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 ...

There are ten games on the schedule in the NHL tonight. Carolina and Buffalo start things off with a game in Buffalo.  Anton Khudobin is (likely) for the Huricanes, and he has played well this year with an 8-3 record and a 2.05 goals against. Jhonas Enroth has been (confirmed) for the Sabres, and he has had a tough season with only 1 win. We like Carolina....Philadelphia goes against the Blue Jackets in Columbus.  With Steve Mason playing last night, Ray Emery is (confirmed) for the Flyers . Emery has struggled as the backup with only a .901 save percentage.  Sergei Bobrovsky has been (confirmed) for Columbus, and no one is hotter than him with 6 straight wins.   Go with the hot guy....The Blues are at the Garden to play the Rangers.  Jaroslav Halak has been (confirmed) for St. Louis. He appears to have taken back the starting job.  Henrik Lundqvist has been (confirmed) for New York, and he has been hot as well with 5 wins in 6 games. Go with the King in what should be a tough match....The Senators are at Tamba Bay, and Craig Anderson has been (confirmed) for Ottawa. He had been hot with a 5 game winning streak, but  has lost 3 of his last 5.  Ben Bishop, who has been the goalie story of the year, is (confirmed) for the Lightning. He has cooled a bit going only 4-3 in his last 7, but we like him in this game....With Marc-Andre Fleury playing last night, Jeff Zatkoff is (confirmed) for the Penguins against the Islanders. He has only played in 10 games, but he has won 4 of 5. Kevin Poulin is (confirmed) to be in goal for New York. His overall numbers are bad, but he has won 6 of 8 in January.  Have to go with Pittsburgh though....Chicago is at Minnesota, and Antti Raanta is (likely) in goal for the Blackhawks. Raanta has played in only 2 games in January, but he won them both.  Minnesota will surely start Darcy Kuemper (likely) as Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom are both out. Kuemper is 3-2 in his last 5 games.  Go wth Chicago and Raanta....Toronto is at Dallas, ad it looks like Jonathan Bernier (confirmed)is slowly grabbing the starting job for the Maple Leafs. He has been gettng more ice time lately, and he has 4 straight wins. Kari Lehtonen is (confirmed) for the Stars as he has been struggling lately going 2-8 in his last 10 games. Go with Bernier on this one....The Kings are at Anaheim and will (likely) start Jonathan Quick in goal. Quick has been only 4-4 since returning from injury, but he does have a .938 save percentage  for those games.  ...

Harding has missed nine consecutive games and 13 of the past 15 games since having a "minor adjustment" to his treatment for multiple sclerosis. This is obviously bad news for Harding who appears to have taken a step-back in his recovery.

David Desharnais- Montreal Canadiens, C (Owned in 5.5% of ESPN leagues) Where's the love for this guy? After collecting one assist in the first 19 games, the shifty center has flourished alongside LW Max Pacioretty with 14 points (5G/9A) in his last 15. The Montreal offense runs solely through their primary line, so Desharnais should not be available in over 90% of fantasy leagues. Pick him up as a solid 5th or 6th starting forward option. Cam Atkinson- Columbus Blue Jackets, RW (Owned in 3.5% of ESPN leagues) The speedy winger has been largely inconsistent in his offensive production during the first half, but he has been trending upward with points in 5 of his last 6 games. With the team rolling on a current 6-game winning streak, Atkinson has played a major part in the offensive resurgence. Just on scoring potential alone, he may be worth a flier as he seems to be heating up. Johan Franzen- Detroit Red Wings, LW (Owned in 85.5 % of ESPN leagues) If the "Mule" was dropped in your leagues because of his head injury, snag him ASAP. While not an elite scorer, the Swedish winger always play his best hockey as the Wings get closer to playoff time. One of the streakiest scorers in the "clutch", don't be surprised if Franzen is close to a point-per-game producer in the last 30 games or so. With 9 of his 23 points coming on the power-play, there is plenty of fantasy value here. Jack Johnson-Columbus Blue Jackets, D (Owned in 50.6% of ESPN leagues) Start your Olympic snubs, as a few of the "not chosen" NHL players have been on scoring binges ever since the selection of the rosters. The talented defenseman has been making a strong statement with his offensive game lately, collecting 5 points in the last 4 contests. Firmly entrenched on the primary power-play unit with James Wisniewski, he makes for a great "buy-low" target. If somehow available, scoop him up immediately. 40+-point potential is rarely available on the waiver wire! .Darcy Kuemper- Minnesota Wild, G (owned in 32.1% of ESPN leagues) Winning four of his last five starts, the young Kuemper has surpassed Niklas Backstrom as the no. 1 goalie for the Wild with his recent "hot" streak. His numbers stand at 4-2, 2.13 GAA and .922 SP. There is heavy speculation that the Wild management will carry three goalies when Josh Harding returns. There are plenty of concerns considering Harding's health issues and Backstrom's struggles, so Kuemper could be well worth a waiver-wire addition.

