Center Mikhail Grabovski wasted no time in proving his detractors wrong, scoring three goals and an assist in his Washington Caps debut in the 6-4 loss against Chicago. Although he centered the second line, he showed instant chemistry with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on the top power-play unit. This is worth noting, considering first-liner Marcus Johansson only played 1:11 on the PP as opposed to Grabovski's 3:29. I know it's only one game in, but stashing away "Grabo" on your bench wouldn't be a bad idea. Call me impulsive, but I just dropped 40-year old Ray Whitney for him this morning. The bottom line- Mike Ribeiro scored over a point-per-game in the same exact role last season. The Caps will score tons of goals, so here is a great opportunity for an early fantasy gift... More Game Notes: Tyler Bozak scored the game-winning short-hander in the Leafs road win over Montreal. The underrated center gets zero fantasy respect, yet will be playing big minutes with one of the rising NHL stars in Phil Kessel. You figure if Phil gets 90 points, Bozak can get 60. Right? Don't ignore him. He might surprise.. A few interesting line notes in this game- LW Joffrey Lupul played on the second line with Nazem Kadri and Nikolai Kulemin, while James van Riemsdyk moved up to the top unit. Also, despite missing most of training camp, D Cody Franson resumed his spot on the first power-play unit. Jake Gardiner logged over 4:00 minutes of PP time, so he could still be a fantasy factor. If Franson falters after his extended layoff, Gardiner has the tools to move up.. D Dustin Byfuglien started the season with a roar, collecting three assists in Winnipeg's come-from-behind victory in Edmonton. His 24:09 minutes of ice-time was second on the team, so the reports of a better conditioned and more motivated "Big Buff" seem pretty accurate. If he stays on track, 60 points is very realistic. Top-five fantasy upside.. Don't sleep on fellow d-man Tobias Enstrom, who picked up two assists and is a legitimate 50-pt. candidate. His lack of goal-scoring and his extensive injury history keeps him under the radar.

Marcus Johnsson- Washington, C (Owned in 17% of ESPN leagues) Our top waiver-wire grab of the week will not be available in most leagues for long, so get on the bandwagon and add him to your fantasy squads. With 22 points in 34 games in '12-13, he flourished late in the season while playing on top line with Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Coach Adam Oates will hand over top-line duties once again to the 22-year old Swede, which should result in career-high numbers. A spike in power-play production could result in a 70+ point season. He has shown chemistry with his superstar line-mates in the preseason, which bodes well for his fantasy value in '13-14. Paul Stastny- Colorado, C (Owned in 37.4% of ESPN leagues) This is a crucial season for the 27-year old pivot, considering it's a contract year and that he has been on the downswing over the last three seasons. Nagging injuries have held him back, but we shouldn't forget that he was basically a point-per-game producer over his first four seasons, surpassing 75 points twice. He could be had on the cheap, but there is plenty of motivation for him to bounce back. A strong performance in the '13 Hockey World Championships could be an indicator of positive things to come. Mikhail Grabovski- Washington, C (Owned in 17.4% of ESPN leagues) Since debuting on the Washington Capitals during the preseason, Grabovski has been scoring regularly, capped by a goal/assist performance during Saturday night's game against Chicago. Think Mike Ribeiro of '12-13 when projecting where the talented center will fit into the Capitals offensive plans. He will be the second-line pivot on one of the most explosive teams in the NHL. You can pencil him in for plenty of power-play time, as well. He will be extremely motivated to prove that the Maple Leaf organization was wrong in buying out his contract during the off-season. Cam Fowler- Anaheim, D (Owned in 31.5% of ESPN leagues) The ultra-talented rearguard will have an opportunity to rebound after two straight underachieving seasons, where he failed to live up to the "future star" hype. He did score 40 points as a rookie, so you know Fowler can get it done. A long-term injury to Sheldon Souray has further entrenched Fowler as the team's undisputed power-play quarterback, so look for him to increase his point production but he need to clean up his play in the defensive zone. A bounce-back effort should be in the works for him in the upcoming season. Jake Gardiner- ...

