SMC 11-22-2015 Good morning everyone!  The cold, crisp air of autumn has finally arrived making a hot cup of coffee taste even better. Lots of non-scoring on Saturday night with 5 shutouts in 11 games. Rangers’ Rick Nash with a hat trick!  You just knew he was due to break out sooner or later. Flyers are playing for the top pick in the June 2016 NHL Entry Draft it seems. I can see Big Z being traded from the Boston Bruins by the trade deadline.  Loui Eriksson before that. Maybe all that Ben Bishop needed was to play the NY Rangers to get his season on track. Tampa has had a lot of injuries and everyone will tend to forget about them this year and they will get healthy, make the playoffs and be a threat with all the talent they possess. That Jaromir Jagr never seems to get old.  5 shots on goal last night against the Rangers and he even scored a goal. Aleksander Barkov is back from injury and has 2 goals and an assist in 3 games back. The Pittsburgh Penguins have problems and if they don’t shore up their defense, they may miss the playoffs.  I don’t think Sidney Crosby will like that very much. San Jose’s D-man Brent Burns had 7 SOG last night against the Pens.  Who does he think he is, Alex Ovechkin? Kessel, Hornqvist, and Letang had 5 SOG or more and Sid the Kid and Malkin only had one apiece.  That’s not gonna cut it. Washington scored 7 goals last night against Colorado in only 32 SOG.  The Avalanche’s goaltending is not as good as previously thought. Columbus and Anaheim slowly but surely creeping back up the standings. The race for the President’s Cup will be very interesting this year. I think everyone can forget about St. Louis defenseman Colton Parayko now that Kevin Shattenkirk is back from injury and in mid-season form already. I am thinking that Detroit Red Wing Teemu Pulkkinen can start to put up some decent numbers now that the team is sorta back to full staff.  Plus he is playing with Tomas Tatar and Brad Richards. What is going on with Jonathan Drouin? This goaltending sharing policy on Dallas is killing fantasy players but doing wonders for the actual team. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are an insane scoring duo!  I didn’t need to tell you that, did I? One would’ve thought that the way the Minnesota Wild were playing of late that they would’ve been the team that was shutout on Saturday and not Nashville. Ryan Suter is having himself a year, isn’t he? It’s nice to see the Sedin twins have a game like they did against Chicago every once in a...

#8 CHICAGO What more can you say about a team that has won 3 Stanley Cups in the matter of 6 years?  And the amazing part about them winning those Cups is that they needed to overhaul their team because of salary cap reasons and still managed to remain competitive enough and return to the Cup Finals without too big of gap in between in terms of years.  The team’s cap issues this year led to the team trading away one of their better young talents in Brandon Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets.  In that deal they were able to get back a few needy pieces and a good young forward in Marko Dano.  Some believe Dano to be the next Marian Hossa, who the Blackhawks still have on their roster.  Patrick Sharp was also a victim of the cap and was traded to the Dallas Stars, who also acquired defenseman Johnny Oduya via free agency.  D-man Trevor Daley was the other side of that Sharp trade so the Hawks managed to fill in critical pieces as they were losing them.  Thank you Brad Richards!  Enjoy your ring, now take care!  All those pieces were crucial to the Hawks Stanley Cup hoisting, but knowing them, they will return there in short order as the core of the team remains intact. GOALIES He probably doesn’t get the respect he deserves but Corey Crawford has been exactly what the Blackhawks have needed as he won both times the hawks went to the Cup finals with him as their #1.  He may not be the flashiest of net minders, nor may he be one of the elite goaltenders, but he has been a part of all three Chicago Championship teams, although he didn’t get any playoff time during their first Cup run with Antti Niemi.  Crawford will return as the #1 and the fans will grumble about his performance when he gets in one of his funks, but the team is a dynasty and he is a major part of that.  His metrics may be average, but he knows how to come up big in the big games. Backup Scott Darling is the local flavor and favorite and has performed admirably as he is getting his feet wet as an NHL goalkeeper. 2014-2015                      GP      GAA       W        L        OTL       SP Corey Crawford            57         2.27       32       20         5         .924   DEFENSE Two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Duncan Keith is about all you need to say about the Chicago defense.  He was just masterful during the Cup run of 2015 and received the playoff Conn Smythe MVP trophy for his efforts.  Build your fantasy defense around this superstar and you won’t be sorry.  He is joined by ...

