Stewart took a puck to the face early in Monday's game and did not return. Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock did not rule Stewart out for tonight's game, so monitor his status prior to puck-drop.

Mark Scheifele- Winnipeg Jets, C (Owned in 41.5% of ESPN leagues) The 20-year old rookie has taken the NHL by storm lately, as he is currently on a six-game scoring streak (3G/5A). Playing on a second line with the surging Evander Kane has given him the additional firepower he needed to take off, so Scheifele is definitely on the rise. The former 7th overall pick of the 2011 possesses an elite skill-set with huge upside, which means he merits serious fantasy consideration. Chris Stewart- St. Louis Blues, RW (Owned in 63.9% of ESPN leagues) In his last 6 games, the "sizzling" winger has collected 8 goals and 2 assists for the Blues. As streaky as they come, Stewart is one of the few available free-agent forwards with game-changing fantasy potential. Play him while he is hot, as he puts up elite numbers. In '12-13, he scored 25 points in 26 games during Feb/March. Travis Zajac-New Jersey Devils, C (Owned in 34.6% of ESPN leagues) The 2-time 60-point producer between '08-'10 could be a sneaky fantasy pick off the wire if you need help on offense. Patrick Elias has been the most consistent Devil's forward, but Zajac has been right there with 2G/5A in the last 7 games. Jersey is showing some offensive spark in recent games with a few lines rolling, so he might be worth a shot. Jack Johnson- Columbus Blue Jackets, D (owned in 45.5 % of ESPN leagues) Going 15 games without scoring a single point will get you dropped in most fantasy leagues, but the 26-year old d-man is showing signs of life with 4 assists in the last 6 games. A definitive fantasy bust so far with 9 points in 36 games, Johnson still gets a boat-load of ice-time, including on the top power-play, so maybe you can get your hands on a potential no.2/3 fantasy option on the cheap. Act now if you have room on your bench. Eddie Lack- Vancouver Canucks, G (owned in 13.4% of ESPN fantasy leagues) Simply put, If Roberto Luongo is out for an extended period of time due to his injury last night, the young Lack is fantasy gold. He has delivered great results as the Canuck's back-up netminder, going 6-2 with a 1.93 GAA and a .928 SP.

Good morning all! We have a new overall points leader in the NHL this morning; The Anaheim Ducks. This Martin Jones kid is pretty spectacular, isn't he? I always wondered when Antoine Vermette was going to have that one really good season. Maybe this is the year.  Congrats on his hat trick last night. The Senators really need one of their goaltenders to step up here. The only two players on the Phoenix Coytotes to get less playing time yesterday than Colonel Klinkhammer were Kyle Chipchura and Jordan Szwarz. That was probably due to the fact that it was easier to say, "Hey Klinkhammer!  Get in there!"  Plus it sounds way cooler. Two Colorado Avalanche players woke up this past week: Paul Stastny and Ryan O'Reilly. Is Jarome Iginla waking up at this time of year like he usually does? He 7 points in 9 December games. It's ‘Feast or Famine' with Joffrey Lupul isn't it? The Detroit Red Wings are still scary to play against and I wouldn't want to play them come playoff time. Tampa Bay really hasn't skipped a beat while Steven Stamkos has been out. Just wait when he does get back in the lineup.  Ben Bishop has been phenomenal in net this year which makes you wonder why he was traded around so much so early in his career. HE's everything you ever want in a goaltender.  He's tall, big and can move. The Anaheim Ducks beat down the NY Islanders with a four-goal third period on the Island last night. Ugh-leeeee! Perry and Getzlaf. Getzlaf and Perry.  They are having one amazingly productive year.  I hope it's not another 19 games before Temmu scores again. This Islander team needs to send out an SOS because it looks like they are stranded on Long Island. The New Jersey Devils scored 5 goals last night. They have scored 3 or more goals in 6 of their past 10 games. Jaromir Jagr is leading the way for the Devils. Grab some Devs like Travis Zajac and Andy Greene if available. I saw that the Columbus Blue Jackets scored 6 goals last night and then I read the box score and saw that Marian Gaborik returned to the lineup. If he can stay healthy, they can be a sneaky dangerous team. No amazing comeback for the Flyers in this one against the Blue Jackets. The Canadiens made that game a little tougher than it should've been against the Predators. The Oilers just can't seem to score much lately. During their current 6-game losing streak, they have been shutout 3 times. Chris Stewart is getting hot! Have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day to all. For those who don't ...

