IR Report – the latest on Mats Zuccarello, Tyler Johnson, Max Pacioretty, Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Backstrom and more…

Time to get caught up with how well Backstrom, Datsyuk, Vasilevskiy, etc, are doing.

With preseason coming up quickly, fantasy rosters are about as healthy as they can get. However, not all players are so lucky. Let’s make sure that you’re aware of any health updates before opening day.

WASHINGTON Nicklas Backstrom – Even though he’s skating, the Capitals’ number one center still might not be available when they hit the ice. However, it shouldn’t be much longer than that before he’s back among the living. Er, the healthy.

BUFFALO Ryan O’Reilly – ROR’s impaired driving charges could have him facing up to six months in jail. Given how likely a conviction is (the dude had a one-of-a-kind car that he had pictures of on his Instagram account), you could be drafting someone who might miss a majority of the season. Then again, rich and powerful athletes have a way of avoiding such harsh penalties. His court date is September 10.

DALLAS Brett Ritchie – Ritchie tore a ligament in his wrist taking a shot during practice, and will sit out three to four months. Stars GM Jim Nill said that he's got "a good chance of making [the] roster" when he eventually recovers.

DETROIT Pavel Datsyuk – The Magic Man’s ankle surgery will keep him on the IR until around November. Doctors will take another look at his ankle in mid-September.

LOS ANGELES Mike Richards – O’Reilly’s not the only one who’s due in court on September 10^th. Richards is facing possession charges by the RCMP. His contract is terminated, but the NHLPA’s grievance has yet to be addressed. Until now, there hasn’t been a date set for that hearing. Needless to say, the implications of it will seriously impact the NHL going forward. If a team can void a contract for material breach based on such vague language, how long until the Hawks cut bait with Patrick Kane? Teams who think their hands are tied might not hesitate anymore to start giving out long term, front-loaded deals again (to the extent that they can, the CBA did a pretty good job there), only to cut them short when the big decline happens.

LOS ANGELES Slava Voynov – The Kings’ defenceman might soon be the Kings’ former defenceman. He was taken into custody by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Department until a hearing can determine his fate. If he ends up being deported, his only fantasy relevance will be in KHL pools. If that weren’t enough, he also tore his Achilles tendon in April, which would put him on the shelf until at least October, unless he’s sharing a doctor with Erik Karlsson.

TAMPA BAY Ben Bishop – Weber’s subfluxed kneecap wasn’t the only injury in the postseason. Bishop suffered a torn groin muscle, allowing Vasilevskiy to shine for the Lightning. However, his recovery has gone swimmingly.

TAMPA BAY Andrey Vasilevskiy – He rescued the Lightning from Bishop’s injury woes, but now it’s time to return the favour. Vasilevskiy is out due to an unusual blood clot. Vascular surgery recovery will keep him out up to 3 months. Thankfully, the Lightning only have two back-to-backs in that time, so Vasilevskiy wasn’t likely to play a lot anyways.

TAMPA BAY Tyler Johnson – Last up for Tampa, Steve Yzerman has stated that Johnson will be ready to start training camp on the 17^th.

MINNESOTA Thomas Vanek – Coming off double hernia surgery, Vanek has felt healthy enough to skate, and says he’s good to go for the season. Apparently, the hernias bothered him during a lot of the latter part of last season, so a bounce-back might be in the cards.

MINNESOTA Niklas Backstrom – The less fantasy-relevant Backstrom is scheduled to see team doctors on September 11^th. For the five owners who might actually own a 37-year-old backup goalie with nerve damage in his elbow, he’s likely to be on the Wild roster sooner rather than later.

MONTREAL Max Pacioretty – Even if he couldn’t work out, Pacioretty’s knee is healing well, and he should be available to start the season.

NASHVILLE Shea Weber – After missing the last four games of the Predators’ postseason due to a “subluxed kneecap” (whatever that is), Weber said he “feels good”. Expect him to return to Nashville’s star-studded blue line at the season start in October.

NY RANGERS Ryan McDonagh – The Rangers’ captain’s foot is “getting better every day and feeling pretty much 100 percent at this point now”, according to the man himself. Expect him to be in the lineup when the Blueshirts face reigning cup champions on Oct 7^th.

NY RANGERS Mats Zuccarello – Like McDonagh, Zuccarello has been given a clean bill of health. A brain injury is nothing to scoff at though, so I’d keep tabs on his situation.

OTTAWA Chris Phillips – After having surgery to heal a bulging disc in his back on August 20th, Phillips’ recovery was set back when he suffered a crack in the disc. The Senators hope he will be available to play in the second half of the season.

OTTAWA Mark Stone – Last season’s rookie sensation (or was that Ekblad? Or Johnny Hockey? Or Forsberg? Whatever, Stone’s the topic here) spent the summer recovering from Subban’s two-handed swing. It looks like it worked, as the 23-year-old forward has said that he’s 100%.

ST. LOUIS Jori Lehtera – After injuring his ankle late in the season, Lehtera delayed surgery until August. His recovery could take up to eight weeks, which would get him healthy just before the season’s start.

ST. LOUIS Patrik Berglund – After hurting his shoulder on August 27^th, Berglund’s prognosis is four months on the shelf. Only the deeper leagues will miss his 27 points, but there it is.

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