Wideman left Wednesday's win after playing 12:08 and did not return. With Wideman sidelined for awhile, the Flames have recalled Tyler Wotherspoon, who will make his NHL debut tonight.

With the NHL season on "hold", I am deviating from reviewing the top-ten overall fantasy defensemen because it's the easy thing to do. I found it way more valuable to focus on which blueliners have been leading the "pack" over the last month, considering overall stats can be misleading to fantasy owners looking to upgrade their talent. Let's start off with the 10th to 6th ranked d-men over the last 30 days, giving us a few unfamiliar names to ponder as we all try to grab the fantasy hockey hardware: 10. Dustin Byfuglien, Wpg: 4 G, 5 A, 1 PPG, 3 PPA Heading into the Olympic break with 2 straight games with a goal and a combined 14 shots, the conversion to the power forward position might be finally paying off for this hard-shooting Jet. "Big Buff" has collected just 2 goals and 2 assists over the previous 10 games, but he still ranks third amongst fantasy-eligible defensemen in points scored with 43. The next few weeks off should help as he should continue to be among the elite fantasy options on defense, even though he is being utilized as a forward. You figure it out, but I am sure Byfuglien fantasy owners aren't complaining. 9. Tyson Barrie, Col: 4 G, 7 A, 1 PPG His first 3-point night of his NHL career on Saturday had many fantasy owners moving to pick up the young Colorado defenseman before the break, but truth be told- Barrie has been among the "hottest" scoring options on the blue-line with 11 points (7G/4A) in the last 14 games. This is a more amazing feat considering the fact that only one of those points were scored on the power-play. With Erik Johnson struggling to score over the last month after a huge surge in early December, Head coach Patrick Roy has again placed more offensive responsibilities on Barrie's shoulders. With that high-octane offense clicking on all cylinders in Colorado, the talented 22-year old is poised for a strong second half of '13-14. A huge breakout can be in store for next season, though. 8. Mark Giordano, Cgy : 4 G, 6 A, 2 PPG The Calgary captain "stormed out of the gate" with 9 points in his first 8 games of the '13-14 season, but a broken ankle which cost him 6 weeks could have ended his breakout season. Instead, Giordano remains the most reliable defensive scoring option in Calgary with 19 points in 32 games since returning from injury. Dennis Wideman has struggled mightily and young T.J. Brodie is not ready to carry the offensive load, so Giordano continues to get top minutes in all scoring situations. Roll...

Nathan Horton- Columbus Blue Jackets, RW(Owned in 68.5% of ESPN leagues) After missing 40 games recovering from shoulder surgery, Horton's debut for his new club on Thursday night was a huge success as he scored the game-winning goal on the power-play against Phoenix. Although he was held scoreless in the following game against St. Louis, the feisty forward is already occupying a spot on the top line with Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov. He is also getting a boatload of power-play minutes which should translate to solid offensive production. Grab him if he is available. The window of opportunity is quickly closing. Shane Doan- Phoenix Coyotes, RW (Owned in 79.5% of ESPN leagues) The Phoenix captain is back for the Coyotes after missing nearly a month due to illness. He was having a great season prior to injury, collecting 23 points in 27 games. The Coyote offense took a dip during his absence, so you know that Head Coach Dave Tippett will again rely on Doan as a primary source of scoring. Never known as a huge point-producer, Doan has scored 60+ points 6 times during his career. Based on his solid numbers in '13-14, he is well worth a waiver pickup. Just like Horton, get him before it's too late. Andrew MacDonald-NYI, D (Owned in 70.6% of ESPN leagues) The 27-year old rearguard has become the Islander's primary scoring option on defense with Lubomir Visnovsky out due to a concussion. Among the "hotter" scoring defensemen flying under the radar,he has collected seven assists in his last seven games. Well worth taking a flier on, but keep in mind that there has been heavy speculation that the impending UFA might be moved before the trading deadline. His fantasy value can drastically plummet if he is moved to a team looking for a quality depth pickup. No power-play time would render his fantasy value marginal at best. Dennis Wideman- Calgary Flames, D (owned in 49.5 % of ESPN leagues) Another injured former All-Star has is back in the fold, as Calgary's best offensive defenseman has returned this week. With 12 points in 24 games, the hard-shooting blueliner was quietly on a 40-point pace. Given the dearth of offensive weapons for the Flames, he will be a big part of their power play moving forward. Pick him up ASAP if you need help on "D". Anton Khudobin- Carolina Hurricanes, D (owned in 22.1% of ESPN leagues) Since coming off the injured reserve, Khudobin has won 3 straight games in net for the Hurricanes. With a 5-0 record and a 1.99 GAA, the...