DETROIT   24 years and counting as far as the Detroit Red Wings current playoff streak is concerned, but new coach Jeff Blashill will feel the heat to keep it going. Only major subtraction to last season's squad is D Marek Zidlicky but new acquisitions Mike Green and Brad Richards should help the team continue its success. The major concerns moving forward is aging core of star forwards and whether the young guns can finally take the grand stage. Uncertainties in goal gave us tempering our expectations a bit but in terms of overall fantasy impact, the Wings seem loaded heading into the upcoming season.    Goalies Jimmy Howard's star power has faded over the last few seasons as his 23 wins in '14-15 was his second lowest total amongst years he made at least 50 starts. To make matters worse, rookie Petr Mrazek was the far superior option in the crease with a 2.38 GAA and .918 SP.  Be wary of the Detroit goaltending situation as it promises to be a meddling one at best for fantasy owners until one of the two take full control of the starting job. Best-case scenario, draft both in the middle to late rounds and hope it resolves itself sooner than later. The one left standing will be a solid no 2 fantasy goalie option.   Defense On defense, the power play gets a huge boost with the acquisition of Mike Green and his right handed shot. Always injury prone and seemingly in decline, his ppg game totals last season of .63 were his second best achieved since his monster '09-10 season. He has his "mojo" back but his health issues makes him a classic boom or bust pick. Green's presence on the power-play enhances the value of fellow blue liner Nicklas Kronwall who should get a few bonus assists. The duo could be quite prolific on the backend if they can remain healthy. Grab one if you can. Dan Dekeyser is a solid two way puck handler and coming off a 31-point season, his arrow points straight up. However with limited power-play time, don't look for him to build on those numbers.   Forwards Fantasy-wise, it's always been about the elder statesmen Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg (and Johan Franzen!), but it's time to pay more attention to  forwards Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar.  Datsyuk will likely be out for a month as he battles injuries. When he plays, he still can score at a PPG clip but you can't count him to play more than 50-60 games these days. Zetterberg is a bit more reliable, but he is no longer viewed better than a 4th/5th round pick. Coming off a ...

24 years and counting as far as the Detroit Red Wings current playoff streak is concerned, but new coach Jeff Blashill will feel the heat to keep it going. Only major subtraction to last season's squad is D Marek Zidlicky but new acquisitions Mike Green and Brad Richards should help the team continue its success. The major concerns moving forward is aging core of star forwards and whether the young guns can finally take the grand stage. Uncertainties in goal gave us tempering our expectations a bit but in terms of overall fantasy impact, the Wings seem loaded heading into the upcoming season.    Goalies Jimmy Howard's star power has faded over the last few seasons as his 23 wins in '14-15 was his second lowest total amongst years he made at least 50 starts. To make matters worse, rookie Petr Mrazek was the far superior option in the crease with a 2.38 GAA and .918 SP.  Be wary of the Detroit goaltending situation as it promises to be a meddling one at best for fantasy owners until one of the two take full control of the starting job. Best-case scenario, draft both in the middle to late rounds and hope it resolves itself sooner than later. The one left standing will be a solid no 2 fantasy goalie option.   Defense On defense, the power play gets a huge boost with the acquisition of Mike Green and his right handed shot. Always injury prone and seemingly in decline, his ppg game totals last season of .63 were his second best achieved since his monster '09-10 season. He has his "mojo" back but his health issues makes him a classic boom or bust pick. Green's presence on the power-play enhances the value of fellow blue liner Nicklas Kronwall who should get a few bonus assists. The duo could be quite prolific on the backend if they can remain healthy. Grab one if you can. Dan Dekeyser is a solid two way puck handler and coming off a 31-point season, his arrow points straight up. However with limited power-play time, don't look for him to build on those numbers.   Forwards Fantasy-wise, it's always been about the elder statesmen Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg( and Johan Franzen!), but it's time to pay more attention to  forwards Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar.Datsyuk will be likely out for a month as he battles injuries. When he plays, he still can score at a PPG clip but you can't count him to play more than 50-60 games these days. Zetterberg is a bit more reliable, but he is no longer viewed better than a 4/5th round pick. Coming off a sensational '13-14...

Gibson Rocks, Hawks and  Rangers round two and 2 hot Oilers Anaheim goalie John Gibson is starting to put his game together which Is bad news for the teams in the Western Conference. With last nights 3-2 win over crosstown rival Los Angeles Kings, Gibson has now now won 6 of his last 7 starts and has not given up more than 2 goals in any of his 6 victories. The rookie has arrived and it looks like he is here to stay…. If these two teams reach the Stanley Cup Finals, don't expect much scoring as they have battled twice this season with each team coming away with a 1-0 win on the other’s home ice. I'm sure ex-Ranger Brad Richards was happy to get the goal against his former team. The Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers are prepping for the playoffs and last nights tight battle was proof that they both plan to go a long way again this season. What a playoff series these two teams would make…. Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle each had a point in last nights 4-3 shootout loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets keeping their hot streaks alive. RNH now has 12 points in 8 March games while Eberle has an 6-game point streak going. Polices had been waiting all season for this kind of production which fantasy owners can only hope will carry into next season.

