ADD’EM: IT'S A BLUE PERIOD, JACKET REQUIRED First off, Happy New Year everyone!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and ready to take on all that 2017 has to offer.  I’m excited to be back after a nice break, spending time in the Bahamas with my family, but now it’s time to get down to business. As we turn the page on the calendar, there are quite a few names still available in ESPN that kind of surprised me, as I am sure they will surprise you.  Speaking of surprises, the biggest surprise so far in this NHL season has been the Columbus Blue Jackets.  In first place of the Metropolitan Division at this juncture of the season, it is time to start believing in the Blue Jackets.  Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is the key to this team as long as he stays healthy, he will continue to lead the team, but there are a few forwards that remain available but that window may be closing fast.  Columbus has played the fewest amount of games so far with 35 so there are of man games to be had out there.  Players like Nick Foligno (86.6%), Brandon Saad (85.5%), Alex Wennberg (79.1%), Sam Gagner (69.8%), Scott Hartnell (53.2%), and even Cam Atkinson at 88.9% raises an eyebrow as to their availability.   Most of the aforementioned players are playing at a point-per-game clip and with the way the team is focused, if you can get a hold of 1 or 2 of these players, don’t hesitate to start them.  Even on defense Seth Jones remains available at 72.1% and has 16 points in just 29 games, missing some due to a minor injury but has 5 points in past 7 games. All sport a positive +/- number as well, so you know Head Coach John Tortorella has them playing together. If you have the contrarian way of looking at things and want to shy away from the hottest team in the first half, then perhaps the New York Islanders are the team you want to stock up on.  With a horrible first half, the Isles seem to be righting the ship of late with 4 wins in last 5 games.  Having only played 36 games so far, there are plenty of games left for the players to boost their NHL totals.  Josh Bailey (16.9%), Anders Lee (29.4%), Ryan Strome (2.4%), Andrew Ladd (30.9%), Brock Nelson (19.6%) are the forwards who have the talent to pick up their games for the stretch run playing with Captain John Tavares.  In the past 6 games, all the above forwards have scored close to a PPG level with Nelson getting 4, Strome and Ladd getting 5, and then Lee with6 and Bailey 7.  On defense, Dennis Seidenberg (16.8%) ...

SMC 1-17-2016 Good morning hockey lovers!  With a tooth pulled an hour ago, I’m on the ice but without the coffee.  This is the time of year when players and teams start to put it into a higher gear as they try to reach their stride heading into the playoffs. There has been a little bit of a Dallas fade lately while Chicago has picked up their game and now have taking over the lead in the Central Division. Washington seems to have the Metropolitan Division locked up while the two New York City area teams battle for 2nd and 3rd places. New Jersey continues to surprise by staying in contention in the East while Arizona is in the same category with their standing in the West. The Devils shutout the Coyotes on Saturday afternoon. The Devils are doing it because of G Cory Schneider. Patrice Bergeron is so under-rated in fantasy circles but the guy is consistent each and every game. The Rangers need Kreider, who scored just his 7th of the season, and Nash to display some scoring consistency. People may be saying that Boston Bruin Ryan Spooner is playing better because of the David Krejci injury but he has been playing well since the end of last season. Carl Hagelin is back in the East and he will now have some opportunities to stick it to the Ranges for trading him to Anaheim in the off-season. The Washington Capitals took a day off yesterday while in Buffalo.  The Sabres won 4-1.  Really. Colorado has to win those games against the lower teams.  Losing to Columbus is not Earth-shattering, but they gotta win those games. Alex Galchenyuk hasn’t panned out for the Canadiens like I think they thought he would. Nashville were 3-0 shutout winners over Minnesota but it was Carter Hutton in net for the PReds, not Pekka Rinne. Everyone on the Edmonton Oilers had a SOG in the game against Calgary except for Teddy Purcell and Justin Schultz. Schultz has been getting some points of late with 4 in the last 5 games. Carolina and Philadelphia with their stronger play of late are going to make things for the Pittsburgh Penguins to make the playoffs. Keep an eye on Tomas Hertl as he has been scoring more consistently lately. Anaheim has played themselves back into the Pacific Division race with a 7-2-1 record over the last 10 but the other teams have been playing just as well.  The only team with a losing record over the past 10 games in Edmonton. Enjoy the week and may all your fantasies come true!

