Center Mikhail Grabovski wasted no time in proving his detractors wrong, scoring three goals and an assist in his Washington Caps debut in the 6-4 loss against Chicago. Although he centered the second line, he showed instant chemistry with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on the top power-play unit. This is worth noting, considering first-liner Marcus Johansson only played 1:11 on the PP as opposed to Grabovski's 3:29. I know it's only one game in, but stashing away "Grabo" on your bench wouldn't be a bad idea. Call me impulsive, but I just dropped 40-year old Ray Whitney for him this morning. The bottom line- Mike Ribeiro scored over a point-per-game in the same exact role last season. The Caps will score tons of goals, so here is a great opportunity for an early fantasy gift... More Game Notes: Tyler Bozak scored the game-winning short-hander in the Leafs road win over Montreal. The underrated center gets zero fantasy respect, yet will be playing big minutes with one of the rising NHL stars in Phil Kessel. You figure if Phil gets 90 points, Bozak can get 60. Right? Don't ignore him. He might surprise.. A few interesting line notes in this game- LW Joffrey Lupul played on the second line with Nazem Kadri and Nikolai Kulemin, while James van Riemsdyk moved up to the top unit. Also, despite missing most of training camp, D Cody Franson resumed his spot on the first power-play unit. Jake Gardiner logged over 4:00 minutes of PP time, so he could still be a fantasy factor. If Franson falters after his extended layoff, Gardiner has the tools to move up.. D Dustin Byfuglien started the season with a roar, collecting three assists in Winnipeg's come-from-behind victory in Edmonton. His 24:09 minutes of ice-time was second on the team, so the reports of a better conditioned and more motivated "Big Buff" seem pretty accurate. If he stays on track, 60 points is very realistic. Top-five fantasy upside.. Don't sleep on fellow d-man Tobias Enstrom, who picked up two assists and is a legitimate 50-pt. candidate. His lack of goal-scoring and his extensive injury history keeps him under the radar.

Center Mikhail Grabovski wasted no time in proving his detractors wrong, scoring three goals and an assist in his Washington Caps debut in the 6-4 loss against Chicago. Although he centered the second line, he showed instant chemistry with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on the top power-play unit. This is worth noting, considering first-liner Marcus Johansson only played 1:11 on the PP as opposed to Grabovski's 3:29. I know it's only one game in, but stashing away "Grabo" on your bench wouldn't be a bad idea. Call me impulsive, but I just dropped 40-year old Ray Whitney for him this morning. The bottom line- Mike Ribeiro scored over a point-per-game in the same exact role last season. The Caps will score tons of goals, so here is a great opportunity for an early fantasy gift... More Game Notes: Tyler Bozak scored the game-winning short-hander in the Leafs road win over Montreal. The underrated center gets zero fantasy respect, yet will be playing big minutes with one of the rising NHL stars in Phil Kessel. You figure if Phil gets 90 points, Bozak can get 60. Right? Don't ignore him. He might surprise.. A few interesting line notes in this game- LW Joffrey Lupul played on the second line with Nazem Kadri and Nikolai Kulemin, while James van Riemsdyk moved up to the top unit. Also, despite missing most of training camp, D Cody Franson resumed his spot on the first power-play unit. Jake Gardiner logged over 4:00 minutes of PP time, so he could still be a fantasy factor. If Franson falters after his extended layoff, Gardiner has the tools to move up.. D Dustin Byfuglien started the season with a roar, collecting three assists in Winnipeg's come-from-behind victory in Edmonton. His 24:09 minutes of ice-time was second on the team, so the reports of a better conditioned and more motivated "Big Buff" seem pretty accurate. If he stays on track, 60 points is very realistic. Top-five fantasy upside.. Don't sleep on fellow d-man Tobias Enstrom, who picked up two assists and is a legitimate 50-pt. candidate. His lack of goal-scoring and his extensive injury history keeps him under the radar.

