A few miscellaneous notes about some NHL goaltenders who have surprised so far, both good and bad - SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE style. Ryan Miller has certainly been a pleasant surprise so far as he leads the NHL with 10 wins. Good for Vancouver as they have recovered nicely from last year's Tortorella debacle. It is no surprise that Pekka Rinne is at the top of the win category as he is definitely recovered from last year's hip surgery/infection fiasco. His save percentage could be a tad better, but give the guy a break, he is sporting a sparkling 1.81 GAA. Probably the biggest surprise, to me at least, is the performance by Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec. He has started every game but one and his numbers back up that decision with a 1.98 GAA and .928 SP.  I never thought he would put up those kind of numbers.  I always wished he would when I had him on my fantasy teams, but it took him a few years I guess. Darcy Kuemper would have topped Pavelec especially after his 3 shutouts in his first 4 games of the season, but the bloom has fallen off that rose as he has given up 4 goals in each of the past 2 starts. Josh Harding has returned to practice after his team suspension for breaking his foot in the off-season. Harding may be a few weeks away from wrestling the starting job back. It took a few years, and a few teams, but Ben Bishop has finally landed in the right spot as Tampa Bay's no. 1. Since taking over the starter's job last year, Bishop has been nothing less than terrific.  37 wins last year and will probably reach 40+ this season. Cam Ward was left for dead after last season but one bad season, especially an injury-riddled one, should not be the reason to cast aside an established NHL starter.  After starting out 0-3-1 this season, most of those critics were probably rubbing their hands with satisfaction but true competitors always rise to the occasion.  November started a new month and a new life for Ward as he rattled off 5 wins in a row.  Ward is back as the no. 1 in Carolina. I would've expected better metrics out of Cory Schneider but he does have a 6-5-2 record and has started every game a la Martin Brodeur, so you know you have to stick with him. His numbers, 2.91 GAA and .906, should improve as the season progresses.  His play has been up and down already this season but should flat line soon. You may have recalled that there was a goaltending controversy brewing in San Jose at the beginning of the year about Alex Stalock getting a lot more starts ...

One thing you have to say about the Minnesota Wild in their attempt to be competitive in the Western Conference is that they have really transformed their team over the past few years by acquiring some top-level NHL talent along with mixing in their fine young talent which was all supposed to complement their strong point, their goaltending. Who would know that their goaltending would come apart at the seams last year with last year's starter Niklas Backstrom falling to injury, and Josh Harding succumbing to his MS illness? Harding in fact had been posting spectacular numbers with a 1.65 GAA and a .933 SP until he was stricken again.  It all was going right for the Wild until they lost Harding.  Backstrom had been playing decent when Harding went down but re-injured himself opening the door for rookie Darcy Kuemper. The rookie goaltender had only 6 games of NHL experience in 2012-2013 before being thrust into the role of Number 1 with the injuries to both Backstrom and Harding last year. His play wasn't consistent enough for the Wild as they pushed to make the playoffs, thereby forcing the Wild to trade for a veteran goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov who had signed on with the Edmonton Oilers in November.  In his new role as the Wild's No. 1, Kuemper posted a 2.43 GAA and a .915 SP which weren't terrible, but as I've said earlier, he lacked consistency which is something you would expect from a rookie goaltender. Fast-forward to training camp 2014. Minnesota was all set to start the season with Backstrom and Harding and let Kuemper work on some things in the minors.  However, Harding broke his foot and was suspended by the team making way for Kuemper to start the season with the big club.  The thought was to platoon the two until either one got on a roll.  Kuemper was chosen as the starter for the home opener against Colorado and pitched a shutout. In fact, he played so well that he got the nod in the back end of the home-and-home series with the Avalanche and proceeded to blank them again.  To begin the season with two shutouts against last year's darlings, the Colorado Avalanche is very impressive indeed.  Wow! Even before pitching those back-to-back shutouts, the road was paved for Kuemper to be the number one goaltender in Minnesota when Harding went down to the broken foot. Backstrom only had two good years with the Minnesota Wild and that was back in 2007-2008 & 2008-2009. In those two years he posted 33 and 37 wins respectively, with good metrics.  He...