Evander Kane returned to the Winnipeg lineup in a big way. EK scored the eventual game-winner and added an assist.  Before his injury, EK had just 7 goals and 7 assists in 26 games, not exactly the superstar stats the team was hoping for.  But there is still plenty of season left and if there is any chance for you to grab EK from a disgruntled owner, make your pitch now, or forever hold your peace... More Fantasy Game Notes: Even though the story should be about the Penguins winning and Sidney Crosby scoring another goal, ho-hum, the real story of the night was sensational rookie/prospect defenseman Morgan Rielly of Toronto scoring his first NHL goal last night against the Pens on the power play. With 10 points in 26 games, it's still a learning process for the youngster.  You should be seeing more of that in the future, but this year is all about growing pains, but the reward at the end of the tunnel looks bright.....Speaking of bright young defensemen, Cody Ceci of the Ottawa Senators gave the team the much-needed two points last night against the visiting St. Louis Blues. Ceci made them blue alright when he scored his first NHL goal in overtime to give Robin Lehner the much-deserved win. Those in keeper/dynasty leagues will want to make sure you get Lehner and Ceci on your squads, with Lehner producing sooner than Ceci....If you are looking for goals and want to take a chance, Chris Stewart just may be the streaky, goal-scoring winger that you are looking for on the cheap. With 2 goals last night against the Sens, Stewart now has 4 goals in past 3 games.  He is as streaky as they come....Paul Stastny had been quiet as a church mouse during Christmas holiday, not scoring for 9 straight games, but last night Mr. Stastny woke up from his slumber with a 2-goal, 2-assist effort against the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen had a night to forget as he let in 6 goals on 48 shots. You would think with a 42-save effort that he had a good night, but it was goodnight alright in the 2nd period as the Avs broke the game open with 4 unanswered goals. Stastny makes for a good 6th forward on your fantasy team, but you may have to put up with his streakiness. Both Stastny and P.A. Parenteau may be good ‘buy-low' candidates but don't expect too much as both have 21 points in 32/30 games played respectively....Tyler Seguin followed up his 4-point effort with a goal and an assist against the Avalanche.

Evander Kane returned to the Winnipeg lineup in a big way. EK scored the eventual game-winner and added an assist.  Before his injury, EK had just 7 goals and 7 assists in 26 games, not exactly the superstar stats the team was hoping for.  But there is still plenty of season left and if there is any chance for you to grab EK from a disgruntled owner, make your pitch now, or forever hold your peace... More Fantasy Game Notes: Even though the story should be about the Penguins winning and Sidney Crosby scoring another goal, ho-hum, the real story of the night was sensational rookie/prospect defenseman Morgan Rielly of Toronto scoring his first NHL goal last night against the Pens on the power play. With 10 points in 26 games, it's still a learning process for the youngster.  You should be seeing more of that in the future, but this year is all about growing pains, but the reward at the end of the tunnel looks bright.....Speaking of bright young defensemen, Cody Ceci of the Ottawa Senators gave the team the much-needed two points last night against the visiting St. Louis Blues. Ceci made them blue alright when he scored his first NHL goal in overtime to give Robin Lehner the much-deserved win. Those in keeper/dynasty leagues will want to make sure you get Lehner and Ceci on your squads, with Lehner producing sooner than Ceci....If you are looking for goals and want to take a chance, Chris Stewart just may be the streaky, goal-scoring winger that you are looking for on the cheap. With 2 goals last night against the Sens, Stewart now has 4 goals in past 3 games.  He is as streaky as they come....Paul Stastny had been quiet as a church mouse during Christmas holiday, not scoring for 9 straight games, but last night Mr. Stastny woke up from his slumber with a 2-goal, 2-assist effort against the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen had a night to forget as he let in 6 goals on 48 shots. You would think with a 42-save effort that he had a good night, but it was goodnight alright in the 2nd period as the Avs broke the game open with 4 unanswered goals. Stastny makes for a good 6th forward on your fantasy team, but you may have to put up with his streakiness. Both Stastny and P.A. Parenteau may be good ‘buy-low' candidates but don't expect too much as both have 21 points in 32/30 games played respectively....Tyler Seguin followed up his 4-point effort with a goal and an assist against the Avalanche.

