Welcome back to the Fantasy Hockey Injury Report. Hockey is back, which means injuries are back too. You can’t avoid them, but we can get a head start and plan around them. The injury report will be out every Tuesday to help you plan the rest of your fantasy hockey week. Let’s take a look at which key players are dealing with injuries. 

John Klingberg - Dallas Stars - Defence

Injury: lower-body, minimum two weeks.

Just as the Dallas Stars were starting to find their groove, their best defenceman is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks with a lower-body injury. He took a pretty heavy hit from Colorado defenseman Nikita Zadorov, and left the game shortly after. We should get an update on his status either today (Wednesday), or Thursday, but one thing is certain-- he will not be available for the next two weeks. If you are a fantasy owner looking to replace Klingberg, Esa Lindell is the first player to target.

Alex Tuch - Las vegas Golden Knights - Winger

Injury: upper-body, day-to-day.

It seems like Alex Tuch just can’t catch a break. After missing the start of the season due to injury, the right winger played only five minutes against Winnipeg last weekend, and missed yesterday’s game against Columbus. Head coach Gerard Gallant did say that there was a chance that Tuch rejoins the team on their road trip, but if he doesn’t, that would put him out of the lineup until November 13 when the Golden Knights return home to face the Blackhawks. At this point, fantasy owners should look to the waiver wire to replace Tuch. If you can’t stash him on the IR, just drop him and look for someone else.

Bryan Little - Winnipeg Jets - Center

Injury: head, day-to-day.

Winnipeg Jets forward Bryan Little left last night’s game after being struck in the head by a puck and did not return. Little needed about 30 stitches to close the cut near his ear, but the team hasn’t said if he suffered a concussion. Maybe the Jets will want to play this safe, so there's a chance that the veteran forward doesn't suit up for the team’s next game at home against Vancouver on Friday night. We should get an update on his status as the week moves on.

Mika Zibanejad- New York Rangers - Center

Injury: upper-body, day-to-day.

We spoke about Mika Zibanejad last week, but the talented centerman has already missed his team’s last four games and there is concern that he won’t be ready to play the next two games. Having already missed four games, fantasy owners need to start looking for a short-term solution on the waiver wire. He was spotted at practice this morning, but wearing a non-contact jersey, so the expectation is that he is still a couple of days away. Hopefully Zibanejad will be ready to return by the beginning of next week.

Kris Letang - Pittsburgh Penguins - Defence

Injury: lower-body, day-to-day.

You can count on three things in life: death, taxes and Kris Letang getting injured and missing some time. The veteran blueliner suffered a lower-body injury in Monday’s game against the Boston Bruins and that he is day-to-day. The team wouldn’t confirm the severity of the injury or if Letang would miss any time, but the lack of information usually means that the injury is more than something minor. The All-star defenceman has 12 points in 15 games, so him being out of the lineup would be a huge blow to the Penguins, and fantasy owners. Pittsburgh plays the Islanders in New York on Thursday, so we should have a better idea of whether or not Letang will be ready to play that game. For now, it’s best to take and wait-and-see approach. Hopefully this injury isn’t a serious one.