Injury Ward: Driedger and Verhaege; update on Arvidsson; Rangers issues, and more

Brennan Des

2021-05-05

Here's the latest injury news from across the NHL! If you're looking for information about a specific player and don't see their name in this article, there probably haven'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.

Cam FowlerThe 29-year-old defenseman left Monday's clash with the Blues after suffering a head injury. His status for Wednesday's rematch with St. Louis looks positive.

Jamie Drysdale – Anaheim's rookie defenceman is day-to-day with a lower-body injury but should be in the lineup tonight. Drysdale has seven points in 21 games this season. He's displayed high-end offensive abilities at the NHL level and should be on your fantasy hockey radar in the coming years.

Nick SchmaltzIs day-to-day with an upper-body injury after a puck ricocheted off the crossbar and hit him in the head during Monday's pregame warmup. He was wearing a helmet, which hopefully absorbed most of the impact. Schmaltz participated in Wednesday morning's skate, but his status for the subsequent game against LA is still up in the air. Schmaltz has 32 points in 52 appearances this year, which translates to 50 points in 82 games. He's on track to score at a 50-point pace for a fourth-straight season.

Antti Raanta – Hasn't seen any game action since we learned he was day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Raanta has been practicing recently, which suggests he'll be available soon. With that being said, the Coyotes already have two capable netminders in Adin Hill and Darcy Kuemper. Considering Arizona has just three games left in their 2021 campaign, don't be surprised if Raanta remains sidelined for the rest of the regular season.

Charlie Coyle – Left Tuesday's game against the Devils with an undisclosed injury, which presumably occurred after he blocked a shot. Coach Bruce Cassidy didn't have much of an update after the game, simply informing the media that Coyle was being evaluated.

Linus Ullmark – The Sabres netminder practiced with the team on Monday, for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on April 13th. Buffalo has two games left in their regular season, one on Thursday and one on Saturday. Depending on how he progresses in the next few days, Ullmark could be available for one or both of those games. With Carter Hutton and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shut down for the season, Michael Houser has taken over starting duties in Buffalo. The 28-year-old netminder has won each of his first two starts in the NHL, posting a 2.40 GAA and .940 save percentage in the process. I suspect he'll start the team's final two games, as there's really no reason to rush Ullmark back into the net.

Kirby DachThe Blackhawks forward missed Tuesday's game against the Hurricanes due to scar tissue aggravation in his right wrist. The 20-year-old forward underwent wrist surgery back in December and had missed the first few months of this season while recovering from the procedure. It's worth noting that the recovery timetable was originally four to five months, but Dach was back in the lineup after only three months. Chicago was in the playoff race at that point in the season, so it's possible that he returned a little earlier than he should have. Now that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention, I think they'd be wise to rest Dach for their final three games.

Calvin de Haan – Is dealing with a hip injury and did not travel to Carolina with the rest of the team. He's already missed the first two games of this three-game series against the Hurricanes, I don't expect he'll be in the lineup for game three on Thursday. Chicago closes out the season with two home games against the Stars, de Haan's status for those games remains up in the air as I write this.  

Samuel Girard – The 22-year-old defenseman suffered an injury after he was sent into the boards awkwardly during Friday's game against the Sharks. He's expected to miss roughly two weeks of action while he recovers. The plan is for him to start skating with the team after their current road trip, which wraps up on May 10th in Vegas. Girard has been outstanding this season, posting 31 points in 46 appearances – which translates to 55 points over 82 games.

Bowen Byram – Remains week-to-week with an upper-body injury. He's not with the team on their current road trip, which extends to May 10th and includes four more games.

Denis Gurianov – Was on the ice for morning skate, but it's unlikely he features in Wednesday's game against the Lightning. He's officially a game-time decision, but it's more likely that he sits out. The 23-year-old forward started strong with 11 points in his first 12 games, struggled with eight points in his next 29, but has since bounced back with nine points in his last 10 outings.

Robby Fabbri – The Red Wings forward was taking contact during Wednesday's practice, which represents an important step in his recovery from an upper-body injury. Unfortunately, coach Jeff Blashill revealed that Fabbri would not be available this weekend as the Red Wings close out their 2021 campaign with two games against Columbus.  

