W.W. O. R. D. (What would our Ray do?) We are in the homestretch as the season starts to wind down.  Hopefully your team is battling for a top spot in your fantasy league or have yourself so far out in front, it’s just a matter of waiting out the days until April. We are introducing a new feature article that will take permanent hold next season as we try and switch things up.  We hope you like it and will gladly listen to your comments and/or suggestions to make PrimePucks™ better. For those in the hunt, trying to stay competitive, trying to make up ground, or solidifying your team, scouring the free agent pool is vital at this point in time.  Even NHL teams out of playoff contention are good sources for players that may be getting a long look in important scenarios so it’s a good idea to monitor these teams as well as teams vying for a playoff position. Looking on ESPN’s free agent list in one of my dynasty fantasy leagues, there are quite a few decent pickups available on all levels except for perhaps goaltending.  The only goalies to look at are possibly Michael Hutchinson of Winnipeg and possibly Joonas Korpisalo of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Columbus has just been a mess all season long but Winnipeg should be competing for a playoff spot but are too far back to make a run.  Which leads us to Ondrej Pavelec, who recently returned from injury and has started the past three games.  Pavs beat Edmonton upon his return but lost a heartbreaker to Carolina 2-1 before giving up three 1st period goals to Tampa Bay on Thursday night.  It’s possible that Pavelec could be traded before the trade deadline as the Jets may need to go in a different direction in net with Hutchinson who has shown the ability to handle #1 duty in the past but has really struggled to gain that consistency needed at the NHL level.  Hutchinson is only owned by 8.9% and could be worth a longshot, or at least keep on your Watch List as the trade deadline approaches. Looking at the skaters, one name that sticks out is David Perron.  Perron has traveled a bit the past few years but it looks like he is making the most of his chances now that he is in Anaheim.  The Ducks have really turned it on of late and Perron is putting up the points with 4 goals and 4 assists in the past 8 games.  Surprisingly, Perron is only owned by 43.5% but his stock is rising with a 12.8% increase over the past week. Patrick Eaves is another who has been finding the net lately matching Perron’s output but in just...

Good morning! Fresh cup of hot coffee and I'm ready to roll! We have a new point leader in the NHL this morning and he goes by the name of Jakub Voracek. And to think I traded him in the off-season for a 2nd round pick. Ugh! I have to say that Boston is doing a good job of hanging in there with the injuries they've had. It is amazing how at the drop of a dime, a player's fantasy value can change. I'm talking about a player like Justin Faulk who had been a bust and then all of sudden he's the hottest thing since sliced bread. Quietly, Claude Giroux is only 5 points behind team mate Voracek for the NHL lead in points. Patrice Bergeron is a true leader, so very under-rated and he just does it all. And he is still only 29. It feels like he has been around forever. Dallas needs to find some consistency in their game. Those LA-Anaheim matchups are sure fun to watch. The Ducks sure miss Corey Perry. Mumps?  Really?  OF all the things that can sideline a hockey player, mumps? I guess after giving up 6 goals a game for three straight, the Buffalo Sabres decided to put up 6 themselves against a flat Toronto team on Saturday. Zemgus Girgensons sounds more like a Dr. Seuss character than a hockey player, but I'm sure Buffalo fans are happy as a Who. I suppose now that the Sabres can go back on a losing streak since they won one. It was couples night in Montreal, or should I say pair's night. Braden Schenn, P.A. Parenteau, and Dale Weise (really) each had 2 goals. Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty, Sergei Gonchar, Andrei Markov, and NHL-points leader Voracek all had 2 assists in the game. Alex Galchenyuk wanted to stand out so he had 3 assists. Cory Schneider has started all 18 games for the New Jersey Devils so far this year. I really think he should get a night off, but maybe he is like a bionic goalie or something. That NY Ranger-Pittsburgh was something to watch. It had everything in it.  Fights, hard hitting, a few goals (except for Crosby-again), spectacular saves, overtime, and a shootout.  It even had Crosby complaining to the refs all night.  Oh wait, doesn't he do that every game? Martin St. Louis is heating up. With the return of Derek Stepan and Dan Boyle to the lineup, he should be producing more frequently. The Blue Jackets are sure glad to have Sergei Bobrovsky back in the crease. They were lost, and losing, without him.  He may have come back just in time to save their season. Pekka Rinne wins again! I have to say that Winnipeg's G Ondrej Pavelec has ...

Some of the top fantasy forwards were held off the score sheet last night while some other top forwards put last year's nightmare behind them. Claude Giroux, Milan Lucic, Phil Kessel, Joe Thornton and Anze Kopitar all were pointless in their team's season opener. Now, one game does not a fantasy season make, so don't sweat it... If you believed that the Sedin twins and the rest of the Vancouver Canucks' statistics suffered last year being under the tutelage of John Tortorella and that they should return to form under new Head Coach Willie Desjardins, then you were rewarded right off the bat last night as both Sedins had an assist, with Henrik getting a goal as well.... New Canuck Radim Vrbata seems right at home playing alongside the Sedin twins as he potted his first goal of the season. Look for a return to the mid-30's in goals for Vrbata.... If your surname began with a "P" and you played for the Montreal Canadiens then it was your night. Max Pacioretty (G), Tomas Plekanec (2G, including the game-winner) and P.A. Parenteau (2A) all did their part in crashing the Toronto Maple Leafs home opener.... P.K. Subban had the game-winner along with 5 SOG last night. Monster year ahead for the talented d-man from Montreal.... James van Riemsdyk of the Leafs and Tyler Toffoli of the Kings had great training camps but they couldn't carry it over into the openers for their respective teams. Both forwards are expected to contribute greatly to their respective offenses.... Looking for a deep sleeper/rebounder? Alex Burrows had an injury-plagued year only playing in 49 games and notching 15 points. With a goal in the opener, perhaps Burrows is on his way to the 50-point level once again.... Antti Niemi stopped all 34 shots as the Sharks exacted a little bit of revenge against the LA Kings last night.  Niemi quieted some buzz going around that perhaps backup Alex Stalock will cut into his playing time as Niemi approaches free agency at the end of the year. Shutting out last year's Stanley Cup Champions is not a bad start.... Ryan Miller had a solid debut in net for the Canucks, stopping 23 of 25 in defeating the Calgary Flames 4-2 at the Saddledome. Miller should provide some consistency in net this year in Vancouver.

