We’ve got a shorter but sweeter edition for you this week. It is that time of year where already in H2H leagues the contenders are rising to the top? This early, you may ask? Yes, they are. Sure there are some surprises, but everyone is looking for those now like they have it on radar. People are being stalkers of the players that will put them over the top now instead of what may come later. I love those guys that come later. Those make the real difference. This week, I heard rumours that we have a few such guys that may be available come later in the season. Keep in mind that these guys are likely on other teams right now, but may be dropped as the season goes along.

Centre

Rich Peverley, Atlanta Thrashers: Look, he is going to cool off eventually. When he does, he will be dropped out of leagues faster than Elvis dropped dimes at diners. Seriously, it is nice that Peverley is averaging over a point a game now, but at some point that offense has to dry up some. I see a back and forth type of season from Peverley and come late in the season (when there will not be as much pressure), he will begin to thrive once again. It is okay. Do not be shocked. Some of these are going to ruffle feathers of Fantasy owners right now. That is the whole point.

Left Wing

Marco Sturm, Boston Bruins: Everyone is going to run and get Sturm right now because he is on the first line with all the injuries in Boston (Marc Savard, Milan Lucic, the Pope, etc.). The bottom line is Sturm will get you some points and the significant ice time that goes along with it. However, when the injured players come back, the party will stop! It really is like that jack in the box, folks. Now, as the season wears down to the end, however, you will want a guy like Sturm because of his career numbers. He had some god awful luck last year with injuries, but had 56 points in 2007-08. The potential is there at least.

Right Wing

Justin Williams, Los Angeles Kings: Say it with m: When is the injury going to come? That is perpetually the question with Mr. Williams. Nine points in nine games is great, but let us have a little fun with the following list of injuries. Yes, we go next level here. Thank you TSN.

Basically, with Williams you should have one hand on your mouth and one on the mouse because, sadly, he is almost due to get hurt. When (not if) he does, people will drop him and then, when the time is right (and yes this is like playing Russian Roulette), grab him! He can clearly produce when healthy, a la Tim Connolly. The key phrase here is when he is healthy.

Defense

Jason Demers, San Jose Sharks: This kid is the real deal, but with defensemen galore in San Jose, he may fall a bit in the middle of the year. Demers has eight points in 10 games right now. Consider him a rookie that will hit the wall early and rebound later unlike Michael Del Zotto of the Rangers who will hit it much later with little or no time to rebound. That, my Fantasy owner friends, is the difference between being surrounded by really good defensemen and below average defensemen. It’s that simple. Demers will get picked up late in the season because of that reason. Time it right and you have a d-man on your bench that can get timely assists and solid +/- night in and night out.

Goaltending

Ondrej Pavelec, Atlanta Thrashers: He had a bad night on Thursday. Hey, everyone gives up a 190-foot bomb now and then. Eventually, Kari Lehtonen (back, groin, ego) will come back and play pretty well, but then get hurt again. At least Pavelec can stay healthy. His numbers are pretty solid (a .907 save percentage with a goals against just over 3.00). And that includes the Washington game where he gave up five goals on 14 shots. Do not sleep on this guy. He will be Atlanta’s starter again before the stretch run. Count on it and some more solid numbers on the way in. If someone drops Pavelec, keep an eye out.

Next week we will dig up some more waiver treasure. Do not forget to check at least every other day with the waiver wire. You never know what is lurking just waiting to be had. Bye for now.

In the beginning there was nothing and then there was light and there was still nothing, but you could see it. That is right, it may be Week Two of the NHL season for most of you or even Week Three for some, but it’s time for a little Hockey Wire Troll. Basically, you can go fishing for hours or let me do it for you. Most tend to prefer the latter. The less work you have to do now means the less you have to do later when Fantasy crunch time hits.

You do not want to be smashed into the boards like Viktor Hedman was on Thursday just, for example, because you forgot to make some early-season moves. Do note Anton Volchenkov’s hits on the first two picks of the 2009 Draft as seen here and here.

Now let’s get to our picks for the week.

Centre

Brendan Morrison, Washington Capitals: What? I have heard this all year from people, but do not laugh. Morrison has six points in seven games for the Caps and has been much healthier than in years past. The knee injuries have gone away and though his shot total is not there yet (just seven so far), you should give it some time. Before the lockout, Morrison was consistently over 50 points; he even had a 71-point season in 2002-03 for Vancouver. There was a wrist injury I forgot about too, but while the health is there, go get him!

Eric Belanger, Minnesota Wild: Belanger is a bit of a role player according to most, but I see serious potential especially with all the injuries in Minnesota. Seven points in five games is serious stuff.  That is nothing to sneeze at at all. Minnesota realizes what it has in Belanger and when the players come back from injury it may be their roles reduced and not his. He is a good pickup in leagues — and not just in deep ones.

Left Wing

Matt Moulson, New York Islanders: Moulson has four points in four games and nearly 20 minutes of ice time per contest (19:41). Sure, it doesn’t hurt that he has seen some first line time, but he has 17 shots on goal already and has a propensity to go to the net as well as bang there. This is something the Isles have sorely missed, last year in particular. I like the fact that he has meshed well with guys like Kyle Okposo, John Tavares and even Doug Weight. Moulson is a guy to definitely watch as the season goes on because even if he plays on the second line, he will not flame out like Aaron Voros did last year. Just do not expect 82 points, that’s all.

Right Wing

David Jones, Colorado Avalanche: I made a joke about this the other day. The Bruins just went into Davy Jones’ locker. Well, they really did after this guy dropped a shortie on them. He is not even on either of Colorado’s top two lines, but has five points in three games. Jones missed the first five games of the regular season with a bruised chest, but has come on like gangbusters. Surprisingly, he’s averaging 17:50 of ice time so far, so the Avs and Joe Sacco are noticing something in this kid. He will be on the top two lines before too long and is someone you must pick up now because he will be gone by early in the week. Demand is that high on him…really!

Defense

Tyler Myers, Buffalo Sabres: This pick is a little outside the board I know, but hear me out. Myers is 6-foot-8 and can actually skate pretty well unlike Hal Gill. Myers has two points in four games which does not sound like much, but he is hitting people pretty well. Buffalo finally has some true grit and sandpaper on the blueline. If he keeps on playing 20:46 a game, he will be worth owning on your Fantasy teams, especially if you track blocked shots and hits. Myers’ slap shot is also above average and when he starts uncorking it…look out. I am not saying he is a Zdeno Chara in the making, I am just saying there is potential here. Grab him while you can.

