Welcome to the newest edition of the Injury Ward. Here you will find the latest NHL injury updates and also which players may benefit from these situations. My name is Blake Creamer and I will be tackling this topic every single week. I want this article to work for you, so if there are players you want to see, or anything you want added, please reach out to me on Twitter/X @BlakeCreamerAG. Now, let's get to business.

Matty Beniers – The reigning Calder Trophy winner is getting closer to returning to the team. He is currently out with an upper-body injury but was seen out on the ice for Wednesday's  practice, without the red non-contact jersey. Consider him day-to-day for now as he hasn't been confirmed for the game against the Blackhawks but he could get into the game action on Friday against the Blues. Beniers' production has dropped off this season after a 57-point showing in 2022. He has been extremely unlucky as evidenced by his SH% (8.1% down from 16% last season) and his oiSH% (7.91% down from 12.91% last year). When he does return, I would expect some positive regression in these metrics and a 45–50-point pace moving forward.

Patrick Kane – We had a 19-game glimpse of what life would be like with Patrick Kane on the Red Wings but it has disappeared as quickly as it came. He has now missed four straight games with a lower-body injury with more on the horizon. Head coach Derek Lalonde mentioned that Kane has yet to be cleared to take contact and they will wait and see how he feels on Wednesday. It is looking more and more likely that Kane will be held out until after the All-Star break. In his absence, Robby Fabbri has moved up to the second line to play with Alex DeBrincat and J.T. Compher. I could see Kane cooking at a 70-point pace once he returns. Book it.

Nick Schmaltz – Is there anyone more criminally underrated in fantasy hockey than Nick Schmaltz? Give this man his flowers. The Coyotes have been managing without his services, going 2-1 in their last three games without Schmaltz, but he is a big part of their team and plays a lot of important minutes. The good news is that he was traveling with the team and it looks like he will get back into the lineup on Wednesday against the Panthers. Look for him to slide back onto the top power play unit as well as his regular top-line duties with Clayton Keller. Check your rosters and make sure to activate prior to puck drop.

Matt Dumba – Bad news for the Regina, Saskatchewan product as he has now been deemed week-to-week after leaving Monday's game with an upper-body injury. Another Arizona Dman, Troy Stecher, has also been ruled out for the next 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury, so things are getting a little thin on the blueline. Sean Durzi and J.J. Moser will play a ton but look for Juuso Valimaki to get a bump as well and the 'Yotes don't really have anyone else to fill this void.

Ondrej Palat – Palat himself, has said that he is good to go and will play in Thursday's game against the after missing the last 10 games with a lower-body injury. He will most likely slide into his spot on the second line with Tyler Toffoli and Dawson Mercer. Palat's shooting percentage currently, is a career-low 7.9% even though his SOG/60 has actually increased especially at 5 on 5. I would expect a few more goals moving forward but this player is a streamer at best when New Jersey has a good schedule.

Gabriel Vilardi – Vilardi looks to miss a second straight game while he nurses a lower-body injury. There has been no real update as to what he is dealing with but it doesn't sound overly serious. When healthy, Vilardi has shown to be a very efficient offensive player and he is on a career-high point pace (63). Something he has added to his game this year are shots. He has increased his SOG/60 by almost a shot and a half at 5 on 5 and this bodes well for his future offensive output as he has also been given top-line deployment as well and the number one power play. His next chance to play will be Saturday against the Maple Leafs. He is a must-roster player in my opinion while he gets this deployment.

Mark Scheifele – The hits keep coming for the Jets as Scheifele will also miss Wednesday’s contest with a lower-body injury. Head coach Rick Bowness thinks he could play on Saturday but for now he is day-to-day. Players like Nikolaj Ehlers, Alex Iafallo and Adam Lowry all get a boost in deployment for the time being.

Andrei Svechnikov – The oft-injured Svechnikov is out again as his frustrating campaign continues. Head coach Rod "The Bod" Brindamour was hopeful that Svech could be an option to return prior to the All-Star game. He is currently day-to-day with a new upper-body injury. His next chance to play will be Thursday against the Devils or Saturday against the Coyotes. This beefer has been cooking this year when healthy, and is pacing for a career-high 85 points with ridiculous peripheral statistics. Teuvo Teravainen and Michael Bunting hold some value with Svech out as they both occupy spots on the top line and power play. I would expect it will be Teravainen who moves down the lineup when Svech returns.

Bowen Byram – Byram will get back into the lineup tonight against the Capitals. He hasn't played since he was injured on January 4 in a game against the Stars. Byram is a serviceable fantasy option but some of the shine has worn off and he is also fairly low on the pecking order in Colorado. He will see time on the second power-play unit but manage your expectations.