If it wasn't for goalie Carey Price getting knocked out of the series, it could have been the Montreal Canadiens playing against the Los Angeles Kings for the right to hoist the Cup.  Apparently fully recovered from his knee injury, Price looks to lead the Habs back to the Promised Land.  Gone are Thomas Vanek, Brian Gionta and Daniel Briere. Vanek didn't pan out and was often pointed out as the scapegoat.  Gionta and Briere will be missed for their leadership and playoff experience.  PA Parenteau and Tom Gilbert were brought in for depth purposes. Will the Canadiens have what it takes to get back again this year? GOALIES At 27-years of age, Price is entering his prime and has adapted to the pressure of being Montreal's starting goaltender. At 34-20-5, he almost matched his career best in 2010-2011 when he had a 38-28-6 record and his metrics were almost identical.  Now that he is a bit more seasoned, expect more consistency from Price going forward.  Peter Budaj will serve as backup again but if he falters, I'm sure the Canadiens won't hesitate to bring up last year's playoff darling, Dustin Tokarski. DEFENSE There is no denying the fire in P.K. Subban's belly but if he can control that emotion and funnel it into the game, he will be extremely dangerous. Look for Subban to mature a bit this season.  Andrei Markov seems to have rid himself of the injury bug and now has played in 2 back-to-back seasons, although one was the shortened 48-game Lockout season. Markov will still get you around the mid-40 level in points.  FORWARDS They may not have the elite name like a Crosby, Stamkos or an Ovechkin, but the Habs can throw out a few solid lines at you. Max Pacioretty along with David Desharnais, form the top pairing and should lead the team in offense. One player to keep your eye on this year is Alex Galchenyuk. This kid packs a tremendous amount of talent that it is just a matter of time before he explodes.  He has shown flashes, but not the consistency.  Slated to play on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Parenteau, these veterans just may be able to bring out his best. Brendan Gallagher is an energetic player that packs a scoring touch. For deeper leagues, Lars Eller could have a breakout year as he has been steadily improving every year. PROSPECTS Two defensive prospects, Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu, are close to joining the club but far from making an impact. Other players are perhaps a season or two away from being any kind of factor. ...

Briere, 36, scored 13 goals with 12 assists (25 points) in 69 games with Montreal. He found himself relegated to the fourth-line for much of the season and playoffs. The trade adds an experienced forward to a young and up-and-coming team. Briere will be entering his final year of a two-year $8 million dollar deal.

There were rumblings of a possible trade in the middle of the season, but the Avs waited until the offseason to ship him for a veteran forward. Parenteau missed 27 games with a knee injury in 2013-14 and finished the year with 14 goals and 19 assists (33 points) in 55 games. He will look to land a top-6 role in Montreal. The trade has no effect on the salary cap of either team for the 2014-15 season, with Briere and Parenteau each scheduled to make $4 million. The difference is Parenteau has an extra year on his contract with Briere entering the final season of his.

Reports suggest that the Canucks are strongly pursuing FA goalie Ryan Miller. Wouldnt that be something- Buffalo to St. Louis then to Vancouver. Speaking of going full circle!RW PA Parenteau was shipped to Montreal from Colorado for veteran forward Daniel Briere and the Canadiens fifth-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. The Avs get some playoff experience with Briere while the Canadiens add some more scoring. Good trade for part teams.Center Sam Gagner was traded by the Edmonton Oilers to Tampa Bay, who turned around and packaged Gagner and RW B. J. Crombeen for Arizona's 6th round draft pick next June. Gagner will get a fresh start in the desert and perhaps contribute consistently as a Coyote.  Only 24-years old, Gagner is still young enough that he can turn into the player everyone had been hoping for while he was in Edmonton.Tampa Bay's Teddy Purcell was the first part of the Gagner trade, being dealt to the Edmonton Oilers, providing some more scoring punch at right wing.  At 28, Purcell brings some much-needed experience and size to this group of young Oilers.  Where he fits is anyone's guess, but the Oil need to find ways to win now as the fan base may be getting restless for a playoff series.Interesting point to consider- who will be the favorite to scoop up the second line center position for Edmonton with Gagner traded away? It could be former AHL standout Marc Arcobello who started last season on fire with 10 points in the first 10 games; or talented rookie Leon Draisaitl who has drawn comparisons to Jaromir Jagr? The winner of this spot could hold decent fantasy value in 14-15'.

After a scare, Parenteau appears to have escaped injury. He did score an empty net goal after the incident.

Parenteau missed his 14th consecutive game Tuesday night but is on schedule to play Friday at San Jose, the night after Colorado visits Vancouver. Parenteau hasn't played since suffering a medial collateral knee sprain March 10 against Winnipeg. He suffered the same injury to his other knee Dec. 29 against the same opponent, and missed 12 of the next 15 games.

Parenteau's original timetable was 4-6 weeks, tomorrow would mark the three-week point. This is a good sign that Parenteau should be ready for the Avalanche's playoff run.