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. 

#6 ANAHEIM This team is built for now.  The Ducks were thisclose to making a Stanley Cup Finals appearance only to be outdone by eventual champs, the Chicago Blackhawks, who came back from being down 3 games t0 2.  Their top pairing of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry is as good as any in the NHL so a few tweaks were made to the balance of the team.  Out go Emerson Etem, Matt Beleskey, Kyle Palmieri, rental Tomas Fleischmann, & defenseman Francois Beauchemin, Brought in were Kevin Bieksa to rejoin his good friend Ryan Kesler to solidify their young defense, speedy forwards Carl Hagelin, Chris Stewart and veteran Shawn Horcoff.  Anton Khudobin was brought in to give goalie sensation John Gibson a stint in the AHL to develop his game a little more. Can this be the right formula to get the Ducks back to the Stanley Cup Finals?  GOALIES In just his second NHL season, the Ducks put their faith in Frederik Andersen and the young net minder didn’t disappoint.  His metrics were just about average but that’s all this high-powered team needed to get to the post-season and make a legitimate run for the Cup.  Gibson was supposed to challenge the Great Dane goalkeeper but sustained an injury that left Andersen to man the crease.  The team has decided to let Gibson play a full year in the AHL this season and not rush him thereby signing Khudobin as the backup.  Look for Andersen to post similar numbers as the Ducks again should challenge for best overall record. 2014-2015                      GP      GAA       W        L        OTL       SP Frederik Andersen         57         2.38       35       12         5         .914   DEFENSE When you look at the Ducks defense, you don’t really see that superstar name like Keith, Doughty, or Karlsson but they do manage to play into Boudreau’s system well.  Perhaps this season we will see a true superstar in the making in either Sami Vatanen or Hampus Lindholm. Either of which could have a breakout season.  Cam Fowler and newly acquired Bieksa round out the top 4 with Simon Despres & Clayton Stoner filling in the top 6.  The top 5 d-men possess scoring abilities which makes their defense tough to guard against. FORWARDS Getzlaf & Perry go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly.  Expect more greatness from the duo while young RW Jakob Silfverberg should be taking the next step and surpass Kesler as the third best scoring option on the team.  Hagelin was brought in for his sheer speed and his good hands.  Expect a similar role as ...

*** PRIME 120+ RANKINGS have been updated. Take a look at your favorite players and see where they are ranked in our RANKINGS Section in the right hand side of your home page. .*Ranger's goalie Henrik Lundqvist was the fantasy star of the night in MSG, snapping a three game skid with his 21-save shutout in 5-0 win over Montreal. Although his peripheral numbers are not what they used to be-2.51 GAA/ .914 SP- he can still be dominant in long stretches and is a solid no 1 fantasy option. It just seems other goalies have caught up.. Martin St. Louis led the offense with a goal and an assist, extending his point streak to four games. With 11 points in his last ten contests, he should be starting in all formats. *Jannik Hansen provided the bulk of Vancouvers offense in the 5-1 victory over Chicago, collecting a "hat trick". Not much fantasy value here, but goalie Ryan Miller continued to stake to claim to elite honors with another impressive effort, winning three of his last four starts. *For St. Louis, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo chipped on with two more assists, giving him four in last 2 games. He earned that he could heat up in a hurry, so target him I'm trade talks if you can. We think he is still getting to the 50.. *Ryan Kesler assisted on both goals in Anaheim's 2-1 win over Arizona, while goalie Federik Andersen was only beaten once in 26 shots. Mike Smith performed amirably in the Arizona crease, but the trend continues- Smith Keeps losing and Devan Dubnyk keeps winning. Something has to give here.. WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT Featured every week i nthe right margin======> Who's Hot as of 11/23 PLAYER               GP   G  A  +/-  PIM  SOG Steven Stamkos   8     6   4    3     4      21 Kris Versteeg       7      4   5    3     9      21 Jori Lehtera         7      4    5    5     0      19 Jaden Schwartz 7      2    7    4     0      16 Marian Hossa      7      1    8    2     0      18 Patrick Kane       7      4    5     1     0      22   Nick Bjugstad     6      5    3     5     0      19 Who's Not as of 11/23 PLAYER             GP   G   A    +/-   PIM  SOG Kris Letang         6      0   1    -2       6       22 Thomas Vanek   6     0    2    -2       0        9  Tomas Fleischmann 6 1 0     -1       0       8 Henrik Zetterberg 6   0   1    -4        0     20 Bryan Little         7      1   0     -2       0       9 Nail Yalupov       7      1   0     -4       0      17 Scott Hartnell     6     0    0     -3       6      16

