David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins agreed on a 6-year deal worth a cool $40 million with an annual cap hit of around $6.67 mil.  Not too shabby.   There were indications he was looking for more money and more term but this apparently helps out the club with the cap space. Pastrnak had himself a huge breakout with 34 goals and 70 points in 75 NHL games last season and will be one of the main guns again for the B’s alongside Brad Marchand.  With training camps starting this week, don’t hesitate now to select Pastrnak in your fantasy pool now that he is signed…   Winnipeg Jet Bryan Little signed a six-year extension deal with the club.  The 10-year veteran center is a fantasy producer but only if he remains healthy.  He last played 82 games in 2013-2014 and has only approached that total 2 other times and those were in his 2nd and 3rd years.  He had 47 points in 59 games last season and the year prior had 42 in 57.  If he can remain in the lineup, especially this potent Jets lineup, he should get you 60 points playing a full season.  Should be avaialble in the later rounds, so don't hesitate to grab him if he is left hanging around and you need depth.

ADD’EM 3/19/2017 Jaccob Slavin (29.5%), Elias Lindholm (13.6%), Jordan Staal (35.7%), Brayden Point (7.0%), Josh Ho-Sang (9.8%), Bryan Little (54.8%), Tomas Tatar (31.2%), Thomas Vanek (41.4%) We’ll start with the only defenseman on our list and that is Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes.  I was tempted last week to pick up the relatively unknown Canes defenseman being that he had 5 games on the slate this past week but shied away.  That was a big mistake as he went 3-3-6 in the past 4 games.  With just 3 games in the upcoming week and them all being away from home, don’t expect the same type of output but since he has the hot hand right now and if you’re in need of scoring, you might need to take that chance.  Zdeno Chara (64.2%) gets honorable mention here if you are looking for a more experienced d-man.  3 points in last 34 games with 4 games on the schedule this week. Nothing could be finer than to stick with Carolina this morning.  Jordan Staal and Elias Lindholm are reputable forwards that have been scoring consistently of late and could give your team a boost.  As mentioned above, the Canes have 3 away games on the schedule, at Florida, at Montreal and at New Jersey, so they have their work cut out for them against formidable foes in the first two games then a relatively easier matchup against the Devils to cap off their week.  Both forwards have 4 points in their last 4 games so should get some consideration for lack of better options. Traveling south we head to the Sunshine State of Florida.  Thomas Vanek and Brayden Point are too very good options out there, one of which, Point, has taken on more responsibility with all the injuries in Tampa Bay going 3-2-5 in last 4 games while the cagey veteran Vanek, recently acquired by the Florida Panthers, has 6 assists in last 4 games, playing with some very talented youngsters in Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov.  Not to mention Jaromir Jagr, who is even older than Vanek.  Both teams have 3 games on their schedule this week with Florida playing all 3 of theirs at home.  With the Florida teams fighting for that last playoff spot, you know the effort will be there. Tomas Tatar of the Detroit Red Wings has been such a disappointment this season but ever since the return of Gustav Nyquist from his 6-game suspension, Tatar has been starting to live up to expectations.  It just took too long for fantasy owners who relied on the young talented winger to provide close to a career season.  3 goals...

