My ISD format will take a new twist this season, highlighting five players who will moving in all directions on the fantasy front. Hope you enjoy: 1. Victor Hedman returned for the Lightning Tuesday night from an upper body injury and added two assists to his point totals, reaching six in six games. This fantasy stud doesn't get the elite treatment just yet because injuries always keep him from putting up monster numbers. He falls commonly behind the top 7-10 in many drafts but truth be told, he is only one of the handful of defenders that can lead all defensemen in scoring. His massive upside has been on display early on... BLUE CHIP STUD 2. With six points over his first 5 games, Swiss rearguard Roman Josi is quickly justifying his rising fantasy value based on a huge 55-point '15-16 campaign. In a few instances, he was taken before Shea Weber in drafts but early returns show that the gap is closing between the two. Weber is off to a good start with four points but this situation bears watching. I have a feeling the hard shooting Canadien will get the last laugh...  JUST ABOUT ELITE   3. I for one thought the 39-year old Dan Boyle would pull off a Jaromir Jagr and defy time for just a while longer while becoming fantasy relevant this season. It hasn't exactly panned out in the early going as Boyle has already been scratched for a game while just getting two points in six games. Reports are indicating that coach Alain Vigneault has not been satisfied with his play and that his role could further be diminished....   ON SWIFT DECLINE   4. Young Adam Larsson is starting to turn the corner as an NHL scoring defender, ending last night's game for the Devils in overtime with his second point of the night. He needs to be owned in all fantasy formats as he is coming off a mini-breakout season (24 pts/64 gms) and poised for bigger minutes in '15-16. There has been trade rumors, possibly with Columbus for winger Cam Atkinson but given the paucity of blue line scoring there, he could end up flourishing if that move would take place. Definitely on the rise...  SLEEPER ALERT   5. Calgary newcomer Dougie Hamilton is off to a slow start on his team, but he should be one targeted as a super buy low candidate. He managed to score his first goal and only point of the season on Saturday, but he seems ready to take off very soon. Coming off a 42-point season, the youngster had the taken the offensive reins on the powerplay alongside Mark Giordano and will have every ...

2015 PRIMEPUCKS™ EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS NEW YORK RANGERS vs. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:  There is a connection between these two teams as both teams have some of the other team’s ex-teammates.  Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle are donning the red, white and blue of the Rangers while Anton Stralman, Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle have the Bolt emblazoned across their chest.  But that’s is where the connection ends.  The Rangers will see a switch from the physically demanding series against the Washington Capitals while the Lightning see a team built deeper than the Montreal Canadiens. The two teams met three times early in the season and it was the Bolts who prevailed in all three contests but things have changed over the course of the season and we all know that the playoffs are a different story.  The Lightning will see a much more focused Rangers team who don’t seem to get flustered no matter the circumstances. Being down 3 games to 1 last round didn’t faze them a bit as they rallied to win another series after being in that predicament like they were last year against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tampa brings much more scoring depth but the Rangers carry a deep defensive unit that plays so well in front of the Blueshirts last defense in Henrik Lundqvist.  Tampa goalie Ben Bishop is up against another elite net minder in Lundqvist after having gone face-to-face with Hart Trophy candidate Carey Price.   All Lundqvist has done is prove once again that he is a clutch goalie and that it won’t be easy for Tampa to find twine in this series.  Look for the Rangers to play the Lightning tight and for Lundqvist to get into the minds of the younger Tampa players.  The Rangers are built for the long playoff run, and with last season’s experience, that should help them get through this series.  With the way Lundqvist has been playing after missing 2 months of the season, it looks like he is in mid-season form.  Note one thing about the ‘King’, he has a 1.60GAA and a .944 SP and doesn’t have a shutout yet.  Perhaps he is due. As for this series’ fantasy options, besides Lundqvist, Steven Stamkos has been red-hot since the switch of Valtteri Filppula to centering his line and Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov are on quite a roll but expect that to slow down a bit against these New York Rangers.  The Rangers possess a deep and balanced scoring attack except that we don’t know what is going on with St. Louis as he is still looking for his first playoff goal this year.   Chris ...

