Mikko Koivu returned to the Minnesota Wild lineup last night and chipped in with a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss to Vancouver.
The question is: was he in your fantasy hockey lineup?
Dan Boyle was playing once again for the San Jose Sharks last Saturday, and he contributed a pair of assists in a 3-2 loss to the Rangers.
Same question: did you have Boyle suited up for your fantasy hockey team?
It's one of the more difficult things to manage when you are a fantasy hockey owner. When do you reinsert a key player who has been injured back into your lineup? Do it too soon and you might be getting zero production out of one of your lineup spots for a game, two, or more. Do it after the fact and you could miss out on some valuable production.
That is why it is imperative for the serious fantasy hockey owner to tap into as many hockey news resources as possible for up-to-the-minute information. For example with Koivu, you not only should be going online and seeing what nhl.com, tsn.ca, espn.com, or cbssportsline.com has to report, but you should check the Wild's official team web site and Twitter account, as well as follow the team's top beat reporter Michael Russo (@RussosTrib) on Twitter. Use every tool you can to gain an edge.
Of course you may still be limited in what your league allows you to do with your roster no matter what the latest information is regarding one of your players. You may play in a league where you have to set your lineup for the week by drop of the puck on Monday and then not be allowed to change your lineup for the next seven days. Or you might be able to switch your lineup every day, right up until the first puck drop.
Either way, arm yourself with as much up-to-date information on your players as you can. A good fantasy hockey owner would have studied the latest news and, even in a weekly league, should have had Koivu in the lineup based on what was revealed after Monday's morning skate. Boyle's case was a bit different for those in a weekly-lineup league because he did not return until Saturday and, even then, it was a game-time decision that he could play. Best you can do there is make sure you get him right back in the lineup after the fact.
There are plenty of important players out there closing in on returns from injury, but whose return dates are still in question---Nicklas Backstrom, Brian Campbell, Chris Pronger, and Jonas Hiller to name just a handful---so stay on top of the latest news so that you don't get left behind in your fantasy hockey league.
Send your fantasy hockey questions and comments to Jim at JimCerny@gmail.com.