The Philadelphia Flyers announced Monday that star forward Jeff Carter will miss the next three-to-four weeks with a a non-displaced fracture in his left foot. Carter is the Flyer's leading scorer with 60 points and 33 goals.
At this point in the season, the fantasy impact of Carter going down is nearly catastrophic for his owners. There isn't going to be a 60-point forward on waivers this deep into the playoffs, and Carter was a fringe-keeper to begin with; dropping him doesn't make sense.
The 25-year-old center had been at the center of a number of trade rumors before the deadline in early March, but stayed in Philadelphia as the Flyers have made a push for the playoffs.
One option for fantasy owners to consider off the waiver wire, though, is Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene. The Calder Trophy candidate is having a fantastic season (49 pts, 23 G, 26 A, 10 PPG) and is only owned in 33 percent of ESPN leagues. If he's available in your league, Duchene would be a worthy replacement up front for the injured Carter.