On the night when the Anaheim Ducks raised the great Teemu Selanne's number to the rafters, it was Rickard Rakell who came out of nowhere to post four points in their 5-4 shootout win over Winnipeg. Despite the huge performance, there is little fantasy upside to the talented youngster who has yet to crack the top-six during his brief NHL stint. He was drafted 30th overall in 2011, so maybe he can still realize some of that untepped offensive upside. He's just not there yet.. Tobias Enstrom has picked up two assists since his return from injury. Scoop him up if you need defensive help. He should be a serviceable option at the very least. I might even start him in one of my leagues over the struggling Ryan Suter this week. Need to mull this one over.. Edmonton had a chance to establish some real "mojo" and threw up another stinker in the 4-2 loss to Florida. With every passing day, Roberto Luongo is becoming a legit no. 1 fantasy goalie again.. With eight points in the last seven games, Chicago's Brad Richards has heated up and could be a decent short-term no.5-6 starting option in most formats... Zach Parise played a strong game last night, registering 6 SOG but was held off the scoreboard for the second straight game since returning to the Minnesota Wild line-up.

The Philadelphia Flyers are just in a bad state right now as they lost for the 8th time in their last 9 games, losing again to the New York Rangers in the back end of a home-and-home series. The Story for the Rangers offense was their depth as Derick Brassard scored twice and Jesper Fast and J.T. Miller potted their first of the season with Fast's being his first NHL goal with both adding assists as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Philadelphia didn't make some sort of move like replacing Craig Berube behind the bench or pulling off a big trade to shake things up..... For those lucky enough to draft Tyler Bozak, you have been rewarded with the best start to a season in his career. With 22 points in 23 games this season, Bozak is on pace to obliterate his season high of 49 points last year, and that was in 58 games.  Playing alongside Phil Kessel (2A) doesn't hurt. James van Riemsdyk (2A), who after a somewhat slow start to the season, now has 13 points in 13 November games. All three should be in your starting lineups... Don't look now but the Buffalo Sabres are thundering back into legitimacy as they won for the 5th time in the past 6 games with a 4-3 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens, who lost both ends of the home-and-home series. Jhonas Enroth was the story as he stopped 41 of 44 for his 4th win in past 5 starts. The Sabres now will face Tampa Bay in a home-and-home series this week so the schedule doesn't lighten up.... Speaking of Tampa, G Ben Bishop raised his record to 14-3-2 with a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators, where he had played briefly in 2012-13, to keep him apace with the league leaders. Bishop has developed into a go-to guy in fantasy circles playing with the Bolts..... Jaroslav Halak has won for the ninth straight time defeating the New Jersey Devils 3-1, making Halak a must-start in fantasy circles as the Islanders are for real this season. When you have a superstar like John Tavares leading the way, and back that up with some steady goaltending, you know you have a chance every night.... It's time to take notice of Calgary's Jiri Hudler, carried the offense with a goal and two assists in their 3-0 win in Arizona. The 30-year old extended his point streak to four games and has been basically a point-per game producer with 23 points in 24 games. Coming off a 54-point effort in his second year with Calgary, Hudler has become the veteran centerpiece of a young but talented forward corps, so give him a look. His 50.5 % ownership ...

There was much to get excited about in New York last spring as the Rangers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals against LA where their dream playoff run ended in a hard-fought battle in which the Kings hoisted their 2nd Cup in 3 seasons. Even though the series ended 4- in games, the matchup could have gone either way with a few different bounces going New York's way.  Gone are some vital components of that run in Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman, but for the most part, the main nucleus has been maintained and fans are expecting great things again this season. GOALIE When you have one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, not only are the chances of you making the playoffs increased, but the possibility of getting to the Stanley Cup Finals are just as good, as long as you get a few of the lucky breaks that go along with making it so far in such a grueling stretch. Henrik Lundqvist has earned the nickname "The King" as he has played spectacular as the NY Ranger net minder. Lundqvist gives the Rangers an excellent chance of returning to the Finals, even if he was drafted in the 7th round of the 2000 draft. Be assured that The King will do everything in his power to get back to the Cup Finals once again.  Cam Talbot showed that he is more than a capable backup and will resume the same role again this year. DEFENSE As the Rangers made their way through last year's playoffs, there was one glaring need. That was a true power play quarterback.  As the free agent period approached, I kept saying that they needed someone like a Dan Boyle to run the point as Brad Richards couldn't hit the net half the time during the playoffs. Sure enough, the Rangers signed Boyle to a 2-year deal. Boyle will supplement the solid defensive corps already in place.  Dan Girardi is the rock and Ryan McDonagh is just starting to come into his own and will develop into a world class leader soon. Marc Staal, Kevin Klein and John Moore round out the unit and all possess the ability to not only play sound defense, but can contribute here and there, but expect most of the scoring to come from Boyle and McDonagh. FORWARDS Acquiring Martin St. Louis at the trade deadline for Ranger favorite Ryan Callahan was something that the team needed. The Blueshirts needed that veteran with the playoff experience to show them what it takes to hoist the coveted Cup.  St. Louis struggled upon his arrival, but he sure made up for it in the playoffs.  St. Louis was in the top 5 in NHL Scoring at...

