The 2021 Dobber Hockey Midseason Guide is now available! It has all the information you need to make a run for your league's title, including first-half analysis, second-half projections, and prospect coverage to prepare you for the future. It's hard to keep up with everything going on across the league with this year's condensed schedule, but the guide certainly helps me stay on top of things!

Here's the latest injury news from across the NHL, and there's a lot to get through! If you're looking for information about a specific player and don't see their name in this article, there probably hasn't been any significant updates about their progress since last week's article. If you ever need injury updates for a specific player, shoot me a message on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza. 

John Gibson – Missed Tuesday's game with a lower-body injury and is officially day-to-day. He had an excellent start to the season, winning five of his first 12 games, with a 2.26 GAA and .923 save percentage. He's struggled recently, registering just one win through his last 11 games while putting up a 3.98 GAA and .863 save percentage. 

Antti Raanta – Wasn't available for Tuesday's game against the Wild and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Adin Hill should see a few more starts with both Raanta and Darcy Kuemper sidelined. 

Darcy Kuemper – There haven't been any substantial updates since we learned last week that a knee injury would cause Kuemper to miss significant time, with early indications suggesting a timetable of up to four weeks. Last we heard, Kuemper was out week-to-week and had returned to Arizona for further evaluation.  

Ondrej Kase – The 25-year-old forward continues to skate on his own. He still hasn't been cleared to skate with the team and there's no word on when exactly he'll be back. Kase has been out since January 16^th, when he suffered an upper-body injury in Boston's second game of the 2021 campaign.  

Tuukka Rask – The Bruins netminder has been unavailable for the past week as he recovers from a lingering injury. Rask has been skating recently and seems to be progressing well. At this point, there's no reason to believe this is a long-term issue. Jaroslav Halak is more than capable of stepping into a bigger role while Rask is sidelined. The Slovakian netminder sports a 2.15 GAA and .918 save percentage through 12 appearances this year. Halak got the night off on Tuesday, opening the door for Dan Vladar to get his first career start in the NHL. He stopped 34 of 35 shots en route to a 2-1 win over the Penguins. 

Jack Eichel – Last we heard; Buffalo's captain was expected to be out for the foreseeable future with an upper-body issue. While the injury wasn't thought to be season-ending, there's still no timetable for his return. There's some speculation that Eichel may be out for roughly eight weeks with a neck injury, however that hasn't been confirmed just yet. We continue to wait on an official announcement as he presumably seeks additional opinions and explores treatment options. With the Sabres out of the playoff picture, you can expect the team to be cautious with Eichel's recovery as they prioritize his long-term health. 

Dylan Cozens – The Sabres' rookie is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, sustained after an awkward hit into the boards on March 11^th. He seems to be progressing well and the team hopes to get him back within the next few days. 

Vincent Trocheck – Early indications suggest that an upper-body injury may keep Trocheck sidelined long term, but he's officially week-to-week. The team should have a clearer understanding about his status soon, now that they've returned home to Carolina. Trocheck has been excellent this season, posting 24 points through 24 appearances. 

Teuvo Teravainen – The 26-year-old winger was on the ice for Saturday's practice, but didn't take any contact. Teravainen is still dealing with a concussion and we don't know when he'll be back in the lineup. I've said before how concussion recovery is extremely unpredictable, as different people have different experiences. Once he's cleared for contact, we can start getting optimistic about a return.   

Petr Mrazek – It's been six weeks since Mrazek underwent surgery on his right thumb. He's been medically cleared to play and now it's just a matter of him being comfortable. There's no reason to rush Mrazek back as the Hurricanes have been playing very well, with Alex Nedeljkovic proving some excellent goaltending. Nedeljkovic has won six of his nine games, posting a 2.08 GAA and .929 save percentage in the process. 

Kirby Dach – The third overall pick of the 2019 draft underwent wrist surgery in late December that came with a recovery period of four to five months. Dach was on the ice for Chicago's optional practice last Monday – roughly two months into that original timetable. He wasn't supposed to be taking contact, but the few accidental bumps he took in practice did make his wrist sore. Although his cardio and lower-body strength are game-ready, his wrist strength and mobility are still limited. He's ahead of schedule, but I'd say he's at least a month away from being back in the lineup. Once he gets cleared to take contact in practice, I think we can start getting optimistic about a return. 