Aleksander Barkov The 20-year old center is a star in the making and has flourished on a line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr. Having scored 23 points in 29 games, the skilled Swede ahold be in line for a 65-70 point year with more to come in the near future. The window is quickly closing to get this Panther, so act fast if he is still on the waiver wire.    Jacob Markstrom Take a chance on this young goalie as he has played exceptionally well in the Vancouver crease with Ryan Miller out due to injury.  How about 3-0-1 with a 1.93 GAA. Once touted as the no 1 goaltending prospect outside of the NHL, Markstrom is starting to realize his vast potential. With miller not playing up to his elite form, it's possible that the Swede steals more starts even when he is healthy. He is worth the risk.    Ryan Spooner   With David Krejci out week to week, Spooner is getting time on the second line and top pp unit. Considering how well he did last season in the same spot, he is worth a short term flier. He has three points over the last two games and could be close to a point-per-game scorer during Krejci's absence.    Nazem Kadri   Don't look now but this Leaf has nine points over his last games and has clicked well with Leo Komarov on the second line. Kadri has clearly regressed after his '13-14 50-point season but has the goods to deliver at a much higher scoring pace. I would give him a shot but he needs to be more consistent if he is to become a legit fantasy impact player.    Jonathan Bernier   In this case, the hopes pin on the underachieving goalie building off two straight stellar starts over elite clubs( Pitt, St Louis) and solidifying the Leafs goal while Reimer recovers from a groin injury. One or two things will happen- Bernier finds his game or he loses fantasy relevance for the long term. This one is a pure crap shoot at this point but I do find his recent performances very encouraging.   

Brandon Dubinsky, Columbus- A few Blue Jackets have seen their roles increase under new coach John Tortorella, one being the 29-year old Dubinsky. The hard-working center has collected three goals and five assists over the first games since Torts has taken over. While expecting his ppg clip to last over the course of the season is unrealistic, 55-60 is not. He is worth a pick-up as his fantasy value is more long-term than most.    Teemu Terevainen, Chicago- With Marian Hossa back from injury, it's likely the talented winger could be shuffled around the lineup again. He showed some chemistry with Kane but who doesn't. Best case scenario-  stays on top line with Toews/Hossa or sees some 3rd line duty again. Insane upside so he might worth stashing on the bench until he gets going. Cause it will happen at some point this season.    David Desharnais, Montreal- I don't like recommending third line centers but his line with Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann has been absolutely killing it. DD has been the top dog before and has been a 60-point producer just a few years back, so you know he has tons to prove. Ride him in the short term    Leon Draisatl, Edmonton- A devastating injury to Connor McDavid has opened the opportunity for this former no first round pick to get top six minutes and contribute right away. Since his callup from the AHL, all Leon has done is hav collected 7 points over 5 games and has looked in sinc alongside Taylor Hall. The return of Jordan Eberle has the trio forming a potential explosive top unit. Playing with those two has its advantages in fantasy so take a gamble on him.    Ryan Spooner, Boston- In the case of this youngster, his importance on special teams clearly places him on the fantasy radar. He currently plays on a smokin top power play unit alongside the likes of David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron but gets this line minutes. There is a surplus of elite centers in Boston so his interim fantasy upside is a bit capped but he should be able to flirt with the 50-point mark. 

Justin Williams, Washington- Mr Game 7 is actually having a  fantasy impact early on with his new team as he collected 8 points over the first 10 games. Whether his production is sustainable or not largely depends on whether Nicklas Backstrom remains as his pivot. If he moves back to Ovie's line or Williams is shuffled out of top six, then his fantasy value could plummet.    Marcus Johansson, Washington- This guy has more of a shot to maintain some fantasy relevance as he has been a top six fixture for the Capitals over the last few years. The additions of Oshie and Williams puts a mild dent in his value but off to a decent start with 6-points in 10 games.    Frans Nielsen, New York- that's a four game point streak- 4G/2A- for the Isles second line center who flourished in a unit with Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey . Coming off a 43-point season, there is little reason to believe he can't build on those numbers and surpass the 50-point plateau.    David Pastrnak, Boston- The youngster has been getting big minutes with one of the NHL's most underrated centers in David Krejci. While he possesses true 35-goal upside, he might be a year away. Or if you are lucky, maybe not. Give him a shot of still available.    Darnell Nurse, Edmonton- Dont sleep on this 20-year old who is one of the better defensive prospects out there. Since being recalled from the minors, he had picked up a goal and an assist. This one is simple as he will continue to log more minutes if he keeps producing like an NHLer. Nurse is well worth the risk. 

