First of all, is there a hotter top line in the NHL than Alex Steen-TJ Oshie-David Backes? The trio combined for five points in last night's 3-0 blanking of the Toronto Maple Leafs, improving their point totals to 49 in the last 11 games. Seriously? Proving to all fantasy owners that he is the "real deal" after his breakthrough 2013-14 season, Steen is currently riding point-streaks in goals and points, 5 and 9 respectively... Another shutout for Brian Elliott and another step closer to fantasy elite status. Jake Allen represents the future in the crease for the Blues, but Elliott is clearly the "now". Start him with confidence... Fantasy performer of the night- clearly Tomas Plekanec, who helped roll the Metroplitan Division leading Islanders with a four point effort. A "heart and soul" Hab who can draw some comparison to Boston's Patrice Bergeron mainly because of his superior two-way play, but is no more than a seviceable depth forward option in most fantasy formats. Awesome game nonetheless.. Two more points in a losing cause for John Tavares, giving him five points over the last two games and 13 over the last 10. JT has accelerated the scoring since the beginning of the calendar year, so superstar production seems likely for the second half... Columbus snapped a four-game losing skid with the road win at Boston, but fantasy phenom Ryan Johansen kept a 13-game point streak alive with another goal and an assist. This guy is looking like an early round draft selection come next September as he is downright dynamite... Two great buy-low options to consider at the forward position- Nathan MacKinnon and Jason Spezza. The former was expected to take a huge leap in Year 2 for Colorado, but has fizzled during the first half of the season. However, MacKinnon has shown signs of late including a late 3rd period equalizer last night against the Lightning. The latter continues to plug away as six points over the last eight games is encouraging for his typical second half outburst. Consider this- Spezza centers the second line alongside Erik Cole who is starting to heat up. Plus, he is a mainstay on the top power-play unit with All-World Tyler Seguin and the underrated Jamie Benn. This team will light the lamp plenty in the second half. Love Spezza moving forward... Dubie,Dubie,Dubie-where are you? In Minnesota, that's where! The former Arizona Coyote Devan Dubnyk continues to inject some life into his new team as the goalie led the Wild to a 3-1 win and only has...

Alex Galchenyuk C, Montreal: The 20-year old center has started to roll since being moved to the top line with winger Max Pacioretty. With six points during a current three-game point streak, the gifted Galchenyuk could be breaking out before our very eyes. David Desharnais was never able to consistently live up to top billing, so the youngster should keep this gig for awhile. Kyle Turris C, Ottawa: While more forwards have been providing offense for the Sens lately, Turris still leads the way on the top line. He has heated up with seven points during his five-game point streak while also scoring back-to-back game-winners. He has fallen short of becoming an elite scorer like Jason Spezza but he has been a consistent offensive threat and should be owned in all fantasy formats. Joffrey Lupul RW, Toronto: Despite the slow start, the streaky winger is having a solid month of December scoring at close to a PPG clip with 9 points in 11 games. What makes him even more appealing to fantasy owners should be that coach Randy Carlyle has been shuffling lines and using him with Phil Kessel at times. If that would to become a permanent move, Lupul's fantasy value would skyrocket. Alex Tanguay LW, Colorado: The crafty veteran has arguably been the most consistent Av's forward in recent games, collecting five points over the last five and 22 in 31 overall. While he will surely not maintain his PPG pace, he should be a decent short-term addition for offense-needy fantasy squads. Michael Hutchinson G, Winnipeg: It's just a matter of time before the 24-year old gets the permanent starting gig given his superior numbers to Pavelec- 7-2-2, 1.73 GAA, .940 SP. For the time being, they are alternating starts but the evidence in favor of "Hutch" is mounting.