Fantasy Impact Of Yandle Trade; and Sunday Game Notes: A huge trade sending All-Star defenseman Keith Yandle to the New York Rangers for young Anthony Duclair, John Moore, and a 2015 1st rd pick has pretty decent fantasy implications. Yandle was already a lock to top 50 points once again as his 41 points led the Coyotes. Expect a marginal rise in his own fantasy value as he will be surrounded by a much better supporting cast on the Rangers. However, any boost in power-play efficiency for the Blueshirts should help all on the top unit, including the already smoking Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan and whichever rearguard plays the point alongside him- Ryan McDonagh or Dan Boyle. Let's see how the PP configurations play out, but Boyle could be the odd man out on the top unit. Early Sunday action saw Jaromir Jagr make a huge impact for his new team in a huge spot as the 43-year old scored a goal and an assist in a crucial 4-3 win for Florida. While its unreasonable to suggest that he could maintain a PPG pace, youngsters such as Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and even Brandon Pirri should all see their scoring improve as Jags should get the power-play going plus give the kids a much needed a jolt of confidence. Love this deal for real-life purposes as Florida could sneak into the playoffs... Evgeni Malkin posted his third straight three-point effort in the 5-3 Pittsburgh win over Columbus. Sergei Bobrovsky returned to the Blue Jackets crease, but found it difficult to shake off the rust against one of the NHL's most dangerous teams. BTW, we all know Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are must-starts, but Patrick Hornqvist has been heating up again. Get him in all starting line-ups for next week and beyond.. Big triumph for Winnipeg over the LA Kings, as Andrew Ladd led the offense with two goals. Two new additions Drew Stafford and Tyler Myers continue to gain fantasy relevance with consistent offensive production since the Evander Kane trade. Don't look now but the Kings have lost three straight after notching eight consecutive victories... In Dallas, the Getzlaf/Perry superstar tandem combined for four points while John Gibson stopped 39 of 40 shots in the 3-1 Anaheim win... The St. Louis Blues roared back from a third-period three-goal deficit to force overtime, but the Vancouver Canucks get the extra point. Eddie Lack has been hit or miss since the Ryan miller injury, but he should get the bulk of the work in the crease. A decent no. 2 ...

Amid all the trade rumors swirling around well before the trade deadline, Keith Yandle's name had been the most talked about amongst elite offensive defensemen. The Arizona Coyotes have again been abysmal this season and it maybe time for a full rebuilding process. While Yandle is young enough to still contribute to the teams future growth, his trade value is at an all time high. He is amongst the best fantasy dmen in the game, ranking 5th in points with 36 and is tied in the entire league in power play points with 21. He is coming off a 53-point season, his second and would certainly have cracked that mark for a third time during the lockout shortened season (30 pts/48 games ). Losing him would be tough for the Coyotes to replace, even with OEL in the mix but fantasy owners should not sweat it. Chances are any team willing to deal for him would do so more for his offensive prowess and not for his pedestrian two way game. If you own Yandle, who would you want him to get traded to? In my mind, the optimal fantasy destination in case of a Yandle trade would be Detroit or Anaheim. Given that Detroit's nucleus of stars- Datsyuk and Zetterberg- are a much older than the Getzlaf/Perry tandem in Anaheim, the Wings might be seeing their window closing quicker for a legitimate Stanley Cup run. In both instances, their offensive defenders have fallen short of expectations so adding Yandle to either star-studded power-play would be a lethal combination. Yandle owners should be equally excited if either scenario played out. Parting Shots: One of our rising fantasy stars was slow to do anything early on but now has been on fire for Boston-Torey Krug. The youngster has collected nine points over his last ten games and is suddenly on pace to surpass his career high of 40 points. We would start him with confidence as the Bruins are making a serious push toward Stanley Cup contention.. Dan Boyle has not lived up to the hype in the "Big Apple" as his 11 points in 33 games is quite mediocre. His transitioning to Alain Vigneault's system has not been smooth, but he has two goals over the past three contests. Maybe he can come on late...