My first order of business in passing along any words of waiver wire wisdom is the following: pick up Johnny Boychuk ASAP if he is somehow still available. The window is rapidly closing as the Islander's recently acquired defenseman has set the world on fire with one goal and four assists in two games. Having inherited the position of power-play quarterback on a unit that features John Tavares and Kyle Okposo, Boychuk is breaking out right before our eyes. On to a more realistic list of waiver-wire candidates that should be available and should help you get off to a quick start: Brock Nelson C, New York Islanders: Speaking of hot starts, Boychuk can only be outdone by the prolific Nelson, who has begun the year as the Isle's second-line center and the down-low presence on their primary power-play unit. In two games against lowly Carolina, he managed three goals and three assists, benefiting greatly from a hot NYI unit on the man-advantage. If he can stay in the top-six and continues to rack up top power-play minutes, the 22-year old can be an early-season steal. Cam Atkinson RW, Columbus: With a myriad of injuries to key Columbus forwards, the speedy winger will continue to get a boatload of front-end minutes on the top line and power-play. With three goals in two games, Atkinson is off and running toward what should be a true breakout season for him. Maybe he actually catches up to Ryan Johansen in terms of scoring potential. If he is available, grab him immediately. Tyler Bozak C, Toronto: Not a sexy name in fantasy circles, but you need to get plenty of fantasy consideration when you are flanked by Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk on your line. The underrated Bozak has started the season in grand style, scoring three goals and adding a helper in three games despite Kessel not playing great yet. When Kessel starts to roll, you know Bozak will rack up plenty of assists and remain a decent 4th-5th fantasy forward. Antoine Vermette C, Arizona: Coming off a 24-goal season, the talented pivot finds himself in a solid position as the top-line center to be among the Coyote's premier offensive contributors. With a goal and an assist against Los Angeles on Saturday night, he could get on a serious roll. While we doubt he challenges his career-high of 65 points set five years ago as a member of the Blue Jackets, he can get close to the 50-55 point mark. There is some decent value here as he has quickly supplanted Sam Gagner as the no.one center in the 'Desert...

Darcy Kuemper signed a 2-year deal and after his storybook season last year, if he can establish himself early, he should be the number 1 in Minny unless the coaching staff believes they want a veteran like Ilya Bryzgalov who is trying to make the decision a tough one for management. With Niklas Backstrom getting the win over the Jets last night, the Wild just might have to stick with Backstrom and Kuemper leaving "Breeze" as the odd goalie out. Josh Harding is out for a period of time with a fractured foot. Harding has the skills but can't seem to catch a break, no pun intended.....The St. Louis Blues locked up Jaden Schwartz in a 2-year deal after the LWer broke out with 25 goals and 56 points last year, his second full season in the NHL. Expect similar results, if not a little jump up in production, as Schwartz will be counted on more in the Blues offense.....Florida waived Dan Ellis and Vancouver waived Jacob Markstrom as teams begin to pare down their rosters for the beginning of the season. Ellis was kind of expected but Markstrom comes as a surprise since he was a highly-touted prospect.  With his talent, he will land somewhere, hopefully a place where he can develop properly.  Eddie Lack will serve as Ryan Miller's backup.....Pittsburgh's Beau Bennett was in line to scoop up some prime minutes playing among the top two lines but an injury to his knee sustained during drills will keep him out of the lineup for up to six weeks. Will he ever get a decent shot?....The 2014-2015 PrimePucks Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide has been updated with the latest in signings and injuries. Check your files for the latest developments highlighted in yellow and red.

Harding broke his foot after kicking a wall following an off-ice altercation with a teammate. After missing half of last season with complications with multiple sclerosis , Harding was expected to be the Wild's number-1 netminder in 2014-15. With Darcy Kuemper still unsigned, the WIld's goaltending situation is as messy as ever.

My favorite hockey stat of the week- 9 playoff games have been tied in the last 2:30 minutes of regulation. Speaking of momentum, 8 of the 9 teams who scored the tying goal have won the game in overtime. To quote the old adage "It ain't over til it's over" would seem appropriate at this point. On to our storylines: Marian Gaborik's fantastic game last night and solid playoff run so far has all fantasy pundits wondering about his potential fantasy value next season. The move to Los Angeles has re-energized the sniper's career, as he been extremely productive ever since being united with Anze Kopitar on the top line. Including the regular season, the Slovakian sniper has basically been a point-per-game player for the Kings, collecting 24 points in 27 games. His fantasy value in '14-15 does depend on which team ends up signing him during this summer's free agency period. Along with Thomas Vanek, "Gabby" will be one of the most prized UFA forwards available based on his recent success. As a Gaborik fantasy owner, his best destination would be to stay put with the Kings. He has already developed an incredible rapport with one of the elite centers in the game, so you know that his offensive production should remain similar or even trend upward for next season. Considering the positive impact on Darryl Sutter's squad's playoff run from adding a legitimate goal scorer for once, maybe they try their darnest to sign Gaborik long-term. We shall see.. A few words on the Minnesota Wild's fantasy goaltending situation in '14-15.. If Josh Harding is fully healthy, he has the highest fantasy upside amongst the crop of Wild goalies. However, we are operating under the premise that the talenting Harding will have difficulties playing a full season with his current health concerns. Niklas Backstrom took a huge step back this season but could make a push for the starting job if he recommits himself in the off-season to coming in better physical and mental shape. I have my "money" on 23-year old Darcy Kuemper, who would undoubtedly be the "top dog" in the playoffs over the woefully bad Ilya Bryzgalov if not for his injury. The Saskatoon native recorded 12 wins in 24 starts with a 2.43 GAA and a .915 SP. Despite fading down the stretch, he gave the Wild goaltending a much-needed boost in their first round win over Colorado with a 3-1 record, 2.03 GAA and .913 SP. With a strong training camp under his belt, look for Kuemper to arguably become the Wild's most valuable fantasy ...