ADD’EM: CRAZY EIGHTS After the All-Star break, fantasy teams look for those players who can push their team over the top in their chase for the championship.  Sifting through the waiver wire can produce some gems if you weed carefully. Players on teams fighting for a playoff spot are more desirable than those who are already destined to participate in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs.  PrimePucks™ will take a look at 8 players who can possibly enhance your team’s efforts down the homestretch. Let’s start with 2 players who can produce better than a point-per-game but are known for getting injured quite easily.  Winnipeg’s Bryan Little (55.4%) and ex-Winnipeg and current Buffalo Sabre Evander Kane (42.8%) are owned by quite a few fantasy clubs who are holding on with the hope that these players can reach their true potential as they help their respective NHL clubs fight for a playoff spot.  Little has already been injured this season and has played in only 29 games but has 26 points split evenly between goals and assists.  Little would be a constant inclusion in your fantasy lineup as he is a point-per-game candidate but, along with Kane, need to ward off the injury demon.  Kane on the other hand is an enigma as he possesses sick offensive skills but has never fully shown those on a consistent basis, causing his fantasy owners to continually pull their hair in frustration. The Sabre has also battled injury this year and has played in only 37 games.  With Jack Eichel back from an early season injury and the Sabres desperate to reach the post-season, perhaps some much-needed chemistry will occur and all that potential comes pouring out.  Enjoy their production while healthy but be ready with a backup plan just in case. PLAYER TEAM ESPN  % OWNED GAMES   PLAYED     ACTUAL NHL STATS (PTS/GL) PRIMEPUCKS™ FORECAST (PTS/GL) B. LITTLE WPG 55.4 29 26/13 50/18 E. KANE BUF 42.8 37 23/14 44/17 A.BURAKOVSKY WAS 24.5 46 27/10 56/24 R. VRBATA ARZ 26.0 48 34/11 39/18 J. ZUCKER MIN 34.7 48 33/14 29/12 J. BAILEY NYI 18.1 47 32/8 36/14 A.LEE NYI 24.8 46 25/17 48/22 V. FILPPULA TB 20.3 48 32/7 36/10   One of the up-and-coming stars is getting red-hot at the right time after a very slow start to the season.  Andre Burakovsky (24.5%) of the Washington Capitals is often overlooked as he plays behind Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, TJ Oshie, Justin Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov, to name a few, but the budding star has been on fire since his sit down a few weeks back.  With 12 ...

This week's premium waiver adds begin in Nashville where a scorching line of Filip Forsberg- Mike Ribeiro- Craig Smith have taken the NHL by storm. What's lucky for most fantasy owners is that 2/3 of this unit is readily available for scooping up. Ribeiro and Smith are both on 4-gam point streaks respectively, while scoring on a point per game clip over the last 15 contests. If you need goals, go with Smith. If you need assists, go with Ribeiro. These 2 should keep sizzling while rolling with Forsberg.  I am loving Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele lately as he has emerged as a main offensive weapon for the Jets after the loss of Andrew Ladd to trade and Bryan Little to injury. All the 21- year old had done has scored 6 goals over the last three games, including a hat trick on Saturday night. He might be a year or two away from a huge breakout, but he should flirt with a PPG clip over the last 20 games or so. 

On a night when Washington coach Barry Trotz returned to the city where he coached for 17 years, we need to start with the monster effort by Kyle Okposo. His natural hat trick in the third period culminated in a 4-goal effort leading the Metropolitan Division front-running Islanders over the Penguins. Frankly,he was in extreme "beast" mode, boding well for his fantasy owners as Okposo and John Tavares(3A) should serve up huge numbers in the second half. Ever since the duo has clicked last season, Okposo finally realized his scoring potential and now stands as a legitimate point-per-game performer. His career-high of 69 points should be "toast" if he can stay healthy... Now on to Mr. Trotz! He was greeted with a warm welcome from the Nashville fans, but that's where the red carpet ended as the Predators scored two late goals to defeat Washington 4-3. James Neal provided the game-winning tally with a few minutes left, giving him four points in two games since returning from injury. That second line of Neal-Wilson-Fisher has been scorching, so ride your hot Preds while they are streaking. There seems to be no end to the new-found offense that has been on display under new coach Peter Laviolette,,, "Hutch" is clutch for Winnipeg as the Jet's goalie Michael Hutchinson lead the Jets to their third road win over the Chicago Blackhawks this season. While not officially tabbed as their full-time starter, the youngster has been as solid as any NHL goalie so far and barring a huge breakdown, should continue to get the majority of starts on a team all of a sudden in playoff contention.. Bryan Little collected a goal and an assist, raiaing his totals to 15 points over the last 13 games. As streaky as they come, make sure you are benefitting from his torrid streak and keep him active until further notice... Quick Notes: Center Derek Stepan returned to the New York Rangers just in time to help them end their 2-game losing streak in the 2-1 win over Columbus. His two assists has him squarely on a point-per-game pace with 29 points in 29 games. An undercover "star in the making", play him with confidence as he has fully flourished this season..Goalie Cory Schneider left the game last night between New Jersey and Anaheim with an apparent head injury after the first period. Monitor the situation as Schneider has truly been one of the NHL's biggest workhorses in 2014-15, despite average numbers at best.. Ryan Johansen extended his point streak to 12 games with an assist. ...

