ADD’EM: ROUNDING INTO FORM Connor Hellebuyck-G- WPG (68.1% owned in ESPN), Jeff Petry-D-MTL (21.1), Jason Demers-D-ARZ (10.1), Lars Eller-C-WAS (1.9), Nino Niederreiter-RW-MIN (57.2), Bo Horvat-C-VAN(55.5), Boone Jenner-RW-CBS (30.2) and Brock Boeser-RW- VAN(31.9) 11/5/2017 Some interesting names on the free agent wire for the upcoming week that are still somewhat available.  Top on the list is Minnesota’s Nino Niederreiter owned by 57.2% of leagues in ESPN.  I know he missed the very early part of the season due to injury but he is a major component on the offense and should start to get his legs under him.  Minny has 4 away games but they are against opponents that won’t stymie the offense.  Boston, Toronto, Montreal and Philly make up the work week so expect the Wild to put up some points this week. One of the more intriguing names on the wire is Columbus Blue Jacket RW Boone Jenner.  Jenner is one of PrimePucks™ rebound players for this season and he has been contributing of late with 2-3-5 in last 3 games with 2 of those points coming on the power play.  Jenner also had 8 SOG in those 3 games.  The Jackets have 2 home games sandwiched in 2 away games.  The away game are against her NY Rangers and Detroit Red Wings while the home games feature matchups against Nashville and Carolina. Jenner, like Niederreiter, also missed time at the beginning of the season but seems to be rounding into form lately.  A solid pickup for the week. Looking for some goaltender help is very difficult as most of the starts are gobbled up by now but Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck is only owned in a little under 70%, so there is a chance he is still available in your league.  Although the Jets have 3 upcoming away games, they are up against Dallas, Arizona and Las Vegas and with the way Connor is playing (.933 SP, 2.22 GA and 3 wins in 4 starts), he should continue to fight for the starter’s role in Winnipeg. On the defensive side of the coin, a few names to help fill in that last gap on your fantasy defense.  Jeff Petry is not having the kind of offensive season we got accustomed to last season but does have 2 points in last 3 games and 10 SOG so he should be able to contribute something to your team playing against Las Vegas, Minnesota and Buffalo all on home ice….Jason Demers finds himself on the scoreboard of late in Arizona as he has gone 1-3-4 in last 4 games.  The Coyotes are on the road for 3 against Washington, Pittsburgh and St. Louis before returning home against ...

Some weekend updates…and I’m not Chevy Chase… McGinn-Demers Trade: The Florida Panthers shipped off veteran defenseman Jason Demers to the Arizona Coyotes and received LWer Jamie McGinn.  The Cats cleared about $12 million in cap space and added some grit.  Don’t expect much in terms of offense from the journeyman now on his 6th NHL team.  The Coyotes add another veteran defenseman to go along Niklas Hjalmarsson, acquired right before the NHL Entry Draft from Chicago, Alex Goligoski and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.  This gives the Arizona Coyotes a very solid core in front of Antti Raanta who will be taking over the reins as the starting goaltender in the desert.  The Coyotes are an improved team and should not be an NHL doormat anymore. Draft Guide Updated:  Look for the new Draft Guide file in your account.  All updates are highlighted in yellow, so they are easy to spot….Some updates…Evander Kane added to Buffalo Sabres team page and Forward Tiers as was Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks….All recent signings, David Pastrnak, Bryan Little, Nikita Zadorov to name just a few….Even the above trade has been updated in the Guide…Made a few forecast changes to Connor Brown and Oliver Bjorkstrand in particular as we curbed our enthusiasm for both talented wingers… EXCITING NEW FEATURE WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE ON THE DRAFT GUIDE PDF!!!  Open the Draft Guide and click on any Title in the Table of Contents and you will be brought directly to the page!  No more scrolling.  I am working on adding that feature for the individual Team Pages as well.  Hopefully will be done by tonight!  Check back every few days for updates as we continue to add and make updates throughout the pre-season. Ciao for now! Ray

