I’m back!  Sorry for missing last week’s SMC.  I really wasn’t feel so hot, but feeling much better today, so let’s get cracking. Looks like Sidney Crosby has awoken from his early season slumber. The window is running out on buying low on any of the Boston Bruins. You may have one last shot before they become harder to pry from unknowing owners. Is Buffalo really this bad?  I had them pegged for at least vying for a playoff spot. The NJ Devils are trying to stay real by acquiring Sami Vatanen giving them a true PP quarterback.  I am still a little skeptical that they will continue these winning ways though. Goaltenders are really fragile characters it seems this year. It used to be that the Philadelphia Flyers would always struggle until about December, then go on a West Coast trip, or some extended road trip, and then be a force for the remainder of the season.  (wink, wink) That Metropolitan Division is really going to be a battle for playoff berths. Hottest teams right now; NY Islanders, Columbus, Winnipeg and Montreal. That ‘buy-low’ window for Montreal players is over.  Remember when everyone though they were going to clean out house?  Hah! Detroit’s 7-game losing streak pales in comparison to Philadelphia’s 10-game one.  Ugh!  But still bad. Brad Marchand is key to that Bruins team.  Well, right next to Patrice Bergeron that is. And Tuukka Rask. It appears the Tampa Bay players have quieted down but that’s not the case.  Well, maybe a little from their torrid start. Everyone acted with surprise that some hockey players, not to be named, used curse words when being interviewed.  Really?  I guess no one hears them cursing on the ice during the games. The Canadiens put up a 10-spot against the Red Wings on Saturday night.  Max Pacioretty didn’t register a single point either.  Waiting for Sebastian Aho, Cam Atkinson and Brandon Saad to contribute more regularly.  Patiently waiting. Welcome back to the lineup Cam Fowler, Patrik Berglund, Evgeni Malkin. Love the increase in goal-scoring this year! This is going to be a real fun season to watch as it winds down as there seems to be a lot of teams close together. Happy December everyone!

10/8/2017 I was going to update the WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT section but with it being a short week, I'd just slip in my thoughts here.  Sort of like a hybrid SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE piece.   Let's start with WHO'S HOT!  Needless to say that Washington Capital Alex Ovechkin has risen from the so-called dead that most predictors had him pegged as.  Expected for his production to slowly drop-off like it did last year, OV came out of the gate with 2 consecutive hat tricks which hasn't happened in like 100 years.  WOW.  I, like an idiot obtained him a trade then flipped him in order to make my team deeper.  And to rub salt in my wound, I am up against him in my head-to-head league in week #1. Well, it's only 4 days into a very long season, so it may turn out alright in he end, but it sure don;t look good right now. WHO'S HOT!  Practically the entire Chicago Blackhawks team as they have destroyed two very good teams, Pittsburgh 10-1 and Columbus 5-1.  Patrick Kane is such a tremendous talent and he is taking Ryan Hartman and Nick Schmaltz along for the ride.  Kane and Hartman have 6 points already in just two games.  Schmaltz, centering he 2 has 3 points.  The line of Brandon Saad, one of my favorites for this season, Jonathan Toews (3 pts.) and Richard Panik (3 pts.) has also been lighting the lamp but just not as frequent as the Kane line.  And everyone knows that Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are the main draws on defense but don't forget guys like Gustav Forsling and Jan Rutta who seems to just get points by being on the ice with these talented forwards. Even Patrick Sharp, with 2 points, is an option, especially if the team scores at even a pace close to this going forward. WHO'S HOT! Look at LA Kings net minder Jonathan Quick who is off to a 2-0-0 start with a 0.50 GAA.  Mind boggling number.  Only two games but he was definitely due for a rebound after being injured last year.  One of the top NHL goaltenders when healthy.  Kudos to those who drafted him wisely. WHO'S HOT! The Toronto Maple Leafs who everyone thought was going to be due for a step back this season but when you have such good management upstairs and Mike Babcock behind the bench, that step back, to me, would be very minimal.  And it shows with a 2-0-0 record to start the season with 12 different goal scorers.  With Auston Matthews getting most of the focus, people may forget about Nazem Kadri, but he leads the team with 4 points.   WHO'S NOT!  Got a few teams to list here...the Montreal ...