Let's start off with saying "Hat's off to Nick" as the cerebral passing machine known as Nicklas Backstrom collected his first career regular season "hat trick" in Washington's 4-2 win over Tampa Bay. His career high in goals scored was 33 in 2009-10, but he routinely falls in the 15-20 category. Meaning, don't get overly excited over his scoring explosion. His point-per-game ways will continue this season thanks to a healthy dose of assists.. Need to mention our second fantasy star of the night, Kris Letang who has played this season like a man on a mission, scoring another two goals in Pittsburgh's losing effort to Columbus. He has collected points in five straight games, plus goals in three straight. With 21 points on the season and injury-free again, get him in your starting line-ups ASAP.. Should we start to take Buffalo's goalie Jhonas Enroth seriously in all fantasy leagues? The streaking Swede did not enjoy his best night by any means but held on for his eighth win in his last ten starts. The Sabres have been gaining much confidence during this hot stretch and are even scoring some goals. When you see them defeating Florida and Calgary by the score of 4-3, then you know the team is trending upward. I say use Enroth as a solid no. 2 if your goaltending is struggling.. Tyler Seguin is the "man" again, scoring a goal and an assist in the 4-2 Dallas triumph over New Jersey. His 23 goals and 38 points leads the entire NHL, while his robust 118 SOG ranks him second. Superstar status has arrived.. Want to add that Jason Spezza is back on Seguin's line. His two points last night was no coincidence. Start him immediately... The formula is simple for Philly's offensive success- secondary scoring is a must and it's been on display over recent games. Third-line center Sean Couturier scored a goal in their 5-1 win over Carolina, extending his point to six games. Wayne Simmonds is back on one of his famous hot streaks, collecting the game-winner plus a helper so use him while he is on fire. The Flyers have been buzzing on offense as top dogs Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek continue to lead the way.. Where have you been, Mats? Despite sub-par offensive production at the quarter mark, Mr. Zuccarello sparked the 'Blueshirts to a 5-1 win over Vancouver with his two goals. With 13 points in 25 games, he is falling way short of his 59-point pace he set last season, but consider "buying low" on him. He was moved up to the Rick Nash-Derick Brassard line, which would ...

Let's start off with saying "Hat's off to Nick" as the cerebral passing machine known as Nicklas Backstrom collected his first career regular season "hat trick" in Washington's 4-2 win over Tampa Bay. His career high in goals scored was 33 in 2009-10, but he routinely falls in the 15-20 category. Meaning, don't get overly excited over his scoring explosion. His point-per-game ways will continue this season thanks to a healthy dose of assists.. Need to mention our second fantasy star of the night, Kris Letang who has played this season like a man on a mission, scoring another two goals in Pittsburgh's losing effort to Columbus. He has collected points in five straight games, plus goals in three straight. With 21 points on the season and injury-free again, get him in your starting line-ups ASAP.. Should we start to take Buffalo's goalie Jhonas Enroth seriously in all fantasy leagues? The streaking Swede did not enjoy his best night by any means but held on for his eighth win in his last ten starts. The Sabres have been gaining much confidence during this hot stretch and are even scoring some goals. When you see them defeating Florida and Calgary by the score of 4-3, then you know the team is trending upward. I say use Enroth as a solid no. 2 if your goaltending is struggling.. Tyler Seguin is the "man" again, scoring a goal and an assist in the 4-2 Dallas triumph over New Jersey. His 23 goals and 38 points leads the entire NHL, while his robust 118 SOG ranks him second. Superstar status has arrived.. Want to add that Jason Spezza is back on Seguin's line. His two points last night was no coincidence. Start him immediately... The formula is simple for Philly's offensive success- secondary scoring is a must and it's been on display over recent games. Third-line center Sean Couturier scored a goal in their 5-1 win over Carolina, extending his point to six games. Wayne Simmonds is back on one of his famous hot streaks, collecting the game-winner plus a helper so use him while he is on fire. The Flyers have been buzzing on offense as top dogs Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek continue to lead the way.. Where have you been, Mats? Despite sub-par offensive production at the quarter mark, Mr. Zuccarello sparked the 'Blueshirts to a 5-1 win over Vancouver with his two goals. With 13 points in 25 games, he is falling way short of his 59-point pace he set last season, but consider "buying low" on him. He was moved up to the Rick Nash-Derick Brassard line, which would ...

Ryan Johansen signed a three-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets that so desperately needed him to start the season with the rash of injuries the team sustained during camp. Johansen broke out last year and should be able to continue his rise in the NHL.  Johansen will still be a RFA at the end of his contract but will have arbitration rights.  Should be interesting then but Jacket fans can breathe a sigh of relief as they head into the 20140-2015 season....The New York Rangers named Ryan McDonagh the team captain, becoming the 27th captain in their history. McDonagh will prove, if he hasn't already, that he is the right man for the job....Erik Karlsson was also named captain of the Ottawa Senators, taking over for the departed captain Jason Spezza....Jeff Skinner out with a concussion, Evgeni Malkin so-so to start in season opener, Kevin Bieksa so-so for opener in Calgary, Joey Crabb's a Ranger, Peter Budaj a Jet, and when you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way?.....A day of rest before the season begins. Rest up!  It's going to be a wild ride!