Wideman has not played since November 27 vs. Chicago. Wideman had a solid first two months of the season posting two goals and 10 assists with a minus-6 rating in 24 games. Expect Shane O'Brien to come out of the lineup for Wideman. Pa

Curtis McElhinney-Columbus Blue Jackets, G (Owned in 35.4% of ESPN leagues) This is a "no-brainer" addition for all Sergei Bobrovsky owners, considering the reigning Vezina winner will be out for 4-5 more weeks. McElhinney was solid between the pipes with a 20-save shutout over Minnesota on Friday, raising his stats to .932 SP and 2.02 GAA. With only a small sample size of 9 games to look at so far, he can't be trusted fully yet but he can be a decent short-term fantasy stopgap on an improving Columbus team. Bobrovsky wasn't exactly lighting the world on "fire" before his injury, so maybe a great stretch by McElhinney can fuel a goaltending controversy. Annti Raanta- Chicago Blackhawks, G (Owned in 16.9% of ESPN leagues) The must-add move of the week is getting your hands on Raanta, who should be starting for Chicago with Corey Crawford out due to injury. The Finnish goalie has been sharp in limited duty, going 3-0-1 with a 2.16 GAA and a .922 SP. His peripheral stats are actually superior to Crawford's, but whether he can maintain that level of play for an extended period of time is another story. That being said, he holds great potential fantasy value if he starts for arguably the best team in the NHL. Mark Giordano- Calgary Flames, D (Owned in 86.5% of ESPN leagues) Read what I wrote in last week's ADD'EM piece: Giordano has been out for the Flames with a broken ankle since October 21, but the talented defenseman practiced with team over the weekend. He could be back as early as later in the week, which would be a big boost to a Calgary power-play which is missing the services of Dennis Wideman for 6-8 weeks. With 9 points in his first 8 games prior to his injury, he was one of the better fantasy defenseman in the NHL. He did score 43 points in '10-11, so the offensive upside is there. If he is available on the waiver-wire, take a chance on him before everybody is aware of his imminent return. Quick! Well, he is back making a huge impact for the Flames, scoring a goal and an assist in the 4-1 win over Phoenix upon his immediate return. Dennis Wideman is out. He is THE MAN in Calgary. Get him if you can. Tomas Tatar- Detroit Red Wings, LW (Owned in 12.6% of ESPN leagues) First it was Gustav Nyquist, and now it's Tomas Tatar's turn to make a favorable fantasy impression with Detroit's superstars out. Last season's AHL playoff MVP has been strutting his skills for the Wings, collecting three goals and two assists in the last five games. While mostly ...