UPDATES: Cody Franson has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs ending his preseason holdout. Let's hope that he didn't lose out on all that he gained last year in terms of a contributing spot on the backend as Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly continue to impress....Reports are that the NY Rangers and Derek Stepan are agreeing to terms on a two-year contract....Also I've heard that Tim Thomas has won the starting job down in Florida. The Panthers need a veteran in net if they want to make any noise in the tough Atlantic Division....Updated Fantasy Guide coming later tonight! PRESEASON FANTASY BITS: The future of the Buffalo Sabres was on display last night as Jhonas Enroth blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets. At some point it will no longer be Miller time as this will be Enroth's team someday....Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons both scored giving the team a double-edged duo for the future....There won't be an early season feeling out period this year in Washington as the Caps seem to be hitting on all cylinders in Head Coach Adam Oates' system now as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Fehr, and Mikhail Grabovski all had multiple point games last night.... Speaking of Grabovski, he could have a season similar to what Mike Ribeiro had last year in his cameo performance for the Capitals....Jussi Jokinen continues his torrid preseason with yet another power play goal last night. He is Fantasy Gold in the later rounds as he is lining up with Evgeni Malkin. Can anyone say Jarome who?....Someone who may have a resurrection this season is none other than Dany Heatley of the Minnesota Wild....A lot of people may overlook Phoenix G Mike Smith but don't you. And don't you forget that Dave Tippett coached teams always benefit the goaltender.  Just look at Ilya Bryzgalov and what has become of him since he bolted the desert. The 2013-2014 PrimePucks Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide has been updated as of September 26th, 9:45 pm.  The Guide is revised with all the latest developments so that you can be prepared for your fantasy hockey draft.  As we near the start of the season, the Guide is updated more frequently so that you can be assured you have the most current and relevant information at your hands.  Just access the updated Guide through the FILES link in "My Account". Get it now and WOW your fantasy opponents! Check out the new ROMIE HITS THE POST which focuses on the New Jersey Devils goaltending situation. Check it out here! PrimePucks™ ...

UPDATES: Cody Franson has agreed to a 1-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs ending his preseason holdout. Let's hope that he didn't lose out on all that he gained last year in terms of a contributing spot on the backend as Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly continue to impress....Reports are that the NY Rangers and Derek Stepan are agreeing to terms on a two-year contract....Also I've heard that Tim Thomas has won the starting job down in Florida. The Panthers need a veteran in net if they want to make any noise in the tough Atlantic Division....Updated Fantasy Guide coming later tonight! PRESEASON FANTASY BITS: The future of the Buffalo Sabres was on display last night as Jhonas Enroth blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets. At some point it will no longer be Miller time as this will be Enroth's team someday....Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons both scored giving the team a double-edged duo for the future....There won't be an early season feeling out period this year in Washington as the Caps seem to be hitting on all cylinders now as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Fehr, and Mikhail Grabovski all had multiple point games.... Speaking of Grabovski, he could have a season similar to what Mike Ribeiro had last year in his cameo performance for the Capitals....Jussi Jokinen continues his torrid preseason with yet another power play goal last night. He is Fantasy Gold in the later rounds as he is lining up with Evgeni Malkin. Can anyone say Jarome who?....Someone who may have a resurrection this season is none other than Dany Heatley of the Minnesota Wild....A lot of people may overlook Phoenix G Mike Smith but don't you. And don't you forget that Dave Tippett coached teams always benefit the goaltender.  Just look at Ilya Bryzgalov and what has become of him since he bolted the desert. The 2013-2014 PrimePucks Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide has been updated as of September 25th.  The Guide is revised with all the latest developments so that you can be prepared for your fantasy hockey draft.  As we near the start of the season, the Guide is updated more frequently so that you can be assured you have the most current and relevant information at your hands.  Just access the updated Guide through the FILES link in "My Account". Get it now and WOW your fantasy opponents! Check out the new ROMIE HITS THE POST which focuses on the New Jersey Devils goaltending situation. Check it out here! PrimePucks™ continues to bring you the NHL IN 30 every day in the ...