Most likely, Roberto Luongo is not high on most fantasy poolies lists these days being the number 1 net minder for the Florida Panthers. After winning the Southeast division title in 2011-2012, the Cats have missed the playoffs as they continue to rebuild as GM Dale Tallon is masterminding the Florida resurgence that is to come.  Remember that he rebuilt the Chicago Blackhawks team that won the Stanley Cup in 2009-2010 with most of the core players still around for their second Cup win in 2012-2013 When Dale Tallon took over as GM of the Florida Panthers in 2010, you knew the game plan was to restore the Cats to being a more competitive team while stockpiling the cupboards with fine, young talent. After his first season as GM where the Panthers finished last in their division for the second consecutive year, Tallon's patchwork team worked wonders and the hot start of a line consisting Kris Versteeg-Stephen Weiss-Tomas Fleischmann catapulted the Florida Panthers to their first Southeast division title ever, restoring enthusiasm at the rink.  The past two years haven't been so kind to the Panthers but Tallon still held true to his vision and has selected some fine young talent at the entry drafts while continuing to acquire fine young talent wherever possible. What does all this have to do with Luongo? Well, Luongo returns to Florida where his NHL career began so there is familiarity to the team and location.  Secondly, his wife is from the Miami area so there is the serenity of home life that it brings as well.  Although the team is not projected to do very well this season by a lot of critics, there is hope on the horizon.  Just look at what Tallon has done with the defense alone.  At the beginning of the "Dale Talon era", The Florida Panthers chose 3 defensemen in the first round in the past 3 of 5 NHL Entry Drafts and in the other two drafts selected big center men in Jonathan Huberdeau (6'1" 171) and Aleksander Barkov (6'2" 205). Big, hulking defensemen such as 2010 draftee Erik Gudbranson (6'5" 210), 2011 draftee Michael Matheson (6'2" 189), and last year's Number 1 overall pick Aaron Ekblad (6'3" 216) were all brought in to complement Dmitri Kulikov (6'1" 196), drafted in 2009, to form a solid foundation in front of a goalie who had come within one game of winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. The future looks bright in sunny Florida, but what can you expect for this season? At first glance, you would think that Luongo isn't going to be seeing a lot of ...

Finishing next to last was a minor victory considering they finished last in the Eastern Conference the year before, and that was during the Lockout season. When the leading scorer on your team is a rookie who had only 11 games of NHL experience before last season, and he led with all of 38 points, you know you are in for some growing pains.  The veterans brought in were nothing but brittle or, for lack of a better term, non-impactful.  The youth movement is in full swing and it will be interesting to see how the remaining vets respond if the team doesn't get off to a good start. GOALIES In what was mainly a shock at the trade deadline last season, Roberto Luongo returned to South Florida after it seemed like he had put all the differences with Vancouver management behind him and had been playing well for the Canucks. Jacob Markstrom, who did nothing to stake his claim as the Number 1 net minder in Florida, was the main piece in the trade going back the other way.  Needless to say, the trade was a shock to most people, much like the draft day trade of Cory Schneider last June.  Luongo will be very busy as the Cats try to form some semblance of an NHL team.  Luongo's SP and GAA will suffer a little, but then again, maybe he will thrive while back in familiar settings and the extra workload.  His total saves should increase, but that is not necessarily a good thing as his win totals will probably suffer as a result.  Dan Ellis and Al Montoya will battle for backup duties. DEFENSE Brian Campbell leads the young defensive corps and will be counted on for his leadership as well as his offensive production. Campbell fell a point short of the team lead in points by going 7-30-37 in playing all 82 games.  He should be able to climb back into the 40 range, but his +/- takes a hit on a growing team. Erik Gudbranson and Dmitry Kulikov have a few years under their belts now but still need some time to mature.  Gudbranson and Kulikov may develop into more of a stay-at-home defensive types as their scoring hasn't been much to be desired early on in their NHL careers.  Alex Petrovic has some offensive upside but may need more seasoning in the minors.  Dylan Olsen, a Dale Tallon Chicago draft pick, was brought over from Chi town and will start to see more time in the NHL but don't expect much production. FORWARDS The Panthers need their young forward talent to develop quickly as the veterans don't seem to have what it takes to carry the load. Jonathan Huberdeau ...