After being knocked out of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in 6 games by Anaheim, Dallas GM Jim Nill capped a busy offseason with a few key moves to build overall offensive and goaltending depth. Big-name forwards were added to the mix with the trade for Jason Spezza and signing FA Ales Hemsky. Getting Anders Lindback to back up Kari Lehtonen could prove to be a key acquisition, but Jack Campbell is still waiting in the wings. Veterans Tim Thomas and Ray Whitney are no longer with the club, but both seem way past their prime. With a better year lying ahead for the improved and deeper Stars, there are a plethora of fantasy options to choose from at all positions. Goalies In goal, Kari Lehtonen has been a steady fantasy option over the last few years but could see an improvement in numbers due to a better team around him. As far as past accomplishments, he has posted a 2.47 GAA and .918 SP and 3 years of 32+ wins over the past four seasons. He also proved to be very durable, starting 81% of the teams starts over that period. Once considered an injury risk, Lehtonen should be a lock to start 65-70 games. A mandatory pickup for Lehtonen owners should be Anders Lindback late. While he did struggle last season during brief starting stint with Tampa Bay, he should be more effective as the no. 2 guy. Defense On defense, Alex Goligoski remains the Stars top scoring option and should also warrant more upside with a better offense in the works. After having a sub-standard first year with Dallas, the 29-year old has put together 2 straight solid seasons, both pro-rating over 40 points. Less than spectacular power play production keeps his value in check, but adding Spezza to that unit should help in a big way. Draft him accordingly; top-15 but could produce like a top ten. Don't overrate Sergei Gonchar as he is well past his prime but if healthy, the crafty Russian can still contribute on the power-play. Also he has a history with Spezza at Ottawa so he is worth a late round flier. Trevor Daley qualifies as a solid sleeper, given spectacular playoff performance and 25 pts in 67 regular season games. If Gonchar is ailing, he could get bumped to the top unit. Forwards The Dallas forward ranks are loaded with fantasy premium value, starting with budding stud Tyler Seguin. The pivot crashed the top-ten with a career year of 37 goals and 84 points in 80 games. Firmly established as the top line center for a potentially elite offense, Seguin should be taken in...

After being knocked out of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in 6 games by Anaheim, Dallas GM Jim Nill capped a busy offseason with a few key moves to build overall offensive and goaltending depth. Big-name forwards were added to the mix with the trade for Jason Spezza and signing FA Ales Hemsky. Getting Anders Lindback to back up Kari Lehtonen could prove to be a key acquisition, but Jack Campbell is still waiting in the wings. Veterans Tim Thomas and Ray Whitney are no longer with the club, but both seem way past their prime. With a better year laying ahead for the improved and deeper Stars, there are a plethora of fantasy options to choose from at all positions. Goalies In goal, Kari Lehtonen has been a steady fantasy option over the last few years but could see an improvement in numbers due to a better team around him. As far as past accomplishments, he has posted a 2.47 GAA and .918 SP and 3 years of 32+ wins over the past four seasons. He also proved to be very durable, starting 81% of the teams starts over that period. Once considered an injury risk, Lehtonen should be a lock to start 65-70 games. A mandatory pickup for Lehtonen owners should be Anders Lindback late. While he did struggle last season during brief starting stint with Tampa Bay, he should be more effective as the no 2 guy. Defense On defense, Alex Goligoski remains the Stars top scoring option and should also warrant more upside with a better offense in the works. After having a sub-standard first year with Dallas, the 29-year old has put together 2 straight solid seasons, both pro-rating over 40 points. Less than spectacular power play production keeps his value in check, but adding Spezza to that unit should help in a big way. Draft him accordingly; top-15 but could produce like a top ten. Don't overrate Sergei Gonchar as he is well past his prime but if healthy, the crafty Russian can still contribute on the power-play. Also he has a history with Spezza at Ottawa so he is worth a late round flier. Trevor Daley qualifies as a solid sleeper, given spectacular playoff performance and 25 pts in 67 regular season games. If Gonchar is ailing, he could get bumped to the top unit. Forwards The Dallas forward ranks are loaded with fantasy premium value, starting with budding stud Tyler Seguin. The pivot crashed the top-ten with a career year of 37 goals and 84 points in 80 games. Firmly established as the top line center for a potentially elite offense, Seguin should be taken in...

