The Tampa Bay Lightning had their hands full with Philadelphia in their home opener, but they won't be playing too tight in today's road contest in Buffalo. Steven Stamkos was held off the scoreboard but his line-mates Ryan Callahan and Jonathan Drouin combined for four points. I had a feeling that the top line was going to come out like gang-busters to open season, so Game 2 should be no different. Play Stamkos at top value while the other two can still be had on the cheap. With Robin Lehner out of the Buffalo goal and the much weaker Chad Johnson to take his place, look for the Bolts to give Jack Eichel's Sabres a butt whipping.. Newsflash- the Leafs have hired an elite coach who has inherited quite possibly the weakest squad in the NHL. Look for Kyle Turris and company to hand them a decisive loss in this heated provincial rivalry.. As long as Victor Hedman is healthy, he warrants top fantasy consideration every night as long as the price stays right... Great value with Washington's Matt Niskanen who can pick up an odd assist or two against the rebuilding Devils in their second game in two nights.. MAF in goal should be among the safest bets as the Penguins will exact revenge on the lowly Coyotes after suffering a shutout loss in their opener in Dallas. STEVE'S PICKS C STEVEN STAMKOS, TAMPA BAY C KYLE TURRIS, OTTAWA LW JONATHAN DROUIN LW MIKE HOFFMAN RW RYAN CALLAHAN RW MARIAN HOSSA D VICTOR HEDMAN D MATT NISKANEN G MARC-ANDRE FLEURY  

The Minnesota Wild roll by the St. Louis Blues 6-3, as Brian Elliott was pulled after giving up four goals. Thomas Vanek scored a goal, extending his point streak to seven games. His late season scoring surge is good enough reason to get him in your starting lineups... Is there a better line going in the NHL than the Gaudreau-Hudler- Monahan unit for the Calgary Flames? In another big spot, the trio have combined for five points but the team fell short in overtime after Rene Bourque buried the game-winner. Start all three as thay are providing the bulk of Calgary's offense during their hot streak... Carey Price for MVP? It's looking more and more likely as he keeps churning out suberb efforts in the crease, this gtime posting his second straight shutout and blanking the San Jose Sharks...   Jonathan Quick kept the Los Angeles Kings in the match with 36 saves, but Radim Vrbata spearheaded the Canuck's offense with the go-ahead goal in the third period plus an assist. He has been heating up so give him an extended look as Vancouver pushes hard for a playoff spot.  Boston blows another opportunity to extend their point lead over Florida as Roberto Luongo outlasted Tuukka Rask in the shootout to give the panthers the 2-1 win. In two games back, "Bobby Lou" looks every bit the solid fantasy goalie that he was during his peak years in Vancouver...  Jaroslav Halak is back starting for the Islanders after missing two games and his presence along with the return of defenseman Nick Leddy helped lead them to a 3-0 win over New Jersey. Kyle Okposo scored his 16th goal of the season, slowly shaking off his injury rust and getting ready for a strong finish. Get him in your starting lineups..   Kyle Turris continued his hot play with the game winning goal and Andrew Hammond won his sixth straight start for Ottawa as the Senators defeated their provinciakl rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3. Defenseman Erik Karlsson finished the match with a goal and an assist. He is definitely paying fantasy dividends now for those owners who drafted him in the early rounds.. The goaltending enigma known as Kari Lehtonen was spectacular in net after he posted his fifth shutout of the season in the 4-0 drubbing of Chicago. Jason Spezza picked up a goal and  an assist while Alex Goligoski notched two helpers. Give "Gogo" the starting nod this upcoming week if you own him as he is on a serious scoring roll to finish the season.. What a return for Taylor Hall as he assisted on ...