Goaltending

Scott Clemmensen, Florida Panthers: I was skeptical to put his name on here, but it needed to be done. Why? Clearly Tomas Vokoun cannot handle the workload. Florida gives up 38.1 shots per game and Vokoun is already burning out a bit. That is his track record — he cannot play more than a few good games in a row. This is why Clemmensen is perfect. Remember when that Martin Brodeur guy went down in Jersey last year? Clemmensen won 25 games for the Devils and thrust himself into a more prominent place in Fantasy circles only to wind up as the second banana to Vokoun. That will change soon if Vokoun keeps up letting soft goals up like Vesa Toskala. So keep an eye out, Clemmensen may still be available.

Next week, see which position we double up on because it may just be one that you really need help in. Until then, it’s hockey weather and the best time of the year. Bye for now.

The 2009-10 RotoRob NHL Draft Kit continues today with another cheat sheet, this time focusing on the top centres in Fantasy hockey. These 20 stout guys should be on your team…period!

Last year’s rankings are in parenthesis.

1. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins (2): He led the league in points last year. Duh! He won the Stanley Cup…he is one of the best players in the game, was clutch last year and now he is ready to do it all again. By the way, he had 113 points (35 goals, 78 assists) and a nice 80 penalty minutes. Now, let’s go to the next level. Malkin does not need linemates to create offense for him…he creates his own. The 290 shots on goal is also nice and the fact that his 22:31 average ice time per game is tops amongst centres is also helpful. Malkin still needs to work on faceoffs a bit (a factor in those deeper leagues), but you can’t have everything. His three-year average is 101 points but it’s reasonable to expect another 110-point season. Malkin’s power play goals (14) will go up, and by the way, 41 points on the man advantage is still awfully good, ladies and gentlemen. He will and should go ahead of the guy next on this list. We’re predicting Malkin finishes about 40-74-114 this year for the Pens.

2. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (1): He is Sid The Kid and finds ways to get points…it’s that simple. He enjoyed a nice season, totaling 103 points (33 goals, 70 assists), but still there will always be one thing that haunts Crosby — the lack of a slap shot or even a quality wrist shot from a distance. Yes, he has great hands — no one can question that — but it is more than just how straight his hockey stick is, folks. The 40 Power Play points he put up was great, but only seven of those were goals. That is a concern. Crosby’s 21:51 ATOI (average time on ice) is also excellent. He is flanked by excellent guys on the wings (Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz), and a full season together will also help sort out any chemistry issues if there are any remaining. Malkin and Crosby are in their early 20s and just finding their games still. I can see Crosby finishing with about 35 goals, 72 assists and 107 points this year.

3. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks (8): Yes, his three-year average comes to only 77 points, but think of how scary he can be with Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry for a whole season. Just visualize it and get back to me. Getzlaf ranked 4th amongst centres with 91 points last year. But he is only 24 as well and his linemates are very young, so that 25-66-91 total is a sign of things to come. Getzlaf has 100-point potential written all over him if he can be just a little more disciplined as far as the penalties he takes. He can also stand to shoot the puck more; he only had 221 shots last year, which is low for a guy of his caliber. Getzlaf even has the TV commercial thing down (Home Depot) and don’t worry, his balding spot will not stop him. Expect a season of 30-71-101 along with 80-90 PIMs and 12 PPGs. Getzlaf will be a force.

4. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings (6): Datsyuk is at his prime at age 31 and he’s averaged 94 points per season over the last three years. Last year, he put up a line of 32-65-97 with a +34 ranking. Note that +34, as +/- is still one of those key points that can decide some weeks in Fantasy hockey leagues. As most people are aware, Datsyuk is pretty good at faceoffs and he takes few penalties. He is capable of taking over games, but is mostly consistent which is great for Fantasy hockey owners. If I am at the end of the first round, I am looking to snag this guy because he surely won’t be around in the late teens or 20s. Datsyuk will do his thing again, and I am expecting about 33-65-98 this year with 14 PPGs and a few more penalty minutes.

5. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals (14): Backstrom can pass like so few can. Those 66 assists to go along with 22 goals belies the fact that this guy is a potential sniper breakout awaiting to happen. That line has all the makings of being scary for the next decade. Backstrom will get more scoring chances this year because teams will key on his linemates even more. Expect the shots to go up to almost 200 or more. ATOI will be over 20:00 and he is getting better on his faceoffs. I just like this kid’s mental makeup. I can see a year in which Backstrom tops 25 goals and busts over the 70-assist barrier with ease. A playmaking centre with size that can hit occasionally is refreshing so 97 points this year would not surprise me in the least. Look out, NHL — this one is only going to get better.

6. Marc Savard, Boston Bruins (10): I like Savard because he can now create his own offense and set up others. He has been steady, averaging around 88 points per year over the last three years. Savard has been shooting more (213 shots last year) and I think he will get rewarded for that at some point. Four straight years of 60+ assists makes him a no brainer to be this high on our list. Some think Joe Thornton should be here, but no, I am sticking with Savard. A 30-65-95 season is not out of the question for Savard, though a few points lower would not be so bad either. He should also get a bump in ice time with some of the Boston key cogs injured and expected to miss time early in the season. That will also help the Fantasy value for Savard owners.

7. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks (3): He is declining ever so slightly…not at a Daniel Alfredsson rate, but close. Thornton put up 114 points three years ago, then 96 the season after that and then 86 last year. But he is still one of those rare guys with 60 or more assists in each of the last four years. The problem is Thornton used to shoot the puck and last year he only had 139 shots on goal. He did score 11 PPGs in 08-09 and I think he can increase that total. I think he will shoot the puck more as well, but it will still be a struggle. Thornton will be pass happy for the rest of his days and can only turn on the old goal scoring prowess for short periods at a time. Add the assists and he will likely be at 31-62-93 or somewhere around those numbers. His expected total of 13-15 goals on the man advantage and 150-160 shots will help Fantasy owners a bit.

8. Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes (7): If there was ever a time for Staal to play like during his rookie year it is now. He had a ton of shots last year (372) and I think this year that will serve him well. He’s also an above average passer — especially on the power play. The line of 40-35-75 he had last season was nice, but not for Staal. The +15 was encouraging (as were the eight game-winning goals) as he slowly takes the leadership reins of the club…and so comes the scoring burden again. I really do think Staal has a 90-point season in him just barely. Something along the lines of 44-46-90 with 18 PPGs and 10 GWGs is actually reasonable this season for a centre who should make the All-Star team.

9. Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers (9): Richards had seven SHGs and a +22 ranking last season and that translates into extra points for Fantasy owners as shorties are weighted a little more than your average goal or PPG. His 21:44 ATOI also gives him more opportunities and that is the type of player you want on your team. Richards is ranked above Jeff Carter by a hair because of his consistency. He gets decent PIMs (60-70), does well on faceoffs and is the type of player that can provide steady production which is what you need to help offset any droughts by your No. 1 Fantasy centre. Expect 32-53-85 with at least six SHG from Richards for the upcoming season. There are happy times ahead in Philly with this 24-year-old youngster.

10. Jeff Carter, Philadelphia Flyers (NR): Carter has above average natural talent and can create his own offense, but he still goes through droughts and consistency issues. I like his shots on goal total (342) and ATOI (20:57) and the 13 PPGs and the 12 GWGs was a bonus. However, the latter number will come down a bit this year…sorry, Fantasy fans. I’m expecting a 40-44-84 season with nine GWGs and 15 PPGs — not so bad at all. Notice that I’m projecting more PPGs — I think Carter will actually pot a few more of those power play chances in the back of the net. A season with the same amount of points could actually be a good thing for Carter’s owners.

11. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks (NR): Sedin is good enough to average a point per game. Any time the Sedins are on the ice they are dangerous, but particularly Henrik who is the better of the duo. The key will be at what point does Henrik take that next step? It is something all owners are truly waiting for and drooling over the prospect.

12. Mike Ribeiro, Dallas Stars (13): — Ribeiro can still can score, but will Loui Eriksson help again? Also, do healthier players eat into Ribeiro’s potential for more points? Probably not. The key will be his linemates as it always is. Ribeiro is a quality player with still much upside in Big D.

13. Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators (5): Spezza can still play, and we think he’ll enjoy a bit of a rebound. That is the bottom line here. Spezza is likely to be with Alfredsson as always, but who will be the third linemate is anyone’s guess. Will it be Alexei Kovalev or Dany Heatley? But then again, does it really matter? Either way expect a nice season from the 26-year-old.

14. Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks (NR): We expect his breakout goal season to continue a bit freer in this year. Marleau may not have the “C” anymore, but that chip on his shoulder is going to translate into more points and he will likely not be traded. Unless, of course, there is an offer that knocks the socks off the Sharks’ brass.

15. Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning (4): I expect Lecavalier to have a strong second half, fueling 2010-11. The bottom line is that the French line will take some time to develop chemistry, but once they do I expect a furious second-half charge up the Fantasy rankings for Lecavalier. Just don’t be surprised if things start slowly.

16. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings (15): Kopitar will benefit somewhat from Ryan Smyth’s arrival. Kopitar is too good to be kept down for long; he has to rebound.  This is the Kings’ equivalent of Malkin — Kopitar needs the line support and now he has it. Let’s see what he can do with it. The time is now.

17. Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks (NR) — The Patrick Kane situation may motivate Toews early. He should start out hot because this team will need him, especially without Marian Hossa. Toews won’t torch the world with 80 points, but he will not be a 60-point guy either.

18. Johan Franzen, Detroit Red Wings (NR): The spotlight is on now, there’s no turning back. Franzen has to be the third best scorer on this team for it to succeed again and, based on netting 30+ goals last year, he can do it if anyone can. He just has to worry about his coconut now and then with his style of play.

19. Nik Antropov, Atlanta Thrashers (NR): This may be a surprise pick, but Ilya Kovalchuk helps! The power of Kovalchuk puts Antropov in the Top 20; just ask Slava Kozlov what Kovalchuk has done for his career. Can the all Russian line do the job? For Fantasy owners, the answer is yes.

20. Scott Gomez, Montreal Canadiens (NR): For Gomez, being reunited with Brian Gionta “feels so goooood!” Mike Cammalleri-Gomez-Gionta is a line you will hear plenty about this year — one way or the other. However, I think the news will be more good than bad and Gomez could surprise, especially early.

Others to Consider

21. Travis Zajac, New Jersey Devils (NR): Steady progress and high +/- again.
22. Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild (NR): Last year was not a fluke at all.
23. Paul Stastny, Colorado Avalanche (12): The go-to guy now, but he has to stay healthy!
24. Saku Koivu, Anaheim Ducks (NR): Playing with Teemu Selanne will rejuvenate him big-time!
25. Olli Jokinen, Calgary Flames (11): He’ll have nice year, but there is lots of balance in Calgary.

Oh, the life of Daniel “Danny” Briere – it’s just one injury after another these days, isn’t it? If you’re a fantasy manager, you were stoked to see Briere finally back, then pissed to see him get hurt yet again. If you’re Flyer GM Paul Holmgren, you’re probably slapping your forehead after just clearing a whole buttload of cap space at the trade deadline. But wait, it’s not as bad as we thought. It’s just a lot grosser than we thought. From Canadian Press:

“Briere was examined Friday morning, and his surgeon told him the adhesions broke from his last groin surgery and there was some internal bleeding. Briere said his surgeon told him that was common and Briere could possibly play Tuesday against Buffalo.”

Common? I hope my groin adhesions never break. In any case, don’t shut down Briere from your lineup just yet.

As for that whole trade deadline issue, the big fantasy winner is Olli Jokinen, but you knew that, right? Jokinen popped in a pair of goals in his first game skating alongside Jarome Iginla (guess which guy got to wear No. 12?) and everything’s sunshine and rainbows in Calgary, or as sunshine and rainbows as Darryl “Bitter Beer Face” Sutter can be. However, the knock on Jokinen has constantly been great start, poor finish. Will this happen up in Calgary? One would hope that having the playoffs around the corner would actually motivate the dude, but when you have someone who occasionally wears a porn star ’stache during the regular season, you don’t know what to expect.

The New York Rangers revamped their lineup to go along with their revamped coaching staff. Derek Morris becomes the de facto power play point man on Broadway despite having just a handful of points. He’ll certainly get his opportunities, so if you need some help on defense, it’s worth a gamble.

Hey, remember Martin Gerber? He’s back in the NHL thanks to the wacky folks over in Toronto. No, he’s not just there to serve Brian Burke pizza; Gerber’s actually got a hold of the starting position because Vesa Toskala’s been shut down for the year. You need starts to finish out your fantasy season? Gerber’s your man. Just don’t expect a ton of wins.