Amid all the trade rumors swirling around well before the trade deadline, Keith Yandle's name had been the most talked about amongst elite offensive defensemen. The Arizona Coyotes have again been abysmal this season and it maybe time for a full rebuilding process. While Yandle is young enough to still contribute to the teams future growth, his trade value is at an all time high. He is amongst the best fantasy dmen in the game, ranking 5th in points with 36 and is tied in the entire league in power play points with 21. He is coming off a 53-point season, his second and would certainly have cracked that mark for a third time during the lockout shortened season (30 pts/48 games ). Losing him would be tough for the Coyotes to replace, even with OEL in the mix but fantasy owners should not sweat it. Chances are any team willing to deal for him would do so more for his offensive prowess and not for his pedestrian two way game. If you own Yandle, who would you want him to get traded to? In my mind, the optimal fantasy destination in case of a Yandle trade would be Detroit or Anaheim. Given that Detroit's nucleus of stars- Datsyuk and Zetterberg- are a much older than the Getzlaf/Perry tandem in anaheim, the Wings might be seeing their window closing quicker for a legitimate Stanley Cup run. In both instances, their offensive defenders have fallen short of expectations so adding Yandle to either star-studded power-play would be a lethal combination. Yandle owners should be equally excited if either scenario played out. Parting Shots: One of our rising fantasy stars was slow to do anything early on but now has been on fire for Boston-Torey Krug. The youngster has collected nine points over his last ten games and is suddenly on pace to surpass his career high of 40 points. We would start him with confidence as the Bruins are making a serious push toward Stanley Cup contention.. Dan Boyle has not lived up to the hype in the "Big Apple" as his 11 points in 33 games is quite mediocre. His transitioning to Alain Vigneault's system has not been smooth, but he has two goals over the past three contests. Maybe he can come on late...

The New York Rangers keep plugging along and now sit just 3 points behind Division leader New York Islanders with a game in hand and just 6 points off Conference leader Tampa Bay with 3 games in hand. It should be a good race to the end especially if Rick Nash continues his tremendous season. Nash notched his 30th and 31st goals on the season and there seems to be no stopping him....Keep an eye on Mats Zuccarello as he had a goal and an assist against Florida last night and could be in store to for a good second half. Zuccarello, at .56 ppg, is currently well behind last season's scoring pace but should regain close to his .76 point-per-game pace he achieved last season.....Ranger D-man Dan Boyle has scored goals in two straight games and could finally be contributing the way the Blueshirts had been hoping for... Are the Edmonton Oilers waking up finally? Jordan Eberle had his best game of the season with 2 goals as the Oil beat the San Jose Sharks 5-4 in a shootout. Like all the Edmonton forwards the talent is there, it's just a matter of time before...BAM!...Edmonton D-man Justin Schultz had a goal and assist but polices have soured on the uber-talented defenseman but he is still only 24 years old, but one day!...Joe Pavelski just keeps heading towards matching last season's career year with 2 goals and an assist giving him 46 in 51 games...Joe Thornton had 3 assists extending his scoring streak to 6 games and has 7 points during that streak.

