Duncan Keith, Chicago- fantasy owners must be overjoyed to hear that the All-Star could be available to play over the weekend as he looks almost fully recovered from his meniscus tear in his knee. There is no sugarcoating how detrimental his absence has had in most fantasy leagues as he is tough to replace. I say get him back as soon as he gets into game action. Brent Seabrook could see a slight reduction in fantasy worth as he was gobbling up the extra minutes on special teams. Close to returning   Kevin Shattenkirk, St Louis-the return of another fantasy blue-chipper from injury has owners feeling better about their blue line production as KS is among the top 3-5 fantasy defensive options in the NHL. Last season saw Shattenkirk miss 26 games but he still put up  44 points in 56 contests. Safe to say, he is a difference-maker for that Blue's power-play and all fantasy teams aside. Start him ASAP   Cody Franson, Buffalo- have any of you cut bait already with the Toronto/Nashville castoff after a slow start to his Buffalo career? The truth of the matter is, that the offensive minded rearguard drives coaches crazy with his lack of commitment to the decisive zone. However, he has more than proven that he is s very valuable pp asset and that's what most fantasy owners care about. His seven points have all come over the last nine games so he is definitely on the rise. Don't sleep on him   TJ Brodie, Calgary- the youngster has played superb since returning from injury, collecting 4 points in 7 games while logging over 24 minutes a night. The surplus of scoring defenseman for the Flames does lessen our expectations for Brodie, but it's not like new acquisition Dougie Hamilton is lighting it up. For now, Brodie will be relegated to 2nd pp minutes but that could change in a hurry. On the rise   Tobias Enstrom, Winnipeg- four points over the last five games doesn't make up for a huge scoring slide by Enstrom over the last few years. However, two time 50-point d-men don't grow on trees and he can still go on decent streaks. Never the quickest starter, the "pick up and stash" option could be the way to go with the 31-year old. Don't expect him to revert back to his elite point days but he could surprise moving forward. On the rebound?

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...

Seabrook missed the last three games after being suspended for a hit that knocked David Backes out in Game 2. After two games in the series, Seabrook was leading all Chicago skaters with four points (2G / 2A), and still ranks third on the team. However, anyone who watches the team knows his value goes far beyond offense, as his leadership and his chemistry with defensive partner Duncan Keith cannot be overstated.

The way discipline has been going so far in the playoffs may work in his favour. Seabrook received a game misconduct for the hit.

Huge blow for the Hawks as Seabrook will be eligible to return Game 6.

As of 1/6/14: Top Ten Fantasy Defensemen Over the Last 15 days Ryan Suter, Min             7GP--5G--4A--2PPG--1PPA Team USA's best two-way rearguard was just named the third star of the week, leading all NHL defensemen with four goals and six points in three games. His "hat trick" against Washington was the first by a NHL blueliner in over three years. How good has he been? He has only been held off the score sheet once in his last 12 games. Duncan Keith, Chi          7GP--0G--10A--2PPA For those fantasy owners thinking to "sell high" at some point on Keith, think again. Chicago's electrifying d-man leads all NHL defensemen with 42 points, including a staggering 17 points in his last 13 contests. The Norris Trophy front-runner has been an absolute assist machine for the high-octane Blackhawks, and despite his low goal totals, he has been scoring at close to a point-per-game pace all season. Start him with extreme confidence. Kevin Shattenkirk, StL    6GP--2G--4A--2PPG--2PPA With at least a point in 8 of his last 9 games, the prolific blueliner has 6 goals and 31 points in 40 games for the St. Louis Blues. After starting his NHL career with consecutive 43-point seasons, his numbers took a dip in his third year (23 points/48 games). Now in Year 4, typically the "breakout" season for many d-men, Shattenkirk has taken his game to new heights and now looks poised to surpass the 50-point mark for the first time. Brent Seabrook, Chi       7GP--2G--5A--1PPG--1PPA Quite honestly one of Team Canada's biggest snubs for the upcoming Olympic team, this sensational two-way defender has flourished alongside Duncan Keith as Chicago's top pairing and has rung up plenty of points despite secondary power-play time. With 31 points in 45 games, Seabrook stands to set career-highs in point production, but keep in mind that he has only surpassed 40+ points (48/'10-11) once in his eight-year NHL career. I would have pegged him for a decent "sell-high" fantasy option, but maybe being left off the initial Canadian Olympic roster will serve as huge motivation for him to continue his "hot" scoring. Hold onto him. Keith Yandle, Pho           6GP--2G--4A--1PPA  Speaking of Olympic snubs, this slick American defenseman is perennially among the league leaders in d-men scoring. With 28 points in 41 games, Yandle played an extremely spirited game immediately following the bad news of his omission from Team USA, playing over 30 minutes, firing 7 shots on goal and even getting into a few...

Chicago Blackhawks: Overrated: Brent Seabrook    One 40+ pt. season in his 8-year career. Will most likely lose top power-play time to Nick Leddy Underrated: Patrick Sharp      Prior to injury-plagued 2012/13 campaign, scored 67 goals in two seasons. Consistent scoring threat. Colorado Avalanche: Overrated: Erik Johnson            Still waiting for the former overall no.1 pick to live up to his potential. Huge fantasy bust. Underrated: P.A. Parenteau     His 43 points in 48 games proved he doesn't need John Tavares. Borderline point-per-game producer Dallas Stars: Overrated: Alex Goligoski        Don't get me wrong. Should be a lock for 40, but this d-man is not consistent enough to warrant fantasy elite status Underrated: Jamie Benn         Move to wing and chance to play with Tyler Seguin could result in breakout season Minnesota Wild: Overrated: Dany Heatley No longer the sure-fire 40-50 goal scorer, but has settled in a decent secondary threat. Parise is clearly the Wild's best LW. Period. Underrated: Mikko Koivu Not an elite point-producer, but could flourish while playing with Parise in Year 2. 70-75 point upside if he stays healthy.

PRIME TIME FANTASY STARS OF GAME 4: The real prime time star of the game last night should be Chicago Coach Joel Quenville who realized the error of his ways and put Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews together on a line with Bryan Bickell. They combined for 2 goals and 3 assists in Chicago's 6 to 5 overtime victory. Kane is our first star of the game as he was outstanding all game long, and he had a goal and assisted on Brent Seabrook's game winner in overtime. Kane had 55 points in the regular season in 47 games, and if Chicago is going to win this series and hoist the Cup, he and Toews are going to have to produce like they did last night. He had 4 shots on goal and was all over the ice. Our second star in a losing effort is Patrice Bergeron for Boston, who was a serious threat all night with 2 goals and read more

BRENT SEABROOK-D-CHICAGO The 28-year old defenseman has been quiet offensively during the 2013 playoffs, but his huge overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 sends Chicago to the Western Conference Finals. Despite the heroics, Seabrook has been a fantasy disappointment with only two points in the post-season. However, there is a glimmer of hope- both points have come in the last three games, where Seabrook has been back on the top defensive pairing with his long-time partner, Duncan Keith. We like him as a sleeper pick for the next round.

MEET PRIMEPUCKS! If you would like to meet Mike, Ray and Steve of PrimePucks, join them at El Rio Grande restaurant and bar (located on the southwest corner of 38th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan on Wednesday, May 15th from 5:00 pm until ???. They will gladly talk pucks until your ears fall off! DETROIT vs. CHICAGO FANTASY MUST-STARTS: Chicago: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford Detroit: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall, Jimmy Howard SLEEPERS: Chicago: Brandon Saad, Brent Seabrook Detroit: Damien Brunner, Dan Cleary read more