Logan Couture and Brent Burns should fill up the stat sheet today against the Winnipeg Jets. Who else should be in your NHL DFS tournament lineups?

Captain Toews to the rescue, Shoot’em out in Wild West, Ducks & Habs losing helps Rangers The Buffalo Sabres almost made it 2 in a row by scaring the Chicago Blackhawks until Captain Jonathan Toews rescued the Hawks from a humiliating defeat against the NHL’s worst team by scoring two late goals with less than 2 minutes remaining to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 win.  Toews just shows what a tremendous talent he is by upping his game in the wake of losing Patrick Kane for the last month and a half and carrying the team to within reach of the Central division crown…Brandon Saad added 2 assists and has 6 points in the last six games.  Perhaps the time has come for the young LWer.  With next year being his fourth, you could see a good jump in production from the 50’s level to perhaps a 70-point campaign….For those looking ahead to next season, Buffalo’s defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen may be the main cog on the Sabres’ power play along with Zach Bogosian.  Regardless, Buffalo has a tremendous amount of defensive young talent to build the team up on.  And don’t forget Sam Reinhart…. The New Jersey Devils actually helped their cross-river rivals, the New York Rangers, by beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout, keeping the Mighty Habs from gaining that extra point that is so crucial at this point of the season.  It was a battle of the backups as both teams have or had back-to-back nights… It was a regular ‘shoot-em out in the Old West’ as the St. Louis Blues outlasted the Dallas Stars 7-5 last night in a game atypical at this time of year.  With Vladimir Tarasenko sidelined, Patrik Berglund has stepped up his production of late with 6 points in last 4 games.  Berglund has never lived up to his scoring potential but has come on of late...Jaden Schwartz had a hattie and showed that he can score without the talented Tarasenko giving the Blues a potent duo for years to come…Dallas has their own potent duo in Jamie Benn (2G, A) and Tyler Seguin (G, 2A) as both contributed with 3 points each in the loss.  You can probably expect more matches like this in the upcoming years… The New York Rangers got some more help as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2, keeping the Ducks from expanding their 2-point lead over the Rangers for the President’s Cup.  With 2 assists Avs’ defenseman Tyson Barrie cracked the 50-point plateau, bettering his previous high of 38 set last year.  Barrie has arrived big time and should be high on your draft lists next ...

Buffalo stomps Leafs, Ain't that a Schenn and a Silfverberg lining in Anaheim The Buffalo Sabres scored three unanswered goals to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a game with little relevance at this stage of the season.  4 different goal-scorers for the Sabres, so no big help there in the waning two weeks for fantasy players but Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak have shown signs of life of late and both added 2 assists on the night so keep playing those two especially against weaker opponents…. In the battle of Pennsylvania, it was the Flyers who showed some scoring punch with a 4-1 win over the Penguins. Brayden Schenn was the scoring star with 2 goals giving him 16 on the year.  It has been a bit of a disappointing year for the young forward who we expected to have more of a breakout season.  Perhaps next year….Meanwhile, the Penguins have only scored more than 2 goals in regulation twice in the last 10 games in which they have gone 3-6-1.  Not exactly lighting the world on fire especially with that lineup.... The Anaheim Ducks blasted the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 to claim the Pacific Division title and eighth win in the last ten games. Jakub Silfverberg had a career night with three assists and could be a decent play over the last week while the stars get rested a bit in Anaheim.. Thanks to a 5-1 drubbing of Colorado, the San Jose Sharks are still alive in the playoff hunt. Logan Couture continues to be a strong fantasy option down the stretch with two more points. BTW, what happened to Joe Thornton? Six straight games with no points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs came out flat against an Ottawa Senators team that had played a tough match against the New York Rangers the night before.  The Leafs fought back in the third period but Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson showed his All-Star form with 2 goals, including the game-winner. Karlsson proved once again why he is the top-rated defenseman in the NHL. The Senators are fighting for a playoff spot so look for good second halves from the likes of Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman, Mika Zibanejad and goalie Craig Anderson. Anderson has rebounded from a poor 2013-2014 and is putting up good metrics despite his record....the Leafs have been struggling on offense of late but with talent like Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and company you just know that Toronto will break out in a big way soon, so keep them in your lineup or perhaps "buy low" opportunities await.... Pittsburgh was missing Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in their matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks but managed to play them tough in a 3-2 shootout loss. The pair were injured in the Philly game the night before and with the long All-Star break, perhaps it was wise to be cautious with two of their top talents... Michael Hutchinson blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 heading into the break as the Winnipeg Jets continue to solidify a hold on a playoff spot. Hutchinson has put up some impressive numbers in his short stint in the NHL, so look for the Jets to ride Hutchinson for the majority of starts from here on out.  Evander Kane looks like he is picking up steam with his fourth goal in 7 January games, so if you need some goals and he's on the wire, he might be worth the pickup.... Colorado continues to climb their way back into playoff contention with a 3-2 shootout win over a surging Boston Bruin team. Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov is poised for a big second half and speaking of second halves, Jarome Iginla must feel good to score against his former team. Look for Iginla to be a big part of Colorado's climb going forward.... San Jose helped themselves with a 4-2 win over Los Angeles putting a little distance between the two teams. Logan Couture was the main cog for the Sharks and he should be able to consistently score with this lineup. Expect a point-per-game pace from the 25-year old as he has 11 in 10 January games.  He has the talent to be the top dog in terms of scoring so don't be surprised if he raises his game to the next level.