    Marek Mazanec- Nashville Predators, G (Owned in 35.6% of ESPN leagues) Fantasy owners have been hesitant to jump on the Mazanec bandwagon, but he continues to provide stellar goaltending for Nashville during Pekka Rinne's absence. He has allowed 2 goals or fewer in regulation for eight straight starts, while his GAA and SP stand at 2.00 and 932 respectively. With not many starting goalie options readily available in most leagues, he is definitely worth a shot if you need short-term help. ~~Ryan Johansen-Columbus Blue Jackets, C (Owned in 35.4% of ESPN leagues) It's been a long time coming, but it appears that the player tabbed as the future franchise center for Columbus is finally playing up to his vast potential. With 6 points in the last 4 games and 19 points overall, the 22-year old is joining the ranks of the fantasy relevant. He has found a niche on the power-play, as his 8 points with the man-advantage in 27 games have already surpassed his career total of 5 in the previous 2 seasons. With 60-point upside for this season, you should snatch up this rising star. Gustav Nyquist- Detroit Red Wings, C (Owned in 36.9% of ESPN leagues) Nyquist has been an offensive catalyst for Detroit since his AHL call-up, collecting 4 goals and 1 assist in 6 games. He continues to get top line honors with Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, so fantasy owners need to scoop him up while the Detroit offense is on a tear. A quick note- even when Pavel Datsyuk returns from injury, Coach Babcock has hinted that he would continue playing him and Zetterberg on separate lines, so Nyquist's fantasy value should not be adversely affected. Nick Bonino- Anaheim Ducks, C (Owned in 22.1% of ESPN leagues) The 25-year old pivot is currently on a four-game point streak (1G/4A) and is on pace to easily establish a career-high in points with 19 points in 27 games. With the Ducks deep in the center position, Bonino has been getting mostly third-line minutes, but his promotion to the top power-play unit has boosted his offensive production. Known as a streaky scorer, this could be a great time to utilize him while he has been hot. Mark Giordano- Calgary Flames, D (Owned in 16.5% of ESPN leagues) Giordano has been out for the Flames with a broken ankle since October 21, but the talented defenseman practiced with the team over the weekend. He could be back as early as later in the week, which would be a big boost to a Calgary power-play which is missing the services of Dennis Wideman ...

Wideman has 12 points in 20 games. If you need the roster spot, look to your waiver wire to fill the gap. Kris Russell could see better opportunities now that both Giordano and Wideman are out.

There were several note-worthy performances by goaltenders last night which should garner attention from fantasy owners. In his first career NHL start, Swiss import Reto Berra back-stopped the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 OT victory over the Chicago Blackhawks by saving aside 42 of 44 shots. Considering the dismal state of goaltending affairs in Calgary, the 26-year old will get a long look in the crease for the Flames. Joey MacDonald was released and Karri Ramo has floundered since returning from the KHL. Starting goalies are hard to come by in fantasy, so maybe take a gamble on Berra, who despite not posting great numbers in the AHL or the Swiss League, has earned the confidence of Coach Hartley early on.. Minnesota's Josh Harding is quietly putting together an All-Star caliber season, going 7-2-1 with a 1.10 GAA and a .950 SP. His latest effort, a 19-save shutout of the New Jersey Devils last night, should earn him a few more starts, as the separation between him and Niklas Backstrom for the Wild starting job has dwindled. He is definitely worth a flier if you are in need of goalie help. And now for the "bad": Ottawa's Craig Anderson had stopped 33 of 36 shots in yesterday's afternoon tilt against Dallas before suffering a neck injury in overtime and being carried off in a stretcher after colliding with Stars forward Valeri Nichuskin. The 32-year old, along with his team, is off to a rocky start with unfriendly fantasy numbers: 4-4-2, 3.14 GAA, and a .912 SP. We liked his chances to turn it around soon and represent a huge "buy low" opportunity for fantasy owners, but things just got worse for Anderson. We wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully, the injury turns out less severe than it initially seemed. Keep your eye on: Kris Russell of Calgary. Just hours after writing about him in our latest edition of ADD'EM, the 26-year old defenseman confirmed our high fantasy hopes by tallying the overtime game-winner against Chicago. He is getting tons of quality ice-time alongside Dennis Wideman on the Flames' primary defensive pairing, and the points are now coming. While it's uncertain whether he can maintain this offensive production for the long-term, he is worth a roster spot until Mark Giordano returns from his broken ankle injury.

