Fantasy Hockey Injury Report: Updates on Jacob Markstrom, Noah Dobson, Aaron Ekblad and Matthew Knies

Again we have a few injury reports, one involving a big change in the blue paint for the New Jersey Devils. We also have big news for the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers bluelines, and the injury bug continues to sting the Maple Leafs, but it looks like only for the short term.

Let’s take a closer look and in-depth dive into each of these four teams.

What in the Devil Will They Do?

Jacob Markstrom went down on Wednesday in a matchup against the Boston Bruins. In the second period he collided with Bruins winger Justin Brazeau. At the time, he had stopped six out of seven shots faced, but unfortunately had to be helped off of the ice.

The Devils announced this morning that he is expected to be out between four to six weeks and suffered from a sprained MCL. He is out at least until the Four Nations Cup, and including this time there is a two-week break, so there is a potential return on February 22.

If the netminder can have a speedy recovery, he may only miss seven games, but likely his return won’t be until sometime in the beginning or even mid-March.

The Devils have been hot this year, and without Markstrom, they may stumble a little, but I would not expect them to rush him back because they aren’t in a position where it will be critical for them to get every point available. 

Currently, they are seven points up from the first wild card spot, sitting nicely third in their division. They can afford to expend a few points to losses to give Markstrom the time he needs to recovery for playoffs.

Markstrom has 21 wins in 36 starts this year, and has put up a .912 save percentage, 2.2 goals against average, and has three shutouts.

Jake Allen will be taking the main workload between the pipes while Markstrom recovers, and this should not worry Devils' fans at all. Allen has an extremely low roster rate, and is a super gettable waiver wire pickup. If you had Markstrom go down in your roster, need a streamer, or have other concerns in your crease, pick him up immediately.

Allen rescued the Devils against the Bruins when Markstrom went down, as he shut the door completely. Allen made 16 saves after getting between the pipes and stood on his head.

On the season, Allen has put up good numbers too, which is why he will be a great addition to your team with the increased workload he is about to face as the temporary No. 1.

This year, he has six wins in 14 games played, but these numbers don’t tell the full story. Six wins only, yes, but this is despite a .904 save percentage and a 2.66 goals against average. Plus, he has two shutouts, not including saving the day stepping in for Markstrom last game. It is clear when he is in net he hasn’t been getting goal support, so don’t let the lack of wins fool you.

Big Blow to the Islanders

Noah Dobson of the New York Islanders was injured on Monday. We have been waiting and speculating what this looks like for the struggling Islanders, and that answer came today. 

The good news is that the lower body injury he suffered during their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday where he fell awkwardly on his right leg during a collision with Cole Sillinger doesn’t require surgery. Great, right? Well...

The bad news is that he is considered week to week at this point, and the Islanders placed him on IR today. Pending how quickly he recovers, he could also potentially not play in the Four Nations Cup. The Isles have not given a timeline for his recovery, yet.

Dobson has six goals, 18 assists, seven powerplay points, and 143 shots on goal in 46 games played this season. His peripherals are decent despite his low points with 41 hits and 81 blocked shots.

Not great for your blueline if you had Dobson rostered, however worse if you have other Islanders rostered. They have already had a blundering season, and with rumors of Brock Nelson being a top trade candidate, during his absence, Noah’s ark might sink.

Ray of Sunshine in the Sunshine State

Aaron Ekblad was a full participant in practice with the Florida Panthers today. Head coach Paul Maurice confirmed that Ekblad was a potential he could play tomorrow night against the San Jose Sharks, or if not then on Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights.

This is great news for the Panthers, who have relinquished the top spot in the Atlantic Division to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ekblad plays a hard game focusing on defense first, and is a stellar peripheral defender on a winning team that owners are itching to get back into their lineup.

Ekblad has two goals, 18 assists, seven powerplay points, two shorthanded points, and 76 shots on goal. He adds to that with 39 penalty minutes, 58 hits, and 55 blocked shots. Ekblad is a defender who isn’t afraid to throw his body around.

He also is a top pair defender who sees both powerplay and penalty kill time. He is an underrated defender for banger leagues or leagues counting peripherals who likely fell to defenders with bigger names, but make no mistake, he is a must-roster player. Did we mention he is a defending Stanley Cup champion?

Up and Down Maple Leaf

Matthew Knies also suffered an upper body injury in the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. He collided with Kirill Marchenko in the second period, and did not return to the game in the third.

While there isn’t a clear timeline for return yet, it is looking like the tough winger is expected back in days, not weeks. If you are Knies' holder, grab another streamer and wait it out.

On the season, Knies has 18 goals, 13 assists, six powerplay points, and 81 shots on goal. He’s also put up 22 penalty minutes, 108 hits, and 22 blocked shots.

We already know Knies has a spot on the top Maple Leafs forward line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and is up and down their powerplay units. His elite deployment with franchise talent on the ice continues to hold his strong value in all types of leagues.