Winnipeg starting goalie Michael Hutchinson (34/37 SV) did his best to steal the game against the San Jose Sharks last night but was done in by a goal with just under 5 seconds left in regulation to lose 3-2. The Jets were battling from behind all night as they took 7 penalties but Hutchinson, starter of 5 of last 6, kept them in the game with his stellar play.  Look for Hutchinson to continue to start the majority of games coming up on the schedule as the team seems to play better with Hutch in net.  Brent Burns (G,A), Joe Pavelski (2A) and Logan Couture (2A)were the catalysts for the Sharks as they played their second straight game with Joe Thornton who is out with a upper-body injury.

Most eyes were on Martin Brodeur's first career start on a team other than New Jersey, and the end-results were mixed. He surrendered four goals on 24 shots in the 4-3 St. Louis loss to Nashville, but looked on his game early on after making several splendid saves. As a die-hard NHL fan, it's great to see Marty back manning the crease but as a fantasy owner, I won't be running to scoop him up soon. He will get a few starts to alleviate Jake Allen's workload while Brian Elliott recovers from injury, so don't get caught up in the hype. Brodeur's elite fantasy days are long over.. A heavy dose of reality for Jhonas Enroth and his Buffalo mates, as they got slammed by Tampa Bay 5-0 in the second game of a home-and-home set. You didn't think that the suddenly streaking Sabres would hand the Lightning a second straight loss, did you? Even though Enroth gave up 5 goals on 35 shots and had his three-game winning streak snapped, he has played extremely well lately and should be considered a depth spot on most fantasy squads. With a very manageable three-home game week coming up, I am seriously considering starting Enroth over the struggling Kari Lehtonen.. The injuries to Pittsburgh's forward corps keep piling up, as Patric Hornqvist was not out there for the third period of the 3-0 loss to Vancouver. Apparently, he suffered the injury after taking a big hit from Ryan Stanton, but there hasn't been a confirmation yet. The ex-Predator has been a fantasy revelation on the Pens, collecting 25 points in 25 games, so a serious injury would be a massive blow to his fantasy owners.. Sergei Bobrovsky's 52 saves paced the Blue Jackets in a much-needed 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers and ending his personal five-game win-less skid.With a 6-8-1 record and a less than elite 2.89 GAA, the young Russian goaltender is off his normal slow start, but just like his 2013 Vezina winning year, he could heat up in a hurry. I am saying huge "buy-low" opportunity here, so inquire what it would take to get him on the moderate cheap.. Eleven straight and counting for Jaroslav Halak, as he continued his lengthy winning streak with his 20-save effort in New York's 2-1 road win over Ottawa. His numbers speak for themselves, with his .926 SP and 2.05 GAA ranking him amongst the fantasy elite. Keep riding him in the crease as the Islanders have shown no signs of any slippage soon.. Great news for Logan Couture fantasy owners, as he passed all concussion protocol and played last night in...

