1  There wasn't much intrigue with the top two picks of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, as Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel have markedly improved perennial cellar dwellers Edmonton and Buffalo with their superior blend of elite offensive talent and hockeq IQ. Both centers project to be high scoring dynamos, but expect McDavid to make the quicker fantasy splash based mostly on a better offensive supporting cast. 2. Arizona decided to take Eerie Otter Dylan Strome with the third overall pick but despite being the highest OHL point producer last season with 129 points in 68 games, questions remain whether his numbers were boosted by playing with McDavid. I say that the youngster proved his worth with 35 points in 21 games while McDavid was sidelined. Let's give this youngster his due as he along with Max Domi give the Arizona Coyotes a potential lethal one-two punch in the near future. His fantasy contributions will be minimal in 2015-16, but he could do some serious scoring damage in two-three years. 3. Noah Hanifin was the highest profile defender taken in the draft(fifth overall by Carolina) but for fantasy purposes, keep tabs on the Flyer's first selection Ivan Provorov. Ever since the Chris Pronger injury, Philly has been longing for that top-tier offensive blueliner and they might have done just that with this pick. An exciting package of offensive skill-set and speed have drawn comparisons to our favorite OEL but lets not rush the process yet. He still might be a year or two away but he has some huge fantasy upside if he can develop as the team's future power-play quarterback. 4. If Pavel Zacha can allow himself to be mentored by fellow Czech Patrik Elias, then the immensely skilled 18-year old will reap huge dividends from being drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the top ten. The 6'3 forward has all the tools to be a top-flight scorer but his maturity and his own on-ice management has been heavily scrutinized. Can anyone say boom or bust? 5. Trades, trades, trades... Plenty of noves fueled by future salary cap considerations but the biggest head-scrather with major fantasy implications is Boston moving Dougie Hamilton to Calgary. I kind of get shipping away Milan Lucic and Carl Soderberg before they get too expensive to keep by next summer, but trading away a blossoming 22-year old blue-chipper who looked ready to inherit top billing from aging veteran Zdeno Chara? The Flames have stock-piled quite the defensive arsenal, but can the Hamilton acquisition...

1  There wasn't much intrigue with the top two picks of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, as Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel have markedly improved perennial cellar dwellers Edmonton and Buffalo with their superior blend of elite offensive talent and hockeq IQ. Both centers project to be high scoring dynamos, but expect McDavid to make the quicker fantasy splash based mostly on a better offensive supporting cast. 2. Arizona decided to take Eerie Otter Dylan Strome with the third overall pick but despite being the highest OHL point producer last season with 129 points in 68 games, questions remain whether his numbers were boosted by playing with McDavid. I say that the youngster proved his worth with 35 points in 21 games while McDavid was sidelined. Let's give this youngster his due as he along with Max Domi give the Arizona Coyotes a potential lethal one-two punch in the near future. His fantasy contributions will be minimal in 2015-16, but he could do some serious scoring damage in two-three years. 3. Noah Hanifin was the highest profile defender taken in the draft(fifth overall by Carolina) but for fantasy purposes, keep tabs on the Flyer's first selection Ivan Provorov. Ever since the Chris Pronger injury, Philly has been longing for that top-tier offensive blueliner and they might have done just that with this pick. An exciting package of offensive skill-set and speed have drawn comparisons to our favorite OEL but lets not rush the process yet. He still might be a year or two away but he has some huge fantasy upside if he can develop as the team's future power-play quarterback. 4. If Pavel Zacha can allow himself to be mentored by fellow Czech Patrik Elias, then the immensely skilled 18-year old will reap huge dividends from being drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the top ten. The 6'3 forward has all the tools to be a top-flight scorer but his maturity and his own on-ice management has been heavily scrutinized. Can anyone say boom or bust? 5. Trades, trades, trades... Plenty of noves fueled by future salary cap considerations but the biggest head-scrather with major fantasy implications is Boston moving Dougie Hamilton to Calgary. I kind of get shipping away Milan Lucic and Carl Soderberg before they get too expensive to keep by next summer, but trading away a blossoming 22-year old blue-chipper who looked ready to inherit top billing from aging veteran Zdeno Chara? The Flames have stock-piled quite the defensive arsenal, but can the Hamilton acquisition ...

