Good day poolies! Getting closer to the start of the 2019-2020 NHL season with training camps beginning and some game action to boot!  How exciting this time of year is for us fantasy hockey fanatics.  Teams are already cutting players and getting down to the nitty gritty as the season approaches.  Just like the pros, PrimePucks is editing and adjusting the Draft Guide so that you have the most current info for your fantasy draft.  it was quiet on the news front for a while there but lately some interesting signings; some lower payouts and some higher than expected ones as well. Some of the more important forward signings were Toronto's Mitch Marner with a 6-year deal Brock Boeser signing a 3-year deal in Vancouver & Philadelphia's Travis Konecny coming to terms on a 6-year deal.  Some big names on defense also cashed in with Philly signing Ivan Provorov to a 6-year deal and Winnipeg's Josh Morrissey signing an 8-year contract.  That was especially important due to Dustin Byfuglien's decision to take leave to decide his future.  How about Thomas Chabot getting an 8-year extension worth a cool $8 million a year in Ottawa. KA-CHING!  Zach Werenski of Columbus signed a 3-year bridge deal and should be rewarded at the end of that term as he is blessed with immense talent/  Esa Lindell of Dallas came to terms on a 6-year deal himself and can rest easy playing in Big D. And finally Tony DeAngelo coming to terms on a 1-year deal at $925,00 which he hopes will turn into a big payday if he comes through with a huge offensive season on this vastly improved NY Rangers team. And Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins got himself a nice 3-year deal worth just under $5 million per year. Couple of side notes; Chicago's G Corey Crawford looked good in net the other night and looks determined to prove all the naysayers wrong this season.  We increased his stats for the upcoming season in the Guide.  C Jonathan Toews on a line with Patrick Kane in camp as the coach wants to see them together once again which can mean some pretty decent production out of the Blackhawks Captain. All changes and edits in the Guide are highlighted in yellow for your easy spotting. Have a great weekend all and good luck drafting! Ray

1. The Canes finished strong last season but more offense will need to be generated in order for this momentum to continue in 2016. The loss of Eric Staal will be more than compensated by the additions of Teuvo Teravainen and Lee Stempniak. Youth will be served as Elias Lindholm and Viktor Rask will be expected to take another step forward offensively. Key memo to Justin Faulk- Stay healthy and elite status will come. Goalie Cam Ward has another resurgence coming. PLAYOFFS: MAYBE 2. NHL MVP Patrick Kane will lead the scoring parade for the Blackhawks who are hoping last year's rookie phenom Artemi Panarin will continue to click with him on the top line. Jonathan Toews will anchor the 2nd unit but could be lacking a legitimate scoring threat to combine with. Marian Hossa has seen better days, but don't write him off yet. A sleeper addition that should bolster their defensive depth is Brian Campbell. He could be stealing some power-play time from Brent Seabrook. Is there anyone that still thinks that Chicago's weak link resides in goal?  Yeah, I thought so. The boys will be back.  PLAYOFFS: OF COURSE 3. No more Patrick Roy could be exactly what the doctor ordered for an offensive revival in Colorado. Look for Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene to bounce back strongly next season. Gabriel Landeskog will continue his consistency, but maybe he should be scoring cloer to 70-points than 60. Mikko Rantanen can push for Calder Trophy honors if he garners top-six minutes. Repeat after me-Tyson Barrie rocks! Why would one of the most offensively gifted defensemen in their NHL prime always be mentioned in trade rumors? Semyon Varlamov has regressed over the last two seasons and I for one expect Calvin Pickard to challenge for the starting job. However, I must admit that not having Patrick Roy constantly scrutinizing his play, should help Varlamov reclaim his fame.  PLAYOFFS: MAYBE 4. A myriad of injuries derailed the Blue Jackets before the season was a few months old in 2015, but they have a shot to vie for the post-season in the upcoming year, if they can stay healthy. Huge seasons from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and d-man Seth Jones will be needed if they are to finish in the top eight. Tortorella's team will not excel in the scoring department, so defense and goaltending will be their forte. Or not if things don't work out. PLAYOFFS: MAYBE 5. Its very simple for the Dallas Stars who arguably boast the most dangerous top-six forwards in the NHL; get top-15 ...