Despite finishing with a career-high 14 goals and 43 points last season, Ryan McDonagh's fantasy value had plummeted after a slow start and a separated shoulder that cost him 12 games. The acquisition of power-play stalwart Dan Boyle convinced many that maybe the New York Rangers were not sold on McDonagh being their PP quarterback of the future. That being said, the talented rearguard has risen to top form once again since returning from injury and looks poised for a strong second-half push and quite possibly, elite fantasy status. Prior to being held off the scoreboard in last night's Ranger victory in Anaheim, McDonagh had collected assists in three straight games and has compiled 11 points over his last 16 contests. A horrific ten-game stretch to start the year which saw him collect just three points and then leading to his shoulder injury, had fantasy owners scrambling for answers. However, Dan Boyle panned out even worse as he was also a victim of long-term injury and has only managed 7 points in 21 games. His inability to turn on the offense, especially with the man-advantage, has resulted into McDonagh getting more minutes recently. With 14 points in 26 games, the young American should be viewed as an emerging fantasy defender with prime "buy-low" potential. Coach Alain Vigneault has kept Boyle on the top power-play while McDonagh is currently manning the second unit. Do not be surprised if the duo get paired together at some point with the hopes of injecting more "juice" in their PP. I say Ryan's time has arrived so take him very seriously in all fantasy formats. Parting Shots: Don't look now but their is another sleeper alert brewing in New Jersey. Adam Larsson, the former no. 4 overall pick in 2011, has been getting much moe play under new defensive coach scott Stevens. Having accrued over 23 minutes of TOI in each of the last three games, the talented rearguard could get a chance to realize his vast upside after a disappointing few years. Not sold yet on him but he shouldnt be forgotten either... Zach Bogosian will be returning to the Winnipeg line-up tonight and with Tobias Enstrom still out of action, he should have some decent short-term fantasy worth. He maybe worth a flier as Enstrom is always prone to injury even if he does return soon.. Boston's Zdeno Chara has not displayed his elite skill yet after returning from his knee injury, but 6 points in 13 games constitutes decent fantasy production. While I wouldn't count on him reverting ...

* TJ Oshie has been a dominant offensive force for the St. Louis Blues since the start of December, so it's time for fantasy owners to take notice. His four-point night, including a "hat trick", helped seal the fate of the San Jose Sharks in the 7-2 rout. He is currently sporting a five-game point streak and has racked up 17 points in the last 16 games. His line, with Alex Steen and David Backes, is rolling, but the return of Jaden Schwartz will also get the Tarasenko unit probably back to their early-season dominant form. Start Oshie now while he is smoking hot... *In his first game donning a Pittsburgh Penguin uniform, David Perron lined up with Sidney Crosby and scored a goal on his first shot. Awesome fairy tale stuff, eh? Well, the Pens got smoked 4-1 by visiting Montreal and should expect a transition period while Perron acclimates to his new high-end teammates. He should get top power-play minutes in the short-term but that could change when Patrick Hornqvist returns in a few weeks. Anyway you slice it, huge boost in fantasy value for the suddenly relevant Perron.. *A wild high-scoring affair in LA, as the Kings rallied for three goals in the dying minutes to sent the game against Nashville into overtime only to lose 7-6 after a goal by defender Roman Josi in the extra frame. Don't worry, both Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick still rock in goal! It was just one of those games.. *In case you have not received the memo, Winnipeg goalie Michael Hutchinson is indeed for real. After allowing six goals over his last two starts, "Hutch" settled down by stopping 20 of 21 Toronto shots in the 5-1 blowout win. I feel confident in saying that the youngster's superb numbers (10-3-2, 1.81 GAA, .937 SP) are not flukish and that he will be the starter over Ondrej Pavelec down the stretch.. *Now for the not so obvious- Sam Gagner is actually playing good hockey for Arizona and might warrant short-term fantasy consideration. The underachieving forward scored twice while adding an assist, improving his numbers to 8 points over the last five games. He has clicked big-time with Martin Hanzal, so he might be worth a starting nod for the next few weeks before he goes ice-cold again... *Huge applause for future HOFer Jaromir Jagr becoming the oldest player in NHL history-42- to collect a "hat trick". Pause. Reality check. 25 points in 40 games. His best fantasy days are behind him, but he will occasionally blow up for a few big offensive outbursts.. *The Dallas Stars are...

