SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE: GIVE'EM ELLIS! primepucks.com Sun 10/27/19 11:01 AM

SMC 10/27/2019 There were some who may have been skeptical about my prediction of the NY Islanders making the playoffs this year, perhaps because of Robin Lehner’s departure to Chicago, but a team led by Barry Trotz will always have more than a decent chance to make the playoffs and I’m sticking to it even though it way early in the season. Carter Hutton, Tuukka Rask and Petr Mrazek lead the NHL with 2 shutouts so far this season. T-Rask I can see, but the other 2?  I know it’s only 2, but they seemed to be locked in for a good season. Ever since I gave up on him just a few short years ago is when he started becoming the offensive defenseman we all thought he was going to be, John Carlson has been one of the top 3 defensemen to own in your fantasy league. He’s actually at the top the leader board in points in the NHL. I’ve expected more out of the Chicago Blackhawks but they did have a weird opening schedule so I’ll give them another 2 weeks to get rolling. Bottom of the league in goals scoring with 20 in 9 games? Pffft! They won’t stay there long with the like of Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat among others. BUY LOW if possible. David Pastrnak has 11 of the Boston bruins’ 29 goals scored this season. And he could have about 15 with a little luck. WOW! Buy lows on Carolina’s Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter as once they get going the cost will be prohibitive. Patrice Bergeron will now be known to me as the Quiet Scorer.  He has 8 points in 10 games and I hardly notice him in the box scores. I thought Andreas Johnsson of the Toronto Maple Leafs was injured in the game last Saturday and was doubtful for the week.  Boy was I wrong.  He had a goal and two assists in 4 games this week. D Tyson Barrie is shooting but not scoring.  When he does, he will probably score in bunches. I think that the Tampa Bay Lightning are saving some of that high-octane force for the playoffs after their early dismissal last season. Roman Josi is the defenseman from Nashville to own in fantasy, but Ryan Ellis is a good #3 or #4 this season. Did you know he has 13 points in 11 games and is tied with team mate Josi for 2nd amongst all NHL defensemen in points so far this season? I don’t think the Predators are missing PK all that much. Did the Blue Jackets implode or what last night against Philadelphia? 5 unanswered goals in the last 10 minutes of the game to lose 7-4. Did the defense go home early? If Sonny Milano, with 5 points in 9 games, is your bright spot then you know ...

SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE: COFFEE BRUIN! primepucks.com Sun 1/7/18 12:11 PM

SMC 1/7/2018 COFFEE BRUIN! Back from the holiday break with coffee a-brewin’! You know what else is brewing?  More like percolating; the Boston Bruins!  Don’t say we didn’t warn you a few weeks back. Hard to believe that Patrice Bergeron only scored his second career hat-trick on Saturday.  He means so much to that team. The big, bad Bruins really pasted Carolina goaltending on Saturday. Jake Allen doesn’t fare well against Philadelphia. An o-3-0 record with a 3.45 GAA and a save percentage of .890.  Geez coach, let someone else start against the Flyers for Pete’s sake. Edmonton had a dog day afternoon against Dallas on Saturday giving up 3 first period goals and losing 5-1.  Tampa Bay did the same thing.  Came back to tie the game with three unanswered goals then gave up three to the Ottawa Senators to waste their comeback effort. Colorado is starting to score goals in bunches lately as they beat Minny 7-2 on Saturday and 6-1 last Sunday versus NY Islanders in their 5 game win streak.  Not as bad as last year, but how could they be. Tampa Bay goalie Andrej Vasilevskiy had some stretch the past few games until he met up against Ottawa.  2 shutouts and a 2-1 shootout loss against Montreal before that lopsided loss to the Senators. Vancouver almost beat Toronto with most of their stars missing from the lineup.  The Canucks have been playing spirited hockey this season but are a few years away still. I am going to say that Las Vegas is for real now.  There!  Now they can go on an extended losing streak since I jinxed them. The Golden Knights are tough to play against with all that speed and tenacity.  I have a few players on my fantasy teams. I said this last time I think but the NY Rangers have a good shot at the Cup this year because it looks like it’s anyone’s game. The Rangers need to start scoring a little more than 1 or 2 goals a game though.  They last scored more than 2 goals in a game 7 games ago.  But thanks to G Henrik Lundqvist they got 7 points in last 6 games. Now it’s Anaheim’s turn to start putting together a long winning streak or winning stretch with all their players back in the lineup.  I’m thinking the same thing for Minnesota.  So, if it’s too late to grab some Bruins, go Duck hunting or go Wild! I’m just thinking that Los Angeles could be so much better once Jeff Carter returns from his freak skate injury. Is Dallas Stars offense starting to heat up? They scored 4 or more goals in a game in 6 out of last 8 games. This week is going ...