SMC 11-1-2015 Typical cloudy, cool November day as the hockey season shifts into the second month.  Nice to be inside with a hot cup of joe while thousands of people are running all through the 5 boroughs of NYC. It looks like Detroit’s Gustav Nyquist is coming to life after a somewhat disappointing second season.  It’s November and that means that Pavel Datsyuk is close to returning for the struggling Red Wings.  I looked and saw that the Dallas Stars are atop the Western Conference.  Getting Antti Niemi might be the most underrated off-season move. The Sharks started off hot and now are just floundering.  Didn’t mean to use the bad pun there. NY Islanders Frans Nielsen is a beast so far this season.  Let’s see if the change from October to November affects him much. If Alain Vigneault breaks up the Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello line ever again, he should be interrogated intensely. Happy to see Zuccs fully recovered from that scary incident that happened during practice in last year’s playoffs. The Devils are serving notice that they will be competitive.  Well, that’s until the injuries start taking hold. Los Angeles is for real after that extremely slow start.  And they are doing it without Anze Kopitar being involved much. Devils’ Lee Stempniak is usually a streaky scorer but he seems to be more aware of his surroundings with 6 of his 8 points assists. Stars D John Klingberg is not having any effects of the sophomore jinx as he leads all NHL defenseman in points with 11.  Well, actually tied with those two guys in Montreal and Erik Karlsson.  Some pretty decent company, no? I expected Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin to be atop the league leaders in scoring but a bit surprised to see Boston’s David Krejci up there at number 3. I didn’t realize that Nashville is 7-1-2 on the season.  They certainly have been quiet about it. Toffoli, Carter and Lucic oh my! Jake Muzzin should see his production increase with Christian Ehrhoff now sidelined for a bit. Pittsburgh’s offense has finally erupted with two straight 4 goal games.  Oh wait!  They played Buffalo and Toronto back to back. This is not the Tampa team everyone was expecting to see this season at 5-5-2.  Will Andrej Vasilevskiy cut into Ben Bishop’s playing time this season?  Brad Marchand is having himself a season with 5-4-9 in 8 games. Everyone, well mostly everyone, is expecting the Montreal Canadiens will win the President’s Trophy but the Washington Capitals will give them a good run along with the NY ...

SMC-10/18/2015   We are just over a week into the NHL season and there are already some interesting developments.  News at 11.  Eleven a.m. that is. What is going on with the Columbus Blue Jackets?  At 0-5-0 there may be no leash left of Head Coach Todd Richards. With Captain Pacioretty at the helm, this Montreal team may never lose a game this season by the looks of them. Is it true?  David Krejci is leading the league in scoring? The team doesn’t look that good otherwise Henrik Zetterberg is right there with Krejci.  Some old salts keeping pace with youngsters like Jamie Benn, last year’s scoring champ. Good starts by Winnipeg will go a long way towards the end of the season when they are fighting for the last few playoff spots. At the bottom of the league, and I know it’s early, but Anaheim doesn’t belong in the group with Edmonton, New Jersey, Boston and Buffalo. The Pittsburgh Penguins offense will be awesome once it gets going, but they need to shore up their defense or it will just be a good show to watch with no substance. Looking at that Jaromir Jagr go!  He doesn’t have far to go now playing in Florida when he indeed decides to retire. Funny how the Sharks got stranded by a team called the Islanders who gave them their first loss. The Capitals, now with Nicklas Backstrom back, should be firing on all cylinders in no time. If the Blue Jackets ever get this, whatever ‘this” is, straightened out, they will be tough to play against. Tyler Ennis had 7 SOG last night against Tampa Bay.  He’s going to be a good fantasy forward this season now that he has some talent surrounding him. I really thought Florida was going to beat Dallas last night but they faltered in the third period.  This young Panthers team still has a bit to learn about winning. Sorry for the short post this weekend.  Not feeling so well today.  May all your fantasies come true this week!

SMC 3-29-2015 The regular season is winding down but the high octane playoffs will be starting shortly.  Mmmmm, mmmm good! It looks to me that the Nashville offense is back along with Pekka Rinne’s form.  They will be tough to beat come playoff time. Filip Forsberg has had dome year with 59 points in 76 games.  Amazing!  Must be something in the name. Henrik Lundqvist returned to action and got smacked early by Boston but then settled in.  Don’t you worry, Henrik will soon be hearing his name loudly shouted at MSG.  Hen-Rik!  Hen-Rik! There is no doubt that David Krejci just makes this team gel, even though he didn’t get a point in yesterday afternoon’s game versus the Rangers. The NY Islanders have had a great season but had really faded in the last 10 games or so.  Regardless of what happens from here on out, they have had a successful last season at Nassau Coliseum. Look out Brooklyn, the Islanders are coming! For being in the top 10 in NHL scoring at this point in the season, Evgeni Malkin and Claude Giroux have been the quietest members of this club all year. With 3 points yesterday, I guess Sidney Crosby wants the scoring crown. It will be weird not seeing the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs this year.  Changes they are a-comin! With Kris Letang possibly being out the remainder of the regular season and perhaps the playoffs, we will get to get a good look at rookie defenseman Derrick Pouliot.  Pouliot definitely has a bright future ahead. Detroit’s Petr Mrazek blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 and looks like he will get a very serious look next season to become the regular starter in Hockeytown. That Ottawa-Toronto game last night was so good.  I can’t wait for next Sunday’s rematch. Toronto finally woke up with the season almost over. You just have to love Montreal’s chances this year. I keep saying this but Columbus should be really good next year.  They have built the right way lately and it will all start to come together. Devan Dubnyk continues to amaze me with his play this year.  He hasn’t stopped or slowed down one bit. Poor Buffalo.  This season can’t end soon enough for them. Radim Vrbata reached the 30-goal mark with 2 goals last night.  Were there any doubts as he was lined up with the Sedin twins for most of the year? Have a great week ahead and may all your fantasies come true!