Pavelec heating up; young guns in Columbus; Ovie still best goal scorer; and more For starters, rookie goalie Andrew Hammond continues to win games even when he is off the mark. The surging Ottawa Senators held on for a huge 6-4 win over Boston, largely thanks to a three-point effort from Kyle Turris. With 50 points on the year, the 25-year old is in striking reach of his career-high in points (58 in 2013-14). Turris should be starting in all fantasy formats as the Sen's offense is clicking at a high level.. With every passing win, Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec is working his way back to full-time starter status for the Jets and a solid fantasy option. Huge effort in a must-win spot for the 27-year old as he turned aside 31 of 32 shots in the key 2-1 victory over St. Louis. Michael Hutchinson had his run and holds a promising future, but it's all about Pavelec if the Jets are to reach the playoffs.. Another two tallies for Alex Ovechkin as he is three goals shy of the lofty 50 mark. While he is no longer the 100-point machine of a few seasons ago, his goal scoring prowess is second to one. Despite the coaching change and buying in to a more defensive philosophy, AO should be an early first-round selection in all fantasy drafts come September. For now, enjoy the show... Don't let two sub-par efforts for Montreal's Carey Price to get you off his Hart Trophy bandwagon, as he was back in fine form last night, blanking the Carolina hurricanes for his eighth shutout of the season. Quite frankly, Price rocks and he has been a fantasy super stud in 2014-15... Johnny Gaudreau's fantasy stock is rapidly rising as he continues to add to his rookie scoring totals- 56 points in 70 games. He notched two helpers in the 4-1 win over Philly, giving him points in 7 of his last ten games... Keep your eye on Columbus youngsters Marko Dano and Alexander Wennberg who have been showing the NHL a brief glimpse of their substantial long-term upside with their recent play. Dano collected three points and runs his streak to seven points in his last 10 games, while Wennberg's goal/assist gives him five points over the last four games. This duo should be on your 2015-16 pre-draft sleeper list for sure.. Speaking of young guns, Florida's Brandon Pirri warrants fantasy consideration in deeper formats as he scored a goal in his fourth straight game. As long as the Panthers hang in the playoff chase, youngsters like Pirri, Barkov, and Huberdeau hold fantasy value down the stretch.. ...

Marchand on fire; plenty of Senators to consider; Zidlicky back on fantasy map: Brad Marchand RW, Boston- The pesky winger has been on quite the goal-scoring streak for the Bruins, scoring five goals over the last four games. While the B's rely on a four line approach, Marchand has heated up since the loss of a David Krejci and looks poised for another strong week ahead. With four games on the upcoming slate, take advantage of him while on his scoring binge.  Mark Stone RW, Ottawa- It's no coincidence that many Senators have surged up the fantasy rankings during the teams torrid winning stretch, but the young winger has found his scoring touch lately. With 2 multiple point outings in his last three, Stone has clicked with Kyle Turris on the second line. He is worth adding while the duo keeps racking up the points.  Mike Hoffman LW, Ottawa- We recommended Hoffman last week and he responded with 3 points in four games. His ownership is quickly rising, but he could still had in most leagues. The young sharp-shooter is definitely worth a shot, especially with how well the Senator's offense has been producing. Marek Zidlicky D, Detroit- The veteran rearguard has been penciled in a power play specialist for the Wings, which given that their have the best unit in NHL, is not bad for fantasy purposes. He already has made his mark with two power-play goals this week, including the overtime game winner over the Rangers. Zidlicky still has game left, so take advantage of his new digs and pick him up if you still can. Andrew Hammond G, Ottawa- I am sticking the "Hamburglar" here, as his stat-line reads as following during his unreal NHL stint so far: 7-0-1, 1.43 GAA, and .954 SP. Craig Anderson had his turn last night and although he made 42 saves, he did give up four goals. In other words, it's Hammond or bust for now in Ottawa. Use him while he is absolutely lights-out.

Alex Galchenyuk C, Montreal: The 20-year old center has started to roll since being moved to the top line with winger Max Pacioretty. With six points during a current three-game point streak, the gifted Galchenyuk could be breaking out before our very eyes. David Desharnais was never able to consistently live up to top billing, so the youngster should keep this gig for awhile. Kyle Turris C, Ottawa: While more forwards have been providing offense for the Sens lately, Turris still leads the way on the top line. He has heated up with seven points during his five-game point streak while also scoring back-to-back game-winners. He has fallen short of becoming an elite scorer like Jason Spezza but he has been a consistent offensive threat and should be owned in all fantasy formats. Joffrey Lupul RW, Toronto: Despite the slow start, the streaky winger is having a solid month of December scoring at close to a PPG clip with 9 points in 11 games. What makes him even more appealing to fantasy owners should be that coach Randy Carlyle has been shuffling lines and using him with Phil Kessel at times. If that would to become a permanent move, Lupul's fantasy value would skyrocket. Alex Tanguay LW, Colorado: The crafty veteran has arguably been the most consistent Av's forward in recent games, collecting five points over the last five and 22 in 31 overall. While he will surely not maintain his PPG pace, he should be a decent short-term addition for offense-needy fantasy squads. Michael Hutchinson G, Winnipeg: It's just a matter of time before the 24-year old gets the permanent starting gig given his superior numbers to Pavelec- 7-2-2, 1.73 GAA, .940 SP. For the time being, they are alternating starts but the evidence in favor of "Hutch" is mounting.