1. ALEX GOLIGOSKI, DALLAS or JAMES WISNIEWSKI, COLUMBUS This one is very tricky considering Wisniewski is coming off his second 50+point season of his NHL career, while Goligoski has yet to reach that mark. However, when you are comparing both fantasy assets, the Columbus defender is clearly more prone to injury which could curtail another monster season. On the other hand, Goligoski is as steady as they come and proven to be very durable. With 69 points in 128 games over the last two seasons, he looks like a lock to post another 40+ point campaign with a bit of upside in the mix. After finishing the last season with 17 points in 23 games, Goligoski should have a great shot at posting career numbers with the team's new additions of Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky. EDGE: GOLIGOSKI 2. JAROSLAV HALAK, NEW YORK ISLANDERS or FREDERIK ANDERSEN, ANAHEIM Andersen seems like the safer bet because he could be starting for a vastly superior team in the Ducks, but there are many variables in play with huge fantasy ramifications. I would take the Ducks goalie in a heartbeat, but the Danish netminder will face stiff competition from another rising star in John Gibson. When the "chips were down" in last season's playoff run, Duck's coach Bruce Boudreau opted to go with Gibson over Andersen late in the Kings series. Andersen should be the opening starter come the beginning of the season, but he might not finish that way. As for Halak, the trade of veteran Evgeni Nabokov to Tampa Bay gives him the clear no. 1 job for the rising New York Islanders. His career numbers speak for themselves, as Halak should be a strong no. 2 fantasy goalie option. EDGE: HALAK 3. RYAN-NUGENT HOPKINS C, EDMONTON or DAVID KREJCI C, BOSTON I think it's time for the Edmonton young guns to get there "mojo" going and finally fulfill some of that untapped potential thats been lingering for the last three years. Taylor Hall has done his part, but RNH has failed to deliver the goods after another promising start to the '13-14 season. A 50-55 point scorer he is not, so look for him to have a better second half while directly benefiting from a career breakout season from Hall. Both parties need to remain healthy for these predictions to become reality, but Hopkins should hold massive value in the middle rounds. As for Krejci, a disappointing playoff stint should provide plenty of motivation for good scoring numbers in '14-15, but his ceiling basically tops out at between 65-70 points. There is too ...

THE ELITE 3 (The top three fantasy players to own in any position) 1. Tyler Seguin C, Dallas   2. Patrick Kane RW, Chicago 3. Shea Weber D, Nashville GREAT BET TO REBOUND (Three players who are solid bounce-back candidates in 14-15') 1. Pekka Rinne G, Nashville   2. Jason Spezza C, Dallas 3. Tobias Enstrom D, Winnipeg HERE THEY COME.. (Three players who should be breaking out with career seasons) 1. Matt Duchene C, Colorado 2. Jamie Benn LW, Dallas 3. Brandon Saad LW, Chicago SLEEPER ALERT (Three players who should be late-round fantasy draft bargains) 1. Mikael Granlund C, Minnesota   2. Darcy Kuemper G, Minnesota   3. Trevor Daley D, Dallas BUYER BEWARE (Three players who will be overvalued in most fantasy leagues) 1. Duncan Keith C, Chicago   2. Jonathan Toews C, Chicago   3. James Neal LW, Nashville

NHL Current Events....Questions #4 and #19 We would like to extend our prayers and well wishes to Ottawa Senators General manager Bryan Murray and his family for a speedy and complete recovery in their battle against cancer. PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM?............There has been so much speculation that Center Vinny Lecavalier is supposedly headed to Nashville if a deal can be struck with the Predators, who look to go in a different direction under new Head Coach Peter Laviolette. With Mike Fisher going down to an Achilles injury which will sideline him for months, perhaps there is more to this rumor than meets the eye.  The one thing that always steered me clear of Lecavalier was his work ethic, especially when it related to fantasy hockey.  With so much promise early on in his career, he just never fulfilled such lofty expectations.  I don't know how that will change going to Music City.  Remember he was playing on Philly's fourth line near the end of the season. WOTTAWA DOING?.........I'm surprised there wasn't much said about Ottawa trading C Jason Spezza to the Dallas Stars for RW Alex Chiasson, prospects Alexander Guptill and Nicholas Paul along with a 2nd round draft pick in 2015. Really?  Is that the best they could do?  Guptill and Paul are no more than average prospects according to www.hockeysfuture.com and the 2nd round draft pick will probably be in the lower third of that round as Dallas should improve with Seguin, Benn and now Spezza forming a very talented top trio. Chiasson will be entering his second season and has shown the ability to play and score at the NHL Level and could possibly turn out to be a more than average power forward for the Sens, but power forwards usually take a little longer to reach their potential. In the end, Spezza for Chiasson doesn't sound like a good deal to me. HOW ABOUT THAT NHL DRAFT, HUH?........Watching the 2014 NHL Entry Draft was as exciting as watching NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman trying to smooth over the hostile Philadelphia crowd. Wait a minute!  That was a bit amusing watching the Commish trying so hard, but to no avail.   Ekblad, Reinhart, Draisaitl, Bennett, DalColle, blah, blah blah....  There were no real surprises during the draft, except maybe the James Neal trade to Nashville for Patric Hornqvist, but that was it.  Even that deal wasn't a "jump-out-of-my-seat-and-swear-out-loud-repeatedly" type of deal like the Vancouver Canucks trading G Cory Schneider to the New Jersey Devils for just the #9 ...