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NHL Injury Report

In an ironic way, they're going to get that opportunity since their most proven goal scorer, 19-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Tom Kühnhackl, injured a knee over the weekend and is out for a while.

Kühnhackl failed to make the Pens out of camp but could challenge for a spot next season. The 19-year-old scored 29 goals and 68 points in 63 games for the Windsor Spitfires last season. Keep him in mind as a legitimate NHL prospect.

Tom Kuhnhackl
Here are a few notes from Monday's practice in Frisco. The Stars have added Jamie Benn and Adam Burish to the list of players they are being cautious with right now. Those two players have sore groins.

Burish was an incredibly valuable player to the Stars last season despite only eight goals and 14 points. They will continue to take it easy on him when the games don't matter. While he plays a bruising style on the ice, his PIM do not translate to fantasy hockey as he only registered 91 and 107 respectively over the past two seasons.

Adam Burish
Here are a few notes from Monday's practice in Frisco. The Stars have added Jamie Benn and Adam Burish to the list of players they are being cautious with right now. Those two players have sore groins.

The Stars will be careful with their prized young forward. Last season, Benn scored 22 goals and 56 points in only his second NHL season. He will be relied on to help anchor the second line this season and should play alongside leading scorer Loui Eriksson.

Jamie Benn
Erskine, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, has not yet been cleared for contact in practice, and yesterday the veteran defenseman didn’t sound hopeful that he would be able to appear in a preseason game.

Erskine was scheduled to make the bottom pairing as a tough guy. After missing most of the preseason Jeff Schultz looks more fit for the role. Known mostly for his fighting, Erskine never broke 100 PIM in a season.

Laich did not skate Monday after Boudreau said he was “tight” Sunday. “He'll probably skate [Tuesday],” the coach said.

Certainly doesn't sound like the injury will extend into the regular season. Laich scored 16 goals and 48 points through 82 games last season with the Caps. Expect him to play anywhere between the first and third lines this year.

Brooks Laich
Chimera was back on the ice Monday, though he won't play against the Blue Jackets Monday night. He said he just “tweaked” something a little bit - “nothing major.”

Chimera likely won't miss much time due to his tweak. Last season, the winger scored 10 goals and 26 points through 81 games with the Caps. He will need to battle for his playing time with the team adding Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward to their wings.

Jason Chimera
Tuomo Ruutu missed today's practices but should return tomorrow, Maurice said, although he likely will not play in the Winnipeg road game.

At this point in training camp Ruutu's healthy down the road is much more important than playing an exhibition game. The Finnish forward scored 19 goals and 57 points last season, playing most of the year on the second line. Look for a similar return on investment as well as a boost in value for fantasy hockey leagues which count hits.

Tuomo Ruutu
Tim Brent, who suffered a cut leg in Friday's game against Nashville, was back and skating today.

Sounds like Brent will be fine from his laceration. The pivot scored eight goals and 20 points last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Should he not be healthy enough for opening day, look for a youngster like Drayson Bowman to take his spot.

Tim Brent
Panthers projected backup goalie Scott Clemmensen underwent minor knee surgery Monday and will be out approximately a month.

Not good news for Clemmensen, who was expected to battle Jose Theodore for the starting goalie gig. The 34-year-old veteran posted a respectable 8-11-7 record with a 2.62 GAA and .911 SV% over 31 games last season. Look for Tyler Plante to take his role as the team's backup.

Scott Clemmensen
And the loss of Aaron Rome to a broken finger Sunday might create a depth curiousity on the back end.

With Rome out, the Canucks will once again need to test their depth on the blue line. Last season, Rome scored a goal and five points through 56 games with the President's Trophy winners. Look for a combination of Keith Ballard, Chris Tanev and Andrew Alberts to fill the gap.

Steve Pinizzotto suffering a shoulder injury Sunday

Pinizotto's injury could clear a role for Aaron Volpatti or Mike Duco. The center scored 17 goals and 42 points last season with the Hershey Bears while adding 178 PIM. His role would likely be more defensive with his fantasy hockey value centered around his penalty totals.

Steve Pinizzotto
Salvador played in Friday’s preseason game against the Rangers. He sat out the team scrimmage last Monday because he had sore groins, so that might be the problem again.