These players may be among the most sought after fantasy hockey players. Elias Lindholm scored a hat trick in the Hurricanes 5-1 win over the Sabres. Selected with the 5th pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, the Canes have high expectations for Lindholm who may one day take over for Eric Staal as the leader in Carolina....Carolina D-man Ryan Murphy added an assist in last night's game giving him 5 points in 4 pre-season games. Perhaps Murphy can make a decent jump in points after scoring 12 in 48 games last year as he becomes more comfortable at the NHL level....Boston Bruin Ryan Spooner had a2 goals and an assist against the NY Islanders last night showing his offensive prowess but that came with most of the Bruin veterans receiving the night off. The Bruins are set up front at Center with David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron but if either are to miss time to an injury, Spooner just may slot in one of their spots....The Ottawa Senators are hoping that Center Mika Zibanejad will one day develop into one of the top 2 centers on the team after being chosen 6th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. With 2 assists last night and a 33-point effort last season in 69 NHL games, Zibanejad may be poised to jump into the 40-point range as he is slotted behind Kyle Turris and David Legwand for now.....James van Riemsdyk is looking like he is going to eclipse last year's 61-point effort as he a goal and 2 assists against Detroit last night giving him 6 points in 5 pre-season games. His future is now...Here are 2 names to keep an eye on as they are having a tremendous pre-season and they are Tampa Bay Lightning's Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikita Kucherov who have 7 and 6 points respectively. Namestnikov's points are all assists while 5 of Kucherov's points are goals.  The future looks bright for these two young Russian forwards.

it's nice to finally talk about how players are performing in games, but keep mind in that statistics in exhibition contests are entirely misleaading. As a fantasy owner, you are paying attention to possible line combinations and power-play units that are clicking during the pre-season. A few notable performances to mention during the first night of live game action: Justin Schultz scored a goal and an assist for Edmonton in the 3-1 intra-squad victory over Calgary. Here is a rising defenseman who should easily build on his mini-breakout season of 33 points. With the Oiler's young guns poised to take a big step forward, Schultz will move into the top 15-20 tier of fantasy defensemen. Love his upside.. Vladimir Tarasenko is also one to watch for St. Louis, collecting a goal and an assist. Even on a balanced offense where coach Hitchcock evenly rolls out three lines, the young stud winger is easily the most talented and can make a run at 50-55 points... Keep your eye on Columbus RW Cam Atkinson (2 goals), as he should play big minutes while Nathan Horton recovers from injury. And even if he does, the oft-injured winger should miss enough games to allow Atkinson to be the top RWer for an extended period of time. Ryan Johansen gets all the love, but Atkinson is a pure goal scorer. He will bust out soon. Solid late-pick. -Bobby Ryan apparently got his "bell rung" after colliding with Kyle Turris during an Ottawa practice. Speaking to reporters after the incident, Ryan appeared to be ok and is listed as 'day-to-day' and will likely miss their exhibition opener.. Jonathan Drouin missed another scrimmage for Tampa Bay due to an upper body injury. Coach Cooper stated that the youngster should be ready to go for their exhibition games. The Lightning start Tuesday night against Nashville.. Christian Ehrhoff has been paired with Paul Martin during Pittsburgh's first few days of camp. The former Buffalo rearguard should be highly regarded in fantasy as a return to his 40-point days are coming.. Minnesota coach Mike Yeo has been pleased with the Thomas Vanek-Mikko Koivu pairing so far. The Wild are loaded at left wing, as Zach Parise should be primed for another big year. In terms of fantasy worth, regardless of where these two wingers line up, both figure to get time on the primary power-play unit.

Our summer fantasy lists begin with a few names from the Atlantic Division that should be considered or overlooked when your fantasy leagues start up in September. For actual point predictions and comprehensive fantasy player analysis, make sure to get your hands on our 2014-15 PrimePucks Fantasy Guide available on August 15th. Also, make sure to read our fantasy overviews on each team during our NHL in 30 series coming in September. For now, here is a brief look at what we foresee for the upcoming NHL season: THE ELITE 3 (The top three fantasy players to own in any position) 1. Steven Stamkos C, Tampa Bay   2. Erik Karlsson D, Ottawa 3. Tuukka Rask G, Boston GREAT BET TO REBOUND (Three players who are solid bounce-back candidates in 14-15') 1. Loui Eriksson RW, Boston   2. Tyler Myers D, Buffalo 3. Bobby Ryan RW, Ottawa HERE THEY COME.. (Three players who should be breaking out with career seasons) 1. Gustav Nyquist C, Detroit 2. Kyle Turris C, Ottawa 3. Jonathan Bernier G, Toronto SLEEPER ALERT (Three players who should be late-round fantasy draft bargains) 1. Morgan Reilly D, Toronto   2. Dougie Hamilton D, Boston   3. Tomas Tatar LW, Detroit BUYER BEWARE (Three players who will be overvalued in most fantasy leagues) 1. Zdeno Chara D, Boston 2. Johan Franzen RW, Detroit 3. Dion Phaneuf D, Toronto