Well, here we are, opening night!  The few short months without any NHL action has come to an end and it's also Rivalry Night!  We have the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks raising the banner in front of, I'm sure, a jealous New York Rangers team. The Hawks will come out flying but I believe the Blueshirts will prevail in the end. Montreal/Toronto always seems to turn into something spectacular.  Can LA start their, what they hope is a run for the Cup, season off with a win against something-to-prove San Jose team?  Vancouver heads over to Calgary in what could be the start of a season long battle for one of the last playoff slots.  Whatever it is, hockey is back!   Montreal @ Toronto NY Rangers @ Chicago Vancouver @ Calgary San Jose @ Los Angeles These are my picks for tonight's starting lineup; RAY'S PICKS G: Henrik Lundqvist D: Mark Giordano D: Brent Burns C: Jonathan Toews C: Anze Kopitar LW: Milan Lucic LW: Johnny Gaudreau RW: Joel Ward RW: Tomas Hertl    

Chicago have had their way with the Minnesota Wild in the playoffs in recent times, knocking them out of the postseason in each of the last two years. Their home dominance in the playoffs extends to six games in the playoffs, so the Wild will need to steal a victory or two in Chicago. However, their luck has changed after the mid season acquisition of Devan Dubnyk who stopped 56 of 57 shots in his two meetings as a member of the Wild. On the other side, incumbent Chicago goalie Corey Crawford has struggled enough to be pulled in favor of Scott Darling for a few starts but looks like the starter moving forward to round 2. Given his uneven  play against the Predators, the edge belongs to the Wild in goal.  The return of a healthy Patrick Kane from a clavicle injury has Chi-town pumped on offense as his seven points in the first round series was one behind NHL playoff leader Jonathan Toews and tied with defenseman Duncan Keith. Zach Parise has been the main Wild offensive contributor with an overall playoff total of 7 points plus two huge goals in the series clinching Game 6 against Saint Louis, Thomas Vanek was brought in via trade to provide more scoring but has been mostly a non-factor with just two points in the first round.  Minny has all the momentum but Chicago has the championship pedigree so you must favor Jonathan Toews and company in a closely fought series that should go seven. The Wild will need to continue their hot ways on the power play on order to have any chance of pulling this off. 

Captain Toews to the rescue, Shoot’em out in Wild West, Ducks & Habs losing helps Rangers The Buffalo Sabres almost made it 2 in a row by scaring the Chicago Blackhawks until Captain Jonathan Toews rescued the Hawks from a humiliating defeat against the NHL’s worst team by scoring two late goals with less than 2 minutes remaining to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 win.  Toews just shows what a tremendous talent he is by upping his game in the wake of losing Patrick Kane for the last month and a half and carrying the team to within reach of the Central division crown…Brandon Saad added 2 assists and has 6 points in the last six games.  Perhaps the time has come for the young LWer.  With next year being his fourth, you could see a good jump in production from the 50’s level to perhaps a 70-point campaign….For those looking ahead to next season, Buffalo’s defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen may be the main cog on the Sabres’ power play along with Zach Bogosian.  Regardless, Buffalo has a tremendous amount of defensive young talent to build the team up on.  And don’t forget Sam Reinhart…. The New Jersey Devils actually helped their cross-river rivals, the New York Rangers, by beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout, keeping the Mighty Habs from gaining that extra point that is so crucial at this point of the season.  It was a battle of the backups as both teams have or had back-to-back nights… It was a regular ‘shoot-em out in the Old West’ as the St. Louis Blues outlasted the Dallas Stars 7-5 last night in a game atypical at this time of year.  With Vladimir Tarasenko sidelined, Patrik Berglund has stepped up his production of late with 6 points in last 4 games.  Berglund has never lived up to his scoring potential but has come on of late...Jaden Schwartz had a hattie and showed that he can score without the talented Tarasenko giving the Blues a potent duo for years to come…Dallas has their own potent duo in Jamie Benn (2G, A) and Tyler Seguin (G, 2A) as both contributed with 3 points each in the loss.  You can probably expect more matches like this in the upcoming years… The New York Rangers got some more help as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2, keeping the Ducks from expanding their 2-point lead over the Rangers for the President’s Cup.  With 2 assists Avs’ defenseman Tyson Barrie cracked the 50-point plateau, bettering his previous high of 38 set last year.  Barrie has arrived big time and should be high on your draft lists next ...

