Good day poolies! Finally some hockey news and action with the Traverse City rookie tournament starting place this week and some signings to speak of.  "Jumbo" Joe Thornton returns for another season in San Jose which should help the Sharks transition from the departure of the other Joe, Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi heading to Colorado.   Carolina bolsters their defensive unit with the signing of free-agent Jake Gardiner.  The former Maple Leaf held some promise while in Toronto but could never fulfill the expectations and also didn't show consistency. Taking a backseat to Morgan Reilly and Tyson Barrie wouldn't have helped his cause but also allowed the Leafs to move on. Both players have been updated in the Guide for their respective teams and also included in the TierAdvantage system. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and hope you enjoy some of the rookie tournaments.  Camps open soon! Ray  

Auston Matthews, Will Nylander, and Jake Gardiner are a great trio in NHL DFS tournaments tonight. Who else should you stack?

Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Jake Gardiner are in a great spot at home against the Panthers. Who else should we stack in NHL DFS tournaments on Tuesday?

ADD’EM 3/4/2017  P IS FOR PREVIOUSLY Time is winding down on the 2016-2017 NHL season and if you are still in the hunt in your fantasy league’s standings, then we have some good news for you as according to ESPN leagues, there are quite a few players still available that will help your squad challenge until the very end. Some of the players we are going to mention have been talked about in recent articles, but to my surprise, these players are still widely available.  All have been offensive contributors over the past 2-3 weeks and deserve a spot in your fantasy lineup if those that are occupying those spots aren’t living up to the task.  Last week we mentioned W Richard Panik (52.8%) of the Chicago Blackhawks and D Jake Gardiner (58.1%) of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Panik has 5 points in last 5 games not including Saturday night against Nashville while Gardiner has been quiet over the last 3, he has been the best offensive option on the waiver wire of late.  Panik has been on an ADD’EM hot streak with 3 straight appearances.  A few fresh faces on the rise of late are Mathieu Perreault (15.1%) of the Winnipeg Jets with 9 points in last 5 games, Radim Vrbata (48.6%) of Arizona Coyotes with 9 points in last 8 games and Travis Zajac (34.1%) of the New Jersey Devils.  Vrbata has been mentioned before on ADD’EM but Perreault is making his season debut.  Last season if you recall, Perreault was having himself quite a fantasy season, but this season has been limited to just 48 games.  Zajac has been clicking with Kyle Palmieri of late providing the Devils with some decent scoring.  Zajac has shown stretches of a point-per-game production throughout his career but hasn’t been as consistent as fantasy owners would like. One other name that begins with a P, Tanner Pearson (39.9%) of the LA Kings, has been starting to break out recently with 8 points in last 8 and 14 points in last 13 with an even split in contribution between goals and assists.  Playing with Jeff Carter can get you those results. With the playoffs approaching and the players starting to bear down into the home stretch, scoop up those that are on the upswing and hope that they continue to produce for at least another week while in your fantasy lineup. Good luck this week!

William Nylander and his power-play linemates -- Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner -- are in a sweet spot tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. Which other players should you stack in NHL DFS?

Threes a charm for this week's fantasy slate as we recommend several note-worthy potential waiver wire additions: Jori Lehtera Remember how dominant the STL line has been for St. Louis for long stretches. Well, Schwartz is back and with him and Vladdy being owned in all leagues, take a flier on the third member of this potentially dominating unit.  Jake Gardiner With Dion Phaneuf gone for Ottawa, the duo of Morgan Reilly and Jake Gardiner will carry the show offensively from the Toronto blue line. Good ol Jake will need to show consistency on the defensive end, but his scoring upside is undeniable.   Cam Atkinson Has he finally arrived as a consistent fantasy RW after years of highly hyped underachieving? With RJ on his merry way and Dubinsky taking over top line duties, Atkinson is clearly flourishing as a primary scoring option in Columbus.

Hammond keeps hitting right notes, Kings keeping the heat on, Wild & Jets win again! Ottawa continues their amazing run with a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks catapulting them into the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, wresting it away from the Boston Bruins.  Senators Goaltender Andrew Hammond (14-0-1) is just having an incredible run as he still hasn’t lost in regulation.  Simply remarkable!...Mika Zibanejad (2G). Bobby Ryan (3A) and Mike Hoffman (G, 2A) were the offensive providers tonight as the whole roster takes turns being involved in the offense.  Now that they have risen so high, can they maintain the intensity for the last 10 game?... A couple of 3-1 contests last night as LA defeated the New Jersey Devils and the Chicago Blackhawks bested the Carolina Hurricanes.  For LA, Anze Kopitar (G, 2A) and Marian Gaborik (2A) seem to be heating up as they try to climb into playoff position as the season is winding down.  For Kopitar, that’s 5 points in last 3 and 9 points overall in 11 March games.  With just 57 points in 69 games, Kopitar should bounce back to his usual 70-points next season.  Gaborik isn’t built for the rigors of an 82-game NHL season, so don’t expect him to return to his glory days as 70+ point player anymore.  He does have 41 points in 59 games played but won’t get near a point-per-game pace anymore…The Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the first period and made it stick as Corey Crawford turned aside 43 of 44 SOG for his 30th win on the season.  That’s 4 seasons of 30+ wins on last 5 which includes the shortened 48-game Lockout season where he was on pace for 30+ wins if it was a regular full season…. Devan Dubnyk continues to play large in net as he keeps on winning with a 2-1 win over Toronto.  Surging Thomas Vanek had a hand in both Minnesota goals, an assist on the first goal and the game-winner in the 3rd.  Dubnyk’s bid for a shutout was spoiled by Jake Gardiner (his 4th) with just under 7 minutes to play in regulation…. Jamie Benn (2G, 1A) had a night and it was sorely needed as the Buffalo Sabres gave the Dallas Stars all they could handle last night but the Stars prevailed in the end, 4-3. Sabres’ goalie Anders Lindback (35/39 SV) returned to his former team and did all he could but fell short at the end.  Dallas is still in the hunt for that last playoff spot but time is running out… Calgary helped their cause with a solid 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche keeping the Kings 2 points behind them ...