Well the Flyers may have changed coaches, but their fortunes haven't changed all that much. They lost last night to Phoenix 2-1. The team is really struggling to score as their top forward Claude Giroux has now gone 5 games without a point. They really need him to step it up. He could be a bargain right now if someone in your pool is willing to give him up. Tom Greiss was great in goal for the Coyotes with 36 saves, but he is just the back-up to Mike Smith. Phoenix defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the power-play game winner on a nifty move that left the Philly d-men stuck in neutral..  We are very high on Ekman-Larsson, who will develop into an elite fantasy defenseman. It's just a matter of time. Just imagine OEL played for an offensively adept team, such as Pittsburgh or Washington! He would be top-five in fantasy for sure. Too much Tomas for the Penguins: In a bit of a surprising game, the Panthers beat the Penguins 6-3. Florida forward Tomas Fleischmann had a big night with a goal and three assists. Please don't expect games like this to happen too often for him as he is, at best, a 60 point player.  The more interesting thing that happened last night was young Aleksander Barkov, who electrified the home crowd with a goal and two assists. The Panthers first round draft pick seems to have adjusted very quickly to the NHL, as he now has five points in five games so far this year.  Grab him if you can, as his keeper league upside is unlimited. Tippecanoe and Tyler Too: Dallas forward Tyler Seguin had a big night against Winnipeg with two goals and two assists. As you may recall, Seguin was traded from Boston for Loui Eriksson. The Bruins had grown tired of Seguin's supposed partying antics and they seemed to view his play as lacking effort.  But he is just 21 years old and with a bit of maturity, he could be a potential 100 point scorer one day. Jamie Benn had a nice game for Dallas as well with a goal and two assists. Sky-High in Calgary: Joey MacDonald is now undefeated in regulation time in goal for Calgary with a 3-0-1 record. His other numbers, however, tell the real story.  He has a 2.98 goals against average and a .897 save percentage.  Don't expect him to keep winning like this.  Defenseman Mark Giordano had a goal and an assist in Calgary's 3-2 win over New Jersey. His 5:02 minutes on the power-play led all Calgary skaters, so the Flames captain needs to be on your fantasy radar. If his role remains prominent on the man advantage, he has...

Well the Flyers may have changed coaches, but their fortunes haven't changed all that much. They lost last night to Phoenix 2-1. The team is really struggling to score as their top forward Claude Giroux has now gone 5 games without a point. They really need him to step it up. He could be a bargain right now if someone in your pool is willing to give him up. Tom Greiss was great in goal for the Coyotes with 36 saves, but he is just the back-up to Mike Smith. Phoenix defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the power-play game winner on a nifty move that left the Philly d-men stuck in neutral..  We are very high on Ekman-Larsson, who will develop into an elite fantasy defenseman. It's just a matter of time. Just imagine OEL played for an offensively adept team, such as Pittsburgh or Washington! He would be top-five in fantasy for sure. Too much Tomas for the Penguins: In a bit of a surprising game, the Panthers beat the Penguins 6-3. Florida forward Tomas Fleischmann had a big night with a goal and three assists. Please don't expect games like this to happen too often for him as he is, at best, a 60 point player.  The more interesting thing that happened last night was young Aleksander Barkov, who electrified the home crowd with a goal and two assists. The Panthers first round draft pick seems to have adjusted very quickly to the NHL, as he now has five points in five games so far this year.  Grab him if you can, as his keeper league upside is unlimited Tippecanoe and Tyler Too: Dallas forward Tyler Seguin had a big night against Winnipeg with two goals and two assists. As you may recall, Seguin was traded from Boston for Loui Eriksson. The Bruins had grown tired of Seguin's supposed partying antics and they seemed to view his play as lacking effort.  But he is just 21 years old and with a bit of maturity, he could be a potential 100 point scorer one day. Jamie Benn had a nice game for Dallas as well with a goal and two assists. Sky-High in Calgary: Joey MacDonald is now undefeated in regulation time in goal for Calgary with a 3-0-1 record. His other numbers, however, tell the real story.  He has a 2.98 goals against average and a .897 save percentage.  Don't expect him to keep winning like this.  Defenseman Mark Giordano had a goal and an assist in Calgary's 3-2 win over New Jersey. His 5:02 minutes on the power-play led all Calgary skaters, so the Flames captain needs to be on your fantasy radar. If his role remains prominent on the man advantage, he has ...