Salvador likely tweaked his groin after missing a full NHL season. In 2009-2010, the Brandon, Manitoba native scored four goals and 14 points for the Devils. He likely helps Martin Brodeur and company a whole lot more than he will your fantasy hockey team.

Bryce Salvador
The Devils say that Zubrus and Salvador are both resting lower-body injuries. Zubrus has not practiced since he left Wednesday morning’s practice with his injury.

Zubrus is likely held out of the lineup as a precautionary measure. The former 15th overall pick scored 13 goals and 30 points last year for the lowly Devils. Right now Petr Sykora has taken his spot on the top two lines which would indicate his place is safe upon returning.

Dainius Zubrus
“Right now I can’t do much. At first it was keeping the leg elevated in bed and watching a lot of movies and TV shows,” he said. “I can get around a little bit now, but there’s still not a lot I can do. Watching hockey on TV and trying to follow what’s going on.”

Zajac likely won't be back on the ice until after Christmas. The Devils will surely miss his 13 goals and 44 points as last season in addition to his penalty killing. Look for Jacob Josefson to center the second line in his absence.

Travis Zajac
If he does have a high-ankle sprain, it’s possible he could open the season on injured reserve, which conceiveably would buy the Oilers some time to look at other people, like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or fellow rookie Anton Lander.

Gagner was expected to start the season on the top line but could have his season sidetracked due to this sprain. Last season, the former 6th overall pick scored 15 goals and 42 points through 68 games for the Oilers. His absence should pave the way for rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Sam Gagner
Neither Kevin Westgarth nor Jake Muzzin will make the two-game preseason trip, as both will stay back to continue to be evaluated after their respective big hits.

Muzzin registered an assist in last season's 11-game tryout. He was one of the few thought to capitalize on Doughty's infamous holdout but has been relegated to the recovery room for now. Avoid until he proves himself healthy and worthy of an AHL job.

Jake Muzzin
Kevin Westgarth did not return to the game after his fight with Anaheim’s Brian McGrattan, 1:43 into the second period. Westgarth, in the hallway of the Kings’ locker room after the game, informally said he was fine, but Terry Murray said Westgarth would be evaluated again tomorrow.

Murray sounds somewhat concerned about his wingers status. Last season, Westgarth found his way into 56 games, registering three assists with 105 PIM. He figures to be a decent source for PIM, if healthy.

Sacco also said defenseman Jan Hejda’s timetable remains the same — two to four weeks from a knee injury, but he’s hoping for the former, which would mean the big guy is playing in game No. 2 that kicks off a five-game road trip in Boston on Oct. 10.

Hejda's absense will allow a defender like Kyle Cumiskey or Jonas Holos to make the team. Last season, the stay-at-home defender scored five goals and 20 points through 77 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Don't expect anything more than those point totals, which were quite close to career highs.

Jan Hejda
Avalanche forward Brandon Yip, who broke a forearm blocking a shot in Friday’s preseason game against St. Louis, will miss four to six weeks, Colorado coach Joe Sacco said tonight after an impressive 3-0 win over Dallas

Yip already was on the outside of the lineup, looking in for the Avs. The former Boston University standout scored 12 goals and 22 points for the team last season after scoring 11 in 32 the season before. While he can score from a bottom-two line, there are likely much better options.

NHL Injury Report

Daily Faceoff NHL injury report compiles all of the reported injuries from across the National Hockey League so you can see who is set to be sidelined, what their injury is, and how long they are expect to be out of commission. Injury updates are some of the most important NHL player news for any hockey fan to stay on top of, as winning or losing can ultimately be decided by the absence of a key player from within a team’s lineup. If you’re an avid hockey bettor, it’s crucial to your betting success that you stay informed on the latest injury news. Check out the latest NHL injury report on this page and see who’s set to miss some time this NHL season.

Reading the NHL Injury Report

The daily NHL injury report provides you with information regarding the type of injury a player is suffering from, the severity of it, as well as the timeline for their potential return. Common injury designations are day-to-day (almost fully healthy) out (not healthy, but not a long-term issue), and injured reserve/long-term injured reserve (out for an extended period of time).

Along with our regularly updated NHL injury report, you can also stay in the know regarding NHL injuries through team reporters/beat writers, social media channels and journalists, as well as official site reports from the NHL or their respective clubs.