Marcus Johnsson- Washington, C (Owned in 17% of ESPN leagues) Our top waiver-wire grab of the week will not be available in most leagues for long, so get on the bandwagon and add him to your fantasy squads. With 22 points in 34 games in '12-13, he flourished late in the season while playing on top line with Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Coach Adam Oates will hand over top-line duties once again to the 22-year old Swede, which should result in career-high numbers. A spike in power-play production could result in a 70+ point season. He has shown chemistry with his superstar line-mates in the preseason, which bodes well for his fantasy value in '13-14. Paul Stastny- Colorado, C (Owned in 37.4% of ESPN leagues) This is a crucial season for the 27-year old pivot, considering it's a contract year and that he has been on the downswing over the last three seasons. Nagging injuries have held him back, but we shouldn't forget that he was basically a point-per-game producer over his first four seasons, surpassing 75 points twice. He could be had on the cheap, but there is plenty of motivation for him to bounce back. A strong performance in the '13 Hockey World Championships could be an indicator of positive things to come. Mikhail Grabovski- Washington, C (Owned in 17.4% of ESPN leagues) Since debuting on the Washington Capitals during the preseason, Grabovski has been scoring regularly, capped by a goal/assist performance during Saturday night's game against Chicago. Think Mike Ribeiro of '12-13 when projecting where the talented center will fit into the Capitals offensive plans. He will be the second-line pivot on one of the most explosive teams in the NHL. You can pencil him in for plenty of power-play time, as well. He will be extremely motivated to prove that the Maple Leaf organization was wrong in buying out his contract during the off-season. Cam Fowler- Anaheim, D (Owned in 31.5% of ESPN leagues) The ultra-talented rearguard will have an opportunity to rebound after two straight underachieving seasons, where he failed to live up to the "future star" hype. He did score 40 points as a rookie, so you know Fowler can get it done. A long-term injury to Sheldon Souray has further entrenched Fowler as the team's undisputed power-play quarterback, so look for him to increase his point production but he need to clean up his play in the defensive zone. A bounce-back effort should be in the works for him in the upcoming season. Jake Gardiner- ...

UPDATES: Cody Franson has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs ending his preseason holdout. Let's hope that he didn't lose out on all that he gained last year in terms of a contributing spot on the backend as Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly continue to impress....Reports are that the NY Rangers and Derek Stepan are agreeing to terms on a two-year contract....Also I've heard that Tim Thomas has won the starting job down in Florida. The Panthers need a veteran in net if they want to make any noise in the tough Atlantic Division....Updated Fantasy Guide coming later tonight! PRESEASON FANTASY BITS: The future of the Buffalo Sabres was on display last night as Jhonas Enroth blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets. At some point it will no longer be Miller time as this will be Enroth's team someday....Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons both scored giving the team a double-edged duo for the future....There won't be an early season feeling out period this year in Washington as the Caps seem to be hitting on all cylinders in Head Coach Adam Oates' system now as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Fehr, and Mikhail Grabovski all had multiple point games last night.... Speaking of Grabovski, he could have a season similar to what Mike Ribeiro had last year in his cameo performance for the Capitals....Jussi Jokinen continues his torrid preseason with yet another power play goal last night. He is Fantasy Gold in the later rounds as he is lining up with Evgeni Malkin. Can anyone say Jarome who?....Someone who may have a resurrection this season is none other than Dany Heatley of the Minnesota Wild....A lot of people may overlook Phoenix G Mike Smith but don't you. And don't you forget that Dave Tippett coached teams always benefit the goaltender.  Just look at Ilya Bryzgalov and what has become of him since he bolted the desert. The 2013-2014 PrimePucks Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide has been updated as of September 26th, 9:45 pm.  The Guide is revised with all the latest developments so that you can be prepared for your fantasy hockey draft.  As we near the start of the season, the Guide is updated more frequently so that you can be assured you have the most current and relevant information at your hands.  Just access the updated Guide through the FILES link in "My Account". Get it now and WOW your fantasy opponents! Check out the new ROMIE HITS THE POST which focuses on the New Jersey Devils goaltending situation. Check it out here! PrimePucks™ ...