Blueshirts rise to the top; sliding Penguins; Landeskog a March fantasy gem; and more: Boston had a chance to leapfrog over the Ottawa Senators who lost to the NY Rangers, but gave up a late goal then lost in overtime.  They managed to tie the Sens in total points but have a game in hand and with the return of David Krejci (2A) to the lineup, the Bruins will be tough to keep away from here on out.  Get him in your lineup as he makes the whole team better when he is playing well, and the Bruins need him to play well…. The NY Rangers clinched a playoff spot by routing the Senators 5-1 with Chris Kreider (2G) and Derek Stepan (2A) providing the early spark.  5 Rangers with multi-point games as it looks like they are peaking for the start of the playoffs.  And expect Henrik Lundqvist to be back in net in their next game on Saturday against Boston, or Sunday versus Washington.  Get your Ranges into your fantasy lineups… In a battle of two teams fighting for that coveted number 1 draft pick in June, Arizona beat Buffalo 4-3… Cam Ward returned triumphantly after missing 5 games due to a virus, turning aside 27 shots in Carolina's 5-2 decision over Pittsburgh. The win snapped a 0-3-3 slide at home while the Penguin offense keeps floundering without Evgeni Malkin and Patrick Hornqvist.. LA continued rolling over the New York area teams with a 3-2 win over the Islanders completing the sweep of both NY Teams and New Jersey on their road trip.  They are battling to gain the playoffs so don’t expect anything less from the Kings from here on out.... The Florida Panthers continue to stay alive in the playoff hunt after knocking off dismal Toronto 4-1 on the road. Jonathan Huberdeau scored a key second period goal while linemate Aleksander Barkov picked up two helpers. Both youngsters should be huge breakout candidates in 2015-16.. Not a great fantasy year for Patrick Marleau, but the San Jose forward spearhead a huge offensive flurry in the 6-4 win over Detroit with two goals and one assist. His best days seem clearly behind him as his 52 points on the season represents a huge step back from the normally reliable 60-70 point producer.. Pekka Rinne stood tall in Tampa as the Nashville goalie stopped 28 of 30 shots while the Lightning's Ben Bishop was pulled in the second after allowing three goals on 11 shots. After a short dry spell, Rinne has found his elite form once again and should be a top starting option over the last few weeks while the Predators fully work out...

Rangers win big; Bruins keep free-falling, Canucks keep pace; A huge triumph at MSG for the New York Rangers who pummeled the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 and gained a share of the NHL lead in points-99. Two Blueshirts who busted out of long scoring droughts were center Derek Stepan(2G/1A- First points in 13 games) and defenseman Keith Yandle(3A/ First points in 10 games!). With the Ranger's offense rather anemic over the last month, it's hard to recommend either player as a starting option right now, but both can be capable of a hot stretch to end the season. Feel much safer starting Yandle at D than Stepan at a forward postion.. It was a Detroit team without Pavel Datsyuk outlasting a suddenly struggling St. Louis team on the road, 2-1 thanks to Justin Abdelkader's OT goal. Not much to say here other than Marek Zidlicky picked up another point and has been a waiver-wire steal since his trade to Detroit.. The Boston Bruins are quickly playing themselves out of a playoff position with another key loss, this time to the Lightning. With David Krejci out and now also arguably their best defenseman in rising fantasy star Dougie Hamilton, the B's are in hot water..With a goal and an assist, Tampa's Ondrej Palat has recorded four points in two games since returning from injury. Get him in your starting lineups ASAP.. A decent goaltending battle ensued in Arizona as Jakub Markstrom, once regarded as the hottest goalie prospect, picked up the win for the Canucks over Mike Smith and company. Vancouver staying alive for the playoffs while the Coyotes are pushing hard for Connor McDavid..