Chicago just about made it to their second straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance last June when a Game 7 dagger by the Kings prematurely ended that dream. There weren't many glaring weaknesses with last season's version of the Blackhawks, but they indeed addressed their need for a no. 2 center when they picked up ex-Ranger Brad Richards via free agency. Their offense is incredibly stacked with all sorts of talent, ranging from elite (Patrick Kane & Jonathan Toews) to on the verge of breaking out (Brandon Saad). Throw in two-time Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith who leads an upper echelon defense plus underrated goalie Corey Crawford and you have yourself an elite team that could be back on top. In fantasy, high-end options prevail in every position, so pay special attention to the Blackhawks. GOALIES Among the best goalies in the business, Crawford had another stellar campaign with 32 wins, 2.26 GAA, and a .917 SP. While there was a slight drop-off from his career best marks of 1.94 and .926 set in 2012, he should again be regarded as a top-ten fantasy option. Because he usually falls under the radar and gets chosen somewhere between the 10th and 15th goalie taken, Crawford packs a lot of value. When you get your hands on the starting goalie of arguably the best NHL team, you are doing something right. You can also do better if you select backup Antti Raanta in the late rounds strictly for insurance if Crawford would to get injured. DEFENSE On defense, you can't do much better than Keith. While it's unreasonable to expect him to duplicate his Norris Trophy winning feat of 61 points, he is a sure lock to post 45+ points on this prolific scoring team. He will probably be drafted 1-2 rounds earlier than he should, but he is a safe lower-tier first option on defense. Man, does he get a boatload of secondary assists! Brent Seabrook plays on the top defensive pairing with Keith and while not as offensively gifted, he usually gets his faire share of points. His ceiling tops off in the mid 40's but most likely expect in the 30-35 range with a great plus/minus. Nick Leddy is on the rise as made evident by another 30+ point season, but he needs to show more consistency. Take a chance on him late as he has the ability to play on the top power-play. FORWARDS RW Kane remains the Chicago forward with most upside, even though he has only surpassed the 80-point mark once in his NHL career. Still, even after missing 13 games due to injury last season, he still managed...

- The word out of Anaheim is that Ryan Kesler is looking pretty sharp through the first couple days of camp. The former Vancouver center was brought in to reinforce a gritty scoring presence on the second line, something they have lacked during the Bruce Boudreau regime. But make no mistake about it- Kesler will be relied on heavily to contribute on the top power play with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. He should be a huge upgrade on Nick Bonino in the trenches... -Another day, another KHL offer for disgruntled Columbus center Ryan Johansen as his current contract stalemate continues. While it's expected that the issue gets resolved before the start of the regular season, any holdout on the part of Johansen would hurt his fantasy value. Also, young Boone Jenner is set to get an early look at center as he was awfully impressive as a rookie last season, scoring 16 goals and 29 points in 76 games. The contingency plan is being set in place just in case RJ sits for awhile.. - Chicago is trying out newly acquired Brad Richards between Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad in early camp with rave reviews so far. The line tinkering will be often early on, but the former Ranger should be a good bet to rebound given the second line center spot will provide him with more talented wingers than during his tenure in New York. Not sure if it will be Saad or Kane, but what about Patrick Sharp or Marian Hossa? Richards should be sitting pretty regardless of his linemates. 50-55 points should be a lock.. -Winnipeg's Evander Kane is "blowing steam" again about being able to score 50 goals this season. No duh, Evander! We all know that you have the talent, but pretty iffy on the drive. Draft him accordingly; expect 25-30 goals/50-55 points but hope that he wakes up to a monster season. Quite the upside here for a middle-round pick at best.. -New Washington Head coach Barry Trotz wants Alex Ovechkin back at left wing. So do all of his fantasy owners. That's where AO has inflicted most of his offensive damage over the years, but Trotz will demand more attention on the defensive side from the superstar. We say there will be a bit of a transition at the onset, but Ovechkin will buy into the program. And get close to 50... Two fantasy studs that are banged up and you need to monitor before your drafts take place are Claude Giroux and Jonathan Quick. Both may miss all of their preseason games due to their injuries but should be ready to go by Opening Night. At this point, do not ...