St. Louis: The emergence of d-man Colton Parayko gives the blue line much needed top-heavy depth but the question remains whether Jake Allen can carry the sole burden of manning the crease with Brian Elliott now in Calgary. The balanced offensive attack should continue to provide enough firepower, but it should be time for Vladimir Tarasenko to enter elite territory as a sniping forward. What will the Nail Yakupov addition do for the team? If he can finally fulfill his potential, look out. Playoffs: Another deep run Tampa Bay: Absolutely our odds-on favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the Cup Finals. The Bolts are stacked on offense with Steven Stamkos back healthy and Nikita Kucherov on the verge of being signed. Look for new coaching assistant Todd Richards to bolster the power-play by heavily riding the top guns. A surplus of riches in goal can yield huge dividends if Ben Bishop is traded during the season. Playoffs: Cup bound Toronto: Auston Matthews will be a legit superstar before you know it, but the rebuilding Leafs are far from playoff contention. Federik Andersen will bring some skill and stability to the goal while Morgan Rielly will be the defensive cornerstone for years to come. Pre-Mike Babcock holdovers JVR and Nazem Kadri need to take the next step in their offensive development while the youngsters continue to gel. Easier said than done. Playoffs: No chance Washington: A disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Penguins should not take away from what a tremendous team coach Trotz leads into the season. Elite in all areas from forwards(Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov), defense (John Carlson) to goaltending(Brayden Holtby). The addition of Lars Eller helps the bottom-six depth while Justin Williams' intangibles bodes well for playoff success. Playoffs: Deep run but will Lightning strike? Winnipeg: The young Jets will be exciting to watch with the rookie Laine and 2nd-year Ehlers wowing their fans with their sublime offensive ability. Add Mark Scheifele breaking out and you have the looks of a massively improved scoring attack. Dustin Byfuglien will lead the D while a goaltending competition lessened a bit with the waiving of Ondrej Pavelec. Adios to the most overrated goaltender around. Many bright spots but a postseason berth not a lock. Playoffs: maybe 

SMC 3-7-2016 Counting down the weeks!  No worries, we have plenty of coffee to keep us going! Some of you are already into your fantasy league playoffs and I wish you all well.  And then there are those that are battling in their points-only league & rotisserie leagues.  Good luck as well. The Florida Panthers have been on a little bit of a fade but having so much young talent on the squad, the long haul of an NHL season takes its toll. The other Florida team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are starting to bring it as Stamkos and Johnson are heating up the score sheets of late.  Oh, and Ryan Callahan as well.  Time to get those Bolts in your lineup. You just kinda knew that trading away Andrew Ladd would give Mark Scheifele all the opportunity to show what an NHL stud he can be, and he’s proving it.  A hattie on Saturday night.  Niiiiice! Another team heating up is the San Jose Sharks with the Two Joes, Thornton & Pavelski, along with Brent Burns are carrying the offensive load of late. Another duo that’s been scorching of late are the Nashville Predators Craig Smith and Filip Forsberg. I have been waiting for Smith to display this kind of talent for almost 2 years.  He can help some fantasy team in need of offense. On Defense, the Capitals Matt Niskanen looks like he is heating up for the playoffs with 2 goals and an assist in past 5 games.  He is shooting more with 9 SOG in that same time frame. The Buffalo Sabres are playing tough but they still need a few years together I think. Pittsburgh lost to Calgary in what was definitely a trap game after games against the Rangers and Capitals. Sidney Crosby had both goals in the 4-2 loss to the Flames.  Crosby is on fire of late with 7 points in past 4 games. Pekka Rinne is rounding into top form and the Predators are red hot going 7-0-3 in past ten. It was definitely a Battle In LA yesterday with the Ducks prevailing 3-2.  A lot of fights 7 minutes into the game and then it settled into old-fashioned hockey the rest of the way. Drew Doughty with a PP goal continues to show why he is Norris-worthy. Evgeny Kuznetsov with 7 SOG and nothing to show for it.  He’s good, so grab him early next year.  Ovechkin had 5, if you were curious. Toronto is really going young the rest of the way.  Except for the law firm of Hunwick & Laich, lol. Steve Mason comes back strong with a 6-0 blanking of the Columbus Blue Jackets, showing his old team what they are missing. Radko Gudas had 2 goals and 2 assists giving him 2 goals and 2 ...

A few Jets are soaring while under the radar star in Columbus is showing signs: Nail Yakupov RW Edmonton- Under coach Todd Nelson, the youngster has shown some of the massive upside expected of him when drafted early a few years ago. With 7 points in his last 8 games, the 21-year old has been heating up while the oilers play out the string and assess what they have up front. While Eberle, RNH and Hall grab all the headlines, it seems the equally talented Yakupov is getting a second chance with the new coaching regime.    Mark Scheifele C Winnipeg- The Jets are flying and Scheifele offensive production had been a huge reason why. The center has racked up 13 points over his last 12 contests, exhibiting much chemistry lately with new line mates Drew Stafford and Blake Wheeler. With Winnipeg amidst a legitimate push toward the playoffs, it might be prudent to get Scheifele on your roster.  Marko Dano C Columbus- With the Blue Jackets out of playoff contention, The 20-year old has been given an extended role on the big club and not his normal AHL stint with the Springfield Falcons . The youngster has benefited big time from playing alongside Alexander Wennberg and Scott Hartnell, collecting 12 points over his last 18 games. He should continue to produce at that clip while he gets a strong look to finish the year.  Elias Lindholm C Carolina- Another young blue chipper playing for a no playoff bound team, the center has racked up 15 points in last 22 games for the Canes. The next big thing after Eric Staal, expect him to play well for the remainder of 2014-15 before taking a huge leap forward next season. Ondrej Pavelec G Winnipeg- The 27-year old has won four straight and his jets are among the hottest teams in the NHL right now. With rookie Michael Hutchinson far removed from the starting festivities in Winnipeg, there is no better time for a goalie-starved fantasy owner to grab Pavelec. 

It has been a forgettable season for Yakupov who will look to improve his play in both ends of the rink in 2014-15. At the start of the season he was viewed as a strong keeper option, after this disastrous season there are a number of better options as long as he remains in Edmonton.

Yakupov will miss his fifth straight game with an ankle fracture. His participation in the morning skate is a sign that he is close to returning, but the Oilers are not going to risk him getting more injured in a lost season. We could see him on Sunday vs. the Rangers.

Yakupov will miss his fourth straight game with what is now being called a fractured ankle. There is no timetable for Yak's return, but with the Oilers clearly out of the playoff mix, there is no reason to rush him back.

Yakupov was listed as questionable on Wednesday, so this is no surprise. Yak will miss his second straight game.

Yakupov missed Tuesday's game with an ankle ailment and likely will not be in the lineup on Thursday vs. the Sabres. Steve MacIntyre and Tyler Pitlick have been recalled from OKC (AHL).

The injury forced the Oilers to dress seven defensemen. Yakupov's ankle has been ailing him over the last month, but he had played through it the last seven games. Consider him day-to-day.

Yakupov missed Saturday's game with an ankle injury, but will be back in the lineup tonight. He has two goals and four assists in his last nine games. He wil return to the top-line with a Ryan Nugent Hopkins and Taylor Hall.