1  There wasn't much intrigue with the top two picks of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, as Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel have markedly improved perennial cellar dwellers Edmonton and Buffalo with their superior blend of elite offensive talent and hockeq IQ. Both centers project to be high scoring dynamos, but expect McDavid to make the quicker fantasy splash based mostly on a better offensive supporting cast. 2. Arizona decided to take Eerie Otter Dylan Strome with the third overall pick but despite being the highest OHL point producer last season with 129 points in 68 games, questions remain whether his numbers were boosted by playing with McDavid. I say that the youngster proved his worth with 35 points in 21 games while McDavid was sidelined. Let's give this youngster his due as he along with Max Domi give the Arizona Coyotes a potential lethal one-two punch in the near future. His fantasy contributions will be minimal in 2015-16, but he could do some serious scoring damage in two-three years. 3. Noah Hanifin was the highest profile defender taken in the draft(fifth overall by Carolina) but for fantasy purposes, keep tabs on the Flyer's first selection Ivan Provorov. Ever since the Chris Pronger injury, Philly has been longing for that top-tier offensive blueliner and they might have done just that with this pick. An exciting package of offensive skill-set and speed have drawn comparisons to our favorite OEL but lets not rush the process yet. He still might be a year or two away but he has some huge fantasy upside if he can develop as the team's future power-play quarterback. 4. If Pavel Zacha can allow himself to be mentored by fellow Czech Patrik Elias, then the immensely skilled 18-year old will reap huge dividends from being drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the top ten. The 6'3 forward has all the tools to be a top-flight scorer but his maturity and his own on-ice management has been heavily scrutinized. Can anyone say boom or bust? 5. Trades, trades, trades... Plenty of noves fueled by future salary cap considerations but the biggest head-scrather with major fantasy implications is Boston moving Dougie Hamilton to Calgary. I kind of get shipping away Milan Lucic and Carl Soderberg before they get too expensive to keep by next summer, but trading away a blossoming 22-year old blue-chipper who looked ready to inherit top billing from aging veteran Zdeno Chara? The Flames have stock-piled quite the defensive arsenal, but can the Hamilton acquisition ...

*Tyler Johnson- After his two goals last night helped propel the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning past the Montreal Canadiens, the 2nd-year center has now vaulted into third in NHL scoring with 45 points. It's unbelievable how quickly Johnson has ascended into the upper echelon of fantasy forwards, but he is as MUST-START as they come now. Keep rolling Johnson. **Patrik Elias- Kudos to the veteran Czech winger for surpassing the 1,000 point mark in his NHL career with a goal and two assists. I beg you to buy low on Elias who has been a huge fantasy disappointment but has been turning it on with 5 points over the last 5 games. If there is anyone left on the waiver-wire that can notch 30-35 pts in the second half, it's surely him. ***Steve Mason- An extraordinary effort by Mason as he single-handlely provided the Flyers the much-needed win with 40 saves on 41 shots against Ottawa. The victory snapped his personal six-game losing streak and although he was all-world last night, he has a way to go before he earns our confidence as a solid fantasy goalie option. ****David Backes- Wow, a four-goal performance by the superior St. Louis two-way center who is also benefitting from two "HOT" line-mates in TJ Oshie and Alex Steen. The return of Jaden Schwartz will help balance the offense a bit, but I would keep riding Backes and company until they cool off. *****Semyon Varlamov- The Colorado Avalanche have been struggling to keep opposing offenses at bay and last night in Chicago was no different. The Blackhawks fired 53 shots at Varlamov but he was up to the task with the Herculean shutout effort. Just like Mason, I still don't trust Varly as a consistent fantasy netminder, but a few more of these type of games and I'm sure I could be swayed.