Erik Cole returns to the scene of the crime in Carolina. If you’ll recall, Cole was on the cusp of being one of the league’s best power forwards when a broken neck — yes, a broken neck — got in the way. Since then, he hasn’t put up goals at the same pace, but now he’s reunited with regular linemate/BFF Eric Staal. We’ll see if there’s any magic left over from 2005.

The other component of the Cole deal finds oft-injured Justin Williams in Los Angeles and underachieving Patrick O’Sullivan in Edmonton. For O’Sullivan, the key will be how much ice time he gets skating with talented Ales Hemsky.

Sidney Crosby’s linemates in his first game back from injury: Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin. It’s like Crosby woke up from a bad dream where he was surrounded by soft over-the-hill wingers (Miroslav Satan, say hello to the AHL). While Guerin’s numbers haven’t been anything to write home about this season, he still does love to shoot the puck and his aggressive style will work well with Crosby’s playmaking skills.

Brendan Morrison’s long strange journey across the NHL continues. Remember, at one point, this guy was a point-per-game player. Claimed off waivers by Dallas, he’ll be given every opportunity to thrive as the Stars remain depleted up front due to injury. Morrison probably won’t break up Mike Ribiero/Loui Eriksson, which means that he won’t have much scoring talent to work with. In other words, don’t look for a return to form from Morrison.

Antoine Vermette’s move to Columbus means that Ken Hitchcock has a few more offensive options, especially with Fredrick Modin coming back from injury soon. However, the combination of Rick Nash/Manny Malhotra/Kristian Huselius has found a pretty good groove, so don’t look for Hitch to tinker with things too much until it appears necessary. The Blue Jackets are filled with second liners like Vermette and R.J. Umberger that show first-line potential…whether they get there or not can make or break their playoff hopes.

And while this wasn’t a trade deadline move, the return of Martin Brodeur has provided the Devils an even bigger kick than making a big deal would. We sure hope you took our advice and picked him up if he was available, because good old Marty is 4-0 since returning from a 50-game absence and you can pretty well guarantee that he’s no longer on anyone’s wire. Brodeur is about to make history, currently sitting a mere four wins shy of passing Patrick Roy and becoming the NHL all-time leader in wins.

The Week Ahead

• How much can Jokinen ignite the Flame offense? We’ll find out as Calgary hits the road against Carolina (Friday), Atlanta (Sunday), New Jersey (Tuesday), and Detroit (Thursday).
• While a lot of Western teams are taking road trips out east, there are still key head-to-head match-ups for the playoff race: Minnesota at LA (Saturday), Minnesota at Anaheim (Sunday), Vancouver at LA (Monday), and Vancouver at Anaheim (Wednesday).
• Alexander Ovechkin is suffering from a bruised foot, but he should be in the lineup for the big game against Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Don’t forget that the last time these rivals clashed sparked a war of words between the stars, and now even Don Cherry’s weighing in. All eyes will be on Crosby and his new linemates Kunitz and Guerin.

The trade deadline (it’s Wednesday, so mark your calendar) can be great for fantasy teams, since sometimes a player just needs a change of scenery or a different situation to blossom. Sadly, trades often turn solid players into total duds. It seems that for every Joe Thornton to San Jose there’s a Sergei Samsonov to Edmonton. That’s just the way it is.

The first big deadline deal was Penguin defenseman Ryan Whitney to Anaheim for forwards Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi (a minor leaguer). Whitney missed the start of the season and never really found a rhythm. After putting up almost 100 points in the last two seasons, he has just two goals and 11 assists so far this year. A less prominent role in Anaheim might actually open up his game, although I’m not sure I would necessarily dump a successful player for Whitney. At least not yet. Kunitz has basically been a 20-goal scorer his entire career, but he already had accumulated 16 goals and 19 assists for the Ducks this season. If he winds up on a line with Sidney Crosby, which is expected, he could presumably end the season with 30 goals. He’s definitely worth a look if he’s available.

Of course, trades aren’t the only agent of change in the NHL. There are a lot of factors. For instance, the return of goalie Martin Brodeur to the Devils sent shockwaves through the fantasy world, as Scott Clemmensen, who filled in ably for Brodeur and as a fantasy goalie (2.39 goals against, .917 save percentage) was unceremoniously sent down to the AHL, ruining not just Clemmensen’s day, but also many rosters. Brodeur put up a shutout his first game back, so if he’s still available, you might want to mirror real life and use him to replace Clemmensen.

A new coach can also be a huge change. For instance, earlier this week the New York Rangers fired coach Tom Renney and hired coach John Tortorella. If you have any Rangers on your roster, you know they’re not scoring, which was a symptom of Renney’s hyperdefensive style. Now, with Tortorella, you can expect a much more aggressive, uptempo style with important players getting major minutes. Fantasy duds like Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, and Nikolai Zherdev might actually start performing. It won’t be instantaneous, but it’s worth keeping an eye on these guys to see how they do under Tortorella. And while you’re doing that, keep an eye on goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who should see a lot more action now that the guys in front of him won’t be playing five men back the entire game. His numbers might suffer because of it.

According to ESPN, Boston’s David Krejci, the NHL’s +/- leader, isn’t universally owned across leagues, so if he’s available, you need to grab him and his 20 goals and 39 assists.

Another guy that might not be owned is Jason Arnott, who, after potting two goals and an assist in the last two games, is on pace for his first 30-goal season as a Predator. He ripped home the game-winner Thursday as Nashville improved its playoff chances with a third straight win. The Preds are in 11th place in the West, but are just one point behind the Minnesota/Dallas/Edmonton/Anaheim logjam who are all tied with 65 points.

The Week Ahead

• Saturday, Anaheim plays Dallas, as the two teams fight to remain in the playoff picture. Anaheim is hoping Whitney will help, but it might need to make a few other moves to firm up a playoff position.
• Monday, the Avs play the Islanders. It just doesn’t seem fair that those teams have to play each other. It’s like making two sick chickens fight each other.
• Thursday, Pittsburgh plays Florida. The Eastern Conference playoff picture is so crowded, games like this — between teams that are so close together in the standings — are huge. So if you want to keep Crosby out of the playoffs, tune in and wish hard.

If Detroit has any designs on winning its fifth straight Western Conference regular season title, then it better find a way to earn a win against the San Jose Sharks Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena.

The Wings have pulled away in the Central Division and have made slight gains on the Sharks, yet remain five points back with two more games played than San Jose heading into action Wednesday. With this being the final meeting between the two teams, it’s obvious that this is as close to a must-win game that Detroit will face until the postseason.