Most important news of the night was that Corey Perry left the game with an apparent knee injury on a check along the side boards. The seriousness of his injury is not known at this time but after a sensational start to the season, Perry will continue to travel with the team, so the eseverity of his injury might not be that bad.  This injury, and his recent bout with the mumps and I'm sure Perry can't wait for the new year to begin.... Anaheim Duck G Frederik Andersen (21/25 SV) didn't have his best game but managed to play well enough for his 13th win on the season. With the recent tryout of one-time Duck Ilya Bryzgalov and rookie John Gibson still recovering from a lower-body injury, it appears that Andersen will be manning the crease for the foreseeable future.  If, and when, Bryzgalov signs, Gibson seems to be headed for the minors to develop his game once he returns from injury.... Minnesota G Darcy Kuemper (13/18 SV) didn't have his best game either as he was pulled after letting in all 5 goals in the Ducks 5-4 win over the Wild. Kuemper's play has been off-and-on lately going 3-3-0 in last 6 starts.  The Wild need consistent play form their net minders and with Josh Harding lurking in the AHL, Kuemper's days as the undisputed no. 1 in Minnesota may be drawing to a close.... The good thing to come out of this game was the play of Ryan Kesler who had 2 goals and an assist. Kesler will need to bring his ‘A' game as Perry could be out of the lineup for a period of time depending on the severity of his injury.... Winnipeg G Michael Hutchinson (20/22 SV) is not making it easy for the Jets coaching staff not to play him more regularly as he put in another superb performance by allowing just 2 goals or less in a game for the sixth straight start. Ondrej Pavelec owners need to grab him as a handcuff pronto.....The line of Bryan Little (3G, A), Andrew Ladd (G, 2A) and Blake Wheeler (3A) were the offensive stars of the game. Perhaps the Colorado Avalanche were exactly what the doctor ordered for the Jets' offense and is a sign of things for Winnipeg forwards.... The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on a last minute goal by Brandon Saad who now has 3 points in the last 3 games showing signs of breaking out of an early season slump....Kris Versteeg continued his resurgence as a Blackhawk with another power play assist, making that 8 points in last 5 games and 22 points in 22 games. Perhaps the imminent return of Patrick Sharp will slow ...

*** 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

Last year was probably as far away from what every fan and the coaching staff expected as you can get. Evander Kane getting injured and then trade rumors didn't help matters. Ondrej Pavelec had his worse career performance since his early days in Atlanta, posting .901 SP and a 3.01 GAA. Two big reasons why the Jets failed to qualify for the playoffs for 7 seasons as franchises of Winnipeg and Atlanta.  The only player left from that playoff team is Center Jim Slater. The team's roster doesn't have much in the way of players with playoff experience.  Perhaps that is something the coaching staff needs to take a look at. GOALIES We all know the importance of steady goaltending when it comes to the emotional stability of a team. Pavelec hasn't been that rock in net for the Jets as he has some up and down seasons so far in his young career.  In fact, it has been more down than up especially when his metrics are usually below average.  It has been said that Pavs has been working hard in the off-season.  I wonder if Michael Hutchinson put a scare into him with his amazing 3-game audition at the end of the season. All Hutchinson did was post a 2-1-0 record with a .943 SP and 1.64 GAA.  Now, no one should expect those types of numbers again, especially since that is all of his NHL experience, but he is 24 years old and will get a chance to steal the starting job since Pavelec has been anything but that solid starter every playoff team needs in the crease. Keep an eye on this situation in camp and the start of the season.  With Pavelec, the team is going to have to support him night-in and night-out, but with Hutchinson in net, he may be able to steal a few games and the offense won't have to be constantly counted on to bail Pavelec out.. DEFENSE There is no lack of blue line talent with this crew. Led by Dustin Byfuglien, who may or may not be a RW this season, the jets have a plethora of offensive-minded d-men patrolling the back end. Buff brings the grit along with the capability to score 20 goals. Then there is Tobias Enstrom, who should respond from a down year. The talented Swede only scored 30 points, his lowest total ever.  Then there are the two youngsters, Zach Bogosian and Jacob Trouba, who were 1st round draft picks, selected 3rd and 9th overall respectively. Both can score, but with Buff and Enstrom ahead of them, expect only secondary scoring.  Paul Postma and Grant Clitsome are your stay-at-home defensemen, so no fantasy value there. FORWARDS There...

