The latest injury information on Quick, Barrie, Gallagher, Varlamov, Palat and more…

The Big Guns (>80% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Jonathan Quick – Continues to skate, continues to make progress. Fantasy owners were made well aware that Quick’s road to recovery would be a long one, and although patience is running thin, it must still be exercised. This seems like a great time to give Peter Budaj a (quick) shout out for the great work he has been doing in Quick’s absence, specifically 25 wins, a 2.02 GAA and .920 SV%.

Evgeni Malkin – The Penguins’ superstar skated in a non-contact jersey on Monday, but missed his fifth consecutive game on Wednesday with a lower-body injury. Malkin’s value has always been hindered by his injury history, but fantasy owners have to appreciate the 54 points he put up in 47 games so far this season. He continues to progress well, so keep an eye out for any news on his return.

The Second Liners (50%-80% owned in Yahoo Leagues)    

Sami Vatanen – the Anaheim Ducks missed their talented blue-liner in Tuesday night’s loss to the Rangers. Although he hasn't been skating, he continues to progress and should make his return to the lineup in the near future.

Jason Spezza – The veteran forward will miss at least a week with an upper-body injury. Although there was some concern Spezza had suffered a concussion on the play, coach Lindy Ruff made it clear that that wasn’t the case. With 31 points in 45 games this season, Spezza continues to provide the Stars with secondary scoring at the tail end of his career.

Tyson Barrie – The Avalanche defensemen was absent from the lineup Tuesday night with a lower-body injury. Barrie has now missed six of the last eight games, entertaining the idea that he was rushed back into action before he was feeling a hundred percent. With 23 points in 44 games this season, this seems to be and off-year for the blue-liner, and the team as a whole.

The Depth Guys (20%-50% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Semyon Varlamov – The Avalanche net-minder will need the rest of the season to recover from hip surgery. Although Colorado and Varlamov have struggled in recent years, this information could prove to be advantageous in the future, considering Varlamov’s history of groin issues. This means Calvin Pickard will be seeing a lot of action in the coming months, but I wouldn’t exactly recommend him.

Brendan Gallagher – Getting closer and closer to return after suffering a hand injury from a Shea Weber clapper. He won’t be in the lineup Thursday against the Coyotes, but expect to see him back in one of the following games. The Habs have certainly missed the gritty forward in their current four-game losing streak, in which they’ve only managed three goals.

Robby Fabbri – With 29 points in 51 games this season, the St. Louis Blues’ forward was on pace to improve on the 37 points he put up in his rookie season. Unfortunately, a torn ACL in his left knee will keep the young winger out of the lineup for the rest of the season. He should be ready for next season’s training camp, and as some are likely to forget about him because of this injury, you might be able to steal some value at the end of your fantasy draft.

Ondrej Palat – The Lightning forward still hasn’t recovered from a lower-body injury, and remains day-to-day. Many were counting on a bounce back season from Palat, and although 25 in 47 games isn’t awful, it isn’t great either. Keep an eye on how he and Tampa Bay close out the campaign.

The Mr. Irrelevants (<20% owned in Yahoo Leagues)

Zach Bogosian – The Sabres’ defenseman missed his third consecutive game on Tuesday night when Buffalo took on the Sharks. He remains day-to-day with a rib injury, allowing Rasmus Ristolainen to continue eating up minutes in his absence.  With only five point on the season, any value that Bogosian has can be found in his peripheral stats.

David Savard – Although the Blue Jackets’ defenseman missed his fourth straight game on Tuesday against the Red Wings, he skated before the team’s practice on Monday. Savard has played a big role in Columbus’ success this year, and is a plus-19 after 45 games.

Niklas Kronwall – It’s no secret that Nicklas Kronwall isn’t the same defenseman he was years ago, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a spot on some fantasy hockey rosters. He’s currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Frans Nielsen – Same status as Nicklas Kronwall at this point, both short term injuries that shouldn’t affect either player in the long term.

Erik Johnson –  Although he has been skating, there is currently no timetable for Johnson’s return. He continues to work hard off the ice, and has been skating separately from his teammates. Keep an eye out for a more substantial update as he continues to recover from a broken fibula.

Carl Hagelin – Concussion. Skated on Monday. Figured I’d make this update as fast as possible, to mirror the speed the kid shows on the ice. Doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that it’s less work for me…