Stewart told head coach Ken Hitchcock that he thinks he can go tonight. If he can not play Adam Cracknell would enter the lineup. Stewart has struggled to three goals and four assists in 19 games this season.

Another busy night in the NHL as there were 9 games played. A suprising number of them went either to overtime or the shootout, six out of the nine.  It shows how difficult it is to win in the league this day.  Dallas suprised the Bruins with a 3-2 win in a shootout.  Stars left wing Jamie Benn had a goal for the Stars and he has a 5-9-14 record on the year in 15 games played. We view Benn as a point per game player.  Boston defenseman Torey Krug had a goal, and he has 5 goals and 8 points on the season. Krug played 4:35 minutes last night on the power play for Boston, so they love him there.  Pick him up if you can.  Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen was strong in net for Dallas with 34 saves. Now that he is healthy again he is a solid goalie pick...The Capitals are beginning to heat up again like they did last year.  Right wing Alexander Ovechkin returned from missing several games with 2 PP goals and an assist. Get him right back into your lineup. Capitals center Niklas Backstrom had a big night with 3 assists. Backstrom has 19 points on the season in 15 games.  I wish he had scored like this last year when I owned him.  Center Marcus Johansson scored his first goal of the season for Washington, but he does have 11 points this year. He is a good pickup if available in your pool.  New York forwards Kyle Okposo and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist, and Okposo is finally having a breakout year with 19 points and a plus 7. Karlsson the king: In one of the games that were not close Ottawa beat the tumbling Blue Jackets 4-1. Senators' defenseman Erik Karlsson had 2 goals and he is scoring like a forward with 17 points in 15 games. Karlsson is the best fantasy defenseman in the NHL.  Ottawa center Jason Spezza had 2 assists, and as long as he stays healthy he is an elite fantasy forward. He has 16 points in 14 games this year. The interesting player for Ottawa is young forward Kyle Turris. Turris is quietly having a solid season with 15 points in 15 games.  While he has only 2 goals scored, he is quietly racking up assists.  Get him if you can. Steen is still a dream: St. Louis beat Montreal 3-2 in a shootout last night. Blues forward Alexander Steen scored a goal again. He has 13 goals in 13 games played, and 19 points.  It is hard to believe that he will keep this pace going.  St. Louis forward Chris Stewart had a goal and he seems to be waking up a bit. He did have 64 points one season a few years ago.  He has only 5 points on the season, but he ...

