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Here are the fantasy implications following the news that Minnesota Wild LW Zach Parise is expected to miss the next three games with an upper-body injury:
Parise's injury couldn't come at a worse time. This week is the final round of the fantasy hockey playoffs, and the Wild have a very valuable three games remaining. Given that he is expected to miss all three of these games, Parise can be dropped. Even in keeper leagues, the aging winger doesn't deserve to be kept.
Parise had been skating on the Wild's second line with center Eric Staal and winger Charlie Coyle. The club's first line of LW Jason Zucker, C Mikko Koivu and RW Mikael Granlund likely be won't be split up given the success they've had, so expect someone from the bottom-six to jump up to the second line.
The likely candidate - and hopeful candidate, for fantasy purposes - is LW/RW Nino Niederreiter. He has 20 goals, 30 assists (24 of them primary helpers), 172 shots and 111 hits on the year, providing value in all sorts of leagues. If he gets bumped up to the second line, add him immediately. Check LeftWingLock for the Wild's lineup.
The alternative would result in veteran RW Jason Pominville moving into the top six. With just 12 goals and 32 assists on the season, he certainly has less fantasy appeal than Niederreiter. Nonetheless, with three games left in the week, including a Sunday tilt versus the historically bad Avalanche, there are worse options out there.
If Niederreiter is already owned, or you don't feel like placing your fantasy season in the hands of a 34-year-old winger, consider one of the following three options:
Waiver-wire targets
(Photo courtesy Action Images)
- C Patrik Berglund, Blues: St. Louis' upcoming schedule goes as follows: Wednesday at Arizona, Friday at Colorado and Sunday vs. Nashville, who will be playing their second game in as many nights. If you can add him before Wednesday's contest, do so. He has 21 goals on the year and the Blues are already without fellow centers Paul Stastny and Jori Lehtera.
- C/RW Elias Lindholm, Hurricanes: Lindholm is eighth in the NHL with 29 primary assists. The former fifth-overall pick has a point in 11 of his last 12 games. The Hurricanes remaining schedule sets up as Thursday vs. Columbus, Saturday vs. Dallas and Sunday at Pittsburgh, who are dealing with an abundance of injuries.
- LW/RW Josh Bailey, Islanders: Bailey plays with John Tavares at 5v5 and on the power play. He has a career-high 52 points this season and the Islanders also have three games remaining: Thursday at Philadelphia, Friday vs. New Jersey and Sunday at Buffalo - three teams out of the playoff picture.
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