Welcome to another edition of the Fantasy Hockey Injury Report. The season is now in full swing, and so are the injuries. You can’t avoid them, but we can get a head start and plan around them. The injury report will be out every week to help you plan the rest of your fantasy hockey week. Let’s take a look at which key players are dealing with injuries. 

Zach Werenski - Columbus Blue Jackets - Defence

Injury: shoulder, four weeks.

This is a huge blow to the Blue Jackets, and fantasy owners. Werenski is expected to miss four weeks after suffering a shoulder injury in Saturday’s game against the Islanders. He had six goals and ten assists in 26 games before the injury, and that leaves Columbus with a huge hole on the blue line. It would be nice if Ryan Murray steps up and takes his spot, but we all know that it’s unlikely that he stays healthy long enough to contribute on a regular basis. For now, Dean Kukan is skating with Seth Jones. Let’s see if Kukan can take advantage of his opportunity.

Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins - Center

Injury: lower-body, week-to-week

I know Bergeron was in the injury report last week, but I’m leaving him here because the situation is starting to worry me. He’s missed five straight games, and it looks like he’s going to miss a sixth one on Thursday. He’s played a total of two games since Nov.15, and that has fantasy owners worried about just how serious this lower-body injury is. The good news: Bergeron has been skating over the last few days, but at this point, a return to action doesn’t seem close. It’s time to start looking for a replacement on the waiver wire. 

Jack Hughes - New Jersey Devils - Center

Injury: lower-body, day-to-day.

The first overall pick in last year’s NHL draft has now missed the last three games and there is no timetable for his return. The rookie went down with a lower-body injury, but that’s all the information we have to work with. He hasn’t taken the league by storm so far this season, but considering how poorly the Devils’ have played, you can’t really blame the kid. Hughes has a ton of skill, and a return to the lineup would be a huge boost for New Jersey. His next opportunity to play is Thursday when the Blackhawks come to town, so hopefully we’ll know more about Hughes’ potential return at that point. 

Bryan Rust - Pittsburgh Penguins - Winger

Injury: lower-body, day-to-day.

At this point, we should just dedicate a section to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s crazy to see just how many injuries this team has had to deal with, yet they currently occupy a playoff spot. Bryan Rust was my new favourite pickup (which you already knew because you read my waiver wire article every weekend), and now he’s out of the lineup due to a lower-body injury. He has missed the last three games, but I’m not ready to part ways with him just yet. The 27-year-old has 17-points in 14 games, and has dual-position eligibility on Yahoo!  He’s currently 39% owned, and if he continues to be out of the lineup, he might drop below 30%, which would be a gift for fantasy owners who missed the chance to add him the first time. Any time you can get your hands on a point-per-game player off the waiver wire, you have to do it! Missing time due to injury sucks, but he still deserves to be on a fantasy hockey roster.  

Nicklas Backstrom - Washington Capitals - Center

Injury: upper-body, week-to-week.

Nicklas Backstrom has now missed the last seven games due to an upper-body injury, and we still have no idea when he might be ready to return. He has been skating of late, but like Bergeron, that hasn’t translated into him being any closer to playing. The Capitals want to make sure that their top centerman is 100%, and that’s good, but they should also put fantasy owners out of their misery and just place him on IR. this day-to-day injury tag is driving everyone crazy. Lars Eller is seeing some on the second line, so if you are a Backstrom owner looking for a short-term solution, he’s the best option to go with.