On a night where superstar John Tavares entered the Leafs-Islanders tilt as one of the NHL's most prolific scorers early on, it was Phil Kessel who took center stage on Long Island. His big-game performance, where he dominated the Isle's with two goals and an assist truly showed why he is one of the league's most feared snipers. As a fantasy asset, his value lies in his ability to score points in bunches, as all eight points on the season were scored in just three of his seven games. That's what you get with Kessel so despite feeling frustrated about a few score-less outings in a row, always keep him in your starting line-up. You will be sorry if you didn't.. Speaking of streaking (It rhymes!), 25-year old Logan Couture continues to awake from an early slumber, scoring two goals for San Jose in their 5-3 defeat to the Boston Bruins. After registering one point in his first four games, the talented winger has rolled up five points in the last three games and has the ability to put up career numbers if he can stay healthy. Last season, Couture racked up 27 points in his first 26 games so a point-per-game scoring clip is well within his means. Start him with confidence but treat him like Kessel- his scoring streaks will greatly outweigh a few dry spells in terms of overall fantasy production. The Jonathan Drouin watch has officially begun, as the prized 19-year old collected his first NHL point, an assist, in the Lightning's 2-1 triumph over Calgary. In just his second game, the youngster played over 19 minutes while sharing top-line duties with Steven Stamkos. A 2-on-nothing opportunity in overtime almost gave the young Drouin a taste of scoring his first NHL goal, but was foiled by Karri Ramo. The early returns suggest a quick ascension up the fantasy charts for Drouin, so watch him carefully over the next few games. The return of David Krejci to the Boston Bruins has restored his place as a solid fantasy center, but what has it meant to the overall fantasy value of the "B's"? In his last four games, the crafty pivot has racked up two goals and four assists, while also helping to ignite the previously dormant Milan Lucic who has five assists in the last three. During the last four games of Krejci's point streak, the Boston offense has scored 16 goals for an average of 4-per-game. After a putrid start, it looks safe to start your key Boston skaters as the forward corps looks much more formidable with Krejci back in the picture. Mike Ribeiro crafted a ...

Cold, windy autumn day here in New York but I've got my hot cup of Joe right in front of me. There were a lot of significant happenings for fantasy owners last night. Some important fantasy players broke the ice or showed signs of life finally.  Boston's defense seems to be awakening as Zdeno Chara got his 2nd goal, Jason Krug got his 1st and Dougie Hamilton scored his 1st and added an assist. Chara had 7 SOG; out to prove critics wrong about his decline. 2 players that should be added; one for this season and the other for this season and beyond. LW Nick Foligno has 7 points in 5 games for Columbus while Alex Galchenyuk has 6 points in 6 games but is ready to breakout in this his 3rd NHL season. Washington has embraced Barry Trotz' system and is 3-0-2. It's going to be a real dogfight in the Metropolitan division this year. Patric Hornqvist is going to have one huge year in Pittsburgh it seems. 12 SOG last night.  It was good to see Logan Couture have a big game with a goal and 2 assists.   He could be San Jose's leading point-getter this season. Huge overtime win for Philadelphia in Dallas last night.  Huge. Jonas Gustavsson played big last night, blanking his former team the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 in overtime. Dion Phaneuf had 6 SOG on goal but his best days as far as big fantasy point-getter are behind him. The Ottawa Senators are surprising me with their play. Are they surprising you? Ottawa G Robin Lehner looks like the promising young goaltender everyone has been waiting for. 2-0-0 with a 1.92 GAA and a .950 SP.  Don't slip Mr. Anderson. Erik Karlsson had 7 SOG last night. Big night for defensemen taking lots of shots.  Matt Duchene, not a defenseman, had 10 SOG for Colorado last night. I really like Galchenyuk this year. I really do. Do the Devils think that with adding this offense they can give up playing defense? If they combine who they used to be with their new offense, they could be dangerous. Mike Cammalleri loves playing in New Jersey it seems with 5 goals and 2 assists in 5 games. This Damon Severson kid looks like he's the real deal on defense for the Devils, doesn't he? A lot of people have the Islanders making the playoffs this year. I think they just miss out.  Sorry, I just don't see it. Claude Giroux is waking up earlier than he did last year. Watch out! This Tyler Seguin has his sights on the Art Ross Trophy this year, but Sid the Kid will have something to say about that. Take a look at Dallas D-man Trevor Daley as he has 3 ...