Tyler Bertuzzi – Underwent back surgery on April 30th and is expected to make a full recovery before next season. This explains the upper-body injury that had kept him out of the lineup since since January 30th. He had seven points in nine games prior to the injury and is someone to keep an eye on during next season's fantasy drafts.

Bobby Ryan – We learned that the upper-body injury which had kept Ryan out since March 28th was a deteriorated tendon in his right triceps muscle. He had surgery last month as is starting to rehab a little bit.

Patric Hornqvist – The Panthers forward is officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He's been on the ice recently and is expected to return in Florida's back-to-back set with the Lightning this weekend.

Chris Driedger – The Panthers are hopeful that Driedger will be able to start their final game of the regular season, which is scheduled on Monday against Tampa. The 26-year-old netminder has been on the ice recently and seems to be progressing well in his recovery from a lower-body injury.

Carter Verhaeghe – Has been on the ice recently and is very close to returning. Coach Joel Quenneville had said previously that Verhaeghe would be back in the lineup before the end of the regular season. The Panthers close out their 2021 campaign with a two-game series against Tampa this weekend. Expect Verhaeghe to make his return in one of those two games. An upper-body injury has kept him out of the lineup since April 10th.  

Sam BennettIs officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He wasn't on the ice for Monday morning's skate, which saw Alex Wennberg skating in Bennett's spot alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Owen Tippett. Bennett has been outstanding since arriving in Florida, posting 13 points in nine games with the Panthers. His hot streak actually extends back to his final few games with Calgary, where he posted six points in his last six games with the Flames.

Jonathan QuickDid not participate in Tuesday's practice and probably won't be available for Wednesday's clash with the Coyotes. He's officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury. It's interesting that Quick has a better record but significantly worse save percentage than fellow Kings netminder Calvin Petersen. Quick is 11-9-2 with a .898 save percentage while Petersen is 8-15-4 with a .914 save percentage.

Carey Price – Is expected to skate on Wednesday but won't be available for the evening's game against Ottawa. Price will join the team in Toronto on Thursday, where the Habs will play the first half of a back-to-back set against the Leafs – with the second half being played on Saturday. At this point, there's no word on whether Price will be available for either of those games. Recovering from a concussion is an unpredictable process, so we can't really come up with a timeline for his return. Jake Allen has provided solid goaltending for the team in Price's absence, sporting a .910 save percentage and 2.55 GAA on the season.

Shea WeberThe Canadiens' captain has missed Montreal's last three games due to an upper-body injury. We haven't heard much about his progress or status for upcoming games, so I guess we consider him day-to-day until we hear otherwise. The team has won all three games with Weber sidelined, so there's no need to rush him back into the lineup.  Coach Dominique Ducharme did say some of the team's injured players could return later this week, but he didn't mention any names. Tatar, Weber, Price and Paul Byron are the four players who are currently injured and have realistic chances of returning soon.

Tomas TatarThe 30-year-old winger has missed Montreal's last four games due to a lower-body injury and is officially day-to-day. Dominique Ducharme did say some of the team's injured players could return later this week, but he didn't mention any names. Tatar, Weber, Price and Paul Byron are the four players who are currently injured and have realistic chances of returning soon. Tatar's would be on pace for 53 points over 82 games this year, a far cry from the 74-point-pace he posted last season.

Viktor ArvidssonThe 28-year-old forward is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. It doesn't sound like he'll be available for Wednesday's clash with the Blue Jackets. After scoring at a 60-point pace for three-straight seasons between 2016 and 2019, Arvidsson has scored at a 40-point pace in his last two campaigns.  

Mathew BarzalWas scratched on Tuesday against the Sabres but it's unclear whether the move was related to injury or performance issues. Coach Barry Trotz was vague in his explanation, saying that he wanted to get Barzal in the right place, feeling good so he's a good player for the Isles in the playoffs.

Artemi Panarin – Will not feature in New York's last three games of the regular season as a result of a lower-body injury inflicted by Tom Wilson. Panarin has been excellent this season, posting 58 points in 42 appearances, which translates to 113 points over 82 games. This marks the second-straight season he's scored at such an impressive rate.

