One year, it' concussions. Another year, it's groin strains. While those injuries are still fairly common, it is astounding the number of ankle breaks/sprains and foot fractures that have turned both NHL and fantasy teams over on their heads this season.

For starters, Montreal sophomore Chris Higgins is out with a ligament tear in his ankle. A return date of early December is likely, and in the meantime, rookie Guillaume Latendresse has taken his spot on the Saku Koivu – Michael Ryder line. The injury turned a possible 70-75 point breakout season for Higgins, into a 60-point season – depending on how well he bounces back. In fantasy circles, that is equivalent to being a No.6 or 7 guy on the depth chart, to perhaps not even cracking the pro-team fantasy roster.

Another sophomore, Philadelphia Flyers forward Jeff Carter, is facing similar problems with a similar shelf time. Carter was a late bloomer last year, and he will be even later this season as he nurses an ankle/foot injury for next month or so. Beating his 42-point rookie season from last year is now unlikely.

Chicago has lost two of their guns as a result of ankle sprains. Tuomo Ruutu suffered a high-ankle sprain early in training camp and missed the first 10 games of the season. Factor that with the fact that it took him a few games before he started picking up the points (sort of a mini-camp, if you will) and poolies technically lost him for a good 13 games. Martin Havlat suffered the same injury in Game 7 of a season in which he was clearly ready to step into superstardom. The ankle, in Havlat's case, is not healing well and he looks to be out even longer than the initial three-week diagnosis. In fact, it may be closer to six. His absence not only affects Havlat owners, but owners of Radim Vrbata as well. Vrbata was off to a red-hot start before slowing down as a result of no longer playing with his Czech countryman.

Rearguard Brent Sopel actually played several games on his broken ankle, before being taken out of the Los Angeles lineup. Sopel had been having a fantastic year reunited with coach Marc Crawford with nine points in 14 games. His career high of 42 points (while playing under Crawford) is no longer in jeopardy, as he will be out for as many as 10-15 games in all.

Phoenix is another team with a double-whammy. Mike Comrie, their leading scorer at the time, will miss another month with a fracture in his foot. Already missing top center Steven Reinprecht, Phoenix now has to rely on newly signed perennial third-line pivot Yanic Perreault to be their No.1 guy. Blueliner Nick Boynton has a bruised foot, and will miss a game or two as a result.

Other players, of less fantasy value, have also been put on the shelf for this reason. Rory Fitzpatrick (Buffalo, hairline fracture in foot), Staffan Kronwall (Toronto, ankle injury), Steve Ott (Dallas, broken ankle), and Boyd Kane and Randy Robitaille (Philadelphia – both from ankle sprains), are all on the shelf for this reason. Should the NHL be looking at the ice conditions (again)? Have the skate manufacturers done anything different?

Poolies want to know!

Meanwhile...

...And the band plays on for Edmonton's Shawn Horcoff. He is pointless in eight games, and is a minus-2 on the season. Even if the 28-year-old turns it around, it is doubtful he will reach 65 points this season let alone duplicate last year's 73.

...Since Nikita Alexeev has been placed on a line with Martin St.Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, the hulking forward has six points in four games. This has so far been a great return to the NHL for the 25-year-old, as he has 14 points on the season already.

...New Jersey's Brian Gionta has gone seven straight games without a point. In fact, the diminutive forward has been shut out nine of 16 games this season.

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