Injury Report: Brouwer digs up the goods on Anisimov, Hornqvist, Malkin and more…

Get the stretcher (latest injuries):

Artem Anisimov suffered a head injury Saturday night after being hit by Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle. Aaron Portzline tweeted that Anisimov does have a concussion. He found his scoring touch this year, as he scored 11 goals in 34 games, which over 82 games would equal 27 goals. This is his fourth injury of the season and comes at a time when the Columbus Blue Jackets need him the most in order to land their first playoff spot in four years.

Bruno Gervais is yet another Philadelphia Flyer defenseman who has gone down with an injury. Gervais will need surgery to repair a torn stomach muscle and is out indefinitely. To add to the Flyers defensive problems Kent Huskins suffered a concussion Monday night after a high hit from Montreal Canadiens forward Ryan White. Neither have much fantasy value.

Brandon Manning and Matt Konan were recalled but only Manning got into Tuesday game. Manning, who was an offensive dman in the WHL, picked up his first NHL point on a Brayden Schenn goal.

Patric Hornqvist is out again with an upper body injury. He returned from his second injury back on March 25 and played in 10 games, where he registered one goal and six points. The Nashville Tennessean reported that the Nashville Predators expect Hornqvist to return before the season ends and that he is expected to skate on his own Wednesday. This is his third injury this season; he missed eight games with an upper body injury and another 10 games with a knee injury.

Filip Forsberg has been the clear benefactor from Hornqvist latest injury. He is playing on the top line and first power play unit. In his two games he has six shots and a minus-4 rating, while averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time. Check out DobberProspect's report on Forsberg. 

Erik Johnson's disappointing season continues as he suffered a wrist injury on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings and hasn't returned yet. He has missed 11 games already this season due to a head injury and is an injury prone player. If you have a free roster spot and are still allowed transactions take the gamble on Johnson. He has proven that he can point up points from the blueline and this season should be the anomaly.

Evgeni Malkin has missed the last game for the Pittsburgh Penguins due to a shoulder injury. He practiced Monday and might play Wednesday. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Malkin said, "I try to play, but it's not how I want. I try to shoot, but I can't shoot hard. If I can't shoot hard, it's tough to play." This is Malkin's third injury this season, as he has already missed nine games due to an upper body injury and four games from a concussion.

Tyler Myers is another young defenseman who is having a disappointing season, but his season is all over now after breaking a leg bone in Thursday's game against the Canadiens. Myers has just eight points in 39 games this season, definitely not what he was hoping for in his fourth season. He has been trending down in each season since his rookie season, but sometime big defensemen can take longer to reach their prime. It took Zdeno Chara over five NHL seasons before he started to consistently put up 39+ points. He is loaded with potential, so don't give up on him yet and if you don't own him make a move to add him, as his current value would be pretty low.

T.J. Oshie had surgery on Tuesday on his ankle. He has missed the last eight games and could miss the start of the playoffs. The St. Louis Blues are listing him as week to week according to The Hockey News. He has been mister reliable for the Blues over the last five seasons, consistently producing around 0.68 points per game (ptspg). St. Louis is blessed with depth at right wing but it would still be a big blow if he missed the playoffs.

Jeff Skinner was hit hard by Ottawa Senators defenseman Jared Cowen Tuesday night and didn't return. The Carolina Hurricanes are listing him with an upper body injury but there has to be some concern of another concussion. He has already missed games this season due to the second concussion of his NHL career.

Mike Smith missed Monday's game against the San Jose Sharks with a lower body injury. This is bad news for the Phoenix Coyotes who are in a dogfight for the final playoff spot. He has already missed four games this season with a groin injury so hopefully he didn't re-aggravate his groin. Phoenix is four points back of the final playoff spot and they have lost three of their last four. They Coyotes are going to need a healthy Smith in order to make playoffs.

Alex Tanguay is out for the remainder of the season after spraining his MCL Friday night against the Coyotes. Warning if you get queasy watching human limbs bend awkwardly don't watch the replay on the YouTube clip. This injury came at the perfect time for the Calgary Flames, as they need to continue losing games to increase their odds of landing a top draft pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He will need four-to-six weeks to recover.

Pull Off the Band-Aid (poised for a return to action):

Nik Antropov suffered a setback in his rehab, as he is a few days past his projected recovery time. Ken Wiebe tweeted that "Antropov skated for 1st time since injury and is day-to-day. Could return this week."

Todd Bertuzzi has been sidelined since February 7 with leg and back injuries. He has played in just seven games this season but could be exactly what the Detroit Red Wings need to secure their 22nd straight playoff spot. He could return next week and provide a veteran presence in the top nine forwards.

