Injury Ward: Byfuglien News, McCann, Doughty, Eberle, Hischier, & Forsberg

Brennan Des

2019-10-16

 

Here’s the latest news in the world of NHL injuries! To see injury updates from around the league as soon as they’re made public, follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza!

 

David Krejci – The Bruins forward left Monday’s game against the Ducks with what is believed to be a lower-body injury. The issue arose in the first period, but he did take a couple of shifts in the second period before ultimately leaving the game. We’re currently under the assumption that this ailment is related to the one that kept him out of the season opener. At this point, his status for Thursday’s clash with the Lightning is still up in the air. Expect an update from the team at some point on Wednesday.

 

Conor ShearyHas been on the ice recently but he remains week-to-week with an upper-body injury. 

 

Josh Anderson – The 25-year-old has been skating with the team’s strength and conditioning coach, which is a positive sign as he recovers from an upper-body injury. With that being said, he hasn’t been practicing with his teammates, so he probably won’t be in the lineup when the Blue Jackets host the Stars on Wednesday. 

 

Corey Perry – After playing almost 1000 games with the Ducks, Perry could play his first game in a new jersey on Wednesday night. The 34-year-old was deemed a game-time decision for Wednesday’s game against Columbus. He’s had the past few weeks off while recovering from a broken foot. The Stars are off to a slow start with just one win through seven games, let’s see if Perry’s presence can give the team a much-needed boost. 

 

Drew Doughty – With a minute left in Tuesday’s game against the Hurricanes, he was sent into the boards face-first following some contact from Jordan Staal. Coach Todd McLellan revealed that Doughty was being evaluated by medical staff but seemed to feel pretty good. The Kings host the Sabres on Thursday, Doughty’s status for that game hasn’t yet been determined. 

 

 

Mats Zuccarello – Suffered a few bumps and bruises during Saturday’s loss to the Penguins. As a result, he was held out of the lineup on Monday against the Senators and Tuesday against the Leafs. He’s travelling with the team and could return to face the Canadiens on Thursday. 

 

Filip ForsbergLeft Tuesday’s game against the Golden Knights halfway through the third period. We know he was evaluated by medical staff, but the team hasn’t provided any other information. Forsberg is off to an excellent start to the 2019-2020 campaign, with five goals and three assists in six games. Nashville is currently the highest-scoring team in the league with 4.67 goals for per game. While Forsberg is a big part of their offense, Matt Duchene, Viktor Arvidsson, Ryan Johansen, Mikael Granlund and Kyle Turris are also very capable of scoring. As a result, don’t expect Forsberg to be thrust back into the lineup if he isn’t feeling 100%. 

 

Nico Hischier – Is officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Considering he has two points in six games this season and is currently out with injury, it would seem that his fantasy hockey value is at its lowest. I firmly believe the Devils will turn things around soon, so now might be a good time to buy low on Hischier. 

 

Jordan Eberle – It’s “doubtful” that Eberle will be in the lineup on Thursday when the Islanders take on the Jets. He’s officially day-to-day with a lower-body injury. In his absence, New York’s top-six features Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal and Tom Kuhnackl on the first line, with Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson and Michael Dal Colle on the second line. I’m not rushing to grab anyone from the waiver wire as Eberle should be back soon and New York isn’t considered a high-scoring team. 

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Nolan Patrick – On Saturday he practiced with his teammates for the first time this season, but it doesn’t sound like his return is imminent. He has been skating on his own for the past month and while there has been progress, it hasn’t exactly been quick and consistent. Patrick is dealing with a migraine disorder that allows him to feel good on some days but creates great discomfort on other days.  He needs to be pain-free for a decent stretch before getting medical clearance to play again. 

 

Jared McCann – The Penguins forward is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Despite all the injuries to Pittsburgh’s forward core, the team has managed to win their last three games – scoring a total of 15 goals in the process. 

 

Travis DermottPracticed with the team on Monday, sporting a regular sweater. It would seem that his recovery from shoulder surgery is nearing its end and we should be expecting him back in the lineup within the next couple of weeks. With that being said, coach Mike Babcock said Dermott was a “long way from getting out of jail” on October 11th. Although it’s encouraging to see him participate in practice, we’ll need some more concrete information from the team before activating him in our fantasy leagues. 

 

Zach Hyman – Hyman’s situation is very similar to Dermott’s which I described above. He’s been practicing but coach Babcock hasn’t hinted at a return any time soon. Hyman’s absence in Toronto’s lineup has been noticeable as Kasperi Kapanen isn’t as effective alongside John Tavares and Mitch Marner

 

Malcolm Subban – Is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and fortunately isn’t expected to be out for a long time. Coach Gerard Gallant opted to start Marc-Andre Fleury on both ends of the team’s back-to-back this past weekend. He allowed two goals against the Flames on Saturday and two goals against the Kings on Sunday – registering two wins in the process. Fleury did allow five goals on Tuesday against the Predators, but it was his third start in four days and he wasn’t solely to blame for all the goals allowed. 

 

Bryan Little – Has been skating, but hasn’t been taking contact. We still don’t have a concrete timeline for when he’ll return from a concussion – but that’s to be expected with most injuries of that nature. 

 

Non-Injury Related Absences

 

Jacob Markstrom – Is on a leave of absence for a family matter. He has been excellent this season, sporting a 2.23 GAA and .926 SV% through four starts. He’s expected to rejoin the team this weekend as they face they Devils on Saturday and the Rangers on Sunday. Thatcher Demko faced the Red Wings on Tuesday and conceded just one goal on 27 shots en route to a 5-1 win. 

 

Dustin ByfuglienDarren Dreger recently reported that there’s a “growing sense of optimism” surrounding Byfuglien’s return to the Jets. While that’s encouraging news, I think it’s too vague to be actionable information in your fantasy hockey league. Sure, if you’ve somehow already built up a sizeable lead, then maybe you don’t mind if Byfuglien eats up one of your roster spots. However, I’d rather wait for a more concrete update. Even if Byfuglien does return, won’t he need time to get back in form and adjust to the speed of midseason hockey? I think you’ll benefit from exercising patience in this situation. Let someone else grab him now and then you can buy low if Byfuglien struggles when he first returns. 

 

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