Fantasy Hockey Injury Updates: Adam Fox, Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Norris and More

Hey folks. Today, we have injury updates for you. Some up, some down, and as always, all of these names are going to either impact you or your opponent in fantasy.

Injuries this season continue to be wild, and keep playing a huge role in how this is shaping teams in the NHL, as well as your fantasy squad. Again we have superstar players going down, and returning, as well as keeper fodder in young talent who may finally get a chance at some prolonged NHL hockey.

Let's take a look around the league and review these injury updates with who is out, who is back, and why there is more good news than bad in these injury reports!

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Adam Fox - New York Rangers

An absolutely titanic blow to the already struggling Rangers, their best defenseman and keeper/dynasty league hero is out until after the Christmas break with an upper body injury.

Fox suffered a hit to the boards from the Tampa Bay Lightning's Brandon Hagel on November 29, and was placed on IR the next day.

Fox has been the backbone to the Rangers' blueline, and quarterbacks their top powerplay unit, as well as seeing special teams time on the penalty kill. Averaging nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game is going to leave a huge hole through an important stretch of the season for the Rangers, and is devastating for Fox fantasy league owners.

While his timeline is not concrete, do not expect him back before 2026 most likely.

Fox has three goals, 23 assists, and eight powerplay points in 27 games played as a defenseman. He also has 51 shots on goal, 15 hits, and 41 blocked shots.

Valeri Nichushkin - Colorado Avalanche

Can the Avalanche get any better? I am glad you asked, because they can! How, one might wonder? Dropping a “Nuke” back into their lineup. Nichushkin is returning after missing eight games with a lower body injury.

Nuke will slot back into a top six role, likely playing alongside Gabriel Landeskog, who has moved his way up the lineup thanks to an impressive stretch of play, and Brock Nelson. Nuke will also be back on the top powerplay unit, although he may trade positions back and forth with captain Landeskog.

Either way, Nuke will had some explosive offensive production to the already Mariana's Trench roster on the Avs, who will continue to run the rest of the league over.

Nichushkin has five goals, seven assists, and three powerplay points in 17 games played as a forward. He also has 41 shots on goal, 16 hits, and four blocked shots.

Josh Norris - Buffalo Sabres

Good news for the Sabres was the return of Norris, who stepped into a top line role between Zach Benson and superstar Tage Thompson. Better news is Norris returned to a three-point night, adding two goals and an assist to his already point per game production on the year.

A nearly season long injury left a hole in the middle of the Sabres lineup, and Norris' return may give the team some much needed spark and momentum coming into December to try to win some games before the Christmas break.

Norris' roster rate is criminally low for someone on the top line with the likes of Thompson, and who is also on their top powerplay unit. Add in Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin to the mix, and Norris should continue to add some offensive touches to the squad.

He is an absolute bargain at a less than 20% roster rate, so grab him before everyone else in your league catches on. His deployment alone is worth a waiver wire pick up, let alone his production. Not sustainable, but certainly impactful.

Norris has two goals, one assist, and one powerplay point in two games played as a forward. He also has seven shots on goal, one hit, and zero blocked shots.

Tyson Foerster - Philadelphia Flyers

Foerster has been having a career year, and his goal production is on pace to shatter his career best year of 25, which was last year. Sadly, that may not come to fruition as he suffered an upper body injury in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 1.

What's worse is that after some MRI testing, it looks like he will be sidelined for at least 2-3 months.

Having been a lock for a top six spot, and getting powerplay unit and penalty kill time, coupled with the momentum of having a career season, this news is worse for Foerster more than anyone else.

After taking a one-timer and leaving the ice in discomfort, the MRI results were not what anyone wanted to hear. One small piece of good coming out of a bad situation is that franchise forward Matvei Michkov may benefit from this, and come out of his bottom six time out and move up the lineup.

Foerster has 10 goals, three assists, and three powerplay points in 21 games played as a forward. He also has 41 shots on goal, 20 hits, and 18 blocked shots.

Michael Misa - San Jose Sharks

Incoming is more injection of youth into the Sharks' lineup. Joining the dynamic duo of Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith comes Misa, who played just seven games before getting injured in his rookie year.

While not ready yet, Misa has practiced with the team and is a game time decision to play on Wednesday, December 3, according to head coach Ryan Warsofsky. 

Even if he doesn't return this week, the fact he is skating is great for dynasty league players who have been without Misa for majority of the season, while watching the other two young guns have massive success as a duo. Not to be left behind, it is unclear if Misa will pick it up when he returns, or if he will continue with the somewhat slow start he began the season with.

That said, the Sharks were in a different place when Misa was hurt, and had yet to win a game on the season. Let's see where he ends up, whether he continues in the big leagues, or takes a stint in the AHL for conditioning.

For re-draft leagues, or any setting other than dynasty, early signs show that Misa may be a waiver wire player (for now), but dynasty league owners should be excited for his immenant return.

Misa has one goal, two assists, and zero powerplay points in seven games played as a forward. He also has 13 shots on goal, two hits, and five blocked shots.