Who's left to pick up?

Its a question that many fantasy owners are undoubtedly asking themselves as we near the time of year when playoffs begin. Every team is looking for that one extra piece or hidden gem that everyone else forgot about to push them over the top and win them some hard-earned cash/glory.

The problem is that it is unlikely that there will be very many quality players left on your waiver wire. Most of the teams competing for the playoffs will have snapped them up a long time time ago. But there is one place to look for some added fantasy talent that comes with a huge risk/reward potential: the Injured Reserve list.

Picking up your MVP at the hospital

I am currently playing in a couple of ESPN custom leagues that offer IR roster slots to each owner. This is both a good thing and a bit annoying. The good is that when one of my guys that I invested a top draft pick on, say a guy like Daniel Sedin, goes down for a couple weeks, you have a place to store him until he's ready for game action. The annoying thing is that everybody in the league can do this, and consequently many of the best players to hit the IR don't become available.

In leagues without these extra IR roster slots however, fantasy owners face a tough choice when a player of the caliber of Sedin, or more recently Marc Savard, go down to injury. They can hold on to the player and lose out on potential production for the time the player is out, or they can cut their loses, drop the star player and grab whatever has risen to the top of the free agent cesspool.

Enterprising fantasy owners face another option. They can pick up dropped IR-eligible players and store them on their roster. Losing out on some points for a couple weeks is a big gamble, but if you can survive with a corpse on your team the rewards when said player returns can make the acquisition seem like a steal.

The Top 5 IR Eligible Players for Fantasy Owners Who Like Stealing

These guys are ranked in no particular order, but they could provide the biggest boost of the current crop of injured players. Pick these guys up at your own risk though: while they will be huge if they return, many may have played their last games of the season and could be a wasted pickup.


Mike Cammalleri, Left Wing, Montreal Canadiens (87.5% ownership in ESPN Leagues)

Mike is currently rehabbing a knee injury, and Canadiens coach Jacques Martin has said the winger could return March 27 against the New Jersey Devils. This would leave Cammalleri with 2 weeks of the regular season, right about when most fantasy hockey championship games are being decided. He's being horded in most leagues already, but you should grab him if he's available.


Nathan Horton, Right Wing, Florida Panthers (89.9%)

Horton has missed the last 16 games for the Panthers with a fractured leg, but many believe he can return for the final 2-3 weeks of the season. Despite being out for nearly 3 months, he will be unavailable in a majority of leagues. He does deserve a look if available, but is probably at the bottom of this list as far as forwards go.


Marc Savard, Center, Boston Bruins (89.7%)

Savard is another who remains unavailable in nearly 90% of leagues, though his ownership has seen over a 10% plunge since being blindsided by the Pittsburgh Penguins Matt Cooke. IF Savard returns this season, he will be of more value than any player picked up on the waiver wire this year. The problem is that his return is a major if: concussions are way too difficult a thing to predict. He can be symptom free and return within a couple weeks, or his career could be threatened. Marc will be the ultimate risk/reward pickup.


Denis Grebeshkov, Defensemen, Nashville Predators (53.5%)

Denis is one of the more available players on this list, which isn't too surprising. He's had a ho-hum season with only 7 goals and 21 points to this point, though he has had 3 in 5 games since joining the Preds following a trade from Edmonton. His lower body injury is the most minor of these players, and he could actually resume game action within a week. Sorta the opposite of Savard here: not much risk for not too much reward. Just remember how hard it is to find a good defensemen this time of year.


Cam Ward, Goaltender, Carolina Hurricanes (68.5%)

When I began this list, I had no intention of giving one player from each position, but what are you going to do?

Ward has had a very forgettable season. First his team sucks and his play wasn't too much better. Then things start to improve for the team and he gets cut by a skate blade and goes on IR. He returns and starts getting into a rhythm and he goes back onto IR with a back injury. The original prognosis had Ward's season being over: he was injured way too often and the Hurricanes weren't even playing what most people would call "hockey." But now the 'Canes are racing towards a playoff spot in the weak Eastern Conference and Cam Ward is working towards a second return from injury. He'll likely be good for some wins and an average save percentage and goals against if he does return, and could make a solid #2 or #3 netminder.