Some weekend updates…and I’m not Chevy Chase… McGinn-Demers Trade: The Florida Panthers shipped off veteran defenseman Jason Demers to the Arizona Coyotes and received LWer Jamie McGinn.  The Cats cleared about $12 million in cap space and added some grit.  Don’t expect much in terms of offense from the journeyman now on his 6th NHL team.  The Coyotes add another veteran defenseman to go along Niklas Hjalmarsson, acquired right before the NHL Entry Draft from Chicago, Alex Goligoski and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.  This gives the Arizona Coyotes a very solid core in front of Antti Raanta who will be taking over the reins as the starting goaltender in the desert.  The Coyotes are an improved team and should not be an NHL doormat anymore. Draft Guide Updated:  look for the new Draft Guide file in your account.  All updates are highlighted in yellow, so they are easy to spot….Some updates…Evander Kane added to Buffalo Sabres team page and Forward Tiers as was Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks….All recent signings, David Pastrnak, Bryan Little, Nikita Zadorov to name just a few….Even the above trade has been updated in the Guide…Made a few forecast changes to Connor Brown and Oliver Bjorkstrand in particular as we curbed our enthusiasm for both talented wingers… Check back every few days for updates as we continue to add and make updates throughout the pre-season. Ciao for now! Ray

The New York Islanders began a stretch of 6 games against Metropolitan Division teams with a 5-4 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins who play another match today on the Island. Ryan Strome, with a goal and 2 assists, now has 15 points in 19 games and looks to be getting comfortable with 8 points in last 7 games. Those in deep fantasy leagues, or who are in need of a 5th or 6th forward, might want to take a flier on this kid as he has tremendous talent and could possibly see time with John Tavares from time to time....Speaking of playing with superstar talent, Patric Hornqvist scored his 10th goal of the season and also added an assists with 5 SOG. Hornqvist must feel like he has been rewarded for all his hard work in Nashville all those years....Pittsburgh LWer Blake Comeau saw time on Sidney Crosby's line and notched a goal. If he sticks on the line, you could expect Pascal Dupuis-type production (40-45 pts) as Comeau is limited to minimal power play time..... Is this Ryan Johansen kid a stud or what? Even though the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Boston Bruins in a shootout, Johansen had a hand in all 3 goals for the Jackets. With 23 points in 19 games, he is way ahead of a pace to break last season's career high in points of 63 in 82 games played....Benefitting from playing along RJ this season is Nick Foligno who added to his point totals with a goal and assist, giving him 20 in 18 games. Foligno doesn't seem to be slowing down, so keep on inserting the LWer in your lineup.... New Jersey's Cory Schneider started his 20 game in a row last night in Edmonton and blanked the Oil for his second shutout of the season, his second in last 4 games. Schneids will probably get today off in Calgary but then should be back in net against Vancouver in the next one which will probably start another string of starts. After losing 4 in a row at the beginning of November, Schneider seems to be settling in by only allowing 7 goals in last 5 starts.  Keep the NJ net minder in your starting lineup because he can pitch a shutout on any given night....Eric Gelinas assisted on both Devils' goals but should only be considered if you need defensive help as he only has 7 points in 17 games so far this season....Viktor Fasth has played relatively well for the Oilers in his last 4 starts, winning 2, losing two but only giving up 8 goals in those 4 starts, while Ben Scrivens has been inconsistent in last 4 going 0-3-1 and letting in 16 goals. May be worth a shot if you ...

Demers missed Saturday's game with what the Sharks called a 'minor health issue'. He will likely replace Matt Irwin and be paired with Scott Hannan.

The deal means that both sides will avoid an arbitration hearing for the 26-year-old blueliner, who was a restricted free agent. Last season, Demers had a career-high 34 points (5G / 29A) in 75 games. Demers was fourth amongst Sharks D-men in power-play time per game and with Dan Boyle new in New York, Demers should move up one spot in the pecking order.

