ADD'EM: 6 OF ONE, HALF DOZEN OF THE OTHER
Thomas Greiss-G-NYI (27.9... primepucks.com Sun 11/12/17 7:38 PM
ADD'EM: 6 OF ONE, HALF DOZEN OF THE OTHER
Thomas Greiss-G-NYI (27.9% owned in ESPN), Nino Niederreiter-RW-MIN (56.3), Daniel Sedin-LW-VAN (48.1), Mikael Backlund-C-CGY (45.6), Mathew Barzal-C-NYI (41.3), Jason Zucker-LW-MIN (35.3), Tanner Pearson-LW-LAK (33.5), Justin Williams-RW-CAR (27.5), Rick Nash-RW-NYR (24.5), Frans Nielsen-C-DET (18.9)
11/12/2017
GOALIE: The only available net minder worthy of a fantasy slot this week is the Islanders’ Thomas Greiss. Greiss played in three games the past week and netted 2 wins allowing 8 goals against but had 89 saves. An away game against Tampa Bay sandwiched between a home-and-home series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
FORWARD: There are quite a few forward options out there with one returning for an encore performance. Nino Niederreiter went 1-2-3 in 4 games last week and with 2 home games against Philly and Nashville concluding with an away game against Washington this week, look for NN to continue his groove now that his early season injury seems to be behind him.
We are heading back to the island, more specifically Brooklyn with Mathew Barzal of the Islanders. Posting 0-6-6 in 4 games last week, Barzal seems to be getting more and more comfortable on a line with Jordan Eberle, and vice versa. Look for the talented rookie to continue contributing and hopefully he starts to shoot the puck more being that he only had 4 SOG for the whole week.
Back to Minnesota and a red-hot Jason Zucker. While this JZ might not be from Brooklyn, he sure is causing a ruckus this past week with 6 goals and an assist in 4 games. With 17 SOG you know he is feeling it and so should you. Stick him in your lineup while the iron the hot.
Mikael Backlund of Calgary usually saves his game for the second half but recently he has been putting up some assists more consistently with 4 in the past 3 games. You won’t get much more than an assists here or there as he tends not to shoot the puck too often.
Justin Williams return to Carolina has been somewhat quiet to start the season, but he has been putting up the points of late with a goal and 3 assists in the past 3 games. With 4 games on the tilt this week, at home against Dallas and NY Islanders bookending matches against the same NY Islanders and Buffalo both away, the schedule looks promising for Carolina.
One player I was expecting to breakout this season after a semi-breakout last year is LA King Tanner Pearson. He has just 9 points in 16 games so far this season but has...
3 Daily Fantasy Hockey Stacks for 2/15/17 numberfire.com Wed 2/15/17 3:55 PM
The Three M's -- Michael Frolik, Mikael Backlund, and Matthew Tkachuk -- make for a great stack tonight vs. the Flyers. Who else should you stack in your NHL DFS lineups?
3 Daily Fantasy Hockey Stacks for 1/4/17 numberfire.com Wed 1/4/17 1:40 PM
Mikael Backlund and his line mates make for a high-upside stack tonight against the Avalanche.
ADD'EM: FIRED UP FLAMES primepucks.com Sun 3/15/15 9:06 PM
Calgary dominates our list, while rookies making their mark in Boston and St.Louis:
Mikael Backlund C, Calgary- Here we go again for the talented Swede as he is currently rolling with a 8-game point streak(6g/3a), showing some of that potential the Flames have been waiting for. He is getting big minutes while centering the second line, but injuries have held him to 39 games thus year. Far from reliable, but had enough upside to warrant short term fantasy consideration.
Jori Lehtera C, St. Louis- Don't look now but the Lehtera-Tarasenko-Schwartz unit is back to being the Blues most dangerous line and the 27-year old is a large part of their success. 38 points in 61 games doesn't represent huge production for the rookie but he was very hot earlier in the season. Maybe he finishes the year the way he started it, making him someone to consider adding.
Ryan Spooner C, Boston- With tons of potential and a chance to replace David Krejci on the top line, the 23-year old has been producing for Boston. He had a seven game point streak snapped on Saturday, but he is looking like a shrewd short term pickup for a Boston team peaking at the right time. Opportunity calls and spooner has answered the bell so far..
Karri Ramo G, Calgary- Even though the Finnish netminder has allowed at least three goals over his last four starts, he has only lost once over that time. The Flames are streaking and Ramo has been getting all the starts. Jonas Hiller probably deserves a better fate, but it looks like Coach Bob Hartley will ride Ramo downthe stretch so snag him if you need goalie help.
Kris Russell D, Calgary- The d-man has heated up since the mark Giordano injury, collecting 8 pts in his last five games. Playing on the top defense pairing both even strength and on the power play with Dennis wideman, he should able to keep up the scoring albeit at a slower pace. Pick him ASAP if available as everyone is scoring for Calgary these days.
