We all know about Santa's little helpers but recently Washington Capitals Center Nicklas Backstrom is doling out assists like giving away candy canes at Christmas. Last night against the Canes in fact, Backstrom had 4 assists, the second time in December that he had 4 helpers in a game.   Always known more for his assists than goal-scoring but at the rate he is dishing them out lately, he could possibly set a new career high.  His previous high was 68 back in 2009-2010.  The last few years injuries took their toll along with a different system in place, but don't worry, Backstrom is back to his old ways....Caps Goalie Philipp Grubauer got the win to raise his season record to 3-0-1 with a 2.06 GAA and a .937 SP. If he continues at this rate,  Braden Holtby better start bringing his ‘A' game if he wants to keep his starting job. It might be a good idea to grab him off the wire to handcuff your Capital goalie situation.... More Fantasy Game Notes: The desperate Islanders only needed a match against their arch-rival NY Rangers to get the blood boiling again.  Early Ranger sloppiness led to 2 short-handed goals in the 1st, but hey managed to overcome those miscues to take a 3-2 lead before the Isles took the lead back and sealed the game late in the third period. The Blueshirts have been a huge disappointment so far whereas the Islanders were expected to be playoff-worthy but there is a little more leniency because of their youth.  With Evgeni Nabokov back in net for the Isles, peraps this is a good time to grab some Islander players on the cheap before they start to turn it around....I'LL HAVE A ‘Z' PLEASE PAT. If you are looking for a player to somewhat breakout for a good second half run, look no further than the New Jersey Devils' Travis Zajac. Although you can't expect huge scoring from the Devils, Zajac does have 5 points in his past 5 games.  So if you need some consistency on the back end of your forward group, Zajac could be a good fit.  He did have back-to-back seasons of 60+ points from 2008-2010....MAKING HIS MARK. Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele has scored in 5 straight games with 7 points and 8 points in 7 games. Scheifele only has 15 points on the season, so you can see how hot he has gotten.  He seems to be counted more lately and he has responded.  The Jets hanger is crowded, but he can push his way and grab some ice time from some non-producing forwards, he might be worth a shot to help your team down the stretch....NOT ‘LACK'ING. It wasn't the ...

Zajac has missed the last two games, but will return tonight vs. Philadelphia. Zajac has been off to a slow start - much like the rest of the Devils. He has one goal and three assists in 12 games. Jacob Josefson will take a seat with Zajac healthy.

Zajac twisted his ankle in practice on Friday, but said that he would be good-to-go today. Apparently that is not the case and he will sit while Jacob Josefson plays in his spot.

Monitor Zajac's status tomorrow prior to the Devils game with the Flyers.

Zajac put very little weight on his right foot when he skated off the ice and exited to locker room. Jacob Josefson has moved onto a line with Damien Brunner and Danius Zubrus with Zajac out. Expect an update after practice.

FANTASY STATE OF THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS: For a team that ranked 28th in scoring last season with 2.29 goals per game, the New Jersey Devils could ill afford to lose one of the best pure snipers in the game today. Well, that's exactly what happened yesterday when Ilya Kovalchuk retired in his prime to bolt for the KHL. With Kovalchuk no longer in the picture, the question remains whether this year's version of the Devils can score enough goals to stay even remotely competitive in what looks to be a very tight Eastern Conference. In regard to fantasy, things are looking bleak in New Jersey, but there might be some value where you least expect it. Here are some thoughts on how Kovalchuk's retirement has impacted several of the team's key players: 1. Patrik Elias- Fresh off signing a new three-year extension at the age of 37, the talented winger will assume a more expanded role in facilitating the offense with Kovalchuk gone. The question remains whether he can be close to a point-per-game producer with opposing defenses keying on him first. Without a premier scoring threat like Kovalchuk in the lineup and with his better years behind him, it would be unrealistic to expect more than a 0.75 point per game pace from Elias by season's end. 2. Michael Ryder- This guy could actually surprise this season as he brings a legitimate scoring touch to a team desperately in need of goal-scorers. Do you know that his 51 goals in the last two seasons has him ranked 11th during that time in the NHL? Yes, he is for real! He should get top-line duty along with Elias and Travis Zajac, but where his fantasy value will be felt the most will be on the power-play. With David Clarkson no longer occupying the spot down low, a more offensively gifted Ryder could provide a dangerous weapon that the Devils have lacked. Again, the Jersey offense will struggle, but this guy should help. 3. Travis Zajac- This one is not hard to figure out. Zajac has put up his best numbers, primarily assists, when dishing out the puck to either Zach Parise or Kovalchuk. Now they are both gone. You do the math. BERGERON NEXT TO SIGN FOR BOSTON: After locking up their elite goaltender Tuukka Rask long-term, Boston did well to sign center Patrice Bergeron to an eight-year/ $56 million extension. The 27-year old is worth every penny as arguably the best two-way forward in the NHL today. Fantasy-wise, you need to take notice as Bergeron has an opportunity to lead the Bruins in scoring, considering Tyler ...

FANTASY STATE OF THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS: For a team that ranked 28th in scoring last season with 2.29 goals per game, the New Jersey Devils could ill afford to lose one of the best pure snipers in the game today. Well, that's exactly what happened yesterday when Ilya Kovalchuk retired in his prime to bolt for the KHL. With Kovalchuk no longer in the picture, the question remains whether this year's version of the Devils can score enough goals to stay even remotely competitive in what looks to be a very tight Eastern Conference. In regard to fantasy, things are looking bleak in New Jersey, but there might be some value where you least expect it. Here are some thoughts on how Kovalchuk's retirement has impacted several of the team's key players: 1. Patrik Elias- Fresh off signing a new three-year extension at the age of 37, the talented winger will assume a more expanded role in facilitating the offense with Kovalchuk gone. The question remains whether he can be close to a point-per-game producer with opposing defenses keying on him first. Without a premier scoring threat like Kovalchuk in the lineup and with his better years behind him, it would be unrealistic to expect more than a 0.75 point per game pace from Elias by season's end. 2. Michael Ryder- This guy could actually surprise this season as he brings a legitimate scoring touch to a team desperately in need of goal-scorers. Do you know that his 51 goals in the last two seasons has him ranked 11th during that time in the NHL? Yes, he is for real! He should get top-line duty along with Elias and Travis Zajac, but where his fantasy value will be felt the most will be on the power-play. With David Clarkson no longer occupying the spot down low, a more offensively gifted Ryder could provide a dangerous weapon that the Devils have lacked. Again, the Jersey offense will struggle, but this guy should help. 3. Travis Zajac- This one is not hard to figure out. Zajac has put up his best numbers, primarily assists, when dishing out the puck to either Zach Parise or Kovalchuk. Now they are both gone. You do the math. BERGERON NEXT TO SIGN FOR BOSTON: After locking up their elite goaltender Tuukka Rask long-term, Boston did well to sign center Patrice Bergeron to an eight-year/ $56 million extension. The 27-year old is worth every penny as arguably the best two-way forward in the NHL today. Fantasy-wise, you need to take notice as Bergeron has an opportunity to lead the Bruins in scoring, considering Tyler ...

Zajac is a good second-tier Center fantasy option playing with Kovalchuk. Monitor his status tomorrow to make sure he starts.

Kovalchuk is the source of offense for the Devils now with Parise gone. Look for Zajac to pile up the assists on Kovalchuk goals. Zajac isn't ranked very high on any fantasy sites. He could be a nice sleeper.

Zajac is a good sleeper this year playing with Kovalchuk.