Common NHL Injuries

In a physical sport such as hockey, injuries are a necessary evil as the toll it takes on each player’s body builds up over the course of an entire season. With the speed the game is played at the NHL level, it is common place for various injures to occur on a game-to-game basis. Whether it’s from a hard hit, inadvertent contact from a stick, or even being pelted by a blocked shot or deflected puck, it can be nearly impossible to avoid getting banged up over the course of an NHL contest.

Unlike many other professional sports leagues across the globe, the NHL tends to keep injury details close to the vest, reporting injury designations as either an upper body injury or lower body injury after players undergo tests. Below we’ll dive into some of the most common injuries that occur across the NHL, how they can affect players, and how long these injuries can sideline them from action.

Upper Body Injuries

Upper body injuries encompass all injuries that occur from the waist and up which includes the torso, arms, back, as well as the head. Common upper body injuries include shoulder dislocation, clavicle fractures, and broken/sprained wrists. An upper body injury could happen in a number of ways.

One of the most common and severe injuries that occurs across the NHL are concussions. Concussions are caused when the brain bounces or twists within the skull. This can be caused in a number of ways in hockey, generally from a hard impact whether that’s against another players body, the ice, or the boards. Recovery timelines for concussions vary from case-to-case with some players suffering mild effects and clearing protocol within a few weeks, to drastic scenarios where a player could miss the remainder of the season.

Lower Body Injuries

While players are often able to play through upper body injuries, a lower body injury can force a player to miss an extended amount of ice time depending on the location and severity of the issue. Lower body injuries encompass all issues from the waist down.

With so many pivotal muscle groups found within the lower body, these types of injuries often leave athletes unable to practice, let alone compete. Arguably the worst lower body injury a player can experience is a knee injury. From ACL tears, to MCL strains, or even broken patellas, there a numerous key ligaments and muscles, within the knee that are essential to a hockey players ability to hit the ice. Severe injuries to the knee can lead to lengthy absences from the lineup as well as a host of potential issues down the line of a players career if not successfully rehabbed. Other common lower body injuries in hockey include hip pointers, groin strains, and sprained/broken ankles.

Reserve Lists

In the NHL, players are often moved in and out of the lineup due to injury but when an issue occurs in which a player is set to miss an extended period of time, they must be placed under the official designation of the injured reserve list. NHL teams utilize reserve lists as a way to provide injured players time to recover from their physical ailments, as well as to free up space within their active roster to replace the output of their missing player.

There are two versions of reserve lists in the NHL, the injured reserve list (IR) and the long term injured reserve list (LTIR). Each reserve list holds their own distinctions for players to qualify, as well as how teams are able to replace members of the roster when they are forced to send an injured athlete to an injury reserve list. Below are the key differences between each reserve list and how an injured player can find themselves placed there in a season.

Injured Reserve List

The injured reserve list (IR) is for any player who is set to miss seven calendar days or more due to injury, disablement or illness is designated. Once a player is sent to injured reserve they must spend at least seven calendar days out of the teams lineup, but is still able to attend practices, team meetings, as well as travel with their team. Players are eligible to stay on the injured reserve until they are cleared by their team medical staff as ready and fit to return to competition…. When a player is sent to the injured reserve list, clubs are able to call up players from their roster to replace them whether that is from a scratched member of their main roster, a call up from the minors (AHL/ECHL), or by signing a free agent (cap space permitting).

Long Term Injured Reserve List

Similar to the injured reserve list, the long term injured reserve list (LTIR) is designed for teams to make up for severe injuries that have occurred to a player during the season. A player can be placed on the LTIR if they have been evaluated by medical staff and are ruled out of action for a minimum of 24 calendar days or 10 NHL games. Players often spend a much longer time on this reserve list once they are placed there due to the nature and severity of their injuries.

One major difference between the IR and the LTIR is the ability to circumvent the salary cap. When a player is placed on the LTIR, teams are able to pull from what is referred to as the “LTIR Pool”. The LTIR pool is the amount in which a team is granted in cap space after a player has been assigned to the LTIR. This amount is determined by subtracting the total amount of cap space remaining for a team from the affected player’s salary cap hit for the season. The amount given in the LTIR pool is also dependent on whether a team is under or over the salary cap at the beginning of the regular season.

For example, if a player who has a $2 million annual cap hit is placed on the LTIR and their team was under the salary cap by $500K, they would deduct the $500K in remaining cap space from the player’s annual salary hit, leaving the team with $1.5M to spend on replacements for their injured player.

