Franzen will miss his sixth straight game tonight after being concussed on December 15. It is a good sing that he was on the ice this morning, but he seems doubtful to be ready for the Winter Classic.

Franzen is going through concussion tests after leaving Sunday's game following a hit from Radko Gudas. This is a brutal break for the Red Wings who are now with Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Gustav Nyquist, Darren Helm, Stephen Weiss and Justin Abdelkader.

    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 ...

Brent Burns-San Jose, RW (Owned in 77.4% of ESPN leagues) After missing time on the injured reserve, the winger was back on Joe Thornton's line this week with a goal and an assist in the two games. With 10 points in 10 games, the 28-year old has become a permanent fixture in the top-six and also presents the possibilty of having dual position eligibility if he is ever moved back on defense. His booming shot has made him indispensable on the power-lay, so a "healthy" Burns could be a fantasy difference-maker down the stretch. Just hope that he can stay out of the infirmiery! Gustav Nyquist- Detroit Red Wings, C (Owned in 22.1% of ESPN leagues) With the news that Nyquist will be staying up with Red Wings for the rest of the season, fantasy owners should be snatching up the talented forward on the merits of his offensive upside and potential line-mates. While return of Stephen Weiss and Daniel Alfredsson can effect his top-six status among the forwards, Nyquist will be given a shot to play a more prominent role on the offense. He scored 2 goals in his season debut against Carolina while lining up with Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. With Pavel Datsyuk possibly dealing with a concussion, Nyquist might be relied upon even more. Kimmo Timonen- Philadelphia Flyers, D (Owned in 80.1% of ESPN leagues) Does four points in the last four games fully restore our faith in the usually consistent Finn, who did not register a single point for the first 13 games? Ouch! Not quite, but the 38-year old veteran has bounced back in a strong way, collecting five points in his last 11 games. Even with the addition of Mark Streit, Timonen has maintained his position on the Flyer's top power-play, which has vastly improved during the team's strong stretch. He might not match his numbers from last season, but he should be a lock for 30-point production. Decent "buy-low" opportunity. Andrej Sekera- Carolina Hurricanes, D (Owned in 23.9% of ESPN leagues) Despite having his goal-scoring streak snapped at two games, the defender played over 23 minutes in yesterday's 4-1 win over Ottawa, while leading the entire team in PP time with 3:28 minutes. His game has taken off since being partnered with Justin Faulk on the top pairing. With 11 points (5G/6A) in 24 games, the 27-year old is showing off some of his untapped offensive upside, but it surely helps that he is getting an uptick in minutes. Marek Mazanec- Nashville Predators, G ( (Owned in 12.6% of ESPN leagues) The Czech...

After being called up from the AHL's Grand Rapids, Gustav Nyquist helped the Detroit Red Wings snap a seven-game losing streak with his 2-goal effort in his season debut. The 24-year old was a prime candidate for a fantasy breakout season, but was kept in the minors due to salary cap reasons. He immediately was placed on a scoring line with Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, as he is easily one of the most talented forwards on the roster. The Wings are known for taking their time in developing home-grown talent, but with the offense struggling and a few key forwards injured, this could be his golden opportunity. Fantasy owners would be wise to snatch this kid up, because he has big offensive upside and he was dominating the AHL this season with 7 goals and 21 points in 15 games. Mazanec Heating Up: The 22-year old goalie has been shining in the Nashville crease lately, picking up his third straight victory with the 4-2 win over Toronto. Including Detroit and Chicago, Marek Mazanec has been impressive against an "A" list of NHL teams during this streak, so it's time to give the rookie a serious look. With Pekka Rinne out long-term and Carter Hutton not making most of his starting opportunity, Mazenec could be a real steal for goalie-deficient fantasy owners. More Fantasy Game Notes: Henrik Lundqvist and Cory Schneider deserve the "Stonewall" award after winning their respective teams key road games last night in which they were outshot by a wide margin. The Rangers did give "King Henrik" three goals to play with, but the Devil offense continues to run dry when Schneider is in net. Martin Brodeur continues to be the no. 1 with his strong play and better goal support.. Jonathan Toews was the fantasy star of the night with one goal and three assists. With Marian Hossa returning to action, the captain's line should continue to roll... After Edmonton's 4-1 win over Florida, the young guns are showing more signs of waking up with Jordan Eberle scoring twice and Ryan-Nugent Hopkins picking up two helpers. Also throw goalie Devan Dubnyk into the mix, who has been awesome with three straight wins. Maybe, the young Oilers are on a rise. Not totally convinced yet, but start their key forwards for the upcoming scoring period.

After being called up from the AHL's Grand Rapids, Gustav Nyquist helped the Detroit Red Wings snap a seven-game losing streak with his 2-goal effort in his season debut. The 24-year old was a prime candidate for a fantasy breakout season, but was kept in the minors due to salary cap reasons. He immediately was placed on a scoring line with Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, as he is easily one of the most talented forwards on the roster. The Wings are known for taking their time in developing home-grown talent, but with the offense struggling and a few key forwards injured, this could be his golden opportunity. Fantasy owners would be wise to snatch this kid up, because he has big offensive upside and he was dominating the AHL this season with 7 goals and 21 points in 15 games. Mazanec Heating Up: The 22-year old goalie has been shining in the Nashville crease lately, picking up his third straight victory with the 4-2 win over Toronto. Including Detroit and Chicago, Marek Mazanec has been impressive against an "A" list of NHL teams during this streak, so it's time to give the rookie a serious look. With Pekka Rinne out long-term and Carter Hutton not making most of his starting opportunity, Mazenec could be a real steal for goalie-deficient fantasy owners. More Fantasy Game Notes: Henrik Lundqvist and Cory Schneider deserve the "Stonewall" award after winning their respective teams key road games last night in which they were outshot by a wide margin. The Rangers did give "King Henrik" three goals to play with, but the Devil offense continues to run dry when Schneider is in net. Martin Brodeur continues to be the no. 1 with his strong play and better goal support.. Jonathan Toews was the fantasy star of the night with one goal and three assists. With Marian Hossa returning to action, the captain's line should continue to roll... After Edmonton's 4-1 win over Florida, the young guns are showing more signs of waking up with Jordan Eberle scoring twice and Ryan-Nugent Hopkins picking up two helpers. Also throw goalie Devan Dubnyk into the mix, who has been awesome with three straight wins. Maybe, the young Oilers are on a rise. Not totally convinced yet, but start their key forwards for the upcoming scoring period.

Franzen missed the last four games with an illness and an undisclosed injury. The Red Wings need more from Franzen. They rely on him to score goals and so far he has just two in 13 games. Hopefully for Detroit and his fantasy owners, he rediscovers that scoring touch that was once a highly coveted fantasy asset.

Franzen has missed the last four games and five of the last six games with an illness. He was skating on the Red Wings second line with Daniel Alfredsson and Darren Helm in Monday's practice. Franzen has struggled to two goals and three assists in 13 games.

Franzen has missed the last four games and five of the last six games with an illness. He was skating on the Red Wings second line with Daniel Alfredsson and Darren Helm in Monday's practice. Franzen has struggled to two goals and three assists in 13 games.

The roster move allowed the Wings to recall Luke Glendening. Franzen will miss third straight game, but is eligible to return on Tuesday.