Ovechkin Stated As Out Week-to-Week

An update on Alex Ovechkin came much sooner than I was expecting, but the Capitals have said that their top player will be out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body muscle strain. You wouldn't have thought that the injury would be that serious when you see the replay of the collision that knocked Ovechkin out of the game on Sunday, nor did I think that it was anything that involved his upper-body, rather thought it was going to be a lower-body injury. Nevertheless, the Capitals will have to survive without Ovechkin for at least a week, likely more.

Before the injury, Ovechkin was on a goal-per-game pace, scoring 14 goals and 9 assists in the first 14 games of the season, ranking first among all forwards in points and first among active Draft players in points, but second among players on the Sheet (to Craig Anderson). This is a pretty big blow to the Capitals, who have only missed out on Ovechkin games twice in his career, so it'll be a whole new ballgame for the remaining Caps players, in terms of looking for instant offense.

Well, there was no question that Ovechkin was going to be one of the top prizes in any fantasy pool draft and in my Draft, he was taken 1st overall by John B., who heading into Week Six, was hovering at 11th place (out of 17). One of the reasons he's held up that high was Ovechkin and his 23 points. He can only hope that the injury does not stretch over a long period of time and that he doesn't fall too much further behind anyone in the pool.

On the Sheet, it's been pretty well documented how many people have taken Ovechkin in Box 17... most of them. Those who didn't take him, took Evgeni Malkin... who is also injured. With the puck already dropped in Week Six, there won't be much for trades now moving away from either one, but if one was to take advantage of a week, two or possibly three without these guys, a trade for Jeff Carter or Zach Parise may be in order.

But who's really going to drop Ovechkin?