Maybe the most underrated acquisition after the first wave of key free agents were signed, was winger Radim Vrbata being inked to a two-year deal by Vancouver. The 33-year old was courted by many NHL clubs looking for a proven top-six scorer and should have plenty of "gas left in the tank" in his new home north of the border. Fantasy owners should expect a rebound from Vrbata, considering he was signed with the explicit purpose of helping the Sedin twins revitalize the Canuck's slumping power-play. While Vrbata's numbers were down last season compared to his career season of 11-12' (35G/62Pts in 77GP), he still managed 10PPG/11PPA. If the Sedins and Vrbata get to play on the same line, all three should be in line for big fantasy bounce-back campaigns. Keep an eye on these Canucks.In Ottawa, the under-the-radar signing of C David Legwand gives the Senators two scoring tandems to throw out there on any given night: the established Kyle Turris-Clarke MacArthur connection and now, maybe Legwand/Bobby Ryan. While I would hesitate to consider Legwand as a sleeper, a probable resurgence from proven scorer Ryan could elevate him to 50-55 point territory if the two click on the same line.The Isle's UFA signings of former Leaf line-mates Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin were far from "sexy" acquisitions, but were unfairly panned by Jeremy Roenick through a series of well-publicized tweets. First of all, this free agency period lend itself to third-liners like David Bolland to get paid "big money", so GM Garth Snow did well to secure the services of two forwards in their prime, well capable of putting up 50-55 pts. The last time these two were put in a position to provide top-six scoring for their team, they did so quite successfully playing on Toronto's second line in 10-11'. "Grabo" had 29 goals and 58 points, while Kulemin flourished with 30 goals and 57 points. Randy Carlyle relegated the duo to third-fourth line duty upon his arrival as head coach in Toronto, so subsequently their offensive production suffered. While John Tavares and his wingers will do most of the scoring damage on Long Island, don't be surprised that the re-united Grabovski/Kulemin duo flirt with the 50-point range.

Bruins-Flyers battled it out yesterday afternoon in true playoff style with the B's prevailing in the shootout. There is just no slowing down these big, bad Bruins as they are 15-1-1 since March 1st. Simply incredible!  Most of that success is due to the Iginla-Krejci-Lucic line but Patrice Bergeron has been almost as hot with a 7-game goal scoring streak and 18 points in that 17 game stretch. Bergeron is as steady as they come. Even though he has been demoted to the fourth line, Philadelphia Flyer Vincent Lecavalier scored twice and has 3 goals in past two games. Vinny doesn't always bring his ‘A' game but it looks like he has something to prove.  Start him with confidence. Flyer teammate Kimmo Timonen had been given up for dead by most poolies midway through the season but the veteran defenseman has picked up his game of late and scored 13 of his 32 points this season in March alone. The Philly vet had 2 points in yesterday's loss to the Bruins so ride the defenseman to the finish line as he will give you steady production from here on out. Ottawa Senator Kyle Turris continues to put up decent fantasy numbers although much of that has come under the radar. The young Center had 2 goals and an assist in the Sens 6-3 win over Calgary giving him 7 points in last 4 games.  The 3rd overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft has found his play in Ottawa the past few years and should be a lock for 65-70 points next season. It feels like he has been around for so long but he is only 24 years old. If you haven't heard about Detroit Red Wing Gustav Nyquist yet, you will certainly hear a lot of him over the next few years as he has 18 points in 15 March games and 45 points in 50 games played this season. Some will still have a touch of doubt about Nyquist's skills but don't let him slip too far in next year's draft because he is the real deal. And just think what he could do playing alongside Datsyuk or Zetterberg? While on the subject of Red Wings, if David Legwand happens to re-sign with Detroit, it could be possible that this longtime Nashville Predator could score between 55-60 points next season. All the center has done since coming over to Hockeytown is go 3-6-9 in 14 games; definitely worth a late round selection in next year's draft if that resigning does occur. The big news in the Chicago-Pittsburgh game was not Sidney Crosby scoring twice late in the third period to seal the victory for the Pens, but the hit Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews took from ...