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.

Valeri Nichushkin – Nichsushkin's return is on the horizon and his fantasy hockey managers should be excited about it. Big Val has been cleared from the NHL's Player Assistance Program and is just waiting to be cleared by the league so he can get into some game action. Coach Jared Bednar candidly mentioned that he has no idea what the process is to get Nichushkin cleared to play by the league but that he is hopeful the beefy winger can play on Friday against Minnesota. Before taking some time, Nichushkin was playing the best hockey of his career. He was getting massive deployment (21:49 ATOI) and was a staple on the top power play unit. He will be coming back to a crowded roster with Artturi Lehkonen healthy again and Jonathan Drouin playing big minutes with the top line. Not to mention, Casey Mittelstadt has just been traded to the Avalanche so we will need to see where he lines up. This all said, I am not concerned about Nichushkin or Lehkonen and their roles on this team. I would expect them to both average 18-20 minutes a night and take their spots on the top power play. Drouin is the likely candidate for less ice-time and opportunity. Mittelstadt will likely occupy the role that the outgoing Ryan Johansen was in. Are the Colorado Avalanche a certified wagon? Maybe. 

Frederik Andersen/Antti Raanta – The three-headed goalie monster is rearing its ugly head again in Carolina and in reality, it is a nice problem to have but for fantasy, it stinks. Andersen has been making steady progress in his attempt to return from a blood-clotting issue that has held him to just six games this year. When asked about his potential return date, coach Rod Brind’Amour was non-committal but did say it is "just around the corner". Antti Raanta (lower-body) was on the ice skating prior to the team's practice on Wednesday. He is coming along but there has been no official word as to when he might return. Meanwhile, rookie Pyotr Kochetkov has put together a nice string of play. In 32 games this campaign, he is 16-11-3 with a .910 save percentage along with a 2.41 GAA. The return of Andersen muddies things for sure but I think worst-case, it becomes a timeshare with Freddy and Kochetkov and best-case, Kochetkov holds the crease as the 1A and his fantasy managers crush their opponents and ride off into the sunset. One can always dream.

Marcus Johansson – The 33-year-old winger sustained a lower-body injury on March 3rd against the Blues that will keep him out of this Thursday's game as well. The Wild have a back-to-back so there is a chance we could see Johansson on Friday but if not, look for Frederick Gaudreau or Vinni Lettieri to receive a minor boost at even strength. Lettieri also took some shifts on the second power play unit. They are only worthy of adds in the deepest of deep leagues. 

Ondrej Palat – Palat has picked up a questionable tag going into Thursday's game against the Blues. He skated prior to Wednesday's practice and will likely be a game-time decision. Palat has nine goals, 15 assists and 69 hits in 51 games this year with the Devils. He is a schedule streamer at best as his most productive years are likely behind him. 

Vince Dunn – Dunn was the recipient of a questionable hit by "The Popsicle" Martin Pospisil on March 4th and was unable to finish the game. He missed Tuesday's game as well with what the team is calling and "undisclosed" injury. He has since been sent back home to be evaluated so keep an eye out for an update prior to Friday's game against the Jets. Dunn has followed up his breakout 2022-2023 campaign with similar production this year. He has 11 goals and 34 assists in 57 games and has truly developed into a number one defenceman with the Kraken. Dunn and Jared McCann are really the only trustworthy fantasy options for Seattle and without Dunn, we are looking at rookie Ryker Evans, on the top power play and bruiser Adam Larsson to pick up the slack at even strength. 

There is lots of injury news out of Anaheim. Let's start with the good. Trevor Zegras is skating again in full gear and while we don't have a solid date as to when he might return, this is a great sign for the talented center and all signs point to him coming back prior to the end of the year. Zegras is nearing the initial eight-week timeline that was set for his recovery. Now for the bad. Mason McTavish was spotted using a walking boot and crutches after being injured in Friday's game versus the Devils but the Ducks have stated that he does not have any broken bones. Rookie sensation Leo Carlsson is nursing an upper-body injury and he will miss his third straight game on Wednesday. Lastly, the team's second leading scorer, Troy Terry, will miss Wednesday's game with an undisclosed injury. These losses will open up a lot of playing time for the remaining players. Look to Alex Killorn, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano to see an increase in deployment and possibly Isac Lundestrom to see a bigger role as well. Let the tank begin!

Gabriel Vilardi – The oft-injured Vilardi missed his third straight game on Tuesday after suffering an upper-body injury on March 1st. The good news is he will travel with the team on their upcoming two-game road trip with the hope being he gets into at least one of those games. Vilardi has been excellent this year when called upon. He has 16 goals and 14 assists in 38 games including 11 points on the power play. With Gabe out, it has been Vladislav Namestnikov getting the top line treatment and Alex Iafallo moving onto the top power play. Meanwhile, advanced stats darling Nikolaj Ehlers continues to toil away on the second line and power play two. Someone please make this make sense. 

Dylan Larkin – The Detroit Red Wings were dealt a tough bit of news as their workhorse center Dylan Larkin, is set to miss the next two weeks with a lower-body injury. Larkin has been solid as a rock this year with 54 points in 55 games. Joe Veleno has moved up to the top line with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat in Larkin's absence and the power play deployment has also changed up a bit. If the last practice is any indication, coach Lalonde had Robby Fabbri (net front), Lucas Raymond (bumper) , DeBrincat and Kane (flanks) and Shayne Gostisbehere manning the point. The Wings are tied with the Lightning and the Flyers at 72 points but they have two games at hand. This injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Red Wings as they are battling hard to keep their playoff position. 

Travis Konecny – There have been conflicting reports with Konecny's upper-body injury. We have heard that the injury is potentially minor, but he has now missed six straight games and he is questionable for Thursday's game versus the Panthers. They certainly aren't rushing him back but if he misses the next game, there is going to be some concern that this is more serious than the team has let on. When healthy, TK is the most consistent fantasy producer on the Flyers and one of the only players who appears immune to John Tortorella's deployment whims. He has 27 goals and 27 assists in 57 games this year and that is with a putrid six points on the power play. The Flyers have been atrocious in that regard and if they can get something going, TK could have a lot more. 

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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