Perhaps this is the time to start thinking about "buying low" on the New Jersey Devils as they have played 21 of their 34 games away from home so far and with some players returning to full health should be able to make a run with a lot of games coming up at home. New Jersey plays 12 of their next 18 games at the Prudential Center. Devils G Keith Kincaid earned his won his 1st NHL victory against the high-powered Tampa Bay lightning who seem to have hit a rut lately by losing 6 of their last 9 games. Both usual starters, Ben Bishop and Cory Schneider, were out for different reasons but should be in net for their respective team's next starts....Patrik Elias scored his 4th goal on the season and just 3th point in 28 games this season well below his career average. Could be a solid acquisition from here on out as he should return to normal scoring levels.... Ilya Bryzgalov got his first start in his return to the Anaheim Ducks and was smoked for 6 goals by the Ottawa Senators. Expect Frederik Andersen back in net for their next game.  Bobby Ryan seems to be heating up with 8 points in 8 December games after contributing two assists in the game. You just might be able to obtain Ryan on the cheap.  If you remember, Ryan was at a point-per-game clip before playing with an injury last year, his first in Ottawa.... Jaroslav Halak and the NY Islanders continued their strong season with a 2-1 victory in Hockeytown over the Detroit Red Wings who lost G Jimmy Howard to a lower-body injury during the first period. Hopefully for the Red Wings, Howard won't be out long as he was having a nice comeback season.  Halak earned his 17th win on the year.... Michael Hutchinson continues to show what he can do at the NHL level with a 30-save, 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Hutchinson raised his record to 7-2-2 with outstanding metrics and should be considered the undisputed starter but Winnipeg continues to platoon both he and Ondrej Pavelec who is having his best statistical season by far but the team seems to win more with Hutch in net..... The Dallas Stars scored twice early and held on for a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames, raising G Kari Lehtonen's record to 13-7-5. For the Flames, that was their 7th loss in a row  as they are quickly fading from a solid start to the season.  

If you are a diehard hockey fan like Steve and myself, and you are totally involved in fantasy hockey, then you are just itching for some pertinent hockey information to sink your teeth into as the fantasy hockey season is about to get underway. I already have had a little taste of it as one of my dynasty leagues held their online, or as Vince Vaughn says in the movie Internship, "on-the-line", draft over the Labor Day weekend. I am quite pleased with the way my team filled out nabbing some solid players in Patrik Elias, Dan Boyle & Tomas Plekanec to go along with "keepers" Zach Parise, Anze Kopitar, Gustav Nyquist, Pekka Rinne & Co.   I was also able to nab Justin Faulk and Craig Smith, among others, who I believe can make big contributions to their respective NHL teams.  But it will all depends on how the teams fare during the course of the 82-game NHL season and which players can ward off the injury bug. Starting this weekend, PrimePucks will bring you the "NHL IN 30" where each day we foocus on one team and give you a full team analysis on our coutndown to who we eventually think will be the Stanley Cup Champions come June 2015. So, check back each day and get a fantasy look at all the NHL teams, starting Saturday with Buffalo.

Elias has missed the last two games after suffering a head injury last Friday vs. the Capitals. He has 17 goals and 34 assists (51 points) in 62 games this season.

