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.

Artemi Panarin – "The Breadman" is a little banged up after inadvertently blocking a shot in Tuesday's game and has picked up a day-to-day designation. If he is unable to play on Thursday, look for Kaapo Kaako to see an increase in ice-time and opportunity. Panarin has been incendiary this season. The offensive production is not surprising, but it's how he is doing it that is unexpected. At 5-on-5, he has upped his SOG/60 from 5.83 in 2022, to a staggering 9.19 this year. His individual scoring chances have risen as well from 5.83 to 9.83. The result is one of his best seasons to date with 75 points in 56 games including 31 points on the power play. He is a clear top-10 fantasy asset this campaign and you probably got him in the second or third round in your fantasy drafts. Artemi… Thank you for your service!

Jimmy Vesey – Vesey is also dealing with an injury sustained in Tuesday's game and it comes at an inopportune time for the 30-year-old as he was seeing some time in the top-six on a line with Vincent Trocheck and the aforementioned Artemi Panarin. Vesey has 12 goals and six assists in 56 games and will likely remain on the waiver wire for the remainder of the year. 

Joseph Woll – The 25-year-old rookie had been practicing with the Leafs as he made his way back from a high ankle sprain and he has since been assigned to the Toronto Marlies for a conditioning stint. When asked about the status of Woll, Coach Keefe said that they are just waiting to hear from Woll himself to see where he is at and when he is ready. We should have an update on the player in the next week but when he returns, there is no guarantee that he steps into a number one role. Ilya Samsonov has found his game as of late with four wins in his last four games including three quality starts. Whoever ends up taking the reins should be rostered no question but I suspect they will move to more of a tandem and that will cap both of their prospective ceilings.

Viktor Arvidsson – Head coach Jim Hiller, did not have an update on Arvidsson after he left Tuesday's game against the Blue Jackets and did not return. The Kings are no strangers to having Arvidsson out of the lineup as he has already missed 50 games this season alone. He managed to play 17 seconds before taking himself out of the game so that doesn’t bode well for a speedy return in my opinion. If he has to miss time, the Kings will need slumping forward Kevin Fiala, to find his game again. He has just one goal in his last five games, but has looked engaged on the ice and he is too talented of a player for this to continue. As for Arvidsson, we will have to wait on an update but I would prepare for a lengthy absence. 

Mark Stone – We all knew it was coming at some point this season but I am surprised it has taken this long. Stone is dealing with an upper-body injury suffered at some point during the Golden Knight's loss to the Predators on Tuesday. He has remained remarkably healthy this year despite reports in the off-season that he would likely be in-and-out of the lineup for the remainder of his career to manage his health. Look for players like Michael Amadio, Paul Cotter and Brett Howden to see an increase in deployment if Stone misses any time. Stone has 53 points in 56 games this year while playing on the second line with Chandler Stephenson.

Nic Dowd – The Capitals will be without Dowd's service for their upcoming two-game road trip as he nurses an upper-body injury. The Caps are already thin at the Center position and Dowd is a primary penalty killer as well. They have called up Pierrick Dube from the AHL to cover the vacancy.

Scott Perunovich – Perunovich looks to be a game-time decision for Wednesday's contest after coach Drew Bannister mentioned that he is "looking strong" and that he has had a good stretch of practice with the team. While obviously talented offensively, when healthy, he is not getting the TOI that he needs to be fantasy relevant. He is worth watching but unless he starts getting over 20 minutes ATOI and some consistent power play deployment, you can leave him on the wire. 

Dakota Joshua – One of the league's best hitters is going to be out week-to-week after injuring his hand during a fight against the Blackhawks on February 13th. Joshua has been a pleasant surprise for the league-leading Canucks and has developed some solid chemistry with his linemates Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger, helping form one of the best third lines in the league. Surrey, BC-born Arshdeep Bains will take his spot in the lineup.

Gabriel Landeskog – For those of you looking for an update on Landeskog, we got one…sort of. He has been skating with the team but won't be ready until playoffs at the earliest. Still, this is a great sign for a player that has had some horrible luck with his health. Don't expect him back in time to help you with your fantasy playoffs.

Frederik Andersen – Some great news on the Freddy Andersen front: He is back on the ice with the team after being out for a while with a blood-clotting issue. His timeline is still up in the air and there is no guarantee that he even returns this season although I would lean towards him coming back. Pyotr Kochetkov has held down the fort for the most part in Andersen's absence but backup tendy Spender Martin has gone 3-0 in his first three starts. There will likely be a goalie controversy when Andersen returns and most likely a timeshare situation in the crease. Keep an eye on it but your Kochetkov shares could take a hit. 

Hampus Lindholm – Lindholm is set to miss the next four games with an undisclosed injury. He impressed in his first season with the Bruins with 53 points in 80 games but has been somewhat muted this year, at least offensively. Lindholm has 19 points in 56 games including 35 hits and 73 blocks. Callup Mason Lohrei could take Lindholm's place on the second power play unit. 

Connor Ingram – Why draft a goalie in the first 10 rounds of your fantasy drafts when you can pick up a stud like Connor Ingram off waivers? This guy has been a #ZeroG hero this campaign but the shine may have worn off. Prior to his recent injury, he had zero wins in his last five games for the struggling Coyotes. He was injured on February 14th and is expected to miss 7-10 days so he could be nearing a return for his club. His replacement, Karel "Vegetable Lasagna" Vejmelka has been serviceable but has definitely taken a step back this year as he is currently rocking a .892 save percentage and a GAA of 3.42. Not great Bob. Expect Ingram to take back the crease and continue to provide above average starts for the remainder of the year.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – RNH has shown up on the injury report with a questionable tag as he battles an illness. If he does sit out, look for Ryan McLeod to step into top-six minutes and Evander Kane to jump up to the top power play. Of note, Warren "McLovin" Foegele is skating with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman on the top line. 

Jake Guentzel – The Omaha native has been placed on LTIR with an undisclosed injury and is projected to be out for four weeks. That would put him on pace to return around the first week of March if all were to go well. With the trade deadline on March 8th and Guentzel becoming an unrestricted free agent at season's end, he could be playing for another team to finish the year. The Pens playoff hopes are dwindling and GM Kyle Dubas is on record saying he is not looking to move any draft capital and may very well stand pat. I'm not sure the Pens can afford to not move on from Guentzel at this point as they would receive nothing if he were to walk in free agency. He could be a very useful piece for a playoff team looking for consistent offensive production. Guentzel has 52 points in 50 games for an 85-point pace and should fetch a pretty penny in the trade market should the Pens decide to go that route.

That's 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. Click this link to download the app: xf7fv.app.link/pPRjU2myyFb


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