonton has a few days off before their next game, November 29th against Utah, so hopefully, the time off will do him some good and he can return. The former 50-goal scorer has just three on the season and fantasy owners are desperate for him to get back to finding the scoresheet.


Kirill Kaprizov - Minnesota Wild - Lower-body

Minnesota superstar Kirill Kaprizov is listed as day-to-day due to a lower-body injury and his status for Monday’s game against Winnipeg is uncertain. He wasn’t able to suit up Saturday against Calgary and the team has said that they are waiting for MRI results. It’s hard to be optimistic when you hear a team is waiting on results. Kaprizov has been nothing short of elite this season--racking up 34 points in 19 games-- so if he misses an extended period of time, fantasy owners may start crying and the Wild may not be able to score goals. For now, we sit back, wait for an update and hope it isn’t something serious.
 

J.T. Miller - Vancouver Canucks - Personal

Vancouver forward J.T. Miller has been granted a leave of absence from the team for an indefinite period of time. The veteran forward is off to a mediocre start to the season and it seems like that might be taking a toll on him. It seems like he isn’t dealing with a substance abuse issue, so that is a positive, but the time off is more for a “mental reset.” You never like to see players go through mental struggles and burnout, so if this is true, Miller should take all the time possible to get his mind right before coming back to the game. We wish him all the best and look forward to his return, whenever that may be.
 

Alex Ovechkin - Washington Capitals - Leg

Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss four-to-six weeks due to a fracture in his leg. The Russian winger was off to a fantastic start-- scoring 15 goals in 18 games-- and looks poised to break Wayne Gretzky’s record this year, but it seems like the record will have to wait for next season. The good news is, there is no ligament damage and he will be able to make a full recovery. At 39 years old, this will be Oveckin’s longest stint on the injury list. He’s been durable his entire career and that’s probably why he is on the brink of history. It’s impossible to replace a payer of his calibre, so fantasy owners will want to find a temporary solution on the waiver wire and ride it out for a couple of weeks.
 

Fantasy Hockey Week 7 Waiver Wire


 

Aliaksei Protas - Washington Capitals - Yahoo!: 24% owned

Some players are going to benefit from Alex Ovechkin being out of the lineup and one of those individuals is Aliasksei Protas. He is skating in the top-six and on a line with Dylan Strome, who has turned into a passing machine. Protas has some offensive finish to his game-- scoring seven goals in 20 games this season-- but it’s the bump in ice time that we should get excited about. He also has duo position eligibility, so you can easily fit him into your lineup on any given night.


Corey Perry - Edmonton Oilers - Yahoo!: 1% owned

With Zach Hyman out of the lineup, there is a spot on the top power play unit that is up for grabs. Corey Perry isn’t the player he once was, but he’s getting the first crack at joining the top unit. He’s a fourth-liner player five-on-five, but the bump in ice time and playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could make him relevant for at least this week. In deeper formats, he’s worth taking a risk and seeing how things pan out, but don’t expect any miracles.


Fraser Minten - Toronto Maple Leafs - Yahoo!: 8% owned

With Auston Matthews and Max Domi out of the lineup, the Toronto Maple Leafs are desperate for some help down the middle. Fraser Minten has been recalled from the AHL and scored the game winning goal against Vegas. He also logged a healthy 18 minutes of ice time. Behind John Tavares, everything is up for grabs, so the rookie could get a real shot at centring the second line and playing some meaningful minutes with William Nylander. Until someone returns from injury, the kid is worth rostering in most formats.


Dimitry Orlov -  Carolina Hurricanes - Yahoo!: 25% owned 

Dimitry Orlov has now collected an assist in each of his last four games and is now up to 12 points on the season. The veteran defenceman isn’t known for his offence, but the uptick in points is certainly welcomed. He’s not going to maintain this pace all season long, but he could find a home on a fantasy team that is in search of blocked shots. He’s probably worth considering in deeper formats.


Jaxson Stauber -  Utah Hockey Team - Yahoo!: 9% owned 

This is a speculative add but one that could pay off for us. Jaxson Stauber has been recalled from the AHL since Connor Ingram is on the IR and we should expect him to get a start at some point during the road trip. The rookie has a solid 2.29 GAA and a .930 SV% in the minors and he’s 5-1-0 in the NHL. Karel Vejmelka has started five games in a row and has done really well, but he can’t maintain this pace for much longer. Stauber is a spot-start option this week if you desperately need a goalie.