Wild head coach Mike Yeo said the team will "keep going day to day and figure out how he's feeling. He's making progress and he looks good and I'm kind of waiting for a final word or a little bit more information as far as what I'm told from the trainers and the doctors."

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

For those of you fantasy owners who did the unthinkable and bailed out on Ranger's All-World goalie Henrik Lundqvist after his mediocre stretch in December, I have bad news. The "King" has returned to glory, stopping all 38 shots last night against Detroit for his 3rd shutout of the season and his 4th win in his last 5 starts. After registering a 3.08 GAA and a .888 SP in 10 games last month, his numbers in January have been up to his usual lofty standards: 4-2-1, 2.12 GAA, and .939 SP. With the return of "heart and soul" players Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal and the team's penchant for scoring timely goals in recent games, Lundqvist looks poised to return to his normal perch on top of the fantasy goalie world. More Fantasy Game Notes With a goal and two assists, Wayne Simmonds of the Flyers has been in fantasy "beast" mode with 20 points in the last 15 games. As long as he remains firmly entrenched on the Flyer's primary power-play unit, keep starting him.Great for Mike Smith last night, as the much-maligned Phoenix goalie turned aside all 29 shots in the 1-0 win over Vancouver. Smith had been 0-5-2 over his previous 7 starts, so maybe the shutout can kick-start a winning streak. Not sold on his resurgence yet.Hey Ben Scrivens, welcome to Edmonton! In his first start for the Oilers, he allowed 4 goals on 26 shots in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota. He will sorely miss the King's defensive corps and scheme, so look for his 2.09 GAA to considerably rise. Fantasy value on the decline.Two goalies under the fantasy radar which could be decent short-term options: Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota) and Kevin Poulin (NYI). The Wild goalie has benefited from Josh Harding's injury and Niklas Backstrom's recent struggles, starting 3 straight games while posting great numbers. When Harding returns, Kuemper will sit but things could be different on Long Island. Poulin has won 6 of 7 starts, allowing 14 goals during that span. With the older Evgeni Nabokov on the mend from injury, maybe the Islanders continue to ride the 23-year old even when the veteran returns. More long-term upside for Poulin than Kuemper.Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec has been a tremendous fantasy bust this season with a 3.05 GAA and a .899 SP, but thing are looking up since Paul Maurice took over as the Jet's head coach. Stopping 20 of 22 shots in the 5-2 win over Calgary, he has won both starts and could be trending upward. After being non-fantasy relevant all year long, maybe he is worth stashing away on ...

Harding remains on IR and there is no timetable for his return, but his presence at the morning skate is definite progress. The Wild will continue to roll with Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom while Harding is sidelined.

Prior to a two-game return in losses to the Islanders and St. Louis, Harding missed another four games to make what was termed "a minor adjustment" to his treatment protocol for multiple sclerosis. Yeo said it was a good sign to see Harding on the ice, but didn't have a specific timetable for Harding's return. "I talked to him this morning and he's been feeling better the last couple days," Yeo said. "So we'll look for him to join the group here soon.