Fantasy Hockey Injury Report: Updates on Sidney Crosby and Kirill Marchenko, while Anthony Stolarz Returns

Today I've got several injury updates that have big time impacts on their respective teams, the Four Nations Face-Off, and your fantasy roster.

Canada's Captain in Jeopardy

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins took a pinching hit in Tuesday's game against the New Jersey Devils where he ended up getting “tangled up” between Luke Hughes and Erik Haula.

Crosby was battling with Hughes at the blueline when Haula came in from the side to land a hit, and pinched Crobsy's left arm between the two players. It seemed to bend his left arm the wrong way, and he ended up leaving the ice in noticeable discomfort.

He did end up returning several minutes later and participated in the shootout, which was a good sign, but when asked about the hit after the game and if he sustained an injury or if the hit effected his elbow he just repeated that he got "tangled up."

There was a lot of noise and speculation around him not playing in tonight's matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has stated that they are taking the upper-body injury one day at a time.

With both Crosby teammate Evgeni Malkin out, the Penguins look to Rickard Rakell to play down the middle of the top line. If you're a Rakell owner, you should be stoked for this opportunity. He is already leading the team in goals, and with Sid and Geno both out, he will be logging a lot of minutes.

That said, Rakell is a right winger, and is not known for playing center. He hasn't played center since his first couple seasons in the NHL, but he has expressed that he is up for the challenge. If your league counts faceoff wins, don't expect much from Rakell in that category.

Back to Crosby. This is his first missed game of the season, and this injury breaks the 229 regular season game streak he was on. Prior to missing tonight's game, he had been healthy since 2022, and this could not have come at a worse time. Team Canada is counting on him, and it's still up in the air if he will be healthy enough to participate in the Four Nations Face-Off.

In 55 games, Crosby has 17 goals, 41 assists, 17 powerplay points, and 156 shots on goal. He also has 51 hits and 31 blocks.

We'll try to keep you updated on this, as we have some Four Nations articles coming up to keep you and your fantasy roster updated throughout the tournament!

Jackets Suffer Jaw Injury

Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets has been having an unreal year. While it's good timing to be sidelined, part of his recovery will coincide with the tournament, so it's still unfortunate to stop the momentum Marchenko has had this year.

Marchenko was on the bench in Sunday's game against the Dallas Stars and was hit in the face with a puck, subsequently breaking his jaw.

Marchenko is scheduled to be out for at least six to eight weeks, and sadly this is going to take you right up until around the typical fantasy league playoff start time. He will have to be an IR stash until then. In my opinion, he is a definite hold until the playoffs for you, as he has turned into an absolute weapon this year.

He has 21 goals, 34 assists, and 16 powerplay points, and 144 shots on goal. He also has 39 hits and 26 blocked shots. Marchenko has been playing a top line role as well as being a mainstay on the number one powerplay.

Nobody expected the Blue Jackets to be as sneaky good as they are, and Marchenko has been a huge part of that. If they can continue to build on their success this year, they are going to be perennial contenders. 

Return of Stolarz

Anthony Stolarz of the Toronto Maple Leafs has finally returned from a knee injury that had him on IR since December 14. The Maple Leafs have not looked like the same team since his absence, and while he may start as a tandem with fellow netminder Joseph Woll, it is likely Stolarz will steal the crease again given enough time to shine.

In his first game back on Thursday against the Seattle Kraken, Stolarz came out on top with a 3-1 win as he posted a .963 save percentage while letting in only one goal - a great start.

Stolarz is still top five in the league for both goals against average (fifth), and save percentage (second). Stolarz was playing at an elite level that also helped boost Woll, as between the two, they were statistically the best tandem duo in the league.

But. There's always a but, isn't there? But both Stolarz and Woll are injury prone - something the Maple Leafs have battled with in the blue paint for decades at this point. Let's not forget Matt Murray also played for them this year. 

Ok seriously, let's compile a list here, for argument's sake. Other notable injury prone goalies who they have parted ways with include Frederik Andersen, Ilya Samsonov, Jack Campbell, Petr Mrazek, and Michael Hutchinson to name a few from the past few seasons. See a trend?

Anyways, the point is (for now) that Stolarz being back is going to improve the Maple Leafs as a whole, is going to improve Woll (who now has to compete for games, and will not be as taxed with a reduced workload), and your fantasy team if you have any Maple Leafs rostered. Great news all around!

Stolarz has an impressive 10 wins in 18 starts, with a .929 save percentage, 2.08 goals against average, and one shutout. Look for him to continue to pile up wins and battle for the majority of starts coming through the stretch.

One final note to be weary of (because it can't always be all good news) is should the Maple Leafs decide to go with Stolarz as the lone starter in the playoffs, he could get put in a backup role towards the very end of the season to rest him, which would impact his starts during your fantasy final round of playoffs. Good for Woll owners, bad for Stolarz owners. Food for thought!