Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky will be out with a lower-body injury. He left Thursday’s contest just 2:01 into the first period. He will miss at least the next three games, according to head coach Paul Maurice.
Per HC Paul Maurice, Alex Lyon will start in net vs. Wild.
Regarding Sergei Bobrovsky (lower-body), Maurice said they were initially concerned, however injury is way better than they thought it would be. Said he won’t likely play in the next 3 games.
— Katie Engleson (@KatieEngleson) January 21, 2023
Fantasy Hockey Implications of Sergei Bobrovsky’s Injury
Bobrovsky is owned by 85% and 58% of Yahoo and ESPN leagues, respectively. Needless to say, this could be painful for fantasy hockey owners as much as for the Panthers. Especially with playoffs just around the corner for most fantasy hockey leagues.
With Spencer Knight also being out of the lineup for the Panthers, it was Alex Lyon who would replace the injured Bobrovsky. Lyon was called up from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL on January 10th with the Knight absence. In 18 games, Lyon has posted a 9-8-1 record with a 2.55 GAA and .909 SV% for the Checkers. He has limited games played at the NHL level over the last six seasons with minimal success.
It is assumed that Lyon will make the starts for the foreseeable future until the return of Bobrovsky or Knight. Yet we don’t believe he is the answer for fantasy hockey owners. Florida has a very tough schedule, and Lyon will likely not steal wins. You should probably look elsewhere to cover for the loss of Bobrovsky.
Daniel Vladar, Calgary Flames
This is one to keep an eye on. It is reasonable to assume there is a growing goalie controversy for the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom has not been the same this season. As of late, he has lost four straight and allowed 12 goals on 97 shots in those four. But Vladar has won his last three starts and almost backstopped the Flames to a victory against the Chicago Blackhawks in a relief effort.
If Vladar gets a few extra nods from the coaching staff, it comes at a good time. The next three games for Calgary are at home and against a couple of struggling teams. Two games next week will be against the 30th and 31st offensive clubs. It is a good time to look for an emergency goalie pickup to get through the Bobrovsky injury. At only 12% and 2% ownership in Yahoo and ESPN fantasy hockey leagues, he is widely available.
Pavel Francouz, Colorado Avalanche
Since returning from injury, Francouz had started three straight games for the Colorado Avalanche before getting a night off on January 18th. The rest proved beneficial for Alexandar Georgiev. You can expect Francouz to get a fair amount of starts down the stretch to let Georgiev recharge the tank. Colorado has three games in four nights upcoming, so expect at least one start here.
Georgiev played a lot of games while Francouz was out. It took a toll on him, with losses in six of seven before getting some rest. Colorado will notice this and could give Francouz a couple of starts this coming week. If you take into account that two of the three opponents are fighting for a playoff spot, the games could be tough. But both goalies work better on some rest, so keeping them both fresh is essential.
Francouz is one of the few widely available goalies that should earn multiple starts. It is possible that fantasy hockey owners forgot he came off IR. He is owned by 40% of Yahoo fantasy hockey owners and only 27% of ESPN leagues. He is a great long-term option if Bobrovsky is out for an extended period. A start here or there will not replace the fantasy hockey production of a 1A goalie.
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