Penguins find it hard to win, Senators march closer to a playoff spot, Sabres beat Bruins... Pittsburgh has been finding it hard to come by wins of late as they have lost 4 of their last 5, the latest a 2-0 shutout by Cory Schneider and the New Jersey Devils.  Playing without two of their offensive stars, the Penguins did put 35 shots on goal but couldn’t manage to put one past Schneider.  Schneider is one of the best NHL goaltenders but hasn’t been getting the support this year.  Perhaps next year will be a huge turnaround for both him and the Devils….. Ottawa came up with a huge win in Carolina by beating the Hurricanes -1 in overtime.  Rookie Mark Stone provided the game-winner while defenseman Erik Karlsson was huge assisting on both Sens goals.  Depending on how the roster shapes up over the summer, Stone may play a bigger part in the Senators offense next season.  The win keeps the pressure on both Boston and Washington in the Eastern Conference for the wild card spot, as Boston lost to Buffalo in the shootout 2-1, so the Sens make up a point.…. Montreal managed to tie the New York Rangers atop the Eastern Conference with a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers, hurting the Cats chances of reaching a playoff position.  It was Dustin Tokarski’s turn in net for the Habs and he didn’t disappoint with a 41-save effort in the victory.  With the way the Panthers have been playing all season long and the amount of young talent they have on board and gaining experience, they should be taken more seriously come draft time in September/October… A huge night for captain Jonathan Toews as his two goals and two assists helped Chicago cruise by the New York Islanders 4-1. Chicago's JT has accelerated his scoring pace since Patrick Kane went down, notching ten points in eight games. For the Isles, their JT has not picked up a point in three games. Don't fret, Tavares owners. He will rebound soon.. Matt Dumba's overtime goal gave the Minnesota Wild the 3-2 win over Nashville as Devan Dubnyk keeps maintaining his lofty perch as the NHL's hottest fantasy goalie. Defenseman Roman Josi continues his breakout season for Nashville with two goals in the losing effort.. Fantasy owners need to pay attention to Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec who picked up another huge win, this time making 38 saves against a sliding Sharks squad. He has started two straight games for the first time in forever. The rookie Michael Hutchinson has faltered late so it might be time for Winnipeg to ...

Rangers rocking on Broadway, Toews shows leadership, Habs blanked in San Jose The New York Rangers keep rolling along even without their star net minder Henrik Lundqvist who is still recovering from a neck injury as they manhandled the Western Conference leading Nashville Predators 4-1.  Cam Talbot is playing brilliantly in Lundqvist’s absence as the Rangers now sit atop the Metropolitan Division and have gone 12-2-2 in last sixteen games, giving the Rangers all the time they need to get the ‘King” back to full health….Mats Zuccarello, fresh off a contract extension signing, added 2 assists in the contest and must be relieved that he is staying in New York where he has a huge following…Newcomer defenseman Keith Yandle didn’t figure in the scoring but once he gets comfortable, you will love what he brings offensively to the back end…. Captain Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks made sure his team got off on the right foot without the services of Patrick Kane for the remainder of the season by scoring the first two goals of the game to set the tempo against the Carolina Hurricanes in their 5-2 victory.  Toews is a pure captain and brings the leadership that most teams envy.  Look for the Captain to step up his game for the remainder of the season….Newcomer Antoine Vermette was used sparingly in his debut with the Blackhawks but should build on that ice time as he familiarizes himself with the Chicago style…. In a bit of a surprise, the San Jose Sharks blanked the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 behind Alex Stalock’s 20-save effort.  The Sharks are fighting for a playoff spot in the West, so look for their game to improve over the next few weeks…Not much action against the Shark backup as Montreal either was road-weary or couldn’t find their game with newcomers Jeff Petry and Devante Smith-Pelly in the lineup for the first time.  Look for Montreal to rebound in their next game.