Harding has not played since December 31 because of complications with his multiple sclerosis. He has not skated since mid-March and is not expected to return any time soon. However, this is the first time he has joined his teammates on a road-trip in a long time, so this is a step in the right direction.

Harding has not played a game since December 31 because of complications with his multiple sclerosis. This is unfortunate because Harding was having a tremendous season before the MS forced him from action. He was 18-7-3 with a 1.66 GAA and .933 SV% at the time he stopped playing. The effects of MS will likely haunt him throughout his playing career. Expect Darcy Kuemper and Ilya Bryzgalov to manage the Wild goal for the remainder of the season.

The Minnesota Wild, currently, have a three headed goalie stool with Josh Harding, Niklas Backstrom and Darcy Kuemper. From a fantasy point of view having a team sharing 3 goalies is not an ideal situation as they dilute each others ice time.  The reality is that Harding is ill, Backstrom struggles to stay healthy at age 35, and despite his limited NHL experience of only 30 games, Darcy Kuemper appears to be the starter in goal for the Wild going forward.  Harding started the year off strong, and for a couple of months, he was the best goaltender in the NHL, going 18-7-3 with a remarkable 1.66 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.  Unfortunately, Harding has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a very debilitating disease.  He has not played since 12/31/13, likely, because of the disease.  He has been practising for the last several weeks with the Wild, but there is no time table for his return to playing again.  The Wild have been very coy about his status, saying only that he has had to change his medication.  This almost always means that the previous medication was not working well enough, and so they had to go with something stronger.  If Harding is now on Tysabri, and we don't know if this is true or not, then he would be unlikely to be playing anytime soon, because this is a big time treatment.  Backstrom, meanwhile,  has been a steady goaltender for the Wild since 2006-2007, once winning 37 games in 2008-2009, but he tends to get hurt a lot now, and his numbers are terrible this year with a 5-11-2 record a 3.02 goals against and a .899 save percentage.  This leads us to Kuemper, who has gone 6-3-1 this year with a 2.51 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.  The 23 year old has good size at 6' 4" and 215 lbs and he looks like he will be the starter in goal for a while, if somewhat by default. He has played well for a team that has had a lot of injuries, and has been outshot on a regular basis. While he did get lit up a bit last night against Colorado allowing 5 goals, before getting pulled, he is the only choice for Minnesota right now.  He is worth a pickup if you need help in goal.

Minnesota's star winger Zach Parise was instrumental to the Wild's 4-2 upset road victory of Anaheim with a goal and two assists, his first points since returning from injury 3 games ago. With only 4 points in his 10 contests prior to injury, the usually consistent Parise has been hurting fantasy owners with sub-par offensive production, certainly not reminiscent of his 80+ point scoring days with New Jersey. The Wild's offense has been hampered by key injuries throughout the season, but with Mikko Koivu also expected back soon, you could expect a significant scoring upgrade after the Oympic break. With only 30 points in 40 games, Parise is looking like a solid "buy low" option if you can get him on the moderate cheap. Another guy I am "wild" about is goalie Darcy Kuemper, who has been stellar in relief of Josh Harding with a 6-3-1 record, a 2.26 GAA, and a .924 SP. He stymied the Ducks to a tune of 31 saves on 33 shots. Harding has shown to have his share of medical issues, so maybe getting your hands on Kuemper would be a shrewd investment. More Fantasy Game Notes: The biggest news of the nights revolves around the potential blow to Shea Weber owners, as the elite defenseman left the Nashville-Winnipeg contest with a back injury and did not return. No word on the severity of the injury yet, but we will keep you posted. Weber is well on his way to his second career 50+ point season with 36 points (13G/23A) in 52 games.. Two more goals from Chicago's Marian Hossa, who has arguably been the most consistent fantasy forward in the "Windy City". The Slovakian winger hasn't gone more than two games without scoring a point since November 21st. Not bad for someone who many had touted as well past his prime at the age of 35.. Another point-explosion from Alex Ovechkin, who saved the Capitals in Buffalo with two goals, including the overtime game winner and 2 assists. Not much to say here, other than sit your Washington players when "Ovie" is out of the lineup.. Huge effort from Carey Price, as Montreal's goalie slowed down a streaking Carolina club with a 36-save shutout effort. The Canadien Olympian had lost four straight and allowed more than 4 goals in the last five, so his fantasy owners can breathe a sigh of relief for now.. Steve Mason snapped a three-game skid with a 33-save shutout in the 5-0 Fler's win over Detroit. Huge letdown for Mason since signing a lucrative extension, but how many of us have our doubts whether he had proved enough to warrant ...