Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
It is no secret that one of the best sticks in all of fantasy hockey is C Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sidney Crosby may be the best player in hockey, but Malkin is still on the conversation for second best fantasy option.
Malkin has racked up 72 points on the year, which is tied for sixth in the NHL. He has scored 23 goals and added 49 points in just 60 games (1.20 points per game). He has anchored fantasy teams all year long and has earned his first round grade this season.
Unfortunately, Malkin was shutdown for the next 2-3 weeks with a lingering foot injury. The ailment has been nagging the Russian for a good deal of time and the team wanted to rest the All-Star for a playoff push.
Nevertheless, it all but ruins Malkin’s value this fantasy season. Many were counting on him to carry their scoring this week and to see him on the bench has killed the chances of many owners.
Probably the most devastating aspect of Malkin’s injury was that it didn’t come out until the middle of the week. Millions of people eagerly plugged Malkin into their starting lineup this week hoping for another huge performance, just to see the superstar sit out with a precautionary injury. There is nothing worse than having your top player out of your playoff lineup, especially if you can’t replace him in the middle of the week.
Malkin was supposed to be one of the elite sticks to count on down the stretch this fantasy season, but now Malkin owners will have to look elsewhere to fill the void.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
