They said we were shifted to Monday because of baseball (Editor’s note: Hey, this is what you get, hockey, for a lockout-lengthened season!). Undaunted, The Wire Troll is here with a little mayhem hockey style. There are only three weeks to go, or 20 days, whichever comes first (did we mention that math is not our thang?). It is now crunch time. From here on out, it is pretty well, win or go home. For the final three weeks, we will be running this column on Mondays to maximize those pickups that hopefully no one noticed on Sunday.

Now the reality is we will need less chit chat and more player information for this week to keep things moving. Are you ready? Do you really want to go forward with this? You bet! It is time to move it or lose it!

Mikkel Boedker, LW, Phoenix Coyotes: We kept saying that Boedker was kind of a must own this season even with diminished expectations, but still over two-thirds you did not listen. Now may be the time to pounce while his value keeps going upward. Boedker’s 24 points in 38 games may not sound like all that much but with five points in his last five games, he is finally starting to put it together — and at a crucial time. Each team has about three games a week from here on out and at a 25-to-30 per cent ownership rate, here is a player that could help your team.

Marcus Johansson, C, Washington Capitals: The only problem with Johansson is the obvious — health. Other than that, the rise of Alex Ovechkin has led to a revival of the Johansson’s Fantasy fortunes as he has a whopping 15 points in his last 12 games. Also, the ATOI (Average Time On Ice) has climbed to about 18 minutes per game in the past month. Washington’s rise up the standings is because of guys like Johansson so is he a sell high candidate? Something tells us just to ride the wave because while he may cool off a little, he will not go frigid.

Shawn Matthias, C, Florida Panthers: Matthias is one of those few bright spots in an otherwise god awful season for the Florida squad. He did have a bit of a clunker against Ottawa, but he has five goals in his last seven games, which makes him pretty Fantasy viable. If you are in desperate need of goals in a playoff week, Matthias has shot up to a 25-to-30 per cent ownership level. Get him before his production starts to slip as it seems that may happen sooner rather than later. If Florida totally goes rebuild, Matthias could be a 40-to-50 point guy and surely will go very late in drafts next season. That is not too shabby.

Luke Schenn, D, Philadelphia Flyers: Very quietly, the Philadelphia Flyers had won four straight games and suddenly Schenn has found his game to the tune of a +7 in his last four contests. The guy is blocking shots and hitting people like a machine and hey, even the shot numbers are heading in an upward direction too. If you are hurting for a defenseman and looking for a guy that is starting to make headway in this game, then Schenn may just be the player worth taking a risk on.

Anton Khudobin, G, Boston Bruins: It just seems that the Bruins find them, don’t they? Khudobin was given up on by the Minnesota Wild, who thought Matt Hackett was their guy (he is now in the Buffalo organization, by the way). Khudobin has eight wins in 11 games along with a 2.07 GAA and .929 save percentage. Granted, he may only get a start a week from here on out but that is worth rolling the dice on. There may be a bit of a two-thirds to one-third ratio in Boston once again.

Well, that is it for now. Stay tuned next week for some quick Fantasy hockey help. As always, you can follow me @ChrisWasselTHW and yes, all questions will be answered. Thanks again for reading.

The goal is to show a little love to some players on the waiver wire that usually do not receive any. Sometimes, it’s not easy in Fantasy leagues to navigate through the murk and mire of the dog days. Week 18 is coming up for the GMs out there, so this exercise becomes even more crucial as we hit the home stretch. more