Chris Kreider- New York Rangers, LW (Owned in 16.7% of ESPN leagues) Ever since his call-up from the AHL, the 22-year old has been an offensive spark for a Ranger's team arguably missing their two best forwards in Rick Nash and Ryan Callahan. He is currently riding a three-game point streak, where he has collected 2 goals and 3 assists while playing on the second line with Derek Stepan. He has also been getting regular time on the top power-play unit, so the youngster has a chance to fulfill his offensive potential under new Ranger's coach Alain Vigneault. He is definitely worth a pickup while he is hot, but he could end up with considerable keeper-league value. David Legwand- Nashville , C (Owned in 3.8% of ESPN leagues) With 7 points (3G/4A) in his last four games, the veteran center has provided much-needed scoring punch for an anemic Predator offensive attack. Listen, I am not telling you that any Nashville forwards are worth relying on as consistent fantasy options, but Legwand has the offensive capabilities to pour it on for long stretches of games. The streaky center is worth a short-term gamble, especially if you are lacking production from your bottom-three fantasy forwards. Just keep in mind that he is a career .5 point-per-game guy playing for a lower-echelon offensive squad, so don't expect his luck to last too long. Kris Russell- Calgary, D (Owned in 54.5% of ESPN leagues) Don't look now, but the 26-year old journeyman has enjoyed a huge spike in minutes since Mark Giordano was sidelined due to a broken ankle. Since being paired with Dennis Wideman, both on the top pairing even-strength and on the PP, he has been scoring regularly with 5 points in the last 6 games. After having fallen short of expectations in Columbus and St. Louis, he is now delivering the goods with the extra ice-time. He is well worth a flier if available in your leagues. Andrew MacDonald- New York Islanders, D (Owned in 29.7% of ESPN leagues) The 27-year old blueliner picked up a goal and an assist over the last three games, continuing to reap the rewards of more quality ice-time in the absence of Lubomir Visnovsky, who is out indefinitely due to a concussion. MacDonald has been a mainstay on the top power-play unit and should see a dramatic increase in offensive production if he holds on to that role. The addition of sniper Thomas Vanek makes all the key Islander players more fantasy relevant, as the PP efficiency and overall team scoring should be on the rise. As long...

As the NHL season approaches the 10-game mark, many defenseman are off and running in the scoring department; some very familiar and some not so much. As we glance at the top of the rankings, fantasy owners need to realize who is the "real deal" and who is a just a "flash in the pan" in assessing their future fantasy values for the remainder of the season.      PK Subban has picked up where he left off as the Norris Trophy winner last season, collecting 10 pts in 8 games. He has clearly passed Andrei Markov as Montreal's primary fantasy option on defense....Despite all the talk of weight issues and lack of dedication to his overall game, Winnipeg's Dustin Byfuglien is off a solid start with 7 points in 9 games and looks poised to challenge the 60-point mark. Don't forget about his partner Tobias Enstrom, who always has flown under the fantasy radar but barring injuries, should be a lock for 50-point prioduction....Alex Pietrangelo also has the look of a potential top-five fantasy d-man this season, bouncing back with 6 pts in 7 games. His first of many 50+ seasons is coming, so treat him as a legit no. 1 fantasy option....It's important to remind us all that Kris Letang would certainly be among the scoring leaders if not for his injury. How do I know for sure? Matt Niskanen, who replaced Letang on the Pen's power play, is in the top ten with 6 points. Enough said... Oh yeah, Erik Karlsson is coming on strong too with 4 points in the last five games. Ottawa's franchise player will be one of the elite scoring blueliners by season's end.      While many fantasy owners passed over Marek Zidlicky partially because of New Jersey's anemic offense and his waning production in recent years, the veteran has stepped up in the exodus of Ilya Kovalchuk to provide more stability on their power play. He is just a few years removed from three straight seasons of 40+ points. A proven track record makes him a safer bet than most to post good numbers....Another forgotten defenseman was new Calgary captain Mark Giordano, who has exploded out of the gate with 9 pts in 7 games. Apparently, he has re-dedicated himself to staying healthy and he had been rewarded with top power play minutes. He was on the rise a few years ago with a 43-point season, but injuries and lack of pp time hurt his production. Not anymore, but can he keep it up? I say that 40 points is likely, but a spot in the top ten?.. Probably not. By the end of the year, Dennis Wideman and T.J Brodie will get ...