ADD'EM: MRAZEK IS UP FOR WINGS primepucks.com Sun 1/11/15 1:04 PM
David Pastrnak RW, Boston: The 18-year old is coming off a sensational game on Saturday where he scored his first two career NHL goals. A diminutive sample size for sure and by this time next week he may be off the David Krejci line, but his play should at least warrant your fantasy attention. Coach Claude Julien has been playing around with the lines in hope of getting some consistent offense out of the "B's"
Mikael Backlund C, Calgary: Many of us remember how "hot" Backlund was around this time last year, so when he jumps back into the line-up with five points over three games, fantasy owners will take notice. Monitor his ice-time, as he should continue his streaky ways in January as long as he keeps getting top-six minutes. And when he goes "cold", he is borderline not worthy of a roster spot. Our suggestion-plugin and play if you need an instant dose of offense, but only short-term..
Mat Zuccarello RW, NYR; The crafty winger has been compling points at a much higher rate than early in the season while playing alongside Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. Despite just snapping a nine-game scoring slump, Zuccarello has 11 points over the last 12 games suggesting that a strong finish is in order for him. He will probably fall short of his career-high of 59 points but a .075 point-per-game pace is very likely the rest of the way.
Tobias Enstrom D, Winnipeg: The Jets are getting healthier on the blueline, meaning that Enstrom again will be one part of the top defensive pairing with Zach Bogosian. The 30-year old has seen his offensive production steadily decline over the past two seasons but there is no denying his ability to rack up points. The former two-time 50+point producer is presently on the second power-play unit, but don't be surprised by a promotion in the near future. If you are in need of defensive help, you need to pick up Enstrom as he may turn it on during the second half. A decent "buy-low" situation with minimal risk. I love that..
Petr Mrazek G, Detroit: Since Jimmy Howard has been officially diagnosed with only a slight groin tear, perhaps Mrazek's sudden ascension to fantasy relevance may be less short-lived than originally anticipated. However, accurately predicting a time-table for Howard's return could be a bit tricky so expect the young goaltenbder to at least be a solid fantasy stop-gap for a few weeks. Best case scenario- he plays "lights out" and Howard is slowly eased back into action. Anyway you look at it, Mrazek is now a ...
SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE - January 11, 2015 primepucks.com Sun 1/11/15 10:36 AM
Good morning all! Coffee's hot, the air is cold! Brrrrrr!
Telling you what's not cold is the Boston Bruins. I think they are waking up. No hibernating for this big, bad bear!
Krejci is a big part of making that team click. You know who else is a big part of it? Zdeno Chara J.
Pekka Rinne continues to prove that he is the best goaltender in the NHL.
From the start of the season I keep seeing these three names in the Philly box scores. Voracek, Giroux & Streit. It's a shame their record is so poor.
Will Minnesota make a deal for a goaltender? I think it's a matter of sooner than later.
Colorado is starting their move. They have won 3 in a row and 5 of last six played. Watch out as they will make the race for the playoffs very interesting.
The Avalanche is packed full of young explosive talent that can go off at any given moment.
MacKinnon and Duchene had 5 and 6 SOG respectively last night.
David Perron scored on like his first shot with Pittsburgh and nothing since. Don't worry. He's getting plenty of chances and will break out soon. He's had 6, 5 and 5 SOG in his first three games with the Pens.
That Pitt-Montreal game would be a great series to watch come April.
Even though Carey Price lost last night against Pittsburgh, he has truly blossomed into an elite NHL goaltender.
Mike Smith's problems continue so don't rely on the Arizona goalie to help your cause this year unless he gets traded to some place like Minnesota.
Every once in a while the Ottawa Senators give a glimpse of what may be in store for the future.
Is there any hope for Arizona in the foreseeable future? I mean their defense looks tremendous going forward....
Losing Jimmy Howard for an extended period of time sucks but the Red Wings will be just fine with Petr Mrazek in net for the time being.
Braden Holtby has turned into a workhorse; 24 starts in a row for the young goaltender. That's almost two month's worth of games.
Look at those Islanders go!
There were 8 goals in regulation between the Blues and Hurricanes and those 8 goals were scored by 8 different players.
Carolina has been playing much better since Jordan Staal returned to the lineup.
The New York Rangers remain hot with the three-game sweep of California. All lines are clicking!
There is no ‘win' in Winnipeg unless Michael Hutchinson is in net it seems.
Tobias Enstrom returned to the Jets lineup. They are slowly but surely getting their injured defensemen back which should be good for the team.
Has anyone noticed ...