Do you know the way ‘out' of San Jose? Well, another awful playoff performance like last's year's blown 3-0 lead in games to the Kings in the first round will certainly open some doors, but not the kind you would like.  Perhaps changes are overdue, but there is no denying that the Sharks are a perennial playoff threat, even if they don't know it themselves.  Joe Thornton was stripped of his captaincy, and Patrick Marleau of his assistant captaincy, leaving skeptics to wonder if that's a sign that they are on the way out. Or perhaps it was used as a motivational tools as surely Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture are ready to take their games to the next level. Gone is veteran Dan Boyle to the NY Rangers via free agency, providing quality ice time to the younger defensive squad. Will Brent Burns be returned to the defense? Or will he stay on RW where he has shown his scoring ability quite regularly?  Will G Antti Niemi see a lightened workload with Alex Stalock more than a capable backup? I wonder if the Sharks get off to a slow start means that Todd McLellan, Head Coach since 2008, will be the first scapegoat for all the disappointing playoff rounds. GOALIES We believe Niemi to get the lion's share of starts again this season being that he has been the regular starter for the last 4 seasons with the Sharks. Plus there's that Stanley Cup he won while with the Chicago Blackhawks before joining San Jose.  Niemi's numbers are average with a .916 SP and a 2.35 GAA in basically 4 ½ seasons in the NHL.  Stalock handled himself well in his first go round as backup with a 1.87 GAA and .935 SP but thee 31-year old Niemi will be the main guy in the crease for the Sharks. DEFENSE With the departure of Boyle, there was word Burns was returning to defense after spending last season on the wing. There is already word that Burns may just stay on wing so that the young defensive talent of the Sharks can take advantage of the extra time.  If Burns remains on the wing that would leave the top power play unit open at the top, one spot that should be filled by Jason Demers.  Demers had a career year with 34 points in his 5th season. He did have some scoring success in the QMJHL with 9 goals and 55 assists one season, so he may be suited for the Shark attack.  Marc-Edouard Vlasic has shown some offensive talent from time to time but is counted on for defense mostly. Matt Irwin has the skillset for scoring from the backend as he potted back-to-back seasons of 10 and 11 goals ...

Jordan Staal suffered a broken bone in his right leg during Carolina's game at Buffalo. Obviously, this is a huge blow to the team and fantasy owners alike. The exact timetable on how long he will be out of action has yet to be determined, so more news should come out shortly. A few more injuries to mention: Logan Couture got a bit banged up during San Jose's 4-2 split squad loss to Vancouver and was taken out of the game, albeit more for precautionary reasons.. Vancouver defenseman Alex Edler left his game with an upper body injury. We have him pegged for a nice comeback season.. Tampa Bay star prospect Jonathan Drouin will miss 3-4 weeks due to a fractured thumb. This means that he won't start the season alongside Steven Stamkos, buy you can bet that will happen sooner than later.. Pavel Datysuk is getting an MRI on his shoulder today, but for now is set to miss a week. Game Bits: Both Alex Stalock and John Gibson started the first games for their respective teams, San Jose and Anaheim. They both came up short as they allowed a combined 6 goals. There will be interesting goaltending battles for starting supremacy involving both, as Antti Niemi and Frederik Andersen hold the early edge entering camp. In Stalock's case, the road might be tougher but Niemi will be a UFA at season's end so the Sharks will be prompted to give him a serious look.. Another goal and an assist for Cam Atkinson, giving him four points in two games. The major breakout hasn't happened yet, but there is still time for the youngster.. Buffalo's Jhonas Enroth starts the pre-season on a high note with a 35-save shutout of Carolina... Jonathan Toews scores the game-winner in OT for Chicago over Detroit. What else is new? Always clutch and forever a consistent point-per-game guy. Very safe top-four round pick.. Joe Thonton starts his post-captain era in San Jose with two goals. Expect him to play with a chip on his shoulder as much of the team's collapse was blamed on his leadership or lack therof.