Updates on Marchand, Weber, Malkin, and more…

A few more big names than usual will be missing action this week. While I try my best to keep this information up to date, injury updates can be sporadic. So following @BrennanDeSouza on Twitter might be a good idea!

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

Brad Marchand – The Bruins’ forward won’t be in the lineup Wednesday night when Boston takes on New Jersey. This will be the fourth straight game Marchand misses, and the sixth in a span of eight games. He had participated in practice, taking some light contact but is not yet in a position to return to action. While this is a good opportunity to buy low on a high quality left wing, the Bruins haven’t provided many details on the nature of the injury, so proceed with caution.

Shea Weber – The Canadiens’ defenseman was a very late scratch Tuesday night against the Stars. At the time of writing this, all we really know is that it’s a lower-body injury and he hasn’t yet been ruled out for Wednesday’s game in Nashville. To me, the fact that Weber was scratched so close to game time indicates a lack of severity. Of course, I could be completely off base, but it seems like a fair assumption to make. 

Rasmus Ristolainen – Has been skating, but that hasn’t changed his week-to-week status.

Torey Krug – Very similar situation to Brad Marchand, as Krug will also miss Wednesday’s game against the Devils. Not many details available regarding the actual injury (upper-body isn’t very descriptive), but he has been skating in a non-contact jersey. Despite Krug’s early struggles, he put up nine points in eight games before the injury, but his absence creates an opening for young Charlie McAvoy.

Carey Price – Has been practicing with his teammates. With Charlie Lindgren faltering recently (10 goals against in his last two games), perhaps Price’s return is just around the corner. Although the Montreal media continues to magnify the Canadiens’ brutal season so far, the team can’t give into the pressure. Management is well aware that with Carey’s eight-year contract, his long-term health is more important than the team’s short-term success.

Ryan McDonagh – An abdominal strain will keep the Rangers defenseman out of the lineup on Wednesday night. It seems that the issue has been lingering for a month and doctors want to take a closer look at it. Expect a more detailed timetable to come out Wednesday.

Evgeni Malkin – An upper-body injury will keep the Penguins’ forward out of the lineup Wednesday when Pittsburgh takes on Vancouver. Expect more details in the coming days about the severity of the injury and how long it will keep the him out. He has been amazing to start the season with 21 points in 22 games, but we all knew the annual injury was coming. Hopefully we’re getting it out of the way before your fantasy hockey playoffs.

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

Marc-Andre Fleury – Malcolm Subban is healthy again, but Gerard Gallant sill has no definitive update on Fleury’s status. I really wish I could give you something more, but the unpredictable nature of concussions is leaving all of us in the dark.

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

Ryan Miller – Has been facing shots but is yet to participate in a team practice. The Ducks are hoping to see him practicing with the team sometime next week. Reto Berra had a quality shootout win against the Sharks on Monday night, giving up only two goals. John Gibson has also been playing quite well despite all of Anaheim’s injuries, so no rush for Miller to return.

Alexander Wennberg – A “full body” injury has kept him day-to-day, but he has been skating.

Derek Dorsett – Last year, Dorsett underwent a cervical fusion procedure that involved pulling vocal chords aside to pull a disk out of his neck, and removing a chunk of bone from his hip. To put things into perspective, the same procedure caused NFL quarterback Peyton Manning to miss an entire season. Fortunately, the rehab went well for Dorsett and put him in a position to score 9 points in 20 games this season. While that might not seem like much, he’s on pace to set a career high in points. At this point, Dorsett has been feeling stiffness in his back and neck and the medical staff wants to take a closer look because of his history. Here’s wishing him all the best!

Zach Parise – Will begin skating next week. No stick handling. No shooting. Just skating.

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

David Backes – 18 days after having 10 inches of his colon removed, David Backes is back on the ice. 18 days. If I have a cold I’ll take 18 sick days. It might still be a while before Backes returns to action considering the original timetable was eight weeks.

Radim Vrbata – Won’t be in the lineup Wednesday night when the Panthers take on the Leafs. The team hasn’t revealed anything about the injury yet, so ‘undisclosed’ is the best way to describe it right now.