Loui Eriksson, RW Boston (Owned in 47.5% of ESPN leagues) His 4-assist performance playing in place of Jarome Iginla on the Bruin's top line should serve notice that he is arguably the most valuable waiver-wire grab of the final week. The B's have nothing to play for, meaning the older veterans such as Iginla and Zdeno Chara will be receiving much needed rest. I suggest all "Iggy" owners pick up Eriksson for good measure and monitor the situation closely until you need to set your starting rosters. The talented forward was a proven NHL scorer for Dallas and he did receive top-line minutes prior to Iginla's arrival, so his insertion should do little to hurt their scoring chemistry. Carl Soderberg, C Boston (Owned in 28.2% of ESPN leagues) The 28-year old rookie has been quite productive on the Bruin's third line, scoring 18 points in the last 21 games. If Coach Claude Julien decides to rest any key forwards, Soderberg will be in the mix for top-six forward minutes, including an expanded role on the power-play. He is well worth a flier and could pay off in a big way. Travis Zajac, C New Jersey  (Owned in 60.9 % of ESPN leagues) With 6 points in his last 4 games, the underrated pivot has elevated his offensive production just in time to get the Devils back in the thick of the playoff race. With Patrik Elias and Adam Henrique out of the lineup, Zajac should continue to lead the offense along with the ageless Jaromir Jagr and push toward playing some meaningful games beyond mid-April. He is well worth a flier with the postseason on the line for the suddenly streaking Devils. Alec Martinez, D Los Angeles ( Owned in 49.9% of ESPN leagues) Speaking of falling under the radar, all the 26-year old defenseman has done is post 15 points in the last 18 games, which represents upper-tier fantasy production in any format. With Drew Doughty injured and the Kings exercising caution with the eye to the playoffs, Martinez should see expanded minutes over the last week, including on the top power-play unit. I can't vouch for his fantasy value beyond this season, but for now he is "money". Ilya Bryzgalov, G Minnesota ( Owned in 28.4% of ESPN leagues) Since being traded to the Minnesota Wild, Bryzgalov has been elite between the pipes with a 5-0-3 record, a 1.87 GAA and a .920 SP. Coming off his 4-0 blanking of Pittsburgh and Darcy Kuemper still ailing, there is a decent chance that the enigmatic goalie will play all four games for this defensive juggernaut during ...

Elias was injured in the first period of Friday's game vs. the Capitals. He will be replaced by Danius Zubrus on the second line.

ALL GOALIES ARE CONFIRMED UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED AT THE TIME OF PRINT Two hot matches to start the day with the Philadelphia Flyers heading to Boston to take on Tuukka Rask and the Bruins.  Ray Emery, for the second time in 3 games, will get the call as the Flyers look to put an end to their 3-game losing streak. Doing that against the big, bad Bruins will take a monumental effort as the B's have lost 2 in a row and will look to get back on track as well.   Go with the hometown B's.... The second afternoon affair will pit the Colorado Avalanche against the St. Louis Blues.  Semyon Varlamov will face Ryan Miller and try to make it 6 in a row for the Avs but will have a rough time doing so against a hot Miller who has been lights out since being acquired just before the trade deadline.  The Blues are looking to hold on for the President's Trophy as they sit atop the Western Conference and are tied in points with 111 with the Boston Bruins for the league lead.   The Blues make a statement... After losing five straight games, Washington's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Enter today's opponent, the Metropolitan Division cellar-dweller New York Islanders, who have been relishing the role of spoiler lately, winning 5 of their last 6 games. Braden Holtby will get the start for the Capitals over Jaroslav Halak, given his recent success agsinst the Isles- 3 straight wins and a .953 SP. This will one will be closely contested, but the Caps really need to pull this one out. Holtby wins.... The New Jersey Devils have been hanging in the playoff chase with their recent 3-0-3 surge over the last 6 games, but could have their hands full with a suddenly "hot" Carolina squad. Anton Khudobin has basically wrested away the starting goalie job from veteran Cam Ward with his recent stellar play, turning aside 63 of 65 shots over his last two starts. The Hurricanes have gone 3-0-2 over the last 5, and given that Jersey might be without Patrik Elias and Adam Henrique, I am sniffing an upset win for Carolina... After being pulled in Thursday's loss to Carolina, Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen will be eager to return to his elite form in recent games where he has won 5 of last 7 starts with a 2.01 GAA and a .940 SP. The equally productive Ben Bishop of Tampa Bay is also coming off a uncharacteristic defeat, allowing 3 goals on 24 shots to Calgary. Both goaltenders need to rebound, but only one can prevail. Very much a "tossup" here... With a 7-2-1 run, the Detroit Red Wings ...