Artturi Lehkonen – The wait is over as Lehkonen will get into game action Wednesday night against the Caps. He was seen taking reps on the second power-play unit to start but I expect he finds his way onto the top unit with the big boys sooner rather than later. For now, he will skate with Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Johansen on a makeshift third line. Coach Bednar has shown that he isn't afraid to play his top guys big minutes and I believe Lehkonen will get there soon. For now, The value of players like Jonathan Drouin and Ross "Cameo" Colton are still decent but I can see a world where Lehkonen gets on the top line and top power play and it'll probably happen fairly quickly. Expect a 55-65-point player for the rest of the season with a ceiling for a bit more, especially if Valeri Nichushkin doesn't return in a timely manner.

Aleksander Barkov – It sounds to me like the perennial Selke Trophy favorite, will be back in the lineup tonight against the Coyotes but he is still labeled a game-time decision, so check your rosters tonight and get ready to activate. If Barkov isn't able to go tonight for some reason, Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen will hold down the first on the top line with the Sex Panther Sam Reinhart while Sam Bennett would stay on the top power-play unit.

Gustav Forsling – Forsling will return to the lineup tonight after his family welcomed a new addition. Congratulations Gustav! Best thing ever.

Joseph Woll – Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that the hope is that Woll will resume practicing after the All-Star break but his return could still be a little way away after that. When he does return, I expect him to get the reins over Martin Jones and much maligned Ilya Samsonov. For now, just ride with the hot tendy and hope for the best. Neither goalie has separated themselves so this will be a game-to-game situation. Samsonov is your confirmed starter for Wednesday's game.

Owen Tippett – This red-headed beauty has landed on the IR with a lower-body injury and won't be eligible to return until February 6. Tippett has been a revelation at times this year, at least offensively. On the year, Tippett is 3rd overall in SOG/60, 3rd overall in iCF/60 and 17th overall in iSCF/60. Those numbers are ridiculous to say the least. This guy is a powder keg ready to blow and the only thing he truly needs is deployment. Head coach John Tortorella mentioned recently that Tippett thrives when given a boatload of minutes and it appears that might be the plan moving forward. Defense be damned!

Philipp Grubauer – Grubauer was activated off of the LTIR recently and will be with the team moving forward while Chris Driedger was subsequently sent down. It would surprise me to see him take the number one job away from Joey Daccord who has been more than alright in his absence. That said, Daccord has lost three straight which could open the door for Grubauer to steal back some starts. For me, Daccord is still the goalie to own in Seattle.

Tyler Bertuzzi – The wild-haired Bertuzzi will miss Wednesday's game to be at home with his wife and family for the birth of their child. His next chance to play will be Saturday in a rematch against that absolute wagon, the Winnipeg Jets.

Bo Horvat – Horvat took a puck to the face in Tuesday's game and wasn't able to return. We will have to keep an eye on his status prior to the upcoming game. The former Vancouver Canuck captain is quietly on a career-high point pace (77) and has found some chemistry with speedy winger, Mat Barzal. It remains to be seen how he will be deployed with new head coach Patrick Roy, but for the Islanders to turn this ship around, they will need peak Bo Horvat and not the one who tallied 22 points in 36 games during the back half of last season. I'll tell you that for free.

Miro Heiskanen – We are close to a return to action for Heiskanen who has been an absolute workhorse on the back end for the Dallas Stars. Thomas Harley has filled in admirably in his stead, but expect Heisky to take back the top power-play deployment and chug a ton of minutes. Coach Peter DeBoer is hopeful Heiskanen (lower body) will be able to return to the ice Thursday against the Ducks or Saturday versus Washington. Heiskanen has amassed four goals and 23 assists in 27 games so far this campaign.

Zach Werenski – It looks as though another stud defenseman is nearing his return to the ice. Werenski has missed the last 10 games dealing with an ankle injury suffered on December 27 against the Devils. He could play as soon as this Thursday against the Flames according to Jeff Svoboda of the Columbus Blue Jackets official site. Expect him to pop right back up to the top power-play unit and also to get some positive regression with his goal scoring. This is a player who should be getting double-digit goal totals from the back end and he currently has just one in 34 games. That show ain't no good.

Carson Soucy – Coach Rick Tocchet announced that Soucy will be out 5-6 weeks dealing with a hand injury as Soucy's tough season continues.

That is it for this week's article. Thank you so much for reading. If you are interested in chatting with me one-on-one, you can reach me on a fantasy sports app called Didit.

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