NHL

6 Fantasy Hockey Situations to Watch This Weekend

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Does Columbus Get Some Injury Relief?

The Columbus Blue Jackets (-0.33 nERD) have been struck by the injury bug this year.

At the moment, they have seven players on the inactive list, including Nathan Horton, whose career may be over with a degenerative back injury and defenseman Fedor Tyutin. They just reactivated starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky Tuesday in time for a 5-0 loss to the Red Wings (0.03).

However, there may be relief on the horizon: Brandon Dubinsky (abdominal surgery) has been practicing with the team and is on the cusp on returning to game action. Presently, he is owned in 60% of Yahoo! fantasy hockey leagues; if he is available in yours, prepare to add him as soon as he is activated or stash him on your injured reserved or bench.

Dubinsky is a second-tier scorer who has put up 0.57 points per game over the course of his eight-year NHL career. Although, his real fantasy hockey value lies in accumulating penalty minutes and hits, Dubinsky is a true all-around player and a gem in fantasy hockey for being able to contribute in multiple categories.

SeasonGamesGoalsAssistsPoints/GamePIMHits*
2007-088214260.4979-
2008-098213280.50112-
2009-106920240.6454129
2010-117724300.70100141
2011-127710240.44110207
2012-13292180.697664
2013-147616340.6698234
*The NHL did not recommence counting "hits" as a statistic until the 2009-10 season

Dubinsky is a "should own" in standard leagues and a "must own" in leagues that counts hits. Be proactive and get him onto your roster.