Dylan Strome – The 23-year-old forward has skated since entering concussion protocol a few weeks ago, but there's still no timetable for his return.There'sa great deal of variability in the concussion recovery process, as different people need different amounts of time to return to full health. As a result, you can never really put a timetable on these things. 

Cale Makar – Was on the ice in a regular jersey (indicating that he could take contact) during Tuesday morning's skate. An upper-body injury has kept him out of the lineup for almost three weeks now. While he's progressing well, there's still no timetable for his return. He's been excellent when healthy, tallying 14 points through 15 games this year. With Makar sidelined, Samuel Girard has seen a more prominent power-play role and has tallied ten points in his last ten games.

Bowen Byram – Should be medically cleared to play on Thursday against the Wild. An upper-body injury has kept the rookie defenseman sidelined for the last two and a half weeks. 

Gustav Nyquist – On November 3^rd, the 31-year-old forward had surgery to repair a labral tear of his left shoulder. We're just over four months into the original five to six-month timetable that came with the procedure and Nyquist is back on the ice. He isn't taking contact just yet, so he still has a ways to go before getting returning, but this marks an encouraging step in the recovery process. 

Ben Bishop – The Stars netminder underwent knee surgery in October, which came with a recovery timeline of approximately five months. That original timetable has just about run its course and it sounds like Bishop is now three to five weeksaway from returning to the lineup. 

Roope Hintz – Missed Tuesday's game against the Lightning due to a lower-body injury. He was listed as a game-time decision – which has been a frequent occurrence this season. It's thought to be a lingering issue that has caused him to miss a number of games this year. It seems to be a situation where the team continues to monitor his status every day and before every game. Injuries have limited Hintz to just 17 games, but he's been productive when healthy, posting 15 points in those games. 

Tyler Seguin – In early November, the Stars forward underwent hip surgery which came with a five-month recovery period. He's been skating recently and should be back in the lineup within the next three to five weeks. 

Bobby Ryan – Missed Tuesday's game against the Hurricanes due to an undisclosed injury. His status was 'questionable' before the game – the fact that he wasn't ruled out immediately makes me think the injury isn't too serious. 

Tyler Bertuzzi – There haven't been any significant updates about Bertuzzi's status recently. Last we heard, he was progressing well but still not ready to practice. We don't know much about the upper-body injury he's dealing with, but we do know it isn't a concussion. He's been sidelined since January 30^thand there's still no timetable for his return. 

Jujhar Khaira – May have suffered a concussion while fighting Brett Ritchie during Monday's game against the Flames. He's officially day-to-day. 

Tyson Barrie – The Oilers' defenseman is day-to-day with a lower-body injury he sustained during Monday's game against the Flames. He didn't skate on Tuesday and probably won't be available for Wednesday's rematch against Calgary. Barrie has had a strong year offensively, posting 24 points through 31 games. 

Zack Kassian – Has been looking good in practice recently but is still waiting on medical clearance to play. As I write this, his status for Wednesday's game hasn't been determined but it sounds like he's getting really close to a return. He's been sidelined for over a month with an upper-body injury. 

Jonathan Quick – No significant updates since we heard the Kings netminder was day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He had been placed on injured reserve (IR) retroactive to March 6^th, but that transaction shouldn't delay his return. He's already been sidelined for seven days – which is the required length of absence before players can be activated from IR. 

Dustin Brown – The Kings forward is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He's had a strong year from a fantasy perspective, making significant contributions to the shots and hits categories while posting 19 points through 26 games. 

Ben Chiarot – On Monday, the Canadiens' defenseman underwent surgery to repair a fractured hand. He'll be out for the next six to eight weeks, with the team optimistic it'll be closer to six weeks than eight. 