DAILY PRIME - JANUARY 8, 2015: RANGERS ROLL, BACKLUND BACK primepucks.com Thu 1/8/15 9:54 AM
The New York Rangers started their 3-game California trip with a solid 4-1 win over the NHL-leading leading Anaheim Ducks. This starts a 6 in 7 game road schedule for the Blueshirts who have won 11 of 12 with G Henrik Lundqvist leading the way. The Rangers are starting to get production from throughout their lineup. Rick Nash potted his 25th on the season but Derrick Brassard (4 pts in last 3 games) & Mats Zuccarello (7 pts in last 8) are starting to heat up as well, both with goals in the contest. They face the Kings tonight in what should be a very emotional game for the Rangers....
Washington took care of a Toronto Maple Leaf team that looked a bit disorganized under the new Head Coach Peter Horachek, beating the Leafs 6-2 behind 2-goal efforts from Eric Fehr and Marcus Johansson. The issue with the Capitals has always been scoring depth and if they can get consistent production from those two, they will be tough to play against going forward. Fehr has had some impressive minor league stats but has never been able to carry that effort over to the NHL. Troy Brouwer had 2 assists. All three Caps are solid fantasy depth forwards, especially if they go on a tear....
Boston managed to finally win an extra time game after losing in 3 three straight. It was none other than Patrice Bergeron who righted the ship for the Bruins with two goals including the overtime game-winner in beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. With an impressive effort from G Tuukka Rask, the return to health of David Krejci, and a surging Bergeron, the Bruins just might be on the verge of going on one of their streaks. They certainly have the makeup....Newly acquired Penguin David Perron had 5 SOG but was held off the score sheet....
The Detroit Red Wings continued on their 6-game road trip with a win in Calgary. The precious night in Edmonton it was Pavel Datsyuk who provided the offense but tonight it was Henrik Zetterberg who had a goal and an assist in the win. The two veteran Wings continue to shine when healthy. Gustav Nyquist had 2 assists in the win....Mikael Backlund returned to the lineup for the Flames and promptly had an assist on the opening goal by Mason Raymond. Backlund also scored a short-handed goal in the third period showing his value. Backlund's return will be a breath of fresh air for the club at this point in the season. Give him some time to get into game shape.
Injury: The Flames placed Mikael Backlund (abdomen) on IR on Thursday. dailyfaceoff.com Fri 10/31/14 2:56 PM
Backlund is listed as week-to-week with an abdomen injury. With Backlund out the Flames recalled Michael Ferlund from Adirondack (AHL). There is no timetable for Backlund' return.
NHL IN 30: CALGARY FLAMES 2014-2015 primepucks.com Mon 9/8/14 4:56 AM
Despite owning the NHL's fourth worst record last season and having missed the playoffs for five straight years, the Calgary Flames have begun to reap dividends from their rebuilding process. Rookie center Sean Monahan played like the "real deal", while youngsters Mikael Backlund and TJ Brodie took positive steps forward in '13-14. While the veteran losses of Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak will lessen the team's immediate offensive firepower, there is hope that their young prospects, such as 3rd overall pick Sam Bennett will restore legitimacy to their young nucleus of forward talent. The signing of veteran goalie Jonas Hiller is a clear sign to the fan base that the team will try to stay competitive while they develop their cornerstone players. On the fantasy front, there is a shortage of immediate premium options but several mid-round bargains to gamble on.
Goalies
Veteran Jonas Hiller was acquired in an effort to solidify the goaltending situation in the post-Mikka Kiprusoff era. While ex-KHL standout Karri Ramo made positive strides last season with a 17-15-4 record and a .911 SP, it's Hiller who should begin the year as the starter. View him a lower-tier fantasy goalie option, given that he has only reached the 30-win mark once in a career beset by various injuries and inconsistent play. His upside was much higher playing for an elite Anaheim squad as opposed to one of the weaker defensive NHL teams in Calgary. Do not be surprised to see Ramo gain more playing time if Hiller falters. Nonetheless, only consider drafting Hiller in the late rounds.
Defense
Mark Giordano was the Flames' fantasy MVP in '13-14, collecting a career-high 47 points in just 67 games. Look for the talented defenseman to put forth another high-caliber effort in the upcoming season, although it may be a bit unrealistic to expect him to keep up that scoring pace. Draft him accordingly; think more 40-45 points and you will not be disappointed. 50+ point upside is a possibility but don't bet on it. Kris Russell also stands to drop in fantasy value as either the rising TJ Brodie or the veteran Dennis Wideman could crack the top power-play unit. If I had to rate all four offensive d-men in order of fantasy worth, here it is: 1. Giordano, 2. Brodie, 3. Wideman, 4. Russell.
Forwards
The departure of Michael Cammalleri to free agency left the team with a void on offense, given there isn't many high-end scoring forwards on the roster. The steadiest hand would be Jiri Hudler who is ...
Injury: Backlund (hand) will miss his second straight game Monday. dailyfaceoff.com Mon 4/7/14 2:56 PM
There is no word when Backlund suffered the hand injury, but it will cost him a second consecutive game tonight in New Jersey. Ken Agostino will stay in the lineup with Backlund sidelined.