Plenty of tidbits of information to share this evening on the NHL's trendiest fantasy defensemen, so we tweaked the format a bit. Here are some thoughts and observations to pass on: Dion Phaneuf was suspended for two games for boarding Kevan Miller of Boston Saturday night. The Toronto defenseman has been a huge fantasy disappointment with only 12 points in 31 games, but think BUY LOW when you hear his name. His fantasy value can't get any lower, but the Toronto offense will get better in the 2nd half and so will Phaneuf.Anaheim's Cam Fowler is clearly on the rise, as made evident by three points (1G/2A) last night against the Islanders and six in the last five. With 19 points in 33 games, the 22-year old should fly by his career-high of 40 points, established in his rookie season. BREAKOUT ALERT in Year 4.James Wisniewski will miss about a week for Columbus with an upper-body injury. Hopefully, he picks up where he left off, as the hard-shooting blueliner has been blazing with 18 points in 28 games. He is delivering to the Blue Jackets the type of offensive production he provided for Montreal in '10-11, when he scored a career-high 51 points. I believe he is still an elite fantasy option, but he needs to stay healthy.After leaving Saturday's game with an upper-body injury, Kimmo Timonen returned last night in grand style by collecting a goal and an assist. Another splendid BUY LOW opportunity, as the Finnish defender has struggled with only 8 points in 30 games but he has showed signs of late. Try to acquire him on the cheap, as Timonen is always good for 35+ points.It's official- Marc Staal has been diagnosed with his second concussion. Having yet to flourish as consistent point-producer in his NHL career, the skilled d-man has much more value in real life than fantasy. Just ask goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who must be praying for him to get back soon.Andrei Markov got a littled banged up in Saturday's game, but the Montreal defenseman looked fine in practice today. He has been super since returning from his knee injury, so treat him as upper-tier fantasy option.It's 16 games and counting without scoring a goal for Tobias Enstrom. That's some streak of futility for the normally reliable scoring defender, but he is more known for dishing out assists. Having said that, only one assist during that time is not good. He is getting plenty of quality ice-time, but the Winnipeg power-play is dead last in the NHL. That should change, but keep Enstrom on the bench ...

When considering which fantasy defensemen are worth owning, "going young" seems to be the way to go when you look at the overall production of the top-twenty blueliners in the NHL. 7 of them are below the age of 25, while 9 players between the ages of 26-30 represent the majority of the group. The "Over-Thirty Club" has a few members in the top 20, starting with Marek Zidlicky (12th with 11 points), Derek Morris tied for 14th with 10 points along with Andrei Markov and Niklas Kronwall. Brian Campbell, Florida's 34-year old blueliner, is just on the outside looking in with nine points (2G/7A). However on the apparent fantasy decline after the age of thirty, Kimmo Timonen has floundered badly for the Flyers- 1 assist in 16 games- even after scoring 29 points in 45 games last season. That seems to be the biggest issue in hitting the fantasy "jackpot" with the older guys in the later rounds- one great year doesn't guarantee the next, as the scoring consistency fades with age. Zidlicky is a perfect example of the inconsistencies with the "over-thirty" defensemen that make it tough for fantasy owners to accurately project their scoring production. In his first six full seasons, the Czech defender collected over 40 points five times and over 50 once. All of sudden, his point totals diminished drastically after the '10-11 season, when a few injuries started taking their toll. Zidlicky has been a mere shell of his former self, accounting for a combined 63 points over the last 3 years. Most fantasy owners had given up on him for this season, especially given the fact that Ilya Kovalchuk had bolted for the KHL. So far, Zidlicky has turned back the clock with a quick start to the campaign with 11 points in 17 games. Many insiders have speculated that because of the absence of Kovalchuk on the point, the power-play offense now flows through Zidlicky, who seems to excel when he is prime facilitator with the man-advantage. No matter what, the constant grind in the plus-30 years make it difficult for the above-mentioned players to remain elite fantasy options every year, but they have the ability and the drive to put together a "dream" season, even when the signs of decline are clear and near. The best way to handle players like Zidlicky who have bounced back after hitting rock-bottom, is to repeatedly remind all of your fellow fantasy owners of their past greatness, and "sell high" when you have a chance to maximize on what could be risky value the rest of the way. ...

