It's another crazy week in the fantasy hockey leagues out there and this week has been dominated by injuries and yes, now mono. From the flu to the mumps to stomach ailments to mono, it just seems the NHL really has their hands full. Needless to say, when Spring comes, a lot of players are going to be relieved.
Thankfully the All Star Game is coming up soon enough and maybe the break will be a good thing for the huge majority of players. That should get some players on the mend. The mailbag never yield and here are this week's questions.
Fantasy Hockey Mailbag
Now that Tyler Toffoli has mono, is this like the mumps where I should worry about more cases?
Alright, the weird thing about mono is that it is again, something that can typically impact young adults. Yes it is also called "the kissing disease" because kissing often involves the exchange of saliva, etc. Mumps has a long incubation period but a different wrinkle with mono is that it typically takes 4-6 weeks to show actual symptoms after exposure. That is a lot of time passed to try and determine how a person got the illness. Simply sharing of toothbrushes and anything that involves saliva is also something to watch.
Toffoli really could be out weeks or months. Mono is a strange type of illness because you can start feeling better then feel awful again for a long period of time. There are a lot of ebbs and flows with mono. This is a significant blow for Los Angeles and fantasy lineups because not only could Toffoli be out a long time but Tanner Pearson broke his lower leg on Saturday and could also miss a huge chunk of time. That is over 20% of the Kings goal output. This is quite significant and changes a lot for fantasy owners and yes, Los Angeles too.
Getting back to the mono, just keep an eye out for updates every so often. Hopefully this is a shorter term case as opposed to a longer one. I seem to remember Bobby Ryan having this in 2009 and quite a few players do contract mono. It makes sense since it is most common between the ages of 15-25. You are always a potential carrier of mono but very rarely can contract symptoms anywhere close to the original time of being sick from it. Either way, this is one fantasy hockey fans where we will have to really wait and see.
What do I do if I have Jimmy Howard in my fantasy league?
Ooooh boy! This is tough! If you have not watched the video of Jimmy Howard's groin injury, we warn you, this is graphic!
Red Wings G Jimmy Howard (Groin) Underwent MRI Today; Has Ultrasound Scheduled Monday to Get 'Better Read on His Injury'
— Jason Liptow (@jaybird691) January 11, 2015
That is all we really know for now. The bottom line is for however many weeks or even months, this will be Petr Mrazek's show err opportunity to show the Wings what he has. Howard had around a .920 save percentage on the season though it was around .930 near Thanksgiving. Mrazek has about a .916 save percentage on average. The goalie will have to be a little better than that for Detroit but the Wings do suppress shots pretty well.
It will be even more interesting to explore other options out there like Michael Hutchinson if he is still available but looking at buzz numbers and early indications from ESPN, fantasy owners scooped him up a good bit. See if Mrazek is available. He is going to be more than serviceable and as a second or third goalie on your team, that is all you can really ask. If Howard was your number one, then you may be in a little bit of trouble honestly.
Daily fantasy at least will be interesting because Mrazek will be cheaper at first and then eventually his value will rise. Get him early in DFS ladies and gentlemen. Good luck!
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As always I will be taking questions every week and you can follow me on Twitter @ChrisWasselTHW. In the coming weeks, we will be answering scouting questions about the 2015 NHL Draft as well. Ask away!