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.

Alexander Holtz – According to head coach Lindy Ruff, Holtz has been playing through an illness over the past few days. Keep an eye on his status as it could cause him to finally miss a game or two. It has been a frustrating season for Holtz owners as he has not been able to secure any type of consistent deployment with this Devils team. Most recently, he has been skating on the fourth line with Colin Miller and Chris Tierney. Not exactly a fantasy hockey hotbed of production but he is clearly a skilled player and will likely get a shot at some point in the next few years to prove himself. For now, he isn't exactly relevant, even as a streamer. 

Trevor Zegras – The talented Ducks' center has recently moved off his crutches and looks to begin skating in about a week or so Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports. He suffered an ankle fracture on January 9th. Prior to that he was having a down season littered with injuries. He has seven points in 20 games this campaign which is a far cry from the 65 in 81 he had in 2022-2023. Zegras is much better than what he has shown so far and will likely be drafted at extreme value in your fantasy drafts next season. As for the remainder of this year, the Ducks have no reason to rush him back to game action so manage your expectations there. 

Mackenzie Blackwood – The team announced that Blackwood would be placed on injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury in Tuesday's game against the Devils. The team situation in San Jose has been rough all season but Blackwood has been a bright spot at times. His numbers might not show that, but this team has been a tire fire since day one. He has a GSAA of -5.36 which, on this team, is elite level play. Now, the Sharks will look to Kaapo Kahkonen to hold down the fort as Blackwood recovers. If you are in need of goalie starts and saves and you don't mind an inflated GAA with a poor save percentage, Kahkonen could be an option for you.

Josh Norris – Injury problems continue to plague Norris as he was unable to complete the last contest against the Predators after crashing hard into the net. He appeared to be favoring his surgically-repaired shoulder so there is some cause for concern. He is set to be evaluated on Wednesday so an update should be forthcoming. In the last five games, Norris has four points but his TOI has been an issue. He has been averaging just over 13 minutes over that time, which is not going to cut it. "The Pinto Bean" Shane Pinto's recent play and deployment have minimized Norris to some degree not to mention, he has taken over his spot on the top power play unit. Norris' next chance to suit up, will be Friday versus the Coyotes. 

Adrian Kempe – The Kinds rugged sniper missed Tuesday's game against the Flames with an upper-body injury that will also keep him out of Thursday's game against the Canucks. Kempe will return to Los Angeles to be evaluated but there is a fear that he will be out for the remainder of the regular season. Pierre-Luc Dubois will move up the lineup to skate with Quinton Byfield and captain Anze Kopitar and could provide some short-term value in bangers/category leagues. Kempe was on pace for the highest point total of his career with 73 even though his goal production has dropped off significantly. A timeline for Kempe's return has not been given so keep your eyes open for updates and ride with PLD until then. 

Jamie Drysdale – The injuries are stacking up for the young rearguard as he is going to be out week-to-week after getting obliterated in open ice by career-beefer, Jansen Harkins. He appeared to be favoring his previously injured shoulder which had limited him to just 8 games with the Ducks in 2022-2023. Since arriving in Philadelphia, Drysdale has four points in 17 games and has been used sparingly on the top power play unit. Look for Travis Sanheim, Egor Zamula and Cam York to continue the revolving door as the quarterback on PP1 for one of the league's worst power plays. There is a chance Drysdale returns before the season ends but his value is muted and he should be considered a streamer at best.

Bryan Rust – Head coach Mike Sullivan says that Rust should be considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered on February 26th against the Flyers. This couldn't have come at a worse time for the Penguins and Rust personally as he was really cooking. He has eight points in the last seven games and is on pace for 70 points while skating on the top line and top power play. Look for Reilly Smith's floor to remain solid but the true benefactor is going to be Rickard Rakell. Both players found themselves with Sidney Crosby on the top line and Rakell was rewarded with a couple goals in their last contest. He is a must-add player as long as Rust is out. 

Andrei Kuzmenko – Big Kuzy is dealing with an illness that kept him out of Tuesday's contest but coach Ryan Huska thinks he should be good to go on Saturday against the Penguins. This season hasn't gone to plan for Kuzmenko as he has often found himself stapled to the bench in the third period of games for both the Canucks and the Flames. He is a great offensive player and access to the Flames top power play unit should keep his floor reasonably solid but last season's 38 goal explosion looks like the outlier and not the norm at this point. There is something that Kuzy is doing, or not doing, that the coaches have taken note of. He needs TOI to pop and he's just not getting it. I think you can leave him on the wire for now. 

Valeri Nichushkin – Great news for the Avalanche and Valeri Nichushkin as he has been cleared by the NHLPA's Player Assistance Program and has returned to practice with his teammates. Prior to taking some time off, he was playing some of the best hockey of his career. Expect him to take his net-front spot back on the top power play and receive the 18- to 20-minute treatment that coach Jared Bednar likes to give his top players. Players like Artturi Lehkonen may be affected but I think it is more likely that Jonathan Drouin will move down the lineup. Nuke and Lehkonen have played together previously at even strength and with the man advantage. I'd be targeting both for my playoffs. 

Travis Konecny – Konecny is still managing an upper-body injury that has kept him out of the past three games and when head coach John Tororella was asked about a timeline for TK to return, he mentioned that he is unsure. This is not a great sign as it was previously mentioned that Konecny was dealing with something minor. With TK out, Bobby Brink has been recalled and popped for a goal on Tuesday. Tyson Foerster has moved up to the top line with shot monster Owen Tippett and Scott Laughton.

Clayton Keller – For those hoping for another late season surge from the Coyotes and Clayton Keller, it might be time to manage expectations. The 'Yotes are mired in the longest winless streak in the NHL this season going 13 games without tasting victory. Keller being out is not going to help that situation. He had to leave the game against the Jets with an upper-body injury and coach Tourigny told the media that it will likely be a few days "…not tomorrow". With Keller sidelined, Jason Zucker might get a look on the top line with Logan Cooley taking a spot on the top power play. 

Troy Terry – Terry is day-to-day with an upper-body injury after missing Sunday's game against the Predators. Hopefully this isn't something long-term for Terry as he has been incendiary as of late, cooking for six points in his last four games. Brett Leason is the lucky recipient of some increased deployment and power play time. Terry's next chance to play is Thursday against the lowly San Jose Sharks. It's the toilet bowl!

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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