Injured Players to Stash in your Fantasy Hockey League
If you play in a Fantasy League with Standard settings, then it is likely your roster comes with a few IR spots looking to be filled as you build your ideal roster to start the NHL season. With most pre-season injuries only taking key players out for a short amount of the fantasy season, there is a strategy in drafting an injured asset earlier than expected with hopes of them returning to your squad at full health by mid-season. Nothing affects ADPs more than a pre-season injury, allowing savvy fantasy owners to take advantage of those around them.
Drafting an injured player allows you to move them to IR and pick up a high-upside player to monitor early in the season.
Below are a few players starting 2022-23 on the Injured List who are sure to make an immediate impact when healthy:
Brad Marchand: Hip Surgery – Should still get close to 65%+ of Fantasy Season
2021-22 Statistics: 70 GP, 32 G, 48 A, 80 PTS, +16, 97 PIM, 242 SOG, 6 GWG
2022-23 Yahoo ADP: 117 ADP
(2021-22 Yahoo ADP: 10.5 ADP)
Marchand has solidified himself as a top-15 fantasy pick for much of the past decade and deservedly so, producing at an elite clip at the top of Boston’s lineup. In the last five NHL seasons, Marchand has filled the fantasy stat sheets ranking fifth in total points (421), 10th in goals (159), 12th in powerplay points (130), and 32nd in shots (983) while also collecting the sixth most PIMs (384) in the NHL. Marchand enters 2022-23 plummeting down draft boards as he recovers from offseason double hip surgery. With an expected return around American Thanksgiving, owners drafting the eight-time all-star will be without his talents for roughly seven or eight total fantasy weeks. Considering most regular fantasy seasons are coming in around 22 weeks this year, that is nearly 66-70% of the fantasy season with a top-10-producing player once healthy. With the skilled left-winger being taken at an average spot of 117 and around names like Zach Hyman (122 ADP) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (116 ADP), there is a case to sneak him off the board around the 70-80th pick in the draft. Draft Marchand whenever you feel comfortable but make sure to snake him away before someone catches his name around mid-draft and beats you to the punch. He makes the best and sneakiest of the IR stashable players entering the 2022-23 drafts.
Gabriel Landeskog: Lower-Body Injury: Could get anywhere from 75% or less of Fantasy Season (Out Indefinitely)
2021-22 Statistics: 51 GP, 30 G, 29 A, 59 PTS, +27, 150 SOG, 5 GWG
2022-23 Yahoo ADP: 30.7 ADP
(2021-22 Yahoo ADP: 35.6 ADP)
Due to a lower-body injury, Landeskog is expected to miss an indefinite amount of time in the early season. Drafting the Avalanche captain is risky because we have no idea when he’ll return. However, come draft day, if you are staring the 11-year veteran in the face with pick 80 and onward, do not be afraid to take chances on the 30-goal scorer, as he was going around the 30th spot before his injury announcement. When healthy, he has proven he is more than capable of 35/35 production, value that would make a critical mid-season addition as the fantasy hockey playoffs come around. He finished 24th in the NHL with 1.16 P/GP on his way to being one of 50 players to pass the 30-goal mark in an injury-shortened 2021-22.
Max Pacioretty: Torn Achilles – Could get anywhere from Week 13 (Jan 2nd) Onwards – Less than 50% of the fantasy season
2021-22 Statistics: 39 GP, 19 G, 18 A, 37 PTS, +8, 148 SOG, 4 GWG
2022-23 Yahoo ADP: 53.7 ADP
(2021-22 Yahoo ADP: 36.2)
Pacioretty joins the Carolina Hurricanes after three successful seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights. It was announced in August that the 14-year veteran is expected to return from offseason Achilles surgery in early 2023, making him fantasy relevant for only the latter part of the season and fantasy playoffs. Nonetheless, Pacioretty is still an incredibly effective fantasy asset when healthy, as he averaged over a point per game in his last two seasons, collecting 33 goals and 45 assists for 78 points in 77 games while atop the Vegas Golden Knights’ lineup. In 2019-20 the winger amassed 300+ shots, becoming one of eight players to have accomplished the feat in the last three years. Finding himself on an even more balanced Carolina roster could help Pacioretty upon his return as he will look to get back to the 30/30 fantasy pace owners have expected in previous years. You can likely sneak the winger at the bottom of your draft because of the length of his injury. If owners can show patience with the winger into the new year, activating a point-per-game player mid-season off your IR is a great way to round out your fantasy squad heading into the crucial final weeks of the season.