It’s not as if the Wings have slacked off at any time this season. Their worst month was January (and really that was limited to a late slump), and I doubt the 7-4-2 mark last month sent any of their fans into therapy. In fact, Detroit, one of the model organizations of the league, is on its way to bettering its record for the second straight season. Yet, San Jose is showing no cracks in its game, making it next to impossible for Detroit to gain any traction in the standings. Are the Wings locked into the No. 2 seed in the West? We’ll have a much clearer idea after this battle.

There are a couple of factors working against Detroit here: it’s dropped two of the last three vs. San Jose; and the Wings aren’t exactly soaring right now. Sure, they had rhymed off six straight wins earlier this month, but have been uncharacteristically middling over the past five games (2-2-1) after getting dumped by 5-2 in Minnesota on Saturday.

Some things to watch for in this game:

• Claude Lemieux will not get a standing ovation in his return to Motor City after a five-year retirement. The 43-year-old super pest is among the most hated men in Detroit history. Something tells me the half decade Lemieux spent in his rocking chair hasn’t changed that.
• Detroit’s goaltending situation is in a bit of a mess right now. Prospect Jimmy Howard was brought up from Grand Rapids to take the place of the slumping Chris Osgood, who has been given a “mental breather.” Howard, who is enjoying an excellent season, didn’t fare well in his season debut on Saturday as he got rocked early, but he is someone to keep an eye on for the future. With the aging Osgood suffering through his worst NHL season, Ty Conklin has proved to be a real saviour for the Wings this season, and he’s definitely someone you want to consider adding if you need a goalie. In our pre-season rankings, we expressed concern over Osgood’s ability to handle a huge workload, but certainly didn’t see this collapse coming. Osgood’s 10-day break will end Friday night when he goes back in net against the Kings. If Detroit has any hope of making a move on San Jose, it will need Osgood to return to his form from last season, or at least something resembling that. Conklin, meanwhile, will be looking to extend his 11-game home winning streak – a run that has matched the third best in Red Wing history. Overall, he’s a perfect five-for-five when he starts in February. Like I said, Conklin has been an absolutely lifesaver for the Wings.
• This is a battle pitting the top two power plays in the NHL against each other. However, Detroit didn’t exactly look like the best power play team in the league Saturday, going 0-for-5 with the man advantage, but had gone 9-for-17 in the three games before that loss. And therein lies the difference between these two teams: while San Jose – with the fourth best penalty killing unit in the league – is capable of shutting down Detroit’s power play, the same can’t be said for the Wings, who are one of the worst penalty killing teams in the NHL. Advantage San Jose.
• Dan Cleary, who just keeps getting better since he arrived in Motown, is heating up with three goals and two assists in his past four games. Need a forward? He could be available, and while he isn’t racking up the +/- numbers he did last season, Cleary is headed for his first 45-point season, a total he should easily eclipse now that he’s been moved to the top line in Detroit. Now, if he can just learn to stay healthy, he could turn into a serious difference maker. A jaw injury cost him a good chunk of 2007-08, and this season it was an eye injury.
• Don’t look for the Wings to get shut down very often like Saturday, when the Wild held them to a pair of goals. Detroit definitely had its struggles when it limped out of January on a season-worst five-game losing skid, but since then, the Wings have turned it own, scoring 48 goals in 11 games while going 8-2-1. Having said that, this week is a tough test for Detroit’s NHL-leading offense, as it had to deal with Minnesota, and its second-best GAA in the NHL, and now San Jose, almost as good with the third best GAA.
• As great as he was last season in his debut with the Wings, Brian Rafalski has been even better this season as he puts together a career year, at least offensively, at the age of 35. He’s recorded assists in four straight games (six helpers in total), and going back even further, he has 12 points in his last eight games and has managed two or more points in half of those contests. He made the top 10 in our pre-season rankings, and although his +/- isn’t as high as we’d like, Rafalski certainly has been all that on offense.

It’s been a rough spell for Daniel Alfredsson, as first photos of him wearing a pink dress in Las Vegas find their way onto the inter-tubes, then his jaw goes boom. However, his Sens are still kicking since sending Craig Hartsburg into the abyss. Part of the reason for their semi-success? Antoine Vermette remembered he’s a pretty skilled hockey player and popped in seven points in his last five games.

In case you haven’t heard the latest news: Brad Richards = hurt (broken wrist, out up to two months), Mike Richards = awesome (five points against the Sabres on Thursday night), and Atlanta Thrashers = confused (scoring boatloads of goals when nothing matters…hell, even RotoRob noticed that one). Just wanted to get that out of the way.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a shot in the arm (the return of Sergei Gonchar) and a kick in the ass (new coach Dan Bylsma), though they haven’t somehow reversed time to turn back into the 2007-08 world beaters they were last season. Gonchar’s return is significant though, as it should improve the woeful Pittsburgh power play and cause a trickle-down effect on the rest of the Penguin blueliners. As for Bylsma? He’s employing a more aggressive system than the ever-cautious Michel Therrien. We’ll see how long that sticks depending on performance, but right now that’s good news for whoever plays with Sidney what’s-his-name and Evgeni something-or-other. You know, those two franchise players that are supposed to make Pittsburgh the best team in the history of time.

In fantasy news that doesn’t really matter, Claude Lemieux — he of the glorious China-and-back return — scored his first point of the season. And it only took him 10 games. It’s a little different from Mario Lemieux’s return in 2000, ain’t it?

Vesa Toskala has transformed from starting goalie to walking sieve, so young Justin Pogge’s being given a chance (look for that Toskala robot in the new Transformers movie). Since nothing’s working in Toronto, it’s time to hand over the reins to the kids. Not that that’s always a good idea, but hey, you can’t live in the shadow of Mats Sundin forever, right?

Speaking of Mats, he teased us with thoughts of “He’s not just a poker player!” when the big Swede put up sevens points in three games. Since then? Two points in five games. Seven…three…two…five…hey, if he gets six points in his next four games, Sundin will have a straight! Of course, Mats endorses poker sites for entertainment purposes only, so he wouldn’t win any money.

Do you believe in the Florida Panthers? They just keep winning and winning despite not having a single guy over the 50-point plateau. The closest guy they have in this scoring-by-committee bunch is Stephen Weiss, but of his 41 points, only 10 are goals. That’s an acceptable ratio if you’re, say, Joe Thornton, but for the purposes of fantasy games that don’t involve Daniel Alfredsson in a pink dress, that’s thumbs down for a team leader. Want to ride the surge of the Panthers? Stick with the defense or Tomas Vokoun (according to Yahoo!, Vokoun’s still available in 22 per cent of its fantasy leagues).