PRESEASON FANTASY BITS: The future of the Buffalo Sabres was on display last night as Jhonas Enroth blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets. At some point it will no longer be Miller time as this will be Enroth's team someday....Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons both scored giving the team a double-edged duo for the future....There won't be an early season feeling out period this year in Washington as the Caps seem to be hitting on all cylinders now as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Fehr, and Mikhail Grabovski all had multiple point games.... Speaking of Grabovski, he could have a season similar to what Mike Ribeiro had last year in his cameo performance for the Capitals....Jussi Jokinen continues his torrid preseason with yet another power play goal last night. He is Fantasy Gold in the later rounds as he is lining up with Evgeni Malkin. Can anyone say Jarome who?....Someone who may have a resurrection this season is none other than Dany Heatley of the Minnesota Wild....A lot of people may overlook Phoenix G Mike Smith but don't you. And don't you forget that Dave Tippett coached teams always benefit the goaltender.  Just look at Ilya Bryzgalov and what has become of him since he bolted the desert. The 2013-2014 PrimePucks Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide has been updated as of September 25th.  The Guide is revised with all the latest developments so that you can be prepared for your fantasy hockey draft.  As we near the start of the season, the Guide is updated more frequently so that you can be assured you have the most current and relevant information at your hands.  Just access the updated Guide through the FILES link in "My Account".  Get it now and WOW your fantasy opponents! PrimePucks™ continues to bring you the NHL IN 30 every day in the month of September, bringing you in-depth team analysis for the upcoming season. Today's featured team: The San Jose Sharks!  Don't forget to check back each and every day for the latest featured team!

Usually you can bank on any Dave Tippett coached team to make the playoffs as any team he has coached has only missed the playoffs once in his tenured NHL career. But last year marked just the second time in his 10-year coaching career, and first as Head Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, that a Tippett-led team missed the playoffs, but we can put an asterisk on that dubious achievement as it occurred in a Lockout shortened season.  The Coyotes only made one change from last season by bringing in free-agent Mike Ribeiro and trading Steve Sullivan to the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline.  Will the somewhat status quo bring the team back to the playoffs? Goalies Mike Smith had a rough start as he let in 10 goals in his first 2 games but quickly righted the ship s he went 7-4-2 in his next 13 games with a 2.47 GAA And .915 SP. A mediocre March pushed the Coyotes back in the tight playoff race, one from which they did not recover.  Any team coached by Tippett means that the goaltending is sure to be solid so you should expect a return to his 2011-2012 form when he posted a 38-18-10 record with a 2.21 GAA and .938 SP.  Former San Jose Shark Thomas Greiss was brought in to replace the departed Jason LaBarbera.  Greiss brings good numbers with him and should spell Smith on a regular basis as the team will have complete confidence in their backup net minder. Defense When your leading scorer on the team is a defenseman, you know that there is a deficiency of scoring from your forwards. Granted Keith Yandle is very talented, but he is no Bobby Orr.  Yandle finished ahead of RW Radim Vrbata by only 2 points, but Vrbata missed 14 games due to injury. Expect Yandle to compete for the team scoring lead again.  We expected Oliver Ekman-Larsson (OEL) to breakout last season, but young d-men sometimes take a little longer to develop. He definitely has the talent, but may not get the opportunities as long as Yandle is around.  Derek Morris, Rostislav Klesla and Zbynek Michalek round out the defensive corps while Adrian Aucoin skipped town.  The depth on the blue line fit into Tippett's style and is a huge benefit for the goaltenders. Forwards As mentioned above, the forwards aren't the most prolific in scoring, which is essential for a competing fantasy hockey team. Vrbata should lead the team in scoring among forwards, especially now that Ribeiro has joined the club.  Don't expect Ribeiro to light up the score sheet like he did with the Capitals, these two teams play ...