Jacob Chychrun: Ankle/Wrist – Likely to get 80%+ of Fantasy Season
2021-22 Statistics: 47 GP, 7 G, 14 A, 21 PTS, 141 SOG, 2 GWG
2022-23 Yahoo ADP: 150.0
(2021-22 Yahoo ADP: 88.6)
Chychrun (ankle/wrist) is at risk of missing the start of the 2022-23 season as the defenseman has yet to take the ice after having bone spurs removed from his ankle this summer, in addition to wrist surgery. After a disappointing, seven-goal, 21-point injury-riddled campaign in 2021-22, Chychrun makes a sneaky bottom of your roster selection as he shoots the puck at an incredibly high clip as he was pace for over 260 shots a season ago across a full 82 games. In addition, the young defenseman has already requested a trade out of Arizona, meaning if the 24-year-old can find himself anywhere besides the desert in 2022-23, he should be in for a bounce-back season as he is just a year off of an 18 goal campaign in 2020-21. Chychrun makes a great sleeper at the bottom of fantasy drafts with a high ceiling.
Charlie McAvoy: Should Surgery – Expected return around early December – 65%+ of Fantasy Season
2021-22 Statistics: 78 GP,10 G, 46 A, 56 PTS, 166 SOG, 5 GWG, 66 PIM, 24:38 TOI
2022-23 Yahoo ADP: 135.8
(2021-22 Yahoo ADP: 58.5)
McAvoy is expected to be out until early December after undergoing successful shoulder surgery in the offseason. The skilled defenseman enters 2022-23 coming off a massive season in 2021-22 where he posted career highs in goals (10), Assists (46), points (56), plus/minus (31), SOG (166), and Hits (155). If you can stash the Bruins’ top defenseman on your IR to start the year, he should provide similar top-15 defensive fantasy production when back in your lineup, making him a great mid-season addition to any lineup. McAvoy finished 2021-22 ranked 11th in points, 18th in PIM (66), 23rd in goals, and 28th in shots among all defensemen. You can likely draft him as your No.4 fantasy defenseman, and he’ll provide terrific depth to your lineup upon his return.
Anthony Duclair: Achilles Surgery – Likely get 50% of Fantasy season
2021-22 Statistics: 74 GP, 31 G, 27 A, 58 PTS, 167 SOG, 5 GWG
2022-23 Yahoo ADP: 168.6
(2021-22 Yahoo ADP: 168.3)
The 27 year-old-winger enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2021-22 finishing with a respectable 58 points in 74 contests on the way to placing 40th in league goal scoring (31). His nine powerplay goals and 21 PPP were both career highs while averaging his lowest average time on ice in the past three seasons (15:00). Duclair makes a sneaky waiver selection that can add immediate goals to your fantasy team when he returns mid-season. Look to stash the veteran on your IR, as it appears he has finally found a home alongside in the Panthers’ top-6.
Tom Wilson – Torn ACL – Likely to return fantasy Week 9 onwards – Near 60% of Fantasy Season
2021-22 Statistics: 78 GP, 24 G, 28 A, 52 PTS, 98 PIM, 5 GWG, 240 HIT
2022-23 Yahoo ADP: 167.0
(2021-22 Yahoo ADP: 128.6)
Wilson tore the ACL in his left knee during the Capitals’ first-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers; his timetable puts him on track to return around December. Last year was a successful campaign for Wilson, who scored 24 goals and 52 points in 78 games while consistently occupying the Capitals’ top-6. Wilson makes a sneaky stash in banger leagues as his 98 PIMs had him ranked 10th in the NHL paired alongside his 240 hits which had him placed 11th among all skaters in 2021-22. Wilson should slip through most drafts making him a great waiver wire grab and stash as you wait for his return in December.