Jacob Trouba – An upper-body injury will keep Trouba out of the Rangers final three regular season games. 

Chris Kreider – Is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and hasn't been ruled out for the rest of the regular season just yet. As a result, it's possible we see him return in one of the Rangers' final three games.

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Ryan Lindgren – An upper-body injury will keep Trouba out of the Rangers final three regular season games.  The 23-year-old defenseman was especially valuable in fantasy leagues that track plus/minus, finishing with a plus-20 rating this year.

Thomas Chabot – An upper-body injury will keep Chabot out of the team's final four regular season games. It's not a serious issue, but considering the Sens are out of the playoff games, there's no reason to play Chabot when he isn't 100-percent healthy. The Senators defenseman had another solid season with 31 points in 49 games. His production should improve as the team around him gets better in the coming years. 

Matt MurrayIs dealing with a lower-body injury but has been on the ice recently and may be able to play in Ottawa's last two games of the regular season – May 9th against Calgary and May 12th against Toronto.

Carter Hart – Was shut down for the regular season on April 29th due to an MCL sprain in his left knee. It's been an incredibly disappointing season for Hart; you can read more about his struggles in this week's Eastern Edge.

Brandon Tanev – On Monday, Tanev skated with full contact for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury that's kept him sidelined for the past month. While this is certainly an encouraging step in his recovery, he hasn't yet been cleared to return just yet.

Mike MathesonThe Penguins defenseman is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Casey DeSmithLeft Monday's game against the Flyers due to a lower-body injury – which we haven't heard much about just yet.

Vladimir Tarasenko – Is day-to-day after reaggravating a lower-body injury.

Torey Krug – Has been skating recently as he nears a return from an upper-body injury. While he won't be in the lineup against Anaheim on Wednesday, he's getting very close. Consider him day-to-day until we hear otherwise.

Vince Dunn – Was on the ice for Wednesday morning's skate and has been ramping up the intensity of his on-ice drills. He won't be in the lineup against the Ducks on Wednesday night, but he's getting closer to a return. Dunn has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since April 24th.

Steven StamkosOn Tuesday, the Lightning captain skated with his teammates for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on April 8th. It's unlikely that he'll return before the end of the regular season, but it sounds like he'll be back for the playoffs.

Zach HymanPracticed with the team on Wednesday, for the first time since spraining his MCL on April 18th. With that being said, he wasn't taking any contact and isn't expected to play this week.

Frederik Andersen – Has been practicing with the team recently and will start an AHL conditioning loan on Thursday, where he's expected to feature in half of Toronto's game against the Manitoba Moose. In most cases, an AHL conditioning loan is soon followed by a return to NHL action. The Leafs have four games remaining in their regular season, which concludes on May 14th in Winnipeg. I expect the goal is to have Andersen start one of the team's final few games.

Nick FolignoThe Leafs forward is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss at least the next two games.

Tomas Nosek – The Golden Knights forward is sidelined with an injury that will keep him out for longer that your typical 'day-to-day' ailment. While he was originally expected to return before the end of the regular season, current reports indicate he may miss some playoff games.

Max PaciorettyWon't be in the lineup on Wednesday against Minnesota and s officially day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. There's no concern about this being a long-term issue as he's expected to be healthy in time for the playoffs. He's been excellent this year with 24 goals and 27 assists through 48 appearances.

Ryan ReavesThe Golden Knights forward is expected to be ready for the playoffs, but coach Pete DeBoer doesn't know if Reaves will be available for the team's final five games of the regular season.

Justin Schultz – The Capitals defenseman may be available for Wednesday's game against the Rangers. He missed Monday's game with a lower-body injury. Schultz has been really good this season, posting 25 points in 44 appearances, which translates to 47 points over 82 games.

Alex OvechkinThe Capitals' captain won't be available for Wednesday's clash with the Rangers due to a lower-body injury. He missed four games with the injury, before finally feeling well enough to play ahead of Monday's tilt against New York. While he suited up for that game, he didn't feel comfortable during his first shift and left the game immediately.

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). 

Devan DubnykTested positive; out at least two weeks.

Evgeny Kuznetsov

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