Alex Chiasson has been red hot since joining the Dallas Stars, scoring six goals and seven points in his first six games. He was injured early in Monday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Dallas Morning News is reporting that the injury looks to be a shoulder sprain, he will miss Thursday's game against the Vancouver Canucks and is listed day-to-day.

Jared Cowen has missed the entire regular season recovering from hip surgery. He was expected to miss all the games but Cowen made his season debut on Tuesday against the Hurricanes. He played 16:45 and threw a huge hit on Skinner (see YouTube video above).

Sidney Crosby was on the ice Monday with conditioning coach. There is no timetable for his return but it has to be great news if he is working out and not getting any concussion symptoms. He might return before the season end but playoffs are just two weeks away and there is no pressure to play him as the Penguins have already locked up a playoff spot and division title.

Raphael Diaz finally got to practice with his teammates on Monday according to the Montreal Gazette. He has been out since February 25 when he suffered a concussion against the Ottawa Senators. He is getting close to returning but there's still no timetable.

Cam Fowler left last Wednesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche with an upper body injury. He missed practice on Thursday and Saturday's game against the Kings. The Orange County Register quoted Fowler saying, "It's just sore" in regards to his injury. The Ducks tweeted Tuesday that the earliest he could return to the lineup is Friday and that he has been cleared to practice with full contact.

Milan Hejduk has missed all of April so far with a shoulder injury and could finally be ready to hit the ice again this week. The Denver Post reported "Hejduk practiced with full contact on Sunday." He has dealt with shoulder injuries in the past, which makes it vulnerable to more damage but Hejduk said "there is no further damage and that it feels good now."

Chris Higgins is making great strides as he rehabs his knee injury. The Vancouver Sun reported that Higgins could be back in the Canucks line-up before the season ends.

Ilya Kovalchuk has missed 10 games now due to a shoulder injury. He is still listed as day-to-day but he could be ready to play Thursday. The New Jersey Devils were in the playoff hunt before the injury but have fallen out of contention. Tom Gulitti tweeted that Kovalchuk skated Tuesday and the plan is to practice on Wednesday.

Kari Lehtonen is getting close to returning from a groin injury but when he is ready he will have to fight for his starting role back. Richard Bachman has backstopped the Stars into a battle for the final playoff spot. Bachman is 3-1 in his last four starts, posting a 3.42 GAA and 0.874 SV%. Despite being sellers at the trade deadline the Stars find themselves just two points out of the eighth spot, making goaltending decisions huge.

(Get up-to-the-minute Starting Goalie info, free, over at Goalie Post)

Anders Lindback was at morning skate today and said he is "close" to playing. Coach Jon Cooper said, "We need to see him. He's a huge part of our future." Thanks to Damian Cristodero for that tweet. Lindback was brought in to be the starter for the Tampa Bay Lightning but has struggled and then suffered this ankle injury on March 20. Ben Bishop just signed a two-year contract extension so going forward expect a 50-50 spilt between these two giants.

Joffrey Lupul was named the NHL's first star of the week for the final week of March and then suffered a concussion in the next game. He received medical clearance and made his return on Tuesday night against the Washington Capitals. He played 17:42, put two shots on net and finished with a -1 rating.

Brad Marchand suffered his first concussion last Wednesday after taking a head shot from Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov. He has set a career high production rate this season, producing at 0.87 ptspg. Over an 82 game season Marchand would score 35 goals and 71 points at his current rate. Patrice Bergeron suffered a concussion in early April after a head shot from Colin Greening. The Boston Globe reported that both Marchand and Bergeron would return to the line-up Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Milan Michalek made a triumphant return Friday night, scoring the insurance goal in a win over the Devils. He has been out of the line-up with a knee injury and will be a key member to get the Sens into the playoffs. He added another goal Tuesday night against the Hurricanes.

James Neal is symptom free according to a tweet from the Penguins. Pittsburgh has already secured a playoff spot and they are hoping all of their stars get healthy in time for the playoffs. Neal will be listed as day-to-day and count on the Pens to be cautious.

Patrick Sharp has been sidelined twice this season with shoulder injuries but according to the Chicago Tribune he was expected to be practicing on Tuesday. The Blackhawks have a light schedule this week, as they don't play till Friday so there is a good chance Sharp could be ready in time for next scoring period.

Jose Theodore was on the ice Monday as he tries to battle his way back into the line-up before the season ends. He has been out since the beginning of March with a groin injury. Theodore is an UFA this summer so he wants another chance to show he can still be a starting goalie in the NHL.

Yannick Weber has been a healthy scratch for most of the season but when he finally got into the line-up he was forced to leave that game with a knee injury. He has played in just two games this season. NHL.com is reporting that Weber will play for Montreal Wednesday night against the Penguins.