It just seems inevitable that you know someone who has a team with a boatload of injuries. Yes it happens every year but this year seems even worse than most. The numbers can be misleading because the numbers of the “wounded” are down slightly from last season. It is the caliber of player that makes the issue more noticeable at the moment.
There is one place I check first other than headlines, twitter, etc. That place would be the injury list of course. When friends start lamentin they have three or four very skilled players on their IR which ties them up from making the moves they need and forces their hand, it is a bit unusual. Add in that no fewer than 11 players have had some form of the flu in the last week (the documented ones) and one has the recipe for a fantasy nightmare that makes GM’s even more sick.
There is someone in your league that you know or maybe more than one person that literally has a crippled roster. Okay what is a “crippled roster”? By our definition, it is any roster that has 3 or more players out for an extended period of time, say enough time to be considered IR worthy.
I just think to myself about all of these crazy injuries. Even Vincent Lecavalier is out 4-5 weeks now after hand surgery. It is pretty likely that Andrei Markov will miss 2-3 months with another knee injury which is good news for PK Subban owners who watched him gain 1 point in seven games with Markov back in the fold and nearly a point a game when not in the mix. When teams are throwing guys out there hurt like the Devils, you know its getting pretty bad and we could be on the verge of another mini injury epidemic.
Currently there are 107 players that are hurt or ill in some way, shape, or form. That is almost 15% of the league. Last year there were 121 players hurt and two weeks ago only 72 players were out or possibly out of their lineups. Some say that the rash of injuries is over but think of the flu and how it is spreading. That could weaken immune systems which leads to distractions from the game. Those “distractions” can lead to injury.
Think of the bizarre swine flu epidemic last year and the impact (albeit small) on the NHL. David Krejci had it and several others as well. While the swine flu is pretty much a thing of the past, players are getting sick this time of year as a higher than usual rate. There were 12 players who have had flu like symptoms this week (up from 6 this time last year). By the way, these numbers come from a variety of sites and a special stick tap to INJURYEXPERT on twitter.
So if your team is overrun by the injury bug, what can you do? Hit the waiver wire NOW. Do not wait or hesitate because likely there are GM’s in the same boat as you or worse. Be quick or be dead as they say. Keep in mind if you do trade, the values will be much lower as other GM’s will know your vulnerable state. So trades can only be used if there are no other viable options. This is a time where panic will set in even for the best. Just do not make it worse than it has to be and all should get better eventually.
There are no quick fixes but at this crucial time of year, it is imperative to check those injury reports and yes even twitter or social media for updates, Knowing who to follow can make a difference between fantasy life and death in your leagues, Now what say you hockey public? Have at it! What is the most damaging injury to your fantasy team this year?
