J.Staal hurt, Drouin hurt, Datsyuk hurt, camp cuts are starting, my advice on some NHL player props and more …

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Fantasy Guide updated as of today

Jordan Staal’s injury is a broken leg. Ouch! I would imagine recover time is 4-6 weeks. And that’s a lot of ice time to spread around now. And since Skinner, Semin and Eric Staal already get ice time – look for Tlusty, Lindholm and Boychuk to get a boost.

Penguins made some big roster cuts, including goalies Matt Murray, Eric Hartzell, Tristan Jarry, and forwards Anton Zlobin and Tom Kuhnhackl

Derek Stepan was back in practice today after missing time with a foot injury – but was helped off the ice after collapsing in pain holding his knee. Doesn’t look good – UPDATE – broken fibula, out until mid-November. Does any other Fantasy Guide have a Draft List right now that is adjusted based on Stepan’s leg injury? Didn’t think so! Get the edge! Buy it here!

Also, Drouin’s injury (below) is a broken thumb, to be more specific.

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The big news of the day is that most people’s Calder favorite – Jonathan Drouin – is out three-four weeks with a broken hand. Terrible news for Drouin, but it also puts a kink into the plans of fantasy owners. Especially those in one-year leagues. Now where do you draft him? Let’s say he gets back after missing the first seven NHL games. Does Steve Yzerman send him down to junior? Even the patient Yzerman has to admit that junior hockey would be a joke for Drouin. If he was eligible for the AHL, it would make things easier. I’m certain that he’d go there for a couple of months, get used to pro hockey there, and then finish the second half with the Lightning. But because he has to go to junior, I think the team keeps him. They’ll ease him into the lineup, so maybe he’ll play four of the first six games before getting on the roster full time. So the proper play here is to assume 73 games. So in my Fantasy Guide, that means 73 games, 48 points. That would take him out of the Calder race.