Another busy night in the NHL as there were 9 games played. A suprising number of them went either to overtime or the shootout, six out of the nine.  It shows how difficult it is to win in the league this day.  Dallas suprised the Bruins with a 3-2 win in a shootout.  Stars left wing Jamie Benn had a goal for the Stars and he has a 5-9-14 record on the year in 15 games played. We view Benn as a point per game player.  Boston defenseman Torey Krug had a goal, and he has 5 goals and 8 points on the season. Krug played 4:35 minutes last night on the power play for Boston, so they love him there.  Pick him up if you can.  Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen was strong in net for Dallas with 34 saves. Now that he is healthy again he is a solid goalie pick...The Capitals are beginning to heat up again like they did last year.  Right wing Alexander Ovechkin returned from missing several games with 2 PP goals and an assist. Get him right back into your lineup. Capitals center Niklas Backstrom had a big night with 3 assists. Backstrom has 19 points on the season in 15 games.  I wish he had scored like this last year when I owned him.  Center Marcus Johansson scored his first goal of the season for Washington, but he does have 11 points this year. He is a good pickup if available in your pool.  New York forwards Kyle Okposo and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist, and Okposo is finally having a breakout year with 19 points and a plus 7. Karlsson the king: In one of the games that were not close Ottawa beat the tumbling Blue Jackets 4-1. Senators' defenseman Erik Karlsson had 2 goals and he is scoring like a forward with 17 points in 15 games. Karlsson is the best fantasy defenseman in the NHL.  Ottawa center Jason Spezza had 2 assists, and as long as he stays healthy he is an elite fantasy forward. He has 16 points in 14 games this year. The interesting player for Ottawa is young forward Kyle Turris. Turris is quietly having a solid season with 15 points in 15 games.  While he has only 2 goals scored, he is quietly racking up assists.  Get him if you can. Steen is still a dream: St. Louis beat Montreal 3-2 in a shootout last night. Blues forward Alexander Steen scored a goal again. He has 13 goals in 13 games played, and 19 points.  It is hard to believe that he will keep this pace going.  St. Louis forward Chris Stewart had a goal and he seems to be waking up a bit. He did have 64 points one season a few years ago.  He has only 5 points on the season, but he ...

I have my coffee and ready to roll. What happened to Joey Crabb? Where did he go? A wild shootout in the desert yesterday afternoon.  I didn't know the Coyotes had it in them.  Oilers, yes.  Coyotes, no. RNH has rebounded nicely after last year's lost season. Rob Klinkhammer is more of a wrestling name than a hockey name. It's shame he didn't score in that Edmonton/Phoenix game. That's three games in a row with 6 SOG for David Perron. What a devil! Speaking of the devil, New Jersey pulled an unlikely upset of the Boston Bruins last night. Or was it old-timers day as Jarome Iginla (G, 2A), Jaromir Jagr (2A), Marek Zidlicky (G) & Martin Brodeur (W) all were prominent figures in the game. Give them the day off today, pleeease! Big shutdown night as Crosby and Ovechkin were both held without a point with Stamkos & Malkin only 1 assist each. That Phil Kessel is something else. Logan Couture is heating up for what should be a career year. Antti Niemi and Tuukka Rask will surely battle until the very last day for top goaltender honors, barring injury of course. Carey Price was terrific in net again last night, but his team couldn't gain any momentum in the game. Once Pacioretty returns, Price will get on a winning streak if he continues to play this way. Jimmy Howard has been struggling since his return from injury. He's lost 4 in a row.  Try to grab him on the cheap. There are only 8 teams with a record under .500 in the NHL. Johan Franzen had 7 SOG in the game against the Rangers; showing that he's not so stubborn to shoot the puck after two straight games with none. Top shooter on the Rangers? Anton Stralman. Yikes. Patrick Roy has done an amazing job in Colorado so far. Let's see how long this lasts. The Sabres just can't score. Perhaps they need to change coaches again. Poor Thomas Vanek. The Philadelphia Flyers are turning it around and Steve Mason is finally getting the wins that he deserves.   It helps that everyone is back in the lineup too. These young Islanders are looking good so far this year: Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. You know besides JT & Matt Moulson. Nielsen is tied for third in league scoring.  Just thought you'd like to know that. I think Lecavalier likes playing in Philly. What do you think? Standings are finally forming into what they should be except I have to do a double take each time I see the Avalanche at the top of the Central. I definitely did not expect to see a 2-1 Shootout game in the Winnipeg/Dallas game. There are too ...

The 25-year-old Stewart was a restricted free agent after leading the team in scoring. He played in all 48 games and had 36 points, including 18 goals. Stewart was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Monday that now isn't necessary. Stewart has 100 goals and 202 points in 319 career NHL games, including 48 goals and 89 points in 153 games with the Blues.