This week St. Louis has the Blues, while the Ducks take shifts visiting the Injury Ward. If you want to get a head start on those waiver wire additions when top players go down with injury, follow me @BrennanDeSouza for quick updates!

The Big Guns (>75% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Alex Pietrangelo – The Blues’ defenseman is day-to-day with a lower body injury. Fortunately, Coach Mike Yeo doesn’t expect it to be long-term. Replacing 25:46 of ice time every game is no easy task, but it’s easier when you have a talent like Colton Parayko (who has averaged 27+ minutes in Pietrangelo’s absence).

Dustin Byfuglien – The Jets are flying, but Byfuglien’s grounded with a lower-body injury on a week-to-week basis. It looks like Jacob Trouba will step into that coveted spot on the top power play unit, but Tyler Myers will also be more valuable in Byfuglien’s absence. The Jets still have three games to play this week, so scoop them up while you can!

Auston Matthews – The Leafs’ forward missed his second straight game Tuesday with what the team is calling an upper-body injury. While it makes my job a heck of a lot harder, I can understand why coach Mike Babcock remains tight-lipped to protect his young star player. Unfortunately, that means day-to-day is all I have for you!

Corey Perry – Alright Anaheim, this is getting a little ridiculous. It seems Ryan Getzlaf only came off the injured list to tag in Corey Perry, who is now week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Despite Perry seeing his teammates drop left and right throughout the season, he is producing at just under a 60-point pace. He has been working out off the ice and getting around without crutches, so it doesn’t appear to be severe. Expect another update in a week when he is reevaluated. 

Cam Talbot – Edmonton’s netminder skated with the team on Tuesday, but still no return date available. While Laurent Brossoit did struggle early on in Talbot’s absence, he has allowed only five goals in his last three starts, recording a couple of wins in the process. If he continues to string some quality starts together, the Oilers can make sure Talbot is 100% before he returns.

Matt Murray – Matt Murray vs. Marc-Andre Fleury on Thursday? Yes please! The Penguins’ goaltender has been activated from injured reserve after missing six games with a lower-body injury.

TJ Oshie – Coach Barry Trotz is hoping to have Oshie practice with the team on Friday, which means he won’t be in the lineup Thursday when Washington takes on Boston.

Taylor Hall – As I write this, the Devils’ forward seems to have sustained an injury in this collision. An update should be out by Wednesday morning. My Twitter should have the latest! With 31 points in 30 games this season, he has been providing some great production in a shallow group of left wing options, so let’s hope this isn’t serious.

UPDATE:

#NJDevils:

Taylor Hall has a right knee contusion. Hynes says no damage to knee.

•Will NOT travel to Montreal.

•Listed as day-to-day.

•Won’t face #Habs Thursday night.

— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) December 13, 2017

Jaden Schwartz – The Blues’ forward will miss six weeks with an ankle injury. It’s a shame because he was having such an amazing season with 35 points in 30 games. With Paul Stastny and Vladimir Sobotka currently playing with Vladimir Tarasenko, now might be best time to trade Brayden Schenn.

Devan Dubnyk – Left Tuesday’s game after the first period with a lower-body injury. After the game, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters that he didn’t think the injury was serious, but that he will know more on Wednesday.

UPDATE: 

Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk undergoing MRI; Jared Spurgeon returns to practice. By @MNBrianHall https://t.co/9IaQvQJFDy

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) December 13, 2017

The Second Liners (40%-75% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Ryan Johansen – Coach Peter Laviolette hinted at some game-time decisions before Wednesday’s game against the Canucks, and there’s a good chance Johansen is one of them.  In any case, expect him to return at some point during this Western Canadian road trip.

Kyle Palmieri – Getting closer to a return, but it will not be Thursday night against the Canadiens.  

Justin Schultz – Coach Mike Sullivan called Schultz “a little more than week to week”, and while he didn’t want to put an exact time on it, he said it was going to be at least a couple of weeks. We’re almost a week into that timetable with no further updates.

Mika Zibanejad – Won’t take on his former team in Ottawa on Wednesday, but will practice on Thursday.

Jared Spurgeon – Should be practicing with the team Wednesday, and could be an option later this week.

Roberto Luongo – A lower-body injury is expected to keep Luongo out for “an extended period of time”. We still don’t know exactly how long that is, so we’ll treat it as a week-to-week situation until a more concrete timetable comes out. James Reimer hasn’t given us much to be excited about this season, but he does face Arizona on the 19^th, so maybe you can pick him up for a spot start then. Rumor has it the Panthers are in the market for a goalie, so keep an eye out for that.

Marcus Johansson – Day-to-day with an ankle bruise. With only 15 games played, he hasn’t had the best luck staying healthy on his new team. Curse of New Jersey? Curse of the….Devils?

Ryan Kesler – The Ducks’ forward has been making good progress since off-season hip surgery, and will travel with the team as they had hoped. Keep in mind, this is a six-game road trip that spans from December 14 to December 23 so we might have to wait a little longer. With how well John Gibson is playing, a healthy Ducks’ roster seems terrifying. Maybe that’s why the universe doesn’t want it to happen. 

The Depth Guys (10%-40% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Bo Horvat – Could miss up to six weeks with a fractured foot. Remember that Canucks top line of Sven Baertschi, Bo Horvat, and Brock Boeser? Well, and then there was one. 

Zach Parise – Although a lot of our Injury Ward patients have come and gone, Zach Parise has been with us for seven weeks while recovering from back surgery. Still no word on when exactly he’ll be back, but he has been progressing well (skating and puck handling) and could start practicing with the team very soon!

Adam Larsson – Will be a game-day decision on Thursday when the Oilers take on the Predators. Larsson had missed six games after tweaking his back, so hopefully Connor McDavid doesn’t suffer the same fate after carrying this team.

Jan Rutta – You know which Blackhawks’ defenseman is averaging over 20 minutes of ice time and has one less point than Duncan Keith? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not Brent Seabrook! Jan Rutta has been quietly providing value in deeper leagues, but is at the very least day-to-day after some scary contact to the head.

Alexander Kerfoot – Day-to-day with a leg injury, not a foot injury. Ker-leg just doesn’t have the same ring to it… He has pretty quietly put up 21 points in 29 games, which is not bad for a rookie!

Johnny Boychuk – Was healthy enough to be a game-time decision on Monday (although he didn’t play), expect him to be back Wednesday against Dallas unless he experiences a setback.

Brandon Dubinsky – Left Tuesday’s game late in the third period after this brief fight with Zack Kassian:

After the game, there was some concern that Dubinsky suffered a facial injury, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

The Mr. Irrelevants (<10% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Nick Ritchie: Should be practicing Wednesday, will travel with the team on their road trip that begins Thursday in St. Louis.

Jaromir Jagr: Although he had been skating, he missed a fourth straight game on Tuesday and it’s turning into a situation we need to monitor daily. Considering Michael Ferland is the one skating with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, it might be time to part ways with him in your fantasy leagues.

Sven Baertschi – From his low ownership, I’m guessing most of you know he’s out four to six weeks with a fractured jaw.

Steve Mason – Was activated from injured reserve on Monday, although the Jets elected to start Connor Hellebuyck for Monday’s game against the Canucks. Mason was sidelined with a concussion.