The Week Ahead

• On Saturday afternoon, the struggling Habs (who are so desperate these days that they’ve sent Alexei Kovalev home to get his shit together) look to snap a three-game losing skid at home against Ottawa, which is making a bit of a push to try to get back in the race. On Thursday, Carey Price was again awful for Montreal, which is now free falling in the Eastern standings. Sacrebleu!
• Saturday night, the Bruins travel to Florida where they will eat dinner at 4 p.m. and then take on the surging Panthers in what could be a possible first round preview. As good as Florida has been at home this season (16-8-5), Boston is even better than that on the road (21-6-5). That’s pretty damn impressive.
• Speaking of afternoon hockey, on Sunday (on national TV, no less), we get the revitalized Penguins in Washington to take on the still red-hot Capitals. Pittsburgh is desperately trying to work its way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, while Washington continues to chip away at Boston’s conference lead.

The Atlanta Thrashers, a team that’s mostly been a thrashee as opposed to a thrasher this season, have suddenly woken up, winning three of their past four including the first two games of their four-game Western road swing – their longest road trek of the season. Where has this been all season? And why the hell would it emerge during perhaps the toughest stretch the team faces all year long?

The Thrashers have really been in free fall since the 2006-07 season, when they approached 100 points, won their division and made the one and only playoff appearance in franchise history. Last season was a fiasco, as the team’s offense and defense where both near the bottom of the league. In fact, they finished tied for last in goals against average. This season, while the offense has bounced back, the goaltending has been even more horrific, and if it weren’t for the laughable Leafs, Atlanta would be dead last in GAA. Despite the improved scoring, the Thrashers have completely bottomed out, and currently have the second worst record in the entire NHL.

So now that the pressure of making the playoffs is a thing of the past – Atlanta has already started focusing on the future by dealing away veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider to Montreal for a pair of draft picks – the team is putting up some Ws. The Thrashers are now closing in on Tampa Bay as they attempt to crawl out of the division cellar. And Thursday night, they could easily continue the roll as they face off against the NHL’s coldest team in Phoenix, losers of six straight at home.

However, expecting the club to continue winning the way they have this week – 8-4 over Anaheim and 7-6 in a shootout over LA – is a stretch. I mean, come on, the last time the Ducks gave up eight goals against anyone was March 21, 2001, the second longest current streak in the league. Atlanta better tighten up its lackluster defensive play if it hopes to continue to show improvements down the stretch. But one bright sign has been the play of rookie defensemen Zach Bogosian and Nathan Oystrick, who have been paired together since the Schneider deal. These two youngsters (well, Oystrick isn’t that much of a youngster, but he’s still a veritable NHL neophyte) have been drawing rave reviews, and Bogosian’s emergence is definitely something to watch. He logged three assists and went +2 in the win over LA, drawing some fantasy traction in the past couple of days. If you’re in a deep league, it may be time to consider last season’s No. 3 overall pick. He’s been rushed to the Show, but for a good reason. This 18-year-old has fans around the league buzzing.

With the trade deadline coming soon and Atlanta clearly falling under the seller umbrella, more house cleaning may be in order soon for the Thrashers. The most likely candidates to be moved now that Schneider has been dispatched are Ilya Kovalchuk and Colby Armstrong, the later of which is enjoying his finest season, and appears headed for his first 20-goal campaign. A move to a contender could definitely provide a nice boost for Armstrong, making him a waiver wire possibility. If your league is deep enough that you can stash him, now might be the time to consider it. Otherwise, wait and see how this situation plays out. One prominent rumour has the Leafs offering a package centred around Nik Antropov that will land both Kovalchuk and Armstrong in Toronto.

As we alluded to, expecting these kind of offensive fireworks from the Thrashers on a regular basis is unwise. Consider that they have potted 13 goals in the first two games of this road trip. Then consider that in the previous eight games, they had totaled just 12 goals. Can you say unsustainable? And even with the goal explosion, the Thrashers still almost found a way to blow it against the Kings on Monday. They frittered away a 6-3 lead, allowing LA to score three times over the final 12:30 to force overtime before the Thrashers pulled out the two points in the shootout.

After topping 50 goals for the second time in three seasons in 2007-08, Kovalchuk has been a major disappointment this year. In fact, he’s been so bad that he earned a not-so-coveted RotoRob Award as our 2008 Fantasy Dud of the Year. However, perhaps the thought of escaping Atlanta has him frothing at the mouth, because he sure looks like a different player lately. He’s scored goals in five straight games, totaling eight scores with three assists during this stretch. The team’s leading scorer (29 goals, 61 points) has five goals and two assists in the last two games alone. Can you can blazing? Kovalchuk is suddenly back on pace to nearly match last season’s point total and is definitely upping his trade value with each passing game. There’s talk he could wind up in Boston, although the Bruins aren’t known for bringing in high-priced talent, and at $7.5 million per year for this season and next, Kovalchuk is one of the top-paid players in the NHL.

Another tremendously hot Thrasher is Slava Kozlov. He potted a pair of assists Monday to run his point-scoring streak to five games, totaling two goals and five assists during this run. Kozlov was slumping for a while, but is clearly past that, and he’s someone we identified as a major target should Kovalchuk be sent packing. The 16-year veteran, who passed the 800 career point mark with his two helpers Monday, stands to be the stud in Atlanta once Kovalchuk is dealt, so if he’s still unowned in your league, you better add him now.

Centre Todd White’s finest NHL season has continued, as he’s got three points in the last two games. His goal Monday was his 15th of the season, already more than he scored all of last season. He has a good chance of recording his first ever 70-point season and you’ve got to figure this is another veteran who stands to gain more responsibility after the trade deadline. Given that he’s currently owned in just over a third of the leagues out there, White makes a great player to target.

In the NHL, players will suddenly go very hot. In the fantasy world, the big question is always, how long will they stay hot?

Take Eric Fehr from the Washington Capitals. He’s got seven goals on the season, but four in his last five (plus two assists). Has the former first-round pick suddenly found his game? The Capitals have to be hoping so. He’s only got three goals in the previous three seasons, much of that spent in the minors. So is Fehr worth the risk? He’s certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Also, look for some great players to return to their lineups. A lot of times, players get injured and dumped out of fantasy lineups, and former owners forget to go pick them up. It’s like free money!

