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.

Cale Makar – The perennial Norris trophy favorite is currently nursing a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the last two games. The good news is that he is on the ice today and head coach Jared Bednar said that he almost played last game. Makar had been on an absolute tear prior to the injury with 18 points in his last 10 games. His next chance to play will be Thursday against the Jets.

Bowen Byram – Speaking of the Avalanche and speaking of segues… Byram was unable to complete his last game against the Ducks after taking a hard hit from Max Jones. He has had a history with concussions but luckily, coach Bednar clarified that the injury was to the upper-body and not to the head. There is a chance he could play in the next game. The former Vancouver Giants rearguard has been a mild disappointment this season after showing promise with an increased role last season. So far this campaign, he has seen his ice-time dip from 21:53 to 20:09. With the potential of Makar and Byram missing the next game, look for Devon Toews to get a massive bump in deployment and opportunity.

Tage Thompson – Mr. Thompson was able to return to the lineup on Tuesday night after missing the previous nine games. He garnered an assist, four shots and four iCF in 18:41 on the evening but was unfortunately, unable to secure the victory. Expectations were high for this player at the start of the season but they may need to be tempered. After torching the league for 94 points including 47 goals in 2022, he is currently on a 63-point-pace. SOG/60, iCF/60 and iSCF/60 are similar to what they were last campaign but the difference is, he isn't converting, especially on the power play. I expect Tage to bounce back and likely score at a point-per-game pace for the remainder of the season.

Alex Tuch – Buffalo forwards Alex Tuch and Jordan Greenway were both placed on injured reserve and will miss the next seven to ten days. If you are looking for a replacement, Casey Mittelstadt has been flying of late and is criminally under-rostered on Yahoo at 27%. Mittelstadt has five points in his last five games and is receiving a boatload of ice-time averaging 21:30 during that time. He is skating on the top line and power play and should absolutely be rostered. Zach Benson and JJ Peterka should hold value as well with Tuch and Greenway out.

Jacob Markstrom – The Flames have not been able to put a good stretch of play together this year and this injury is going to hurt those chances even more. Markstrom took a shot to the unpadded area on his blocker side and is now considered week-to-week with a broken finger. Dustin Wolf has been recalled and Dan Vladar received the first start in Markstrom's absence.

Thomas Chabot – After returning from a broken hand that cost him 10 games, Chabot is now dealing with a lower-body injury that appears to be his knee. An update is expected today but he has already been ruled out for Thursday's game. Senators columnist Bruce Garrioch posted recently that Chabot will likely be out "for a while". He had been quarterbacking the top power play unit since returning so that leaves that spot for either Jakob Chychrun or Jake Sanderson to fill. Both players should receive a bump in value and their fantasy floors will remain solid in Chabot's absence.

Ridly Grieg – Playing on a line with Dominik Kubalik and Mathieu Joseph, Grieg was eased back into action on Tuesday night against the Rangers. He played just under 10 minutes and wasn't a factor on the ice. Prior to the injury, he had found some success skating with Vladimir Tarasenko and getting a look on the second power play unit.

Sean Durzi – The Coyotes top offensive defenseman was injured in their last game against Washington after getting smoked by that brute, Tom Wilson. Head coach Andre Tourigny stated we should consider Durzi day-to-day and doubtful for tomorrow's game against the Flyers. He has been mired in a cold spell with only one point in his last eight games but the Coyotes have been rolling with five straight wins on the back of some incredible play by third-year goalie, Connor Ingram. Veteran Matt Dumba got the call to replace Durzi on the top power play unit and if Durzi misses any time, it'll be a battle between Dumba and Juuso Valimaki for that top spot.

Mason McTavish – McTavish, who has been dealing with an upper-body injury, will not travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. This man has been a delightful surprise for the Ducks this season with 21 points in 24 games skating on a line with Frank "the Tank" Vatrano and Ryan Strome. Their line and McTavish in particular has been masterful at generating scoring chances. He is currently 16th in the entire league in iSCF/60. It will be interesting to see if Vatrano can keep up his hyper-efficiency and goal scoring without him.

