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 ...

Vlasic missed game 6 after being elbowed in the head by Kings' forward Jarret Stoll in game 5. He is there best puck moving defenseman, so his loss is a big one, but Matt Irwin filled-in pretty well in game 6. Irwin logged 18:43 of ice-time and was a minus-1, he'll be in again tonight.

Vlasic was injured early in Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Kings after being hit by Jarret Stoll. Vlasic will be replaced by Matt Irwin, who played 62 games this season, but is a downgrade from the Olympian Vlasic. Vlasic is considered day-to-day.

Here is a little taste of another one of our weekly premium articles, IN STEVE'S DEFENSE, which focusus on all fantasy trends and news regarding NHL defensemen on a weekly basis. Only available as a PRIME+PLUS subscriber, here is an excerpt from "WESTERN CONFERENCE SLEEPERS TO TARGET: 9/17/13". Enjoy!: Our final look at fantasy sleeper targets on defense for '13 focuses on three late-round bargains in the Western Conference. The name of the game in fantasy is opportunity and all three should get plenty of chances to move up the scoring charts next year and beyond: Matt Irwin: Never being drafted by a NHL team did not stop the 25-year old Matt Irwin from making a quick impact once he made it to the Sharks. The lanky defender proved to be invaluable for San Jose during his rookie season in ‘13, as his emergence on the power-play allowed Coach Todd McLellan to permanently move Brett Burns to the forward position alongside Joe Thornton. Irwin had a prolific early stretch, scoring 4 goals and 6 points in six games during early March. His overall numbers were not as impressive as he collected 6 goals and 12 points in 38 games last season, but he hopes to improve on those numbers in '13-14. With Dan Boyle in slow decline, perhaps Irwin can grab the top PP quarterback spot sooner than later for the Sharks. Watch how he is utilized in training camp and early in the season, but you should keep tabs on him. T.J. Brodie: We are very high on this guy, so you need to take notice. Undeniably having the highest offensive upside of Calgary's defensive prospects, the 23-year old has quietly amassed three years of limited experience with the big club. Playing for the AHL's Abbotsford Heat during the lockout helped develop his offensive skills, as he collected 20 points in 35 games. By the end of last season, Calgary was gearing toward rebuilding mode, which meant more quality ice-time for their rising prospects, such as Brodie. During the month of April, he earned six points in 15 games, including four on the power-play. He also averaged a whopping 23:26 minutes per contest, including top PP time. There will be a moderate point jump for Brodie next season, but more to follow in 14/15. Huge sleeper pick in the late rounds. Tyson Barrie: The defensive situation in Colorado is so ripe for a youngster to grab the reins and lead the the blueline in scoring, as Erik Johnson has been incredibly underwhelming since being traded to the Av's. With several potential impact rookies ...

A healthy scratch for the last six games, Sharks defenseman Matt Irwin will return to the lineup against the Kings on Wednesday. "It's just time to get him playing again. He shoots the puck a lot, he gives the power play a bit of a pop, and he'll get that opportunity," head coach Todd McLellan said. Irwin will be paired with Dan Boyle, while Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic will reunite. The third pair will be Brad Stuart and Scott Hannan.

This will be the fourth time in the last five game that Irwin has been scratched since Dan Boyle has returned to the Sharks blueline. He has three assists in 14 games this season.