However, if a team is over the salary cap to begin the regular season the LTIR pool is divided differently. In this case whatever the value of the overage in salary cap is at the start of the season will be the LTIR pool funds available for a club. For example, if a team is over the salary cap by $1 million, and a player with a $5 million cap hit is placed on the LTIR, their LTIR pool is valued at $1M as that is the amount they were over the cap to begin the season.

When a player is removed from the LTIR, the team must be under the annual salary cap hit on that day.

Considering Injuries When Placing NHL Bets

Considering injuries when placing NHL bets is incredibly important. By staying informed about the latest injury news heading into a matchup, you can better formulate how a matchup may play out based on the personnel available for action. Here’s how you can use the NHL injury report to influence your next bet and help give you a knowledgeable boost on all your wagers placed on tonight’s clashes.

Moneyline and Puck Line Bets

When placing a moneyline or puck line bet, knowing who is suiting up for action can make or break your chances of winning your wager. It only takes the absence of one player to shift the lines and change the outcome of the game. By waiting for the latest injury report prior to puck drop, bettors can make informed decisions before throwing down a wager on an upcoming matchup.

For example, if the New Jersey Devils are set to play the Columbus Blue Jackets but Jack Hughes is out due to injury, you may not want to back the Devils on the moneyline. Instead, you can use this information to reevaluate where the best value is on the adjusted moneyline and puck line for this contest.

Goal Total Bets

Each team relies heavily on their top goal-scorers to produce on a nightly-basis. If one of these performers is sidelined due to injury this could majorly effect the final score of the game. For example, if Minnesota Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizov is out of action due to injury heading into a contest against the New York Islanders, you could use this information to your advantage by betting the Under on the matchup due to the elite goal-scorer’s absence.

The same can be said inversely about a team’s goaltending. If the Tampa Bay Lightning are set to be without superstar netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy in their clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it may be in your best interest to bet the Over as his backup may not be able to handle the oppositions high-powered offence.

Prop Bets

Player injuries are also a prevalent factor to take into account before placing a prop bet on a matchup. If a team is without some of their top line players, it can leave the door open for someone lower in the depth chart to step up in their place.

For example, if The Ottawa Senators are taking on the San Jose Sharks, but Brady Tkachuk is listed as out on the latest injury report, other members of the Senators may be due for an increase in output as they look to make up for the void in production left by their team captain.

Futures Odds

While you don’t need a crystal ball to place a successful futures bet, knowing the latest injury news for each team can make a positive impact on your bets potential success. The NHL regular season is a vigorous journey that takes a heavy toll on the bodies of the athletes competing, and can sometimes lead to key members of a roster winding up on the injured reserve as a result. If a team does end up with an injury to one of their top players, this could completely derail their hopes of competing into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For example, if Colorado Avalanche superstar forward Nathan Mackinnon suffers a season-ending injury just before the All-Star break, you can expect to see their Stanley Cup future odds drop drastically as their best player is put on the shelf. On the other hand, you can also expect to see the ripple effects of this change in odds as other top contenders see their Stanley Cup odds increase as the competition among the top of the league is dropped.

NHL Injury Report FAQs

How often does the NHL injury report get updated?

The NHL injury report is updated daily so that you can see the latest injury news ahead of puck drop in any of today’s matchups. Seeing timely updates to the NHL injury report can make a major impact on your daily fantasy sports picks and wagers on a particular game. All information provided on the NHL injury report is provided directly by the NHL and each respective franchise to ensure accuracy.

How long can a player stay on the injured reserve list?

While the minimum amount of time spent on the injured reserve list is seven calendar days, there is no maximum amount of time that a player can be placed on the injured reserve list. If a player is set to be sidelined for longer than 24 calendar days or 10 NHL games, then a club may opt to place them on the long-term injured reserve instead. This allows franchises with the ability to exceed the salary cap while a player is placed on this reserve list.

How long does it take to recover from an ice hockey injury?

No injury recovery timeline is the same as another as there are several factors that go into the rehab process for a player being affected by injury. Factors include but are not limited to, injury severity, player injury/medical history, age, as well as the location of the injury. Some injuries are able to clear up in a matter of days, while others may take an athlete out of action for the entirety of a season.