Prior to the coaching shakeup in Winnipeg, one of former coach Claude Noel's final moves to ignite his struggling team was moving All-Star defenseman Dustin Byfuglien to forward. The reasoning behind the move made some practical hockey sense as the bulky skater played wing during Chicago's 2010 playoff run with impressive results. His conditioning issues led to Noel wanting to limit his minutes. By shifting his position, he hoped that playing him on the top line with Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little would maximize his elite offensive skills with less "wear and tear" to his game. Coach Paul Maurice utilized him at the forward spot in his debut game behind the Winnipeg bench, a 5-1 win over Phoenix. What does it mean for fantasy owners? Having dual eligibility at both D and F enhances Byfuglien's overall fantasy value, but playing on the Jet's primary scoring line could even boost his already impressive numbers. At this moment, he is the third rated fantasy d-man and has been "on fire" with 11 points (4G/7A) in his last 10 games. A few factors including the Team USA snub, extended rest during the Olympic break, and less minutes played if he stays at forward should contribute to a strong finish. "Big Buff" is looking like a strong top 3-5 fantasy option on defense the rest of the way, even if he has played his last game on "D" for the season. Parting Shots: After Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson left last night's game with a back injury, it was young Tyson Barrie who "stole the show" with two goals, including the game-winner in overtime against the mighty Blackhawks. Barrie's fantasy value will receive a huge boost if Johnson is out for an extended period of time, but his offensive production has been rising with his recent 3-game point streak. The talented 22-year old is well worth a waiver-wire grab if available.. After a "down" sophomore season so far, Edmonton's Justin Schultz is getting hot lately with 7 points (2G/5A) in his last 10 games. With the young Edmonton offensive guns staying home through the Sochi games, Schultz could have a huge rebound in the second half.. With 25 points in 47 games, veteran Marek Zidlicky has given the New Jersey Devils a huge scoring jolt with 8 points in the last 10 games. The Czech defender might fade a bit but should be a lock for 40 points. A solid 3rd defensive option in all fantasy formats.. Maybe take a flier on youngster Calvin de Haan, who has collected 7 points in 5 games since his AHL promotion to the Islanders....

Ten games in the NHL yesterday. Tampa Bay and the Flyers kicked things off as the Lightning beat Philadelphia 6-3.  Valtteri Filppula had a goal and an assist for Tampa. He now has 18 goals and 36 points on the season.  His name is hard to spell, and he is a waiver wire type player.  Flyer goaltender Steve Mason had a night to forget as he allowed 5 goals on only 17 shots. Sometimes you have games like that.  He is still having a good year with 18 wins.  Jakub Voracek had 2 goals for the Flyers, and while he has only 32 points on the season, he has been hot lately with 5 points in his last 4 games...Montreal beat Chicago 2-1 in OT as veteran defenseman Andre Markov scored both goals for the Canadians.  Markov has been overshadowed by fellow defenseman P K Subban, but he can still bring it with 24 points on the season... New Jersey beat Florida in OT as well as defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored the game winner.   Like Markov, Zidlicky is an old veteran who can still rack up points.  He has 24 on the year.  Devils forward Michael Ryder scored the other goal.  He has scored a goal in 4 straight games, and he has 7 points in his last 7 games.   He once scored 62 points for Dallas.  Grab him while he's hot....Ottawa beat Nashville 2-1 in a shootout, as Senators goalie Craig Anderson was outstanding with 32 saves.  After a brutal start to the season, Anderson has been steadily improving, and he now has 15 wins on the year.  Ottawa's Kyle Turris scored a goal, and with 34 points on the season he is worth a look as a 6th forward option. At 24 years old he can still get better...Columbus pounded Winnipeg 6-3.  Bryan Little had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets.  Little is a lot like Turris, just on the edge of being fantasy worthy...  Colorado beat the Wild 4-2 as young forward Ryan O'Reilly had 2 goals for the Avalanche. We like O'Reilly, but with only 30 points on the season we can't recommend him yet.  He is only 22 years old.  He has 70 point potential in a year or two.  Paul Stastny left the game with an injury...Anaheim continued its winning ways with a 5-3 win over Phoenix. Ryan Getzlaf left the game with a LBI.  Mathieu Perreault had 3 assists for the Ducks, and while he has only 25 points on the season, he has been hot lately with 6 points in his last 3 games. Radim Vrbata had 3 assists for Phoenix. Vrbata is another one of those marginal 6th forwards...In a tight close checking game Pittsburgh beat Calgary 2-1 as Penguin forward Chris Kunitz ...