Juuse Saros – Nashville's netminder has been sidelined for the past two weeks with an upper-body injury. Coach John Hynes said Saros has been looking good and should be ready to return fairly soon. Pekka Rinne has struggled in Saros' absence, posting a 4.10 GAA and .879 save percentage over seven appearances.

Mark Borowiecki – The 31-year-old defenseman is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. 

Nico Hischier – On Monday, the Devils' captain underwent surgery to repair a sinus fracture. He'll be sidelined for approximately three weeks as he recovers from the procedure. Hischier suffered the injury after a slapshot deflected and hit his visor, causing the visor to push hard into his face. 

Anders Lee – Will have surgery to repair a torn ACL this week and will miss the rest of this season as a result. 22-year-old Kieffer Bellows could take on an increased role with Lee sidelined, but the team is likely to acquire help from outside the organization through a trade. 

Igor Shesterkin – There haven't been any significant updates since we learned last week that Igor was day-to-day with a mild groin strain. It seems to be a nagging situation that has kept him out for longer than the team originally anticipated. However, it isn't believed to be a long-term issue. 

Matt Murray – Ottawa's netminder is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won't be available against the Canucks on Wednesday night. 

John Marino – The Penguins defenseman is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. After posting 21 points in his last 36 games of the 2019-2020 campaign, he's fallen victim to the sophomore slump, tallying just four points through 25 games this year. 

Teddy Blueger – The 26-year-old forward will be out longer-term with an upper-body injury. He had been on a hot streak with four points in five games prior to the injury. 

Evgeni Malkin – Geno left Tuesday's game against the Bruins with a lower-body issue. He sustained the injury after a hit from Jarred Tinordi, which caused his knee to bend backwards as it absorbed much of the impact. He's currently being evaluated and we should have more information in the coming days. 

Colton Parayko – Has been making progress but still hasn't started skating. There's still no timetable for his return as he recovers from what is believed to be a back injury. 

Jaden Schwartz – The Blues forward is very close to returning from a lower-body injury and could be available as soon as Friday against the Sharks. He last played on February 12^th. 

Robert Thomas – On February 7^th, it was announced that Thomas would be re-evaluated in four to six weeks as he recovered from a broken thumb. We're just over five weeks into that timetable and Thomas is back on the ice. He should start skating with his teammates soon, which will give us a better indication of how he's doing and when he'll be ready to return. 

Wayne Simmonds – On February 8^th, it was announced that Simmonds would miss six weeks of action due to a broken wrist. That timetable has just about run its course and it sounds like he'll return very soon. As I write this, coach Sheldon Keefe is waiting to hear whether Simmonds will be available to face Calgary this weekend. 

Jack Campbell – Toronto's backup has been sidelined with a nagging lower-body injury. Coach Sheldon Keefe is optimistic that Campbell may be available for Saturday's game against the Flames. 

Elias Pettersson – Won't join the team as they close out the final three games of their road trip, which extends to March 20^th. We haven't had many updates about his status recently, we just know he's dealing with an upper-body injury. 

Tyler Motte – The Canucks forward participated in Tuesday's practice and could be available for Wednesday's clash with the Senators. He's been sidelined for over a month with a lower-body injury. 

Alex Pietrangelo – No update since we heard that Pietrangelo returned to Vegas for further evaluation of an upper-body injury. Coach Pete DeBoer simply reiterated that he didn't think Pietrangelo would be out long term. 

Robin Lehner – Vegas' netminder had been sidelined for over a month with a concussion, but finally feels healthy and ready to play. He's been activated from injured reserve and while he won't start against the Sharks on Wednesday, he should be available on Friday against the Kings. Lehner hasn't been great this year, posting a 2.96 GAA and .890 save percentage through five games. However, he's been excellent in recent years and should return to form as the season progresses.

Lars Eller – The Capitals forward is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. 

NHL's COVID-19 Protocol List

Below is a list of fantasy-relevant players that are currently unable to practice, travel or play games due to COVID protocols. 

Players can end up on this list for a number of different reasons, including an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed and subject to confirmatory testing, mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals, required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol, isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol (Source: NHL.com). 

Noah Dobson

Adam Fox

Pavel Buchnevich