Andrew Shaw has been reaping the rewards of lining up with Jonathan Toews and Marion Hossa, picking up five points over the last four games. Chicago is on a crazy roll, winning 10 straight and here is to hoping coach JQ keeps his lines intact. Shaw is only fantasy worthy when playing with stars,... Alexander Wennberg has been eating up top ice-time on a line with Scott Hartnell and Brandon Saad on the post Ryan Johansen Blue Jackets. He should be good for 25-30 points in the second half.... Kris Versteeg has gained fantasy relevance lately, collecting 6 points over the last 5 games. Life on the top line with Eric Staal has its perks... Robin Lehner returned to the Buffalo crease but came up on the losing end in a 4-1 loss to Boston. Chad Johnson followed up wit an impressive win against the Caps. Lehner should be on your radar but needs to beat out Johnson first.. Hard to figure out the Vancouver goalie situation as a 47- save effort by veteran Ryan Miller lessens the immediate appeal of adding Jakub Markstrom to your fantasy squad. The young Swede should recurve the bulk of the starts moving forward but I do have a feeling Miller will my go away quietly. 

  A nightmarish start for Columbus has them at 0-4 but what better way to temporarily right the ship than by facing the more woeful Maple Leafs at home. Get the key Blue Jackets in your lineup as this one can get lopsided in favor of the home squad. Ryan Johansen and Brandon Saad offer great bang for the buck plus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky needs a solid start in the worst way.I have no problem laying out the big bucks for one of the few certainties on defense, Brent Burns at New Jersey. Love Blake Wheeler to come up big in Winnipegs home opener even though I am feeling a Calgary upset. Steve's Picks- Draft Kings   C Ryan Johansen, Columbus C Dylan Larkin, Detroit  W Justin Abdelkader, Detroit W Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg W Patrick Marleau, San Jose  D Brent Burns, San Jose  D Alex Edler, Vancouver G Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus  U Brandon Saad,Columbus    RAY'S PICKS- Fan Duel   G: Jimmy Howard-DET ($8,800) D: Hampus Lindholm-ANA ($4,000) D: Mike Green-DET ($5,000) C: Henrik Zetterberg-DET ($7,100) C: Joe Thornton-SJ ($5,500) LW: Brandon Saad-CBS ($5,300) LW: Justin Abdelkader-DET ($4,800) RW: Nick Foligno-CBS ($6,500) RW: Joe Pavelski-SJ ($7,800)

It's early in the season, but it's never too early to get invovled in your fantasy hockey team.  We revamped the website a little bit in terms of output.  With just Steve and I at the helm, plus working full-time and having families, we had to cut back on the Daily Prime for the time being but hope to resume providing daily insight soon. We will still bring you the updated Rankings, the occasional STOCKY HOCKEY article about managing yoru fantasy hockey team, as well as the feature articles like BETWEEN THE PIPES, IN STEVE'S DEFENSE and others in the PRIME+PLUS section. Check out our DAILY ROTO feature which shows Steve and my selections as best players for that day's games.  We welcome all suggestions an opinions and hope that you all have successful fantasy hockey seasons awaiting you. Below is a small sample from an UNDER THE RAYDAR article and the various footnotes from around the league.   UNDER THE RAYDAR: ARTEMI PANARIN-LW-Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks were already building for the 2015-2016 in April of 2015 while they were trying to win their 3rd Stanley Cup in the past 6 years when they signed a young Russian forward named Artemi Panarin to a 2-year deal.  Little was made of the signing but Panarin could turn out to be an integral part of the Blackhawks season. In the aftermath of their third Stanley Cup, the Hawks had salary cap issues which every team has but when you win the Cup, the situation is magnified. The team in turn traded away young stud forward Brandon Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets with belief they wouldn’t be able to afford him.  They got some less expensive and useful pieces to plug into their lineup but they also had in mind that Panarin would be able to fill in some of the missing offense along with Teuvo Teravainen.  At 23 years-old, the young Russian has already enjoyed some success in the KHL with 102 points in the past two seasons which covered 105 games.  He is able to dish the puck along with potting a few goals as he had 46 goals and 56 assists in those 105 games.  And in last year’s KHL playoffs, he went 5-15-20 in 20 games............ ICE POPS:   HALL-NO! --A few injuries that you need to keep an eye on more for the effect they have on their team mates.  Edmonton Oiler RW Jordan Eberle is out with a shoulder injury and should be back by mid-November.  If you haven’t noticed, Taylor hall is pointless in first three games, but he has been under the weather also.  I am thinking he is missing his line mate ...