The massive trade that included Evander Kane going to Buffalo also had two key defensemen moving to opposite teams, albeit both not producing up to their capabilities. In the case of both Tyler Myers and Zach Bogosian, sky was the limit for both in regard to their offensive upside upon entering the NHL but both have  fallen on hard times. Obviously, Myers made the bigger splash with a 48-point debut in his rookie season, but Bogosian was just as highly touted before he was drafted third overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. At the age of 24, the talented defender can still hit a higher gear in his game but has never been able to be that elite guy mainly due to injuries. Ever since his second NHL season in 2009-10, he hadn't played north of 65 games in one year and subsequently has never surpassed the 30-point mark in his career. Myers has also been quite the "band aid boy' but also a well-documented questionable work ethic has not allowed him to return to his superb rookie form  In both cases, a change of scenery can help restore some potential fantasy value but Bogosian stands to have more to gain if he can indeed stay upright and play a full season. His only competition for top power-play time on his new team would be youngsters Nikita Zadorov and Rasmus Ristolainen who are still in their infant stages of offensive development. Myers has big Dustin Byfuglien standing in his way of legit pp time and the thinking is that the Herculean defender will be relied upon more heavily for his two way game. However, a more potent Winnipeg offense can lead to quicker short term success for Myers while Bogosian will deal with many growing pains on a young but promising Sabres squad. In short, both defensemen are due for a fantasy boost but we have to wait and see what their respective head coaches have in store for them in terms of their projected TOI. Top-four defensemen they both will be, but their offensive production will be tied in how they are utilized on the power-play. For now, give Bogosian the slight edge. That is ..until he gets hurt again. Parting Shots:With Kimmo Timonen ready to get back on the ice after dealing with a blood clot in his leg, many desperate fantasy owners will be willing to take a gamble on him and adding him onto their fantasy teams. I would just say that you have nothing to lose if you have ample room on your bench. Realistically speaking, by the time Timonen gets into legitimate playing shape, the regular season will be just about ...

Cam Atkinson RW, Columbus: We been hyping this guy for the last couple of years, but he keeps falling flat while Ryan Johansen continues to develop into a star forward. A light has come on since the All-Star break as he has collected six points over the last six games. He should make for a decent addition, considering that he has plenty of upside. It's the game-to-game work ethic that has been questioned. Brandon Pirri C, Florida: All of the sudden, the talented 23- year old is starting to realize his vast offensive upside by scoring six goals and an assist over last seven games. He has yet to be leaned on a consistent top-six threat for the Panthers, but he will be hard to hold down if he keeps playing like this. While he should be more desirable in keeper formats, he should hold his own for at least the short-term. Chris Stewart RW, Buffalo: The power forward has had a forgettable season so far, but his latest streak of nine points in eight games should garner plenty of interest as the trade deadline draws near. It seems like centuries ago when he was consistent scorer for St. Louis and Colorado, but he obviously has drawn a tough assignment in Buffalo. Maybe a change of scenery would help. Jake Gardiner D, Toronto: Speaking of defensive liability, good'ol Jake is always a few steps away from the doghouse but he has been putting up some points lately including three over the last two games. With Dion Phaneuf out and Cody Franson maybe getting traded, the youngster will play a more prominent role on the pp and have a chance to showcase his skills. Because of inconsistencies that gave plagued him, I wouldn't bet the farm on him but he could be a decent short term solution  Cam Talbot G, New York Rangers: The backup to "King Henrik" makes for a great fantasy start over the next month or so as he will get most if not all of the work in the Rangers crease. Expect a light dropoff if any at all as the Blueshirts should continue to work their way up the Eastern Confetence standings. An obvious handcuff for Lundqvist owners but also a great short-term fill-in if you need help in goal.

Gardiner said he feels fine after participating in the Maple Leafs morning skate. He left Thursday's game with a bone bruise, but it looks like he will be available tonight. Monitor his status at 6:30 p.m ET when the Leafs hit the ice for warmups.