NHL Injury Report & Waiver Wire Ahead Of Week 9 Games: Rasmus Dahlin, Sebastian Cossa

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 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 9 Injury Report
Trevor Zegras - Anaheim Ducks - Lower-body
Last week it was Leo Carlsson, this week it is Trevor Zegras. The Ducks forward injured himself against the Vegas Golden Knights and the prognosis doesn’t look good. He was immediately placed on IR and it sounds like he could be out of the lineup for a while. Zegras has just ten points on the season and really isn’t worth stashing on your bench. There are a ton of good options on the waiver wire.
Rasmus Dahlin - Buffalo Sabres - Back
Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin has missed the last two games due to back spasms and there is currently no timetable for his return. The Swedish defenceman hasn’t played since December 3rd and we haven’t seen him at practice. Word around the rink is, that he’s been dealing with this issue since training camp, so the team may want to play it extra safe with their best player. This is a tough blow for fantasy owners, so just sit tight and wait for an update.
Joel Eriksson-Ek - Minnesota Wild - Lower-body
Joel Eriksson-Ek has been placed on IR and is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury. We don’t know when he may have suffered the injury, since he played 21-minutes in the last game before his injury, but it’s serious enough to keep him out a few weeks. Eriksson-Ek has been very good this season for the Wild and his fantasy team, so this is obviously a huge blow. At this point, we shouldn’t expect him to return to the lineup before the new year.
Petr Mrazek - Chicago Blackhawks - Undisclosed
Petr Mrazek injured himself last game against the Winnipeg Jets and has already been placed on IR. The veteran netminder left during the first period and it sounds like he is going to be out of the lineup for a while. If you had Mrazek on your fantasy team, you may just want to move on from him now. His numbers this season have been decent, but he still plays for one of the worst teams in the league. I know goalies are hard to find on the waiver wire at this point of the year, but holding onto him just doesn’t make sense.
Cam Talbot - Detroit Red Wings - Lower-body
Cam Talbot has missed the last three games, and we still don’t know when he may be able to return to the lineup. The veteran netminder is no stranger to injuries, so this is just par for the course. Detroit has a ton of goalies in its system, so it’s unlikely the team will force him back before he is 100% ready. If you can stash him away for the time being, do so. He should regain his starting role once he is healthy.
Fantasy Hockey Week 9 Waiver Wire
Sebastian Cossa - Detroit Red Wings - Yahoo!: 1% owned
I want you to listen to me very carefully: Sebastian Cossa needs to be stashed on your bench ASAP. The rookie has been called up due to Talbot and Alex Lyon both being out due to injury and he’s not here just to sit on the bench. Ville Husso is terrible and can’t stop a beach ball, so at some point, Cossa is going to get a start and it could come this week. He has put up elite numbers in the AHL and has earned the opportunity to start one game, which could come as early as Monday. He probably goes back down once everyone is healthy, but for now, he is an elite short-term option. Don’t sleep on him.
Owen Powers - Buffalo Sabres - Yahoo!: 33% owned
With Dahlin out of the lineup, the Buffalo Sabres are going to need some other players to step up. Owen Power was already seeing a healthy amount of minutes before the injury and could see even more as the days moved on. He played a career high 29-minutes against Winnipeg and has moved up to the top power play unit. His point totals are decent, but with the volume of ice time he will be seeing, he can certainly rack up more points and shots on goal. This is a prime spot for the kid and a good short-term solution for fantasy owners who need a boost on the back end.
Marco Rossi - Minnesota Wild - Yahoo!: 26% owned
With Joel Eriksson-Ek out of the for an extended period, Marco Rossi will see an increase in minutes, which will boost his value. He’s played very well this season-- racking up 23 points in 27 games-- but now he’s moving up to the top power play unit and he could be a point-per-game player over the next few weeks. He has six points in the last five games and should be able to continue this hot streak.
Lane Hutson - Montreal Canadiens - Yahoo!: 35% owned
I feel like it’s time to talk about Lane Hutson again. It’s been well documented that he doesn’t have a goal this season, but he does have 18 assists, six of which have come in the last six games. The goals will come at some point, but the kid is finally seeing some time on the top power play unit and his ice time is consistently around 22-minutes. He’s also racking up some blocked shots, so he’s not just a one-trick pony. He is a serious candidate to finish with over 45-points this season, which isn’t horrible for a rookie defenceman. If you need some depth on the back end, this is the player to target.
Player News
Lance McCullers Jr. (foot) played catch before Saturday’s game against the Angels.
McCullers is scheduled to throw again Sunday, and if that goes well, the 31-year-old could throw off the mound Monday. The hope is that McCullers will only miss the minimum amount of time on the injured list, so he could be back on the bump before the end of next week.
Drake Baldwin went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a walk Saturday in the Braves’ 7-0 shutout of the Marlins.
It’s highly unlikely the Marlins would have overcome a 4-0 deficit in the ninth, but Baldwin put the matter to rest in the top of the inning with his home run off Josh Simpson. It was his first homer since June 5 and eighth of the year. He drove in three runs for the first time as a big leaguer.
Despite walking a career-high five and allowing five hits, Grant Holmes kept the Marlins scoreless for 5 2/3 innings in a win Saturday.
It’s the longest scoreless outing of his major league career. Holmes benefitted from two double play balls in the game, and he struck out AgustÃn RamÃrez to strand the bases loaded in the fifth. The win makes him 4-6 with a 3.71 ERA. He’ll face the Mets for the first time this season next week.
Dylan Lee got four outs between the seventh and eighth innings for his ninth hold Saturday against the Marlins.
There was no save chance today with the Braves scoring once in the eighth and three in the ninth to make it a 7-0 game, but the usage of Lee suggests that Raisel Iglesias would have closed for the first time since losing the gig 16 days ago. Lee had since been lined up to close, though the Braves hadn’t presented him with any save chances. In fact, no one on the team has recorded a save since way back on May 16.
Eury Pérez yielded three runs in 4 2/3 innings Saturday in a loss to the Braves.
Pérez fanned six before getting into trouble in the fifth in giving up a single and an RBI double. He was lifted then, and the inherited runner came around to score off Lake Bachar. Pérez got up to 89 pitches today, but he’s yet to complete five innings in three starts since returning from Tommy John. With any luck, he’ll be more of a factor in fantasy leagues in the second half. He’ll probably make his next start Friday against the D-backs.
Ronald Acuña Jr. had two hits, including a double, two walks and three runs scored Saturday against the Marlins.
Acuña has scored 27 of the Braves’ 111 runs in the 26 games since he came off the injured list. That’s nearly a quarter. He’s been ridiculously good in batting .391/.506/.696, but he still needs some more help.