AND THE BIG FANTASY LOSERS IN FREE AGENCY ARE... CORY SCHNEIDER G NEW JERSEY Schneider has gone from being the number one goalie in Vancouver to the back-up in New Jersey. You can't have a bigger fantasy hit than that.  Devils' General Manager Lou Lamoriello has already said that  legendary icon, Martin Brodeur, will be the starter in goal this season. There are a lot of moving parts here, so let us walk you through it.  Lamoriello clearly thought he was getting his goaltender of the next decade to replace Brodeur.  Unfortunately, he did not tell either goalie about the trade beforehand, as they both said they were shocked by the trade.  Here is where it gets tricky.  Brodeur at 41, has one year left on his contract, and in a perfect world he would be the starter this year, playing maybe 50 games, and paving the way for Schneider to take over in the next season.  But Brodeur is saying that getting Schneider may be a big benefit to him, and help him to play a few more seasons.  What?  What Brodeur is missing here is that Schneider has 2 years left on his contract. Don't think that two years being wasted on the bench behind a 40+ year old goalie is going to make Schneider want to re-sign with New Jersey.  He will be more than eager to go some where else.  Big fantasy loser! NATHAN HORTON RW COLUMBUS Horton played 5 years in the not so hot bed of hockey known as Florida. Then he played 3 years in Boston, winning the cup, and making the finals last year.  He said he wanted to go to a quieter place, which is why he went to Columbus.  But the reality is that they are paying him $37 million for the next 7 years. This for a guy who has never scored more than 62 points in his career.  He did score 19 points in 22 playoff games this past season, which probably explains his new contract.  Unfortunately, he will have shoulder surgery that will keep him out until December, and when he comes back he will not be playing with someone named Patrice Bergeron. Columbus General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen has already stated that Horton will not play with Marian Gaborik. Good luck playing with Umberger. Fantasy loser! MIKE RIBEIRO C PHOENIX Ribeiro wanted a longer contract than Washington was willing to give him, so he took a hike and got $22 million from Phoenix for 4 years. Now Ribeiro had a big season  with 49 points in 48 games, and he did score 83 points for Dallas in 2007-2008.  But more than half his points last season were on the power play, and guess what? In ...

AND THE BIG FANTASY LOSERS IN FREE AGENCY ARE... CORY SCHNEIDER G NEW JERSEY Schneider has gone from being the number one goalie in Vancouver to the back-up in New Jersey. You can't have a bigger fantasy hit than that.  Devils' General Manager Lou Lamoriello has already said that  legendary icon, Martin Brodeur, will be the starter in goal this season. There are a lot of moving parts here, so let us walk you through it.  Lamoriello clearly thought he was getting his goaltender of the next decade to replace Brodeur.  Unfortunately, he did not tell either goalie about the trade beforehand, as they both said they were shocked by the trade.  Here is where it gets tricky.  Brodeur at 41, has one year left on his contract, and in a perfect world he would be the starter this year, playing maybe 50 games, and paving the way for Schneider to take over in the next season.  But Brodeur is saying that getting Schneider may be a big benefit to him, and help him to play a few more seasons.  What?  What Brodeur is missing here is that Schneider has 2 years left on his contract. Don't think that two years being wasted on the bench behind a 40+ year old goalie is going to make Schneider want to re-sign with New Jersey.  He will be more than eager to go some where else.  Big fantasy loser! NATHAN HORTON RW COLUMBUS Horton played 5 years in the not so hot bed of hockey known as Florida. Then he played 3 years in Boston, winning the cup, and making the finals last year.  He said he wanted to go to a quieter place, which is why he went to Columbus.  But the reality is that they are paying him $37 million for the next 7 years. This for a guy who has never scored more than 62 points in his career.  He did score 19 points in 22 playoff games this past season, which probably explains his new contract.  Unfortunately, he will have shoulder surgery that will keep him out until December, and when he comes back he will not be playing with someone named Patrice Bergeron. Columbus General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen has already stated that Horton will not play with Marian Gaborik. Good luck playing with Umberger. Fantasy loser! MIKE RIBEIRO C PHOENIX Ribeiro wanted a longer contract than Washington was willing to give him, so he took a hike and got $22 million from Phoenix for 4 years. Now Ribeiro had a big season  with 49 points in 48 games, and he did score 83 points for Dallas in 2007-2008.  But more than half his points last season were on the power play, and guess what? In ...

Ribeiro didn't get the long-term deal he was looking for in Washington but the Coyotes have given him a four-year deal. He tied for 10th in the NHL in scoring last season with 49 points in 48 games.

BRIERE STOCK RISES: With Vincent Lecavalier off the free-agent market after signing with the Flyers, recently-bought out Daniel Briere has become a hot commodity amongst teams coveting a second-line center. After the season that UFA Mike Ribeiro had with Washington (13G/36A in 48 games), he may be too expensive to sign for most teams. Considering Briere is coming off a "down" season with 16 points in 34 games and has been plagued by injuries in recent years, he represents a much more cost-effective option for teams looking for complimentary scoring depth up the middle. read more