As the NHL season approaches the 10-game mark, many defenseman are off and running in the scoring department; some very familiar and some not so much. As we glance at the top of the rankings, fantasy owners need to realize who is the "real deal" and who is a just a "flash in the pan" in assessing their future fantasy values for the remainder of the season.      PK Subban has picked up where he left off as the Norris Trophy winner last season, collecting 10 pts in 8 games. He has clearly passed Andrei Markov as Montreal's primary fantasy option on defense....Despite all the talk of weight issues and lack of dedication to his overall game, Winnipeg's Dustin Byfuglien is off a solid start with 7 points in 9 games and looks poised to challenge the 60-point mark. Don't forget about his partner Tobias Enstrom, who always has flown under the fantasy radar but barring injuries, should be a lock for 50-point prioduction....Alex Pietrangelo also has the look of a potential top-five fantasy d-man this season, bouncing back with 6 pts in 7 games. His first of many 50+ seasons is coming, so treat him as a legit no. 1 fantasy option....It's important to remind us all that Kris Letang would certainly be among the scoring leaders if not for his injury. How do I know for sure? Matt Niskanen, who replaced Letang on the Pen's power play, is in the top ten with 6 points. Enough said... Oh yeah, Erik Karlsson is coming on strong too with 4 points in the last five games. Ottawa's franchise player will be one of the elite scoring blueliners by season's end.      While many fantasy owners passed over Marek Zidlicky partially because of New Jersey's anemic offense and his waning production in recent years, the veteran has stepped up in the exodus of Ilya Kovalchuk to provide more stability on their power play. He is just a few years removed from three straight seasons of 40+ points. A proven track record makes him a safer bet than most to post good numbers....Another forgotten defenseman was new Calgary captain Mark Giordano, who has exploded out of the gate with 9 pts in 7 games. Apparently, he has re-dedicated himself to staying healthy and he had been rewarded with top power play minutes. He was on the rise a few years ago with a 43-point season, but injuries and lack of pp time hurt his production. Not anymore, but can he keep it up? I say that 40 points is likely, but a spot in the top ten?.. Probably not. By the end of the year, Dennis Wideman and T.J Brodie will get ...

UPDATES: Both Pittsburgh forwards James Neal and Jussi Jokinen appeared to be hurt after last night's game against the Islanders, as they were seen limping out of the locker room. Jokinen appears to be ok, as he was at practice today. Not quite so sure for Neal. OTTAWA (7) vs. MONTREAL (2) MUST-STARTS Ottawa: Erik Karlsson, Daniel Alfredsson, Craig Anderson Montreal: P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, Carey Price SLEEPERS Ottawa: Kyle Turris, Milan Michalek, Sergei Gonchar Montreal: Michael Ryder, Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais read more

OTTAWA (7) vs. MONTREAL (2) MUST-STARTS Ottawa: Erik Karlsson, Daniel Alfredsson, Craig Anderson Montreal: P.K. Subban, Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, Carey Price SLEEPERS Ottawa: Kyle Turris, Milan Michalek, Sergei Gonchar Montreal: Michael Ryder, Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais read more

Despite it being the second game in as many nights, Markov stays in the lineup. He has one assist in nine games this season.

The offensive defenseman draws in after sitting out last night. Markov has an assist in three games played.

Things could be worse-- it could be further damage to his knee. Markov has an assist in three games played.

A lighter side of the past few days of action. <p> Just a few random thoughts about the events of the past few days in the NHL.</p> coffee.jpg SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE-3/11/12 The much anticipated return of Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov was finally received last night. And guess what? He got a power play assist. Boston losing Tuukka Rask for 4-6 weeks may put a strain on Tim Thomas. Alexander Semin had a decent January but finally got 2 points last night. I'm surprised he is still a Capital. Jamie McGinn is doing quite nicely as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. When did Linus Omark sneak back into the Oiler lineup? Ilya Bryzgalov has now won 5 in a row, three of those by shutout. This is what Philly has been waiting for. Not to mention his fantasy owners. read more

Sounds like Markov is officially in tonight. It will be his season debut.