ATTENTION EXCEL STAT SHEET SUBSCRIBERS-The 3-Year Excel Spreadsheet has been updated. Go to "MY ACCOUNT" and click on the FILES tab to access the updated Excel spreadsheet IN STEVE'S DEFENSE talks about some Western Conference sleepers in this week's edition. A must read! PRE-SEASON FANTASY BITS: For those wondering how Jarome Iginla was going to fit into the Boston lineup, we think he answered that question for us last night as he scored twice on a line with Milan Lucic and Dave Krejci. They have shown instant chemistry together with Lucic grabbing 3 assists in the B's 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens... Looking for a sleeper defenseman? 22 year-old Rookie Torey Krug has parlayed last year's playoff experience into a 3 assist performance last night against the Habs. If he continues like this, he should remain a staple on the Bruin's power play....Keep your eye on this combination as the signing of C Danny Briere might pay immediate dividends for the Canadiens as they lined the veteran up with Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais, who displayed the chemistry they had two seasons ago, and scored on some beautiful passing on the power play. Time will be needed for this trio but the signs are already there for some big things to come out of this Montreal threesome...More known for his brawn than offensive prowess, Florida D Erik Gudbranson potted 2 goals and added an assist in the game against the Nashville Predators yesterday. He did score 34 points in 44 games one year in the OHL...Detroit's C Pavel Datsyuk seems to be in mid-season form already as he had a goal and an assist in their 4-1 victory over the Penguins. D Brendan Smith added 2 assists. Is this a sign of things to come?...Rangers LW Rick Nash got better as the game went on...Flyers C Sean Couturier showed signs of chemistry with Jakub Voracek in the absence of Claude Giroux from the lineup. Couturier is one of our sleeper pick in the PrimePucks™ Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide for the upcoming season....Sharks D Matt Irwin was on the power play point in last night's game. Look for more of this as camp goes on.  One of our Dark Horses in the Draft Guide and also mentioned in today's IN STEVE'S DEFENSE as well...Vancouver's young talent was on display last night and they didn't disappoint with Brendan Gaunce and Hunter Shinkaruk both scoring goals in their loss to the Sharks. They will be big contributors for the Canucks in years to come. ***ATTENTION FANTASY HOCKEY LEAGUE COMMISSIONERS*** If you ...

ATTENTION EXCEL STAT SHEET SUBSCRIBERS-The 3-Year Excel Spreadsheet has been updated. Go to "MY ACCOUNT" and click on the FILES tab to access the updated Excel spreadsheet PRE-SEASON FANTASY BITS: For those wondering how Jarome Iginla was going to fit into the Boston lineup, we think he answered that question for us last night as he scored twice on a line with Milan Lucic and Dave Krejci. They have shown instant chemistry together with Lucic grabbing 3 assists in the B's 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens.  Looking for a sleeper defenseman? 22 year-old Rookie Torey Krug has parlayed last year's playoff experience into a 3 assist performance last night against the Habs. If he continues like this, he should remain a staple on the Bruin's power play....Keep your eye on this combination as the signing of C Danny Briere might pay immediate dividends for the Canadiens as they lined the veteran up with Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais, who displayed the chemistry they had two seasons ago, and scored on some beautiful passing on the power play. Time will be needed for this trio but the signs are already there for some big things to come out of this Montreal threesome...More known for his brawn than offensive prowess, Florida D Erik Gudbranson potted 2 goals and added an assist in the game against the Nashville Predators yesterday. He did score 34 points in 44 games one year in the OHL...Detroit's C Pavel Datsyuk seems to be in mid-season form already as he had a goal and an assist in their 4-1 victory over the Penguins. D Brendan Smith added 2 assists. Is this a sign of things to come?...Rangers LW Rick Nash got better as the game went on...Flyers C Sean Couturier showed signs of chemistry with Jakub Voracek in the adsence of Claude Giroux from the lineup. Couturier is one of our sleepers pick in the PrimePucks™ Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide for the upcoming season....Sharks D Matt Irwin was on the power play point in last night's game. Look for more of this as camp goes on.  One of our Dark Horses in the Draft Guide and also mentioned in today's IN STEVE'S DEFENSE as well...Vancouver's young talent was on display last night and they didn't disappoint with Brendan Gaunce and Hunter Shinkaruk both scoring goals in their loss to the Sharks. They will be big contributors for the Canucks in years to come. ***ATTENTION FANTASY HOCKEY LEAGUE COMMISSIONERS*** If you are the commissioner of an upcoming fantasy hockey league and will be holding a draft soon,  ...