UPDATE:  Toronto traded away Center Joe Colborne to the Calgary Flames for a 4th round draft pick instead of risking losing him on the waiver wire. Colborne was a 1st round draft pick in 2008 by the Boston Bruins but now joins his third team in hopes of sticking with the big club.  He will have every chance with the Flames as they are clearly in the rebuilding mode.  Might be worth a shot but don't expect a lot of production just yet. PRESEASON FANTASY BITS: The Florida Panthers recently signed forward Brad Boyes and defenseman Tom Gilbert to one-year contracts. With the addition of goaltender Tim Thomas, and the return of Kris Versteeg, the Panthers have become a little tougher to play against....Versteeg missed a big chunk of last season with an injury, but he has looked good so far in preseason.  He scored two goals and had an assist last night against Tampa Bay. Versteeg had good chemistry with Tomas Fleischmann a couple of years ago, maybe they can rekindle that this season. He may be worth a late round pick... Steve Stamkos and Martin St. Louis scored tor Tampa and they are both first round picks. Don't be shy about St. Louis' age, he did lead the NHL in scoring last season which means, he still got it!... James Reimer is showing that he wants to maintain the starting job in goal for Toronto, as he allowed only one goal against Detroit, and he had 24 saves. Jonathan Bernier has played well in camp also, so this is going to be a tough decision for Coach Randy Carlyle to make.  Expect them to split a lot of games, which means their fantasy value takes a hit... Young defenseman Nick Leddy had a big night for Chicago, scoring 2 goals and adding an assist in the Blackhawks 4-3 OT victory. The 22 year old has a lot of offensive potential and could score 40 points this season.  Draft him accordingly.. Forward Marcus Johansson scored a goal for the Capitals, and we a very high on this kid. Expect him to break out this season....Veteran defenseman Dan Boyle had two power play goals in San Jose's 6-5 win over Anaheim. Boyle may fall in your draft because he had a mediocre year last season, but we think he can still bring it, especially on the power play... The Ducks were badly oushot by the Sharks by 39-18, and they have not had a good preseason. Jonas Hiller got lit up in goal for Anaheim, although he did make 33 saves.  We expect him to get the majority of starts this year over Viktor Fasth... Great news for Colorado fans and fantasy players who own ...

The Panthers had one of the most disappointing of seasons last year, finishing last in the NHL East, winning only 15 games, and having the largest goal differential in the league with 59 more goals allowed than scored. This is after they had finished 2nd in the East the year before and lost to the Devils in a tough seven game series in the first round of the playoffs. In their defense, they were beset by many injuries, having 28 players go down at some point in time last year.  To make matters worse for the upcoming season, one of their best players, Stephen Weiss, left as a free agent and signed with the Detroit Red Wings.  This was unfortunate because two years ago, Weiss, Tomas Fleischmann and Kris Versteeg started the year as one of the top lines in the NHL.  Those days are gone now as General Manager Dale Tallon has indicated that after last year's disaster he intends to go with youth this season. Goalies In goal, having not re-signed Jose Theodore, it seems the Panthers will roll with Jacob Markstrom. The young Swede has good size at 6'6" and he is very mobile.  He struggled last year, as all of the Panther goalies did, but he is their future.  Florida should be better this year, and Markstrom may not be a bad second goalie choice, especially if you can get him late. Defense On defense, Brian Campbell is still the master of the blue line, especially on the power play. At 34 he is beginning to slow down, and he does not get that many goals anymore, but he still knows how to set them up.  If you are looking to the future, Dmitri Kulikov is your man.  The 22 year-old Russian has huge upside, and he could challenge Campbell for the lead in scoring among the d-men in Florida.  Ed Jovanovski is winding down his career at age 37, and he is a long ways from the 51 points he scored in 2007-2008. Erik Gudbrannson has struggled mightily to adjust to the NHL, and he only scored 4 points in 32 games last year.  He has great size at 6'6" and good mobility, but it looks like it will take him some time to get it.  Young prospect Alex Petrovic has a bright future, but the 20 year old still has a lot to learn about the NHL game. Forwards What does this means? Forward Tomas Fleischmann is arguably the Panthers best player, and he still has Kris Versteeg to play alongside with on the top line.   Fleischmann scored 61 points with 27 goals in 2011-2012.  But with Weiss gone there is an opening on the top line.  Without a doubt the best player to fill that opening is ...

***IN THE SLOT*** The Rick Nash watch is finally over! Nash became a NY Ranger for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, prospect D Tim Erixon and a 1st round pick in 2013. PRIME VIEWS will take an in-depth look later today. Kris Versteeg has signed a 4-year deal with the Florida Panthers avoiding arbitration. Versteeg had his career best season playing in only 71 games, beating out his previous high of 53 points in 78 games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008-2009. Versteeg showed instant chemistry playing on a line with Tomas Fleischmann and Stephen Weiss. Check out PRIME VIEWS later today for more in-depth analysis about this signing.