Fantasy hockey injury update: February 1

An updated look at NHL injuries that will affect fantasy lineups during the week of February 1. 

Injured NHL players got a bit of a break this past week with the All-Star Game taking place in Nashville. The regular season went on break for five days, allowing some extra time for some bumps and bruises to heal. With so few games taking place last week, not too many new names appear on the injured list.

A few players who were scheduled to play in the All-Star Game chose to sit out to take advantage of the time to heal some injuries. However, as per the league, any player that chose to sit out has to miss his team’s first game after the break.

With the action starting back up on Tuesday this week, here’s a look at the injuries to keep an eye on for fantasy hockey.

Alexander Ovechkin- Washington Capitals (W): Washington’s star winger elected to miss the All-Star Game to rest an injury that’s been bothering him. There’s no word on what exactly the injury is, though it doesn’t seem to be overly serious. Still, since choosing to miss the exhibition game the NHL mandates that Ovechkin miss his next game. The Capitals play on February 2, meaning Ovie won’t be in the lineup. However, it won’t be a surprise to see him right back on the ice soon after.

Jonathan Toews- Chicago Blackhawks (C): Toews was forced to sit out the third period of Chicago’s game on January 26 due to an undisclosed illness. He also missed the All-Star Game and will have to miss the Blackhawks’ first game after the break on February 2. Toews shouldn’t be out for long, but he will be unavailable for at least the first part of the new week.

Steve Mason- Philadelphia Flyers (G): Mason sat out Philadelphia’s last game before the break on Wednesday with a lower-body injury. He didn’t practice last week and then missed the game with the Capitals. The All-Star game this weekend gave him a bit more time to heal up. The Flyers next play on February 2, and Mason could be ready to roll. Just be sure to check his status prior to inserting him into your lineup.

Rick Nash- New York Rangers (W): Nash is expected to return from his knee injury after the All-Star Game. The Rangers play on Tuesday, February 2 so just check his status prior to inserting him into a fantasy lineup.

Chris Kunitz- Pittsburgh Penguins (W): There’s no update on Kunitz and he remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There’s no clear word on what exactly the injury is, but Kunitz hasn’t been in a game since January 21. Look for an update on Kunitz from the Penguins before using him in any lineups this week.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins- Edmonton Oilers (C): Nugent-Hopkins had surgery on his hand and is currently on injured reserve. The initial timetable of six-to-eight weeks still seems to be in place. It sounds like Edmonton will be with Nugent-Hopkins for a while yet.

Daniel Carr- Montreal Canadiens (W): Carr suffered a lower-body injury against Columbus on January 25. The extent of the injury wasn’t known at the time, but it’s since been revealed as a knee injury. The Canadiens placed him on injured reserve and he’ll be out for at least three months.

Jonas Gustavsson- Boston Bruins (G): Gustavsson had to leave the game on January 26 due to an illness. It’s not clear what exactly he was dealing with, but he was kept in the hospital that night for an elevated heart rate. He has since been released and is expected to rejoin the Bruins after the All-Star break.

Henrik Sedin- Vancouver Canucks (C): Sedin is still dealing with an undisclosed injury that he suffered on January 17. He was expected to return some time after the All-Star Game, but there’s been no official word. Fortunately, Vancouver doesn’t play until Thursday this week, giving Sedin extra time to recover. Check his status prior to using him in lineups.

Milan Michalek- Ottawa Senators (W): The broken finger that Michalek suffered during a game on January 22 has put him out indefinitely. There’s no official timetable, but it seems unlikely that Michalek would be back in less than a few weeks.

Kyle Turris- Ottawa Senators (C): Turris hasn’t been on the ice since January 18. He’s dealing with an injured ankle and there hasn’t been an update for his status. He’s had extra time to heal with the All-Star break, but Turris could need even longer than that. The Senators play on Tuesday this week and it seems unlikely that he will be back in action by then.

Sean Couturier- Philadelphia Flyers (C): Couturier hasn’t played since January 19 due to a lower-body issue. There wasn’t much news on him last week, and there still isn’t. However, Couturier has been officially placed on IR. Expect him to miss this upcoming week and perhaps more. Look for an update on Couturier next week.

Sergei Bobrovsky- Columbus Blue Jackets (G): Bobrovsky is still on IR with a groin injury. There hasn’t been an update on his status other than than an announcement from Columbus that Bobrovsky didn’t suffer this latest setback because he was rushed back to the ice. Bobrovsky has been out three separate times with the same injury this year. Though there’s no timetable this time around and it’s highly unlikely that he will return until Columbus can confirm that he is 100 percent healed.

James van Riemsdyk- Toronto Maple Leafs (W): Still facing a lengthy layoff thanks to a broken bone in his foot, the Toronto Maple Leafs officially placed James Van Riemsdyk on injured reserve this past week to free up a roster spot. JVR remains is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks dating back to mid-January. He should be making his return sometime in March, but for now, it’s a trip to IR.

Johnny Boychuk- New York Islanders (D): Boychuk remains out with his upper-body injury but has started skating again with the team. There’s no official date for his return but it sounds as if a return shortly after the All-Star Game could be in store for Boychuk.

Niklas Kronwall-Detroit Red Wings (D): Kronwall is still recovering from a knee injury. It occurred on January 17 and the initial report had him out two-to-four weeks. There’s not been anything that says he’s off that timetable, so a return around the second week of February could be likely for Kronwall.

Connor McDavid- Edmonton Oilers (C): It seems that McDavid will make his return to the ice for the Oilers this week. His first chance will come on February 2. The word last week was that he was ready to return after the All-Star break. He spent the weekend working out with the AHL club and he was recalled by the Oilers on Sunday. It sounds promising for McDavid to return this week, but check his status closer to the game on Tuesday just to be absolutely sure.

Jake Allen- St. Louis Blues (G): Allen is still on injured reserve with a knee injury. He’s officially listed as week-to-week and isn’t likely to play in any of St. Louis upcoming games this week.

Tyler Ennis- Buffalo Sabres (W): Ennis is still recovering from the knee injury that he suffered on December 30 and he doesn’t seem close to a return yet. Officially, he’s still regarded as week-to-week. don’t expect to use Ennis in any fantasy lineups this week.

Curtis McElhinney- Columbus Blue Jackets (G): McElhinney’s ankle injury seems to have taken a turn for the better. The Blue Jackets recently announced that McElhinney will travel with the team on its upcoming road trip this week. There’s no word yet if he’ll play in any of the games, but at any rate, it sounds as if McElhinney is very close to a return to action.

Mike Smith- Arizona Coyotes (G): Smith is still taking shots and working his way back from core muscle surgery. He’s expected to make a return in mid-February, which is just a few weeks away. However, there’s no guarantee that he’ll take over as the starter, as Louis Domingue has played very well as his replacement.

Ondrej Pavelec- Winnipeg Jets (G): There still isn’t any word on when Pavelec will return from his knee injury, but the word coming out of Winnipeg recently is that a return could be soon. If he doesn’t make a return this week, expect it to come soon after.

Carey Price- Montreal Canadiens (G): Price has been skating with trainers but has yet to practice or even skate with any equipment on. The star goalie has been out since November with a knee injury. It was originally thought that he would return in January, but it was just announced last week that he could be out for at least another month. There’s also been talk that the injury may cause the Canadiens to shut him down for the rest of the season. Stay tuned to see if any news comes out of Montreal this week.