Winnipeg @ New Jersey                                 NY Rangers @ Columbus Chicago @ NY Islanders                                 Toronto @ Detroit Arizona @ Los Angeles Some interesting matchups this evening with the Winnipeg Jets trying to carry their offensive display they had against Boston over to New Jersey.  The Devils appear to be in a rebuilding stage......The Rangers try to make it to 2-0-0 to start the season with a match against Columbus.  Both teams sport players who once played on the other squad so this carries a bit more sentiment than usual.  The Rangers held on against Chicago on Wednesday, but we will see what the Blue Jackets have in their season opener.....The Isles begin their life at the Barclay Center with the front end of a home-and-home with the Chicago Blackhwaks who will be looking to exact some punishment against their opponent after losing their banner-raising season opener on Wednesday...Toronto-Detroit looks to be a doozy as ex-Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock returns with his humongous Toronto contract to face his ex-team.  Jeff Bashill makes his debut behind the bench for the Red Wings, equipped with many of the players he coached in Grand Rapids.  The Leafs have some learning to do while the Wings will look to impress their old boss.....The nightcap pits the Arizona Coyotes against the Los Angeles Kings.  The Kings look to take out some hosttlity for losing to San Jose in their season opener and this year's NHL doormat, the Coyotes, are just what the doctor ordered to take it out on. RAY'S PICKS G: Jonathan Quick D: Alex Martinez D: Mike Green C: Anze Kopitar C: Jeff Carter LW: Justin Abdelkader LW: Brandon Saad RW: Marian Hossa RW: Patrick Kane

#11 COLUMBUS   A scintillating 16-4-1 finish wasn't enough to get the Blue Jackets in the playoffs but does possibly offer a great sign for the upcoming season. Losing over 500-man games to injury never allowed the team to fully realIze its vast potential but the high profile addition of LW Brandon Saad has the fan base reenergized. The addition of D Ryan Murray from long term injury should also be a huge asset for a defense in need of improvement. There is plenty of fantasy depth across the board, but this team is bursting at the seams with potential.    Goalies You know what you get with starter Sergei Bobrovsky as a fantasy option: slow starts punctuated by inconstant play and injuries and strong second halves after settling into his groove. Could this be the season when he gets it all together ? With only one 30-win season under his belt, he should slip in most drafts but be wise to consider him highly. Being one of the few workhorse goalies with elite upside, snag him in the top ten.    Defense On the blue line, young David Savard looks to be the best offensive option as the team looks for him to replace James Wisniewski as the primary power-play quarterback. After collecting 36 points in 82 games, DS is defintely on the rise so get your hands on him in the middle rounds. Jack Johnson should also be in for a more prominent scoring role but always underachieved at the end. Should get 50 but always closer to 30. The real wildcard here is Ryan Murray who has star upside but has yet to play up to his potential due to consistent injuries. Take a flier on him late, given that me might ending up snagging top power-play minutes if he can stay healthy.     Forwards  Center Ryan Johansen is by far the best Columbas forward to own as he should take the next step toward elite fantasy stardom. Even with his holdout last season and the team suffering a rash of injuries, he still hit the 70-point mark. Expect closer to 80 this season as RJ will deliver top value. Nick Foligno is coming off a breakout year but the captain will be hard pressed to match those numbers. Fellow RW Cam Atkinson led the team in SOG with 212 and with a little luck, can get to the 30-goal territory. Everybody is loving new LW Brandon Saad,but I be wary of drafting him too high. With a better supporting cast in Chicago, he collected 52 points last season. Another year of offensive development plus more powerplay time in his new home should get him in the 60-65 pt range. Downgrade Scott ...

