Frozen Fantasy: Injuries Galore

What the heck is going on? We come back from the All-Star break and guys are breaking down all over the place.

Bad timing for their teams. And you.

Jay Bouwmeester aside – all I can say is I'm glad he's still alive – hockey injuries seem to be on the rise. Maybe it's just the names involved, but maybe there's more to it.

Shea Weber. Erik Karlsson. Mark Giordano. Alexander Radulov. Nazem Kadri.

Don't forget Seth Jones, Brock Boeser, Andreas Johnsson and John Marino.

Oh yah – there's that guy in Edmonton. Yep, Connor McDavid. Plus more.

Most of these guys are elite players. A few are emerging and some are just great glue. But they're all significant losses.

To their teams and your fantasy lineup.

Hockey is hard on the body. About six or seven years ago, ESPN shared a stat that hockey hits were 17 percent harder than those in football, even though NHLers were about 20 percent smaller. And pundits seem to agree that hockey is the second-most difficult sport in the world (and hardest team sport to play).

Fantasy owners are now scrambling to replace these guys. And the harsh reality is that you can't – not without significant compromise. Do you go in search of a big-name defender to replace your hurt blueliner? Or do you fill with a lesser light and trade for a forward who can drain points with ease?

There's no easy answer, but I err to the latter. The cost to replace Shea Weber's production is likely high. Why not stick in a Nate Schmidt (below) and buy a stud forward?

Other than John Carlson, a forward will net you more potential points overall. There are a lot more 55-65 point forwards than 50-point defenders. Don't panic over scarcity. Get creative. You might even be better off than you were before.

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Mikael Backlund, RW/C, Calgary (17 percent Yahoo! owned) – Backlund sputtered his way to four points in his first 17 games. Slow was an understatement. But the smart Swede has 27 points in 42 games since. And he's currently on a five-game, eight-point streak (four goals, four assists) heading into Saturday night. Plus Backlund delivers a little – not a lot – in just about every category. Shots, faceoff wins, special teams. You get the drift. He's a 'use while hot' kind of guy. Maybe more, if he continues to deliver at the mid-50s pace he's been on over his last 42 games.

Jordan Greenway, LW/RW, Minnesota (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Greenway is a beast of a man – 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds – with speed and skill. Like a lot of power guys, his development path has been slow. But he's picking things up right now. Greenway has a goal and three assists in four games heading into weekend action. The Wild have a decision to make on the pending RFA and they might not be willing to ink him, fearing inflationary costs based more on potential than production. But Greenway is the kind of player who could step into a top-six role on a contender and see an uptick in scoring. This is just a hunch, but he could be an interesting addition post-deadline for contending fantasy teams. He's definitely on my watch list.

Denis Gurianov, LW/RW, Dallas (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – Gurianov is heating up at just the right time. The Stars lost Alexander Radulov from their top six, but Gurianov can help fill the gap. He has four goals with 12 SOG and seven hits in five games heading into Montreal on Saturday night. Yes, his 15.6 shooting percentage is completely unsustainable. But Gurianov could snipe 25 this season. He might even get Cy Young votes (he has almost three times more goals than helpers).

Scott Laughton, LW/C, Philadelphia (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Laughton is a two-way grinder who brings his proverbial lunch bucket to the rink every day. He's a pain in the butt to play against and excelling as the Flyers' third-line pivot. Laughton does have second-line upside and right now, he's showing off those offensive skills. Heading into Saturday, he had seven points - including four snipes - in his last eight games. Laughton's ice time might start to creep up, especially if second-line pivot Kevin Hayes continues to slump. Even if it doesn't, he's warm enough now to be on more than 1 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Zach Sanford, LW/C, St. Louis (16 percent Yahoo! owned) – I sure hope you picked this guy up after I pumped his tires two weeks ago. His offensive tear has continued – he scored four freaking goals Thursday night. And he keeps hitting and blocking shots. Sanford may still help you, even if you missed Thursday's outburst.

Juuse Saros, G, Nashville (13 percent Yahoo! owned) – Look, I don't like him either. But Saros has started five of the Preds' last six games and appeared in relief in the other. He put up a shutout against the Isles on Thursday night and he was 3-1 with just eight goals heading into play Saturday. Saros has picked a fine time to push for the starter's gig. OK. He's picked a fine time to finally show up. Maybe he's realized this is his chance to win the blue paint for 2020-21. Saros will help you if he can continues to step it up.

Nate Schmidt, D, Vegas (10 percent Yahoo! owned) – Schmidt was the toast of Vegas and their run to the Cup final in 2017-18, but injuries hurt him last season. He's missed time this season too, but right now, he's healthy and his game is heating up. Heading into action Saturday, Schmidt had five points - including two goals - in his last four games. And nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last 10. He gets power-play time, shoots a modest number of pucks every night and will block a few shots too. Injuries aside, Schmidt is delivering at a 47-point pace. He can help you fill Erik Karlsson's skates. Or just boost your blue line, period.

Jason Zucker, LW/RW, Pittsburgh (52 percent Yahoo! owned) – I sure hope you stashed this guy when I mentioned him a few weeks back. Zucker's ownership exploded when he was dished to the Pens and why not – he's skating top-six minutes alongside Sid the Kid. He had two goals Friday night. Do me a favor and just check your wire. His ownership sits at half of all Yahoo! leagues, so there's at least a chance you can still grab him.  

Back to the injuries.

The speed of the game. The quick lateral movement. Frozen rubber bullets hitting the body at 100 miles per hour. The risk to the body is exponential in hockey.

But is there something else at play of late?

Athletes are finely tuned machines. Small changes to routines can have big impacts. That's why a lot of hockey player have specific daily routines they refuse to alter.

So, did the mid-season All-Star break contribute to this rash of hurt? I don't have enough data, but something feels off. I doubt there's a specific correlation, but I can't help but think there's a connection.

Down time and changed routines. Forced relaxation. I doubt the NHL would ever admit it, but guys like @Man-Games Lost NHL might. I haven't broken down and paid for their service (yet). But their tweets sure are intriguing.

Food for thought. And barstool arguments.

Until next week.