DAILY PRIME: SEPTEMBER 11th Draft Guide Updates and Defensemen News primepucks.com Mon 9/11/17 7:34 PM

The PrimePucks Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide has been updated with the latest NHL signings along with some injury updates as well.  Check the edited Draft Guide in your online account. Remember all updates and edits re in highlighter yellow so you can spot them easily. PLAYER NEWS: D-LICIOUS! Pittsburgh Penguins’ defenseman Kris Letang has been cleared to training camp and should be ready to go come opening night.  Letang is right there among the elite fantasy defensemen such as Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson but the knock on Letang is staying healthy.  He can drive you mad with his scoring prowess but he always seems to get nicked up and banged up leaving fantasy owners in a dilemma.  But have no doubt that when healthy, he is in your lineup. Speaking of Karlsson, it appears he won’t be back on the ice until November time as the Ottawa Senator Captain recovers from off-season left foot surgery to repair tendons.  Karlsson can miss from 12-15 games at the start of the season and who knows how many games he will need to get into tip-top shape.  Knowing the competitive nature of Karlsson, it won’t take long. Fantasy owners be wary of selecting Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis too early as he too is recovering from an off-season knee surgery.  Ellis is expected to miss several months at least.  Look elsewhere for your fantasy defensemen points. Keeping with the all-defense theme, New Jersey d-man Damon Severson signed a 6-year deal with the club paying him $4+ million per year.  The 23 year-old defenseman is going on his 4th season and was once highly regarded to be the power play point man but things haven’t panned out since his impressive debut season when he went 5-12-17 in 52 games.  The last two seasons weren’t anything to write home about especially after last season’s 31-point effort while sporting a -30.  Ouch!  Not to place all the blame on the young man’s shoulders as the team wasn’t any better, but he is part of the equation.  Not expecting great production out of him this year either with the team clearly in the rebuilding phase.  Keep a close eye during training camp to see if he can gain any confidence and be fantasy worthy.

Signing: The Predators have signed Ryan Ellis to a five-year, $12.5... dailyfaceoff.com Sat 9/27/14 12:56 AM

Ellis, 23, had six goals and 21 assists (27 points) in 80 games last season. He was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft and has tremendous offensive upside. Ellis is undersized, but will be a key member of the Predators power-play for years to come.

DAILY PRIME-SEPTEMBER 26, 2014: PRE-SEASON NOTES primepucks.com Fri 9/26/14 9:03 AM

The Nashville Predators locked up another piece of their defensive core by inking D-man Ryan Ellis to a 5-year deal. Ellis has tremendous offensive talent evidenced by his 314 points in 226 games while with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.  Ellis played his first full season and went 6-21-27 in 80 NHL games.  A nice late-round pick in your draft if you're looking for depth with a good chance at some decent production....P.K. Subban is already in mid-season form as he had a hand in all 3 Montreal goals last night, one of which was a PP goal. Expect a big season from Subban who wants to prove his leadership ability....Pittsburgh's Brandon Sutter scored 2 goals last night in their OT win over Minnesota. Sutter's production hasn't been what the coaching staff has expected ever since his arrival from Carolina.  If his score sheet contributions don't improve, he may find himself on the block.  Expect him to rise to the occasion and get close to his career high of 40 while with Carolina in 2009-2010.....The Columbus Blue Jackets look determined to get off to a good start when the season opens October 8th as they raised their pre-season record to 4-0-0 with a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues last night.  The Jackets built leads of 4-0 and 5-1 and held off the onslaught of Blues' winger Vladmimir Tarasenko who had two 3rd period goals to close the gap. Don't worry Sergei Bobrovsky owners; he was given the night off.