Our final look at fantasy sleeper targets on defense for '13 focuses on three late-round bargains in the Western Conference. The name of the game in fantasy is opportunity and all three should get plenty of chances to move up the scoring charts next year and beyond: Matt Irwin: Never being drafted by a NHL team did not stop the 25-year old Matt Irwin from making a quick impact once he made it to the Sharks. The lanky defender proved to be invaluable for San Jose during his rookie season in ‘13, as his emergence on the power-play allowed Coach Todd McLellan to permanently move Brett Burns to the forward position alongside Joe Thornton. Irwin had a prolific early stretch, scoring 4 goals and 6 points in six games during early March. His overall point production was not as impressive as he collected 6 goals and 12 points in 38 games last season, but he hopes to improve on those numbers in '13-14. With Dan Boyle in slow decline, perhaps Irwin can grab the top PP quarterback spot sooner than later for the Sharks. Watch how he is utilized in training camp and early in the season, but you should keep tabs on him. T.J. Brodie: We are very high on this guy, so you need to take notice. Undeniably having the highest offensive upside of Calgary's defensive prospects, the 23-year old T.J. Brodie has quietly amassed three years of limited experience with the big club. Playing for the AHL's Abbotsford Heat during the lockout helped develop his offensive skills, as he collected 20 points in 35 games. By the end of last season, Calgary was gearing toward rebuilding mode, which meant more quality ice-time for their rising prospects, such as Brodie. During the month of April, he earned six points in 15 games, including four on the power-play. He also averaged a whopping 23:26 minutes per contest, including top PP time. There will be a moderate point jump for Brodie next season, but more to follow in 14/15. Huge sleeper pick in the late rounds. Tyson Barrie: The defensive situation in Colorado is so ripe for a youngster to grab the reins and lead the the blueline in scoring, as Erik Johnson has been incredibly underwhelming since being traded to the Av's. With several potential impact rookies on the horizon, young Tyson Barrie has the best opportunity to become their next effective PP quarterback. He earned rave reviews in his brief stint last season on the power-play, but did not rack up many points due to a down year for the Avalanche offense. However, with the likes of...

Our third edition focuses on two rising blueliners, plus an aging veteran center on a young squad, a forward to watch in Washington, and one of Carolina's new stars. A re-occuring theme among these five players is how their fantasy impact will potentially be affected by the presence of more power-play opportunity in 2013/14. Matt Irwin The 25-year old defender proved to be invaluable for San Jose during his rookie season, as his strong work on the power-play allowed the team to permanently move Brett Burns to the forward position alongside Joe Thornton. Irwin collected 6 goals and 12 points in 38 games last season, but hopes to improve on those numbers in 13/14. With Dan Boyle in slow decline, perhaps Irwin can grab the top PP quarterback spot sooner than later for the Sharks. Watch how he is utilized in training camp and early in the season. FANTASY STOCK: UP Justin Faulk After another standout performance for Team USA in the IIHF World Championships in May, the youngster looks ready for the big stage in Carolina. The hot-shot defender is draftable in all leagues, but represents great mid-round value with the news that Joni Pitkanen will most likely not be ready to start the season. That leaves Faulk and quite possibly prospect Ryan Murphy as the main beneficiaries for more quality power-play time. I would raise Faulk a few notches on your pre-draft defensive rankings, as he looks primed to break out. FANTASY STOCK: WAY UP Jordan Staal After an average first year on brother Eric's Carolina squad, where he scored 31 points in 48 games, Jordan has shed 10 pounds during the off-season and looks fully committed to improve on his 12/13 numbers. Despite the probable lack of top PP time and not lining up with Eric Staal in the upcoming season, the 24-year old will benefit from a possible resurgence from former Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner. If the two can quickly develop more chemistry on the second line and Skinner can revert to his 30+goal form, Jordan Staal could make a serious push for 60 points. Keep an eye on the Carolina tandem, as they should take plenty of the scoring burden off the top unit. FANTASY STOCK: SLIGHTLY UP Oli Jokinen This one is simple to figure out. Despite the scarcity of offensive production, the veteran pivot still earned an average of over 17 minutes of ice-time per game in 12/13, mainly due to lack of firepower down the middle for Winnipeg. However, the potential emergence of prospect Mark Scheifele( Ray loves this kid...