UPDATES: Cody Franson has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs ending his preseason holdout. Let's hope that he didn't lose out on all that he gained last year in terms of a contributing spot on the backend as Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly continue to impress....Reports are that the NY Rangers and Derek Stepan are agreeing to terms on a two-year contract....Also I've heard that Tim Thomas has won the starting job down in Florida. The Panthers need a veteran in net if they want to make any noise in the tough Atlantic Division....Updated Fantasy Guide coming later tonight! PRESEASON FANTASY BITS: The future of the Buffalo Sabres was on display last night as Jhonas Enroth blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets. At some point it will no longer be Miller time as this will be Enroth's team someday....Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons both scored giving the team a double-edged duo for the future....There won't be an early season feeling out period this year in Washington as the Caps seem to be hitting on all cylinders now as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Fehr, and Mikhail Grabovski all had multiple point games.... Speaking of Grabovski, he could have a season similar to what Mike Ribeiro had last year in his cameo performance for the Capitals....Jussi Jokinen continues his torrid preseason with yet another power play goal last night. He is Fantasy Gold in the later rounds as he is lining up with Evgeni Malkin. Can anyone say Jarome who?....Someone who may have a resurrection this season is none other than Dany Heatley of the Minnesota Wild....A lot of people may overlook Phoenix G Mike Smith but don't you. And don't you forget that Dave Tippett coached teams always benefit the goaltender.  Just look at Ilya Bryzgalov and what has become of him since he bolted the desert. The 2013-2014 PrimePucks Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide has been updated as of September 25th.  The Guide is revised with all the latest developments so that you can be prepared for your fantasy hockey draft.  As we near the start of the season, the Guide is updated more frequently so that you can be assured you have the most current and relevant information at your hands.  Just access the updated Guide through the FILES link in "My Account". Get it now and WOW your fantasy opponents! Check out the new ROMIE HITS THE POST which focuses on the New Jersey Devils goaltending situation. Check it out here! PrimePucks™ continues to bring you the NHL IN 30 every day in the ...

Not many thought the Maple Leafs were ready to make the playoffs last season but they surprised everyone by not only making it as a #5 seed but coming within minutes of advancing to the second round, if not for some miraculous comeback by the Boston Bruins from a 4-1 deficit with just over 10 minutes left in the third period of Game 7 of the opening round. That started the off-season rumor that Roberto Luongo was most likely the next Leafs goaltender but again, many were shocked that on draft day it was Cory Schneider that was dealt away to the NJ Devils, meaning Luongo was staying in Vancouver.  The Leafs made a few additions and are in the process of tying up their loose ends before the start of camp.  Will this be enough for them to return to the playoffs? Goalies After a mediocre 2011-2012 where Reimer went 14-14-4 in only 34 games played because of injury, there was some doubt as to whether he had what it took to be solid No. 1 goaltender in the NHL. He quieted his critics with a 19-8-5 record in 33 games with a 2.46 GAA and .924 SP along with 4 shutouts.  Reimer was on the brink of advancing the Leafs into the second round before the roof caved in on him and the team, blowing a 3-goal lead in the 3rd period of Game 7. Looking to shore up the net, the leafs obtained LA Kings G Jonathan Bernier for Ben Scrivens , Matt Frattin and a 2nd round pick. Look for the two to push each other and split time until one outplays the other and grabs the No. 1 role. Defense Dion Phaneuf leads this patched up defense along with John-Michael Liles, although it appears Liles is counted on less these days with the emergence of Cody Franson, who, by the way, is still without a contract heading into camp. Jake Gardiner should start to make a presence for himself on the blue line after recovering from concussion symptoms. Expect the bulk of the offense to come from Phaneuf and Franson if he signs.  IF Franson doesn't sign, that may open up some opportunities for youngsters like Gardiner and perhaps Morgan Rielly (more on Rielly later in the "Prospects" section).  You can never count out Liles as he possesses high level offensive capabilities, so stash him away if you are in a deep draft or deep roster. Forwards Now that all the forwards are locked in, this unit should be very explosive again this year. Phil Kessel is in his prime and Joffrey Lupul just loves playing alongside him as he definitely reaps the benefits.  We expect this duo to continue their magic, barring ...

With Mark Fraser out Gardiner will get bumped up to the Maple Leafs second pair and J.M Liles will slide into his old spot on the third pair. Gardiner played very well in Game 4, he had two assists, three hits and three blocked shots in 27:45 of ice time. The only downfall of his game on Wednesday was his four giveaways.

O'Bryne will be a healthy scratch tonight. He has a goal and an assist to go along with a plus-4 rating since being traded to the Maple Leafs.

Liles was a healthy scratch last night but will be back in the lineup tonight. He has two goals and eight assists in 30 games this season.

Liles has just 1 assist and a minus-2 in his last seven games.