Pittsburgh defenseman Sergei Gonchar has been cleared to play, meaning he should appear in the Penguin lineup soon. While Gonchar will have to ease himself in (he hasn’t played all season), he’s a fixture on the Penguin power play — a unit that has really suffered without him. Look for Gonchar to see special teams time, if not regular even-strength minutes.

Also consider Andy McDonald from the Blues, who returned to the St. Louis roster Tuesday night. McDonald played on the wing instead of centre, but things still worked out, as he scored a goal and added an assist. Not bad, considering he hadn’t played since November 2008. The Blues just signed McDonald to a four-year extension, so if he’s good enough for them, he’s certainly good enough for your fantasy team.

The Blues also recently sent goalie Manny Legace down to the minors, so if he’s somehow on your roster, you might want to dump him. If New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur is available, grab him. He’s been cleared to practice and he could be back relatively soon.

If you’re looking for a slightly damaged goalie, Steve Mason from Columbus could be back Friday. He was out with mono. Don’t ask how he got it. Don’t even let your mind wander to the situations that could have caused it. Just think about his .923 save percentage and his 2.09 goals against. And in case you’re wondering, you can’t get mono through a waiver transaction.

And New York Islander Doug Weight is expected to be out six weeks with an MCL sprain. Weight’s numbers haven’t been great, but he seemed to be prime trade bait, and if he had been dealt, his numbers would presumably would have improved. I don’t see a team trading for him unless they really want to say “Wow. We really gained Weight this season.” And none of my uncles run NHL teams, so that’s not going to happen.

The Week Ahead

• Saturday, the Wild looks to get back on track against Ottawa. Minny is clinging to the final playoff spot in the West, but unfortunately the team has a date in Detroit next weekend — and that spells doom for the Wild. After Thursday’s 4-2 loss to Detroit, Minnesota is now 0-10-2 in its last dozen tries against the Wings. On the plus side, Brent Burns potted his first goal in almost a month. He’s been a real disappointment this season after enjoying a breakout campaign last year. He’s no longer a must-own fantasy defenceman.
• Sunday, the Sharks play the Devils in what could be a Stanley Cup Finals preview.
• Sunday, Colorado plays Detroit. For Detroit, it’s like when you see an old girlfriend on the street and she’s kind of let herself go, and you tell her she looks great, but she can tell you’re lying, and you just kind of stand there and then she bursts into tears.
• Monday the Rangers play the Blues. You have to hope the Rangers will tell John Davidson to stop running the team and go back to simply calling the games.

While the NHL trade deadline is just under a month away, fantasy leagues all over are getting to the point where rosters have to be frozen. If you find you’re lacking in a specific category, we’re here to help — and not in a Christian Bale career-advice kind of way.

• Are you hurting when it comes to +/-? Boston Bruins players are the leaders in that category, and considering the B’s overall record, it’s not too surprising. However, the New Jersey Devils are a pretty good honorable mention, and some of their players might be available on the waiver wire. While Travis Zajac (43 points, +26) and Zach Parise (59 points, +21) are probably happily owned by fantasy GMs, Jamie Langenbrunner (42 points, +19), Mike Mottau (10 points, +18), and Colin White (11 points, +17) may be more under the radar.
• And if you need someone who’s essentially a bonus player at this point, Brendan Shanahan’s off to a good start with his new/old team.
• Power play points are always a tricky thing to look at because they come and go in waves depending on whether or not a team is hot or cold. While most key power play performers are notable players who are generally unavailable, a few guys are putting up special teams numbers despite mediocre regular seasons. Minnesota’s Marek Zidlicky hasn’t equaled his output from Nashville, but he’s still one of the top power play goalscoring defensemen in the league. Up front, seven of teammate Owen Nolan’s 12 goals are power play markers, and eight of Kyle Wellwood’s 14 goals have come on the man advantage.
• The league’s leaders in shorthanded points are mostly familiar names (Simon Gagne, Patrick Marleau, Mike Richards). However, a few surprises stand out, like Chicago rookie Kris Versteeg . You’ll notice that a bunch of players are tied around the 2-3 shorthanded point mark…the common denominator with a lot of those players? Obviously, they get a lot of PK time, but it’s also important to note that they’re all pretty fast skaters. After all, if you’re busting past the defense on a shorthanded scoring chance, you usually need good wheels to do it. While it’s hard to say that someone like Richard Park will outdo Shane Doan in this category, it’s important to look at traits like speed and PK ice time when trying to get some fantasy shorthanded points.
• I always like it when fantasy leagues count shots on goal as it’s pretty easy points and allows the wealth to be spread around outside of the usual suspects. We all know that Alexander Ovechkin and Vincent Lecavalier just love shooting the puck, but there are a few other players that put a lot of pucks on net (unfortunately, they have low shooting percentages). Check out players like Dustin Brown, Jason Blake, and Bill Guerin – players having OK seasons on mediocre teams, but who shoot the puck a lot.
• Finally, a quick injury report: Tomas Holmstrom’s groin is being repaired through the miracle of sports hernia surgery. The cost? Three-to-five weeks. Eric Staal left Carolina’s Thursday night victory against San Jose early with a lower body injury that has left him day-to-day while teammate Rod Brind’Amour is out at least a week to rest his ailing back. Paul Stastny should return to the Colorado lineup in about two weeks, and our favourite future Hall-of-Famer, Martin Brodeur, will be ready to steal the crease back from Scott Clemmenson in about 2-to-3 weeks. Do I hear a goalie controversy coming up?

The Week Ahead

• Just about every game matters now when it comes to Western Conference jockeying. Key four-point games include Edmonton at Minnesota (Sunday), Colorado at Columbus, and Phoenix at Dallas (Wednesday).
• In the Eastern Conference, fewer teams are in the playoff race. In the matchup that everyone can avoid, don’t tune in to Atlanta at Tampa Bay (Tuesday) unless you’ve got fantasy points involved.
• Saturday, the Kings, desperately trying to claw their way back into the playoff picture, head to the Swamplands to take on a scorching Devils squad. We’re talking about a poor road team that’s among the lowest scoring teams in the league going up against the hottest teams in the NHL, and one of the best defensive squads. But wait, the Kings have found their goal-scoring groove. After managing just four goals in four games, they’ve suddenly lit the lamp 25 times in past six games. Good sign No. 2 for the Kings: Anze Kopitar, who’s been a big disappointment this season, ripped two goals and an assist Thursday for his first three-point game since December 11. If he heats up, he’ll again be a must-own player, and will go a long way towards helping LA gain some ground in the tough Western Conference.
• Your main event for the week: No. 1 Western seed San Jose at No. 1 Eastern seed Boston, Tuesday night.