IN STEVE'S DEFENSE: WHICH SLEEPERS ARE TRENDING UP? primepucks.com Tue 1/21/14 6:55 AM

Well, for starters, Anaheim's Sami Vatanen is temporarily off my fantasy sleeper list as he has been demoted to Norfolk of the AHL. I loved the youngster's offensive upside under the tutelage of Coach Bruce Boudreau, but the emergence of Hampus Lindholm has hurt him on the Duck's depth chart. Having said that, one of my favorite dark-horses from a few years back has begun to hit his stride in his fifth year- Jason Demers of San Jose. With 8 points in 10 January games including 3 power-play assists, the 25-year old has begun to show some offensive promise with more quality ice-time. With Logan Couture out for awhile, Demers has been promoted to the primary power play and has been flourishing ever since. He is flying so low under the fantasy radar that most owners have not noticed his scoring success yet. 24 points in 47 games is not shabby for a d-man available in more than 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues. Roman Josi is a good bet to continue rising up in the fantasy charts for Nashville. Paired off with the great Shea Weber on the first defensive pairing, the talented Swiss defender is currently on a 4-game scoring streak. Upstart Ryan Ellis has gained some offensive momentum with 5 points in his last 8 games, but Josi has held firmly to his prime power-play time. The state of defensive affairs are in flux for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as coach Randy Carlyle is beginning to hand over more responsiblity to Jake Gardiner in recent games. With Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson not cutting it, the 23-year old has led the scoring charge for his fellow blueliners with four points in the last 7 games. Gardiner's power-play minutes has been rising, so he needs to be noticed by fantasy owners in need of defensive production. Don't get caught up with the recent Andrej Meszaros hype in Philly. He has been scorching with 10 points in his last 10 games, but this is far from the norm for the dependable two-way defender. Relegated to secondary PP duty, his scoring will come to a screeching halt soon but he has some short-term value while he is on his streak. Former Calder Trophy winner Tyler Myers has scored 3 goals in the last four games, but he goes "hot" and "cold' in seconds. The guy to own in Buffalo is the more consistent Christian Ehrhoff who has 12 points in the last 17 games. He has a much more proven scoring pedigree than Myers, considering he has surpassed 40 points 3 times in his career. Parting Shots:Paul Martin returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup last ...

SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE - 1/12/2014 primepucks.com Sun 1/12/14 10:46 AM

