Right now, there’s an entire all-star team’s worth of players injured in the NHL.
We could construct arguably the best first line in hockey with Russian wonders Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Ilya Kovalchuk all out with injuries.

In case they can’t get it done, no worries, there is a dynamic second line waiting to come out in Johan Franzen, Marc Savard, and Marian Hossa. This is when coaching becomes an issue, as it is very difficult to balance ice-time between our second and third lines, considering we’ve got snipers Simon Gagne, Eric Staal, and Daniel Sedin eager to hit the ice and do some damage of their own.

But it doesn’t end there—a real solid energy line is ready to hop out and make some things happen, and certainly pitch in a few goals if need be with silky center Shawn Horcoff in between Milan Lucic and David Booth. When it comes to offensive talent, our issues are definitely not lack thereof.

The power from the blue line is just as good, with stalwarts Shea Weber, Sergei Gonchar, Andrei Markov, Sheldon Souray, Kris Letang, and Paul Martin all sidelined, giving us six solid guys to work with. The list doesn’t even end there.

Players are dropping like flies, and not only are the injuries dilapidating NHL teams, but they’re killing fantasy teams as well.
You may find yourself dropping some of your star players and relying on the “leftovers” in your league hanging out on the waiver wire. Luckily, a lot of these “leftovers” are playing better than some starters, and if you give them a chance during these hard times, it will surely pay dividends.

The next week or two will be particularly tough, and getting through injury problems is imperative if you’re team is going to do well. There are definitely a few diamonds in the rough still available in most leagues that will hold you over for a while until the stars come back.

David Clarkson, NJ (40% owned in yahoo leagues)

Clarkson has been a pretty reliable guy thus far in the season. He’s got 12 points in 15 games, 27 penalty minutes, and he sees a significant amount of time on the powerplay. If he doesn’t get you a point, then he’ll usually get in a fight or take a penalty or two. Either way, he’s involved and producing.

Tomas Fleischmann, WAS (13% owned in yahoo leagues)

Fleischmann has flourished during the Ovechkin injury. He has 7 points in 5 games, 6 of them goals. What’s more, he can be played as a left wing or right wing in yahoo leagues, which is very valuable. He is an extremely gifted player and he should continue to put up points during Ovechkin’s absence, and could very well keep it going once he’s back– as long as he avoids an injury of his own. He’s worth a pickup to try and ride out his hot streak.

Rich Peverley, ATL (49% owned in yahoo leagues)

Rich Peverley has 52 points in 52 games since coming aboard in Atlanta, yet he is still only 49% owned in yahoo leagues and a rather unknown amongst hockey fans. Not only is he producing, but he is also a plus-19 in his time there, and Atlanta is no powerhouse. The Thrashers are a great fit for him and it seems like he really is a point-per-game player. He’ s a great guy to snag if you’re struggling down the middle without scoring machines Savard or Malkin in your lineup.

Tobias Enstrom, ATL (27% owned in yahoo leagues)

Enstrom leads all Thrashers defensemen with 10 points in 13 games. He is a very offensively inclined defenseman and will continue to pick up points, even-strength and powerplay. Furthermore, Atlanta’s 13 games played is an NHL-low, so Atlanta players have a little extra value over the next couple weeks as they will have a more eventful schedule than most teams.

James Wisniewski, ANA (26% owned in yahoo leagues)

Wisniewski is back from his suspension and still getting points from the blueline. He’s got 10 assists in 10 games and is seeing a lot of ice time. The guys in Anaheim like what he can do on the offensive side of the puck, so expect more of the same from him. Players like him and Enstrom are a great pickup if other under-the-radar guys like Quincey and Goligoski have already been snatched up.

Notes: Awful news for the floundering Hurricanes, as Cam Ward will miss significant time with a nasty leg laceration… Jason Williams fractured his fibula Saturday night— he joins Franzen and Valtteri Filppula on the IR as the struggling Red Wings continue to get ravaged up front by injuries… Roberto Luongo hopes to return this week for the Canucks, although Andrew Raycroft and Cory Schneider have both played exceptional in his absence… Patrik Elias played his first game of the season for New Jersey on Friday against the Islanders but took the next night off to get some rest—he should be a consistent fantasy contributor by the end of the month… Daniel Sedin’s broken foot is almost healed and he is expected to be back in the lineup for the Canucks within a week or two…Jason Spezza appears to be heating up, with multiple 3-point contests in his last five games…Sid-the-Kid is struggling sans-Malkin, being held pointless in his last 4 outings…Carey Price finally woke up and put in a 42 -save gem in Boston on Thursday, but he failed to keep it going and followed it up with a loss while allowing 3 goals on 21 shots against Tampa Bay.