Last weekend was the All-Star Game and while it was great to read that RotoRob actually stepped away from the computer, from a fantasy perspective it was kind of buzzkill. Gaudy offensive numbers that didn’t count for anything. I could barely watch.

Coming back to the real world of fantasy hockey, though, I think we all know the big story this week: Mike Cammalleri.

How hot is this Calgary Flame? He’s put up eight goals in the past four games and nine goals in the past three weeks. Just to give you some context, New York Ranger Scott Gomez has 10 goals this season.

So yeah, Cammalleri is doing some crazy fantasy stuff this week. And amazingly, with no assists. He’s just looking to shoot the whole game.

As we head toward the trade deadline, a lot of players who aren’t as exciting or prolific as Cammalleri can be expected to change teams. And sometimes that change of scenery is enough to jump start a player.

Take St. Louis’ Keith Tkachuk. His 15 goals and 16 assists are nice, but if the Blues move him, and they do tend to love to move older players for younger ones and/or draft picks, Tkachuk could find himself on a playoff-bound team and start really putting up numbers. Pittsburgh is still looking for a big body to replace Ryan Malone. The Florida Panthers might want some veteran leadership if they find themselves more firmly entrenched in their playoff spot. And the Rangers desperately need someone who can maintain position in the slot for their awful power play. So Tkachuk is someone to watch.

Also, Bill Guerin seems a lock to leave the Islanders via a trade. His 14 goals and 18 assists aren’t much, but they could dramatically amplify on a solid team where he’s not the primary scoring option. Because, for all the talk about how the Islanders are in a youth movement, he’s still playing over 15 minutes a night and has the ears of everyone in the room. Guerin plays under a lot of pressure.

Of course, the older-player-to-new-team gambit doesn’t always work. For every Brendan Shanahan, who put up two goals in his first four games with New Jersey, there’s a Mats Sundin who has the same number of goals, plus one more assist, in his first eight games back.

Oh. And goalie Ollie Kolzig is out for the season in Tampa. He wasn’t playing very well, but he was a warm body for your fantasy roster. I’d say that goalie Mike Smith will get more work because of the injury, but he was already doing the lion’s share of the goaltending in Tampa.

The Week Ahead

• Saturday, the Rangers take on Bruins. Which Rangers team will show up? The tight defensive team or the pressing run-and-gun team that can’t score and gives up soft goals?
• Saturday also sees Florida take on the Islanders. Florida is desperate to stay in the playoff picture so you can bet it’s grateful to be playing the Isles. Speaking of the Panthers, All-Star Jay Bouwmeester scored his 11th goal of the season Thursday, continuing his development as a real goal-scoring threat from the blueline. The six-year vet has an excellent chance to put up his first 20-goal season.
• Tuesday, Phoenix plays Nashville. It’ll be nice. Both teams can discuss how they feel about leaving the American south for Canadian cities. Because it’s going to happen. Of course, in Phoenix’s case, it will be a homecoming.

While it’s officially past the halfway point of the schedule, the All-Star break is the symbolic tipping point NHL year. Let’s take a look back and a look ahead at what’s happened so far:

• Boy, those Columbus Blue Jackets sure are sending out the rookies with fantasy value. Hopefully, you rode Derick Brassard before his season-ending surgery. If you were lucky and fast, hopefully you grabbed Steve Mason before people noticed how good he is. For the second half, Nikita Filitov (currently injured) might not be a bad filler pick, especially when Columbus get Kristian Huselius back from the IR. Columbus is in the hunt for a playmaking centre and if it gets one by the trade deadline, it could shift the team’s depth chart and open up more scoring situations for someone like Filitov.
• Your first-half fantasy MVP is Evgeni Malkin, though depending on what specialty categories your league has, other players could have shone brightly. Need game winners? Try Patrick Marleau of the Sharks. Love the shots on goal? Alexander Ovechkin has 100 more than second-place Eric Staal. Power play stud? Almost all of Teemu Selanne’s goals were on the power play; in fact, he still leads the league in power-play goals despite being injured.
• From a goaltending perspective, Miikka Kiprusoff might not have the best stats, but he’s piling up the wins and games played. He’s also got the most saves, though Mike Smith of the Lightning is close behind, and Smith’s saves-per-game ratio and save percentage are higher. As for shutouts, Columbus’ Mason is making Pascal Leclaire cry in his multi-million dollar boots.
• The year’s biggest surprises? Congrats to anyone who picked up a number of Boston Bruins early. Same thing with the early adopters of Jeff Carter, Mason, Devin Setoguchi, and Nikolai Zherdev. And props to players like Mikko Koivu and Shane Doan for finally fulfilling their potential, and Simon Gagne for staying healthy enough to remind us why he’s such a good player.
• The league is making noise about suspending All-Star no-shows for one game. There seems to be some uncertainty about whether or not this means just putting in an appearance at the weekend or actually hitting the ice. It’s also unclear whether or not this affects the YoungStars game. In any case, be certain to monitor this and adjust your lineups accordingly.
• To prepare for the next big league event (the trade deadline), start looking at teams that are falling out of contention. Stocking up on their veteran players might not be a bad idea as these are the guys who will most likely be shipped to Cup contenders (hello, New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues).
• As for teams that are actually coming together, the Lightning are purporting the belief that it just might be able to contend for a playoff spot. I doubt that will happen, but there are some fantasy benefits: from top to bottom, the team’s playing much better under Rick Tocchet and newly acquired Cory Murphy is turning out to be a great fit on the power play. The Phoenix Coyotes are still led by Doan and Olli Jokinen but there’s some depth coming through, with players like Peter Mueller and Enver Lisin discovering their scoring touch. And the Florida Panthers are in the playoff hunt for the first time in ages thanks to a bunch of good-not-great sleepers like Gregory Campbell and Michael Frolik.

The Week Ahead

• Shameless plug: I’ll be liveblogging the All-Star Game with a little help from the folks at Versus (and maybe some surprise dirt from RotoRob’s visit to Montreal). Drop by and say hello for a snarky take on the no-hitting game.
• The schedule resumes on Tuesday. Like I mentioned earlier, check to see who’s been given a suspension for no-showing the All-Star festivities. Games on Tuesday and Wednesday will most likely be affected.
• The marquee matchup coming out of the All-Star break? Tuesday night’s battle between East leaders Washington and Boston. Look for some of Boston’s injured soldiers to be back in the lineup for what should be a hard-hitting and uptempo game.