Got a cup filled to the brim and piping hot..... For as far back as I can remember, the Tampa Bay Lightning always had the Philadelphia Flyers number. The Bolts won yesterday afternoon 6-3. Claude Giroux has made it into the top 20 in NHL scoring. He'll definitely finish in top 10.  And he had such a sloooooooow start. Voracek is continuing his steady pace of hotness. Andrej Meszaros has arisen from the dead! Anaheim is continuing to amaze me. First overall in the NHL. Tomas Plekanec had 11 SOG last night. Patrick Kane has only 1 assist in past 6 games. Hmmmmmmmmm.  But he had 23 points in 14 December games so I wouldn't be worried. A lot of 2-1 games and low-scoring games on Saturday. Marek Zidlicky is having a nice rebound season for the Devils. In fact, the last time Zids hit the 40-point mark was the year of the last Winter Olympics in 2009-2010 with 43 for the Minnesota Wild.  I wonder if he is turning into an every-4-year fantasy player. Tim Thomas has been playing lights out since his return from injury. Craig Anderson and the Ottawa Senators are playing like they mean it now.   They are 6-2-2 in last 10 and Anderson has earned the win in all 6 of those. May be too late to grab any of these 3 goaltenders who were struggling until just a few games ago; Anderson, Lundqvist, and Howard. T-Rask with a brilliant 1-0 shutout of the San Jose. Jimmy Howard with a 3-1 victory over the LA Kings. Is the Eastern Conference turning the tide form the early season domination from the Western Conference? Eastern Conf was 6-0 against Western Conf yesterday. I think Ryan Ellis will explode one day. He has so much offensive talent.  Maybe he needs to go elsewhere like Cody Franson did a few years back. Columbus is 7-3-0 and in the hunt for a playoff spot people. Heed the warning Eastern Conf. Something big is going to happen in Winnipeg soon methinks. Will J-S Giguere get back in the net for Colorado soon after his 4 straight losses? Paul Stastny was having such a good season. Let's hope his injury isn't too serious. Minnesota almost had their third hat trick of the week with Charlie Coyle getting 2 within seconds of one another. He would have joined Justin Fontaine and Ryan Suter with a hattie. This Anaheim team is like a true duck. They paddle hard underneath but you don't see the effort.  Flawless. Mathieu Perreault has 6 points in past 3 games. Could this be the start of a breakout?  He has the talent. Colonel Klinkhammer was held off the board yesterday. The ...

SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE - 1/5/2014 primepucks.com Sun 1/5/14 8:09 AM

Hot coffee on a cold morning. Mmmmmmmm. The Bruins stopped the Jets dead in their tracks with a 4-1 pasting. Boston D Torey Krug is having a sensational rookie campaign. The San Jose/Colorado afternoon match was very entertaining, especially the second period. Those Sharks are deadly. I'm sure Jamie McGinn was happy to score against his former team. If you haven't noticed, Buffalo has been playing better hockey over the last 15 games or so. The Rangers had an offensive explosion with 7 goals against Toronto on Saturday night. Dominic Moore had two goals in the contest. Happy for him. It's only a matter of time before Joffrey Lupul goes on a tear. He had 7 SOG last night and 7 the other night against Buffalo. I think Shea Weber is starting to go on a little bit of a run offensively. 13 points in last 11 games.  Amazing that Nashville D-man Ryan Ellis was the only Predator without a SOG against Florida. Hmmmm. Jeff Skinner is having the kind of season we all knew he had in him; he just needs to stay healthy. The St. Louis Blues just get scoring from everyone in their lineup. Is Braden Holtby really this bad? Mike Green has awoken with 2 goals last night, just in time for him to get injured again. Ryan Suter with a hat trick reminded me of the old Al MacInnis days. The Wild scored 5 goals on 11 shots on goal. Either they are that good (not!), or Washington needs some goaltending help (YES!). Did you know that the Flyers are in 7th place in the Eastern Conference after that terrible start? And just a few points out of being in 5th? They are for real folks. Colonel Klinkhammer with a goal and 3 SOG in just under 11 minutes played. Yeah baby! I think that the NHL's Committee for Player Safety ought to get a bit tougher with these suspensions. It certainly isn't curbing anyone from trying to ruin the lives and careers of their fellow colleagues. Mason beat a Smith, just like in Colonial days. Quick is back and cured the LA Kings woes after the team lost 5 straight. Bye for now Mr. Jones.  "It's not you, it's me" kinda thing. You gotta love this 3-team race in the Western Conference between Chicago, St. Louis and Anaheim. Have A Happy and Healthy New Year everyone!

Call up / Send down: #Preds announce Ryan Ellis has been reassigned... dailyfaceoff.com Sat 4/6/13 2:56 PM

Ellis only played one game during his call-up. He played 20:11, recorded no points and was a minus-1. He will return to the AHL where he has four goals and six assists in 24 games.

Call up / Send down: #Preds have recalled D Ryan Ellis from Milwaukee. dailyfaceoff.com Thu 4/4/13 2:56 PM

Ellis has two goals and four assists in 31 games with the Predators this season.