Fantasy Hockey Injury Updates: Aleksander Barkov, Joseph Woll, and More

Hey folks! From a collapsed lung to a sudden leave of absence, today we are going to discuss some of the biggest injury news and updates around the league. These injuries will no doubt impact the ADP of these players and should be on your radar when it comes to your own draft picks, as well as your opposing general managers.

Make sure to check out our Fantasy Hockey Average Draft Position (ADP) tool. You can select the amount of teams in your league, number of rounds, your pick position, and even select keepers. Do a mock draft to prepare for your own draft!

Aleksander Barkov - Florida Panthers

The Panthers got some bad news Friday, as their captain went in for surgery on his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee. 

Barkov was injured during practice in pre-season the day before, a huge blow to the defending two-time Stanley Cup champions, as he is a pivotal part of both their blue line and their locker room. Barkov eats huge minutes, plays a physical game, and is a puck-moving playmaker who quarterbacks the powerplay.

The Panthers without question will not be the same given the holes in their leadership and elite players missing to start the season. There is a chance that Barkov will miss the entire regular season based on average recovery times for this surgery which is not ideal for this squad that is in the “win now/go mode.”

Lastly of note, Barkov also leads the Panthers in games played (804), goals (286), assists (496), points (782), powerplay goals (84) and game winning goals (52).

Barkov had 20 goals, 51 assists, and 28 powerplay points in 67 games as a defenseman last season. He also had 149 shots on goal, 87 hits, and 54 blocked shots.

Matthew Tkachuk - Florida Panthers

Adding to the Panthers' woes is Tkachuk's continued struggle to stay healthy. General manager Bill Zito announced last week that Tkachuk would likely be out until mid December of this year.

Usually, Tkachuk has been quite durable considering his physical style of play, but last year, he was limited to just 52 games after getting hurt during the Four Nations Face-Off.

Tkachuk is a huge physical presence on the team, and for all intents and purposes sets the pace of play for this championship roster. He is the spark that ignites their passion and winning attitude. He had won a Stanley Cup before his brother, Brady Tkachuk, had even played a single playoff game. Matthew has a drive to win and compete and carries his team along with him. When he was traded to the Panthers from the Calgary Flames, he completely turned around the atmosphere surrounding the team, and they made an immediate flip to a winning-at-any-cost mindset.

Coupled with Barkov's injury, the Panthers now find themselves in trouble for the start of the season, at least. It is unknown how the Panthers are going to be able to cope and replace these two elite players in the short or long term.

Tkachuk had 22 goals, 35 assists, and 23 powerplay points in 52 games as a forward last year. He also had 156 shots on goal, 84 hits, and 12 blocked shots.

Joseph Woll - Toronto Maple Leafs

While not an injury, Woll has taken a step back from the team and has been placed on an indefinite leave to deal with some family issues, sources say.

The blue paint in Toronto has been long plagued with inconsistent play and injury-prone goaltenders. Currently, between Woll and Anthony Stolarz, neither has been able to play a full season healthy, let alone a full season as a starting goaltender. The Maple Leafs were poised to start the year running these two as a tandem, which worked to great success last season, however, now they have had to immediately pivot their plans with no timeline on Woll's sudden absence.

The Maple Leafs did sign former Maple Leaf James Reimer to a PTO this week, giving relief to AHL starter Dennis Hildeby. Be mindful of drafting Woll, with no timeline and an injury prone history; while his numbers are more than elite, his consistency and inability to remain healthy give him several red flags to heed.

Woll had 27 wins in 41 games started as a goaltender last season. He also had a .909 save percentage, 2.73 goals against average, and one shutout.

Jamie Benn - Dallas Stars

General Manager Jim Nill reported that Stars' captain Benn had to undergo surgery for a collapsed lung. This happened during a pre-season game, and although it sounds serious, he is anticipated to make a full recovery and will be reassessed in four weeks.

The captain had just re-signed with the team on a one-year deal and now plays more of a support role than an impact one as he ages into the veteran stage of his life.

Benn has played his entire career in Dallas since being drafted in 2007, and he is a huge part of the locker room. He will no doubt have his number hung from the rafters one day and is expected to play this season should his recovery progress well.

Benn is more of a late-round pick nowadays or a solid streaming option through the season. I would pass on Benn for now until fully recovered, as at this point in his career, he is likely not worth an IR spot. Either way, we wish Benn a speedy recovery.

Benn had 16 goals, 33 assists, and 10 powerplay points in 80 games as a forward last year. He also had 136 shots on goal, 113 hits, and 45 blocked shots.

Zach Hyman - Edmonton Oilers

Hyman is still recovering from wrist surgery he underwent after suffering a fractured wrist during the western conference finals last season. Hyman is likely to return some time in early November, and when he does, he will immediately pick up where he left off.

Definitely worth an IR slot, Hyman's deployment is among the best in the league. He is a winger for Connor McDavid on the top line and is cemented on their top powerplay unit with Leon Draisaitl as well. Without having to produce, you are bound to pick up points and powerplay points playing with the likes of those world class franchise superstars, yet Hyman has shown he can produce.

While he may not score 50 goals like he did a couple seasons ago, he is still likely a 50-point lock for a contending team with some of the best players in the world.

Hyman had 27 goals, 17 assists, and 12 powerplay points in 73 games played as a forward last season. He also had 210 shots on goal, 58 hits, and 24 blocked shots.