A very warm welcome to the newest addition of the Primepucks guest writing team as Kelly Bowler joins us with his wonderful insight into NHL fantasy draft preparation. His debut article focuses on many of the off-season personnel changes around the league and how have their respective fantasy values been affected. We know you will enjoy reading this as much as we did!   Switching Sweaters Will They Flourish or Flounder? During the NHL offseason huge personnel moves were made throughout the NHL as teams shuffled to get under the camp or to improve their on ice product. While those moves may have shifted the competitive balance in the league, they had major fantasy impacts. When assessing these moves to determine fantasy value you must take several factors into account to determine if the move will make a player more intriguing or if it will present false hope and a fantasy draft bust. Brandon Saad- Flourish Brandon Saad’s potential is immense and he had just begun to realize that potential in Chicago when the Toews and Kane contracts kicked in and caused a salary cap nightmare for the Blackhawks. Saad found himself packing his bags for Columbus and fantasy owners should be licking their chops. The Blue Jackets are a quality team that had major injury issues last season. Now that they are healthy again, they should be a solid playoff team. Saad figures to be a big part of that picture, as he moved to the top of the depth chart at LW. If he lines up with Foligno and Johansen, look out. He has consistently increased his point production over the last three years with 27, 47, & 52 respectively. Last season he also shot the puck over 200 times. Saad will be a force even strength and should be a part of a very good power play unit in Columbus. Cam Talbot-Flounder First, let me justify this by telling you that Talbot is a very good goaltender. However, be forewarned not to fall in love with the Oilers…yet. Conor McDavid will be an outstanding addition and only the Buffalo Sabres improved themselves more this offseason of all of the teams in the NHL. McDavid doesn’t play on the blueline though and the Oilers find themselves severely lacking in that department. Talbot was outstanding for the Rangers last season filling in long term for Lundqvist, but you must remember that Talbot was playing behind the best back six in the NHL, who were excellent at holding opponents to just one shot while taking care of the rebounds and forcing teams to take low percentage shots...

Ottawa rookie goalie on fire; Dubnyk prevails over Rinne; Price remains right; and more... Every so often, a goalie comes out of the woodworks and changes the course of action for that luck NHL team, and in our case, fantasy squads starving for a clutch backstopper. Well, Ottawa's Andrew Hammond surely qualifies as he posted his second straight road shutout, this time against the Stanley Cup champs who had won eight straight. The Bowling Green product is currently living a dream during his call-up, collecting four straight wins with a 1.15 GAA and a .962 SP. With Craig Anderson basically already to go, you can be certain that Ottawa will ride Hammond as long as he remains unbeatable. So should you. Pick him up ASAP.. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens played a tidy game against the Columbus Blue Jackets winning 5-2.  Defense was the offense with P.K. Subban (G, 2A) and Andrei Markov (G, A) contributing to the road win.  The Habs will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time…. Buffalo’s Michal Neuvirth is 3-1-2 in his last six starts and was the recipient of 6 goals in the win over Vancouver last night.  Neuvirth is a decent number 2 goalie with the team playing better hockey of late…Chris Stewart, with a goal and an assist, is rumored to be on his way out, most likely to rival Boston.  It will be an interesting weekend with the trade deadline on Monday… The New York Ranger’s beat the Arizona Coyotes with 2 pair against the Yotes 1.  Both Chris Kreider (2 PPG) and Lee Stempniak (2G) were enough to get by Arizona who got two power play goals of their own from Sam Gagner.  This one wasn’t easy for the Blueshirts as Goalie Cam Talbot continues to play brilliantly in place of the injured Henrik Lundqvist…Kreider shows glimpses of what is to come but hasn’t been able to provide the consistency just yet but his future looks bright…. While struggling at home lately, the St. Louis Blues continued their winning ways on the road with the 2-1 shootout win over Winnipeg. Not much to say here other than it seems no more Ondrej Pavelec in the Jet's goal for now. Thank gosh... The Monnesota Wild deliver a huge road win, 4-2 in Nashville, to further bolster their playoff chances. Don't worry about Pekka Rinne but remain thrilled about what Devan Dubnyk has done for the Wild goalie situation...

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..