Let's start off by giving big-time kudos to Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for posting his 8th shutout of the season in Calgary, surpassing the previous team record of seven set by Tom Barrasso. Say what you want but MAF is fantasy gold during the regular season and a trip away from home could be what cures the previously ailing Penguins. Sidney Crosby and David Perron combined for four points last night, and next in line to click tonight could be Evgeni Malkin and Patrick Hornqvist. You get the sense that their offense is about to get it going.. Ryan Johansen led the offensive barrage for Columbus against a tired St. Louis squad, collecting a goal and two assists in the 7-1 home rout. 48 points in 50 games is about right for the future PPG stud. Love him now and love him more in keeper leagues. Brian Elliott was bombasted in net but don't get cute and write him off. Like I said before, Elliott represents the NOW and Jake Allen the FUTURE for the Blue's goaltending situation. James Wisniewski left the game with a lower-body injury. Damn, this guy would be an elite option on defense every season if not for always dealing with injuries.. You should have known that Jonathan Toews and his Blackhawks would not lose a fourth straight against the Jets this season while playing before his hometown crowd. The captain was held in check but Mr. Patrick Kane supplied all the necessary firepower with a goal and the primary assist on Brandon Saad's overtime goal. Michael Hutchinson played admirably in defeat but he has been saddled with four straight losses and the team overall with six. With all the Evander Kane turmoil and a losing mentality settling in, maybe it's best to avoid the Winnipeg goaltending option altogether until they show signs of turning it around... The rise of Corey Schneider to the elite fantasy ranks is happening right before our eyes as the New Jersey Devils are suddenly hot. After the 4-1 win over Toronto, he has evened out his record at 19-19-5 while owning a 2.30 GAA and a .929 SP. He will be sitting down tonight as Keith Kinkaid will face the unenviable task of playing a Montreal team still fuming from consecutive losses to Arizona and Buffalo... If you need help on defense in deeper formats, take a flier on Jersey's Adam Larsson who collected two assists and now has eight points in his last 12 contests. Huge upside but has yet to take off. Worth a waiver-wire gamble..

* Rick Nash extended his point streak to ten games, collecting an assist in the New york Ranger's 2-0 road win over the hapless Edmonton Oilers. Henrik Lundqvist had an easy night saving all 16 shots for the shutout win and his third straight. Derick Brassard was the latest casualty of the mumps virus, missing the game. Look for Derek Stepan to gain an uptick in fantasy value during Brassard's absence... * Jonathan Toews picked up two helpers for Chicago in their 2-1 win over Calgary. 25 points in 31 games is just right for the super captain- close to a ppg clip year-in, year-out, but limited upside. Antti Raanta was stellar in goal, turning aside 23 of 24 shots and raising his numbers to 4-2, 1.85 GAA, and .944 SP. When Corey Crawford returns, who gets the backup gig- Raanta or Scott Darling? Tough one... *Mike Santorelli led the Toronto offense with a goal and an assist in the 4-3 SO win over the Los Angeles Kings. With 13 points in the last 10 games, the 29-year old could be a decent short-term stopgap in deeper leagues...

* Rick Nash extended his point streak to ten games, collecting an assist in the New york Ranger's 2-0 road win over the hapless Edmonton Oilers. Henrik Lundqvist had an easy night saving all 16 shots for the shutout win and his third straight. Derick Brassard was the latest casualty of the mumps virus, missing the game. Look for Derek Stepan to gain an uptick in fantasy value during Brassard's absence... * Jonathan Toews picked up two helpers for Chicago in their 2-1 win over Calgary. 25 points in 31 games is just right for the super captain- close to a ppg clip year-in, year-out, but limited upside. Antti Raanta was stellar in goal, turning aside 23 of 24 shots and raising his numbers to 4-2, 1.85 GAA, and .944 SP. When Corey Crawford returns, who gets the backup gig- Raanta or Scott Darling? Tough one... *Mike Santorelli led the Toronto offense with a goal and an assist in the 4-3 SO win over the Los Angeles Kings. With 13 points in the last 10 games, the 29-year old could be a decent short-term stopgap in deeper leagues...