LOS ANGELES vs. SAN JOSE Must-Starts Los Angeles: Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, Justin Williams, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick San Jose: Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, Dan Boyle, Antti Niemi Sleepers Los Angeles: Dustin Brown, Tyler Toffoli, Alec Martinez, Slava Voynov San Jose: Martin Havlat, Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, Matt Nieto, Jason Demers Notes: LA took the season series 3 games to 2 but Kings' starter Jonathan Quick only played in one of those matches, posting a 1-0 shutout on January 27th. This series could very well come down to which Stanley Cup winning goaltender can outplay the other.  The Sharks have been waiting for Antti Niemi to lead them to the Promised Land ever since they signed him after he won the Cup with Chicago in 2010.  They have been waiting for Joe Thornton to bring them as well.  The one thing going for the Kings is that they have been down this road before and know what it takes to bring home the coveted chalice. The Kings main cog on offense is Anze Kopitar. Kopitar doesn't get enough recognition being that he plays on the West Coast, but this guy can play.  He usually lines up with Justin Williams, another unsung player but is crucial to the Kings success.  He has two Cups under his belt, the other with the Hurricanes.  Marian Gaborik was brought in a the trade deadline and is the sniper the Kings have been looking for all along as they wait for Tyler Toffoli to develop.  Mike Richards and Jeff Carter have displayed chemistry together since their days in Philly, so look for them to supply secondary scoring.  Can Dustin Brown repeat his playoff surge like he did when they won the Cup?  Brown could be a major factor once again. The Kings possess a plethora of offensive talent on the blue line starting with Drew Doughty. Doughty didn't reach the 40-point plateau for a defenseman, but along with Slava Voynov, they possess a dynamic duo at the points.  Alec Martinez displayed some offense towards the end of the regular season and with Jake Muzzin, should contribute to the score sheet as well.  Willie Mitchell and Robyn Regher supply the support in front of goaltender Jonathan Quick.  Quick won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2011-2012 with a 1.41 GAA and a .946 SP, outstanding numbers indeed.  It will be difficult to repeat that kind of performance, but anything close and the Kings will be back on top once again. The San Jose Sharks seem to be built for the long playoff run but ...

LOS ANGELES vs. SAN JOSE Must-Starts Los Angeles: Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, Justin Williams, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick San Jose: Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, Dan Boyle, Antti Niemi Sleepers Los Angeles: Dustin Brown, Tyler Toffoli, Alec Martinez, Slava Voynov San Jose: Martin Havlat, Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, Matt Nieto, Jason Demers Notes: LA took the season series 3 games to 2 but Kings' starter Jonathan Quick only played in one of those matches, posting a 1-0 shutout on January 27th. This series could very well come down to which Stanley Cup winning goaltender can outplay the other.  The Sharks have been waiting for Antti Niemi to lead them to the Promised Land ever since they signed him after he won the Cup with Chicago in 2010.  They have been waiting for Joe Thornton to bring them as well.  The one thing going for the Kings is that they have been down this road before and know what it takes to bring home the coveted chalice. The Kings main cog on offense is Anze Kopitar. Kopitar doesn't get enough recognition being that he plays on the West Coast, but this guy can play.  He usually lines up with Justin Williams, another unsung player but is crucial to the Kings success.  He has two Cups under his belt, the other with the Hurricanes.  Marian Gaborik was brought in a the trade deadline and is the sniper the Kings have been looking for all along as they wait for Tyler Toffoli to develop.  Mike Richards and Jeff Carter have displayed chemistry together since their days in Philly, so look for them to supply secondary scoring.  Can Dustin Brown repeat his playoff surge like he did when they won the Cup?  Brown could be a major factor once again. The Kings possess a plethora of offensive talent on the blue line starting with Drew Doughty. Doughty didn't reach the 40-point plateau for a defenseman, but along with Slava Voynov, they possess a dynamic duo at the points.  Alec Martinez displayed some offense towards the end of the regular season and with Jake Muzzin, should contribute to the score sheet as well.  Willie Mitchell and Robyn Regher supply the support in front of goaltender Jonathan Quick.  Quick won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2011-2012 with a 1.41 GAA and a .946 SP, outstanding numbers indeed.  It will be difficult to repeat that kind of performance, but anything close and the Kings will be back on top once again. The San Jose Sharks seem to be built for the long playoff run but ...

Demers remained at the team hotel on Saturday afternoon, as the Sharks will try and isolate him from the rest of the group to try and avoid a bug going through the team with just six games remaining. Demers will fly back to San Jose with the Sharks after the Avalanche game. In 69 games, Demers has four goals and 28 assists for 32 points. He is the team's leading scorer among defensemen. Scott Hannan, who was scratched against the Jets on Thursday, will return to the lineup.

Demers has missed the last three games with a groin injury that was bothering him even before he came out after the Sharks' loss in Calgary on January 30. "All signs point to yes," said Demers, when asked if he was good to go, following the morning skate. Matt Irwin looks to be the odd-man out on the blue line.