Hot coffee on a cold day.....let's go! I think Christian Ehrhoff took the task to hand yesterday with 7 SOG and the game-winning goal in the third period. Finally earning that paycheck... No Kunitz. No Dupuis. No Hornqvist.  No Bennett.  No Letang.  No problem for the Penguins as long as they have both Crosby, Malkin and Fleury leading the way.... The Islanders had the Blues, leading 3-0 after 1 period, but Marty was the inspiration taking over for Jake Allen.... Both top defensemen for the St. Louis Blues had a combined 15 SOG, Shattenkirk 8 & Pietrangelo 7..... Vladimir Tarasenko is slowing down, but not much as he potted his 17th goal to seal the deal on Long Island. You knew Jaroslav Halak had to lose after winning 11 in a row and Steve Mason had to win eventually. It was just odd that the Flyers would beat the Kings in LA after going 1-8-2 in last 11 games.... Has anyone seen Anze Kopitar this season? Two teams you gotta believe in this year are the NY Islanders and the Calgary Flames.... If Florida can string together a few wins, then they would be my surprise team of the season so far... And Columbus would be my surprise team going the other way but with the way Sergei Bobrovsky has been playing in his last few games, I think the Blue Jackets are ready to make a run.... I mean, the Jackets did beat the Tampa Bay Lightning on their own ice 3-1 as they have everyone back in their lineup.... Buffalo's Matt Moulson had 7 SOG but I'm sure he daydreams about his days playing alongside John Tavares on Long Island.... Roberto Luongo must be loving life playing in Florida again, getting away from last year's circus in Vancouver.... You just gotta love what this kid Aaron Ekblad is bringing to, not only the Florida Panthers, but the NHL as well.   3 more assists last night brings him up to 17 points in 25 games.  Impressive indeed... Remember how it was the end of the world for Leaf fans when they took a 9-2 shellacking from the Tampa Bay Lightning? They have gone 5-1-1 since that game.  Sometimes you need a little smack on the behind to get you going... With 7 points in last 4 games, Joffrey Lupul seems to be getting into one of his zones that he is famous for. The other thing that Lupul is famous for is getting injured... Every single Canuck had a SOG in yesterday's contest against Toronto.... Tyler Seguin with his 3 points leapfrogged over Crosby and Voracek for the NHL lead in points. Plus he leads with 21 goals.  Boston?  Do you see what is ...

I think the Philadelphia Flyers will be happy ‘not' to see NY Rangers' backup goalie Cam Talbot (26 SV) after they lost twice by shutout to the Ranger backup goaltender in the past 9 days. However, they will be facing a fresh Henrik Lundqvist on the back end of a home-and-home series, which is not a good way to snap out of a team slump where the Flyers have lost 7 of their last 8....Derek Stepan assisted on all three Ranger goals and with 7 points in last 5 games, it is safe to say that he is on fire right now....Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist giving him 1,000 points in his 1,082 game career. Congratulations Marty!...After getting injured in his first game as a New York Ranger, D Dan Boyle has shown just how dynamic he can be for the Ranger power play as he scored his 2nd pp goal in past 2 games. There had been concerns about Boyle's age and his play diminishing, but I think he is answering those....Speaking of Ranger D-men, Ryan McDonagh returned to the lineup after leaving the Nov. 1st game against the Winnipeg Jets. It may take a few games to get back into rhythm, but it shouldn't take long..... Patrick Kane scored twice against the Anaheim Ducks as the Chicago Blackhawks took it to the Ducks early and never let them into the game....Kris Versteeg has been on fire lately as he notched 2 assists giving him 9 points in last 6 games. If in need of forward depth or a back end starter, grab Versteeg on a high-powered offensive team like the Blackhawks.... After a slow start with his new team, D Matt Niskanen had 3 assists against the NY Islanders making it points in three consecutive games and 10 points in 22 games. If available, pick him up as it appears that Niskanen is starting to heat up.... Ryan Miller is loving life in Vancouver as he blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-0 for his second consecutive shutout and his 15th victory, tying him with Pekka Rinne of Nashville for the league lead in wins. Miller has been nothing less than spectacular since signing as a free agent over the summer and taking the reins as the Canucks no. 1 in net....Nick Bonino had 3 assists in the game and now has 19 points in 22 games. He has been the model of consistency with points in 14 of those 22 games.  Good depth forward for your fantasy team.... The Carolina Hurricanes finished their 5-game road trip with an improbable win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh 4-2. Jiri Tlusty was the catalyst on offense for the Canes and there is speculation that Mr. Tlusty may ...