Patrick Kane – The time has come for Kane's return! He will be in the lineup for the Red Wings' game against the Sharks. Head coach Derek Lalonde has mentioned that he wants to give Kane and Alex DeBrincat some time together early on. DeBrincat has sagged a bit after a blistering start to the season and a reunion with one of the greatest American-born players of all time, should help with his output moving forward.

Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale were both spotted in full gear skating on their own. There is still no timetable for their return but the fact that they are out on the ice is a great sign. The Ducks have come back down to earth after starching the league in the first 15 games. They have now won just one game in their last 10 outings.

Rickard Rakell – Ricky Racks has been sidelined with an upper-body injury but has recently begun skating again and will travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip. He's not eligible to return until Dec 13^th, but is close to game action and hopefully a return to form from the previous season. In 17 games this year, he has yet to score and has only amassed four assists while playing top-six minutes and getting time on the power play.

Adin Hill – Before Hill was sidelined with a lower-body injury, he was continuing where he left off last season in the playoffs. Hill leads the league in Goals Saved Above Average with 13.91and also sports a scintillating .935% save percentage in 14 games proving that last year was no fluke. Logan Thompson will get the bulk of starts with Hill on the shelf and is no slouch himself with a 6-3-3 record after 12 games.

Alex Newhook – The Canadiens have officially announced that Newhook will be out 10-12 weeks while he deals with a high-ankle sprain. Newhook had been spending time on the top line and the second power play prior to the injury. Players like Juraj Slavkovsky, Christian Dvorak and Jake Evans will all receive a bump in deployment and opportunity. Cole Caufield has made his way back onto the top line with Nick Suzuki as well. Newhook doesn't really move the needle in fantasy due to low shot volume and chance generation plus he doesn't get time on the top power play unit.

TJ Oshie – After taking an accidental hit by Mattias Ekholm in a game against the Oilers, Oshie has missed the Capitals' last five games with an upper-body injury. Things are looking up for the 36-year-old winger as he was on the ice for the most recent team practice sporting a non-contact jersey. Oshie's offensive production has fallen off a cliff so far this year with only two points in 17 games. That show ain't no good.

Rasmus Dahlin – The Sabres beefcake defenseman has been hampered by a lower-body injury and his status for Thursday's game against the Bruins is up in the air. Consider him questionable now until we know more but he will be traveling with the team with the intent of playing. If he has to miss any time, "The Power Glove" Owen Power, is a must-add as he will be heading up the top power play unit. Under the hood, Dahlin has been a beast. In the last five games among all defensemen, he ranks 7th in SOG/60, 9th in iCF/60 and 17th in iSCF/60. Rest up king.

Max Pacioretty – It may still be a while yet before we see Patches in action with his new team. He has been skating regularly and will be re-evaluated in two weeks as he recovers from back to back surgeries on his Achilles tendon. The Caps could sure use his scoring punch as they are tied for dead last in the league in goals for. That is a shocking turn of events for a team that has possibly the best goal scorer of all time in Alex Ovechkin.

John Klingberg – The Klingon, John Klingberg will undergo season-ending hip surgery and his time with the Leafs never really got off the ground. This man can still be an asset for fantasy managers but his defensive game might limit his ice time moving forward.

Andre Burakovsky – The Kraken winger was a full participant in the latest practice and a return to game action could be imminent. This is a player I was excited about in draft season because of his draft value and potential opportunity. That is still there with this team. He should be a top line, top power play kind of guy once healthy. A 60- to 65-point-pace is within the range of outcomes for this player for the rest of the season. Book it.

That's it for this week's article. Thank you so much for reading. Please follow me on Twitter/X @BlakeCreamerAG and come and check out my fantasy hockey musings on the Apples and Ginos Fantasy Hockey Podcast. Celebrate your day. Bye for now.

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