Trade Deadline

DETROIT

Games this week
@ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim, @ San Jose, @ Phoenix

Notes
The Red Wings continue on the road this week with all four games, including three games in four nights so look for Joey MacDonald to play once in place of the struggling Jimmy Howard. The Red Wings will be tired on Thursday when they play San Jose after playing the Ducks the night before. Daniel Cleary has already hit a career high of 21 goals this season and he missed a month of action with a broken ankle. Chris Osgood says he will return this season after undergoing surgery for a groin injury.

EDMONTON

Games this week
vs. Nashville, vs. Columbus, vs. Colorado

Notes
The Oilers placed Sheldon Souray on re-entry waivers hoping that someone would claim him but there were no takers and Souray is back in the minors. Watch out for Taylor Hall as he is heating up. He has four goals and an assist in his past three games. Rookie linemate Jordan Eberle has three goals and an assist in his last five. Devan Dubnyk has seen action in five of the Oilers last nine games and is 8-7-6 this season.

FLORIDA

Games this week
@ Carolina, vs. Montreal, @ Atlanta, vs. Washington

Notes
The Panthers play three games in four nights so look for Scott Clemmensen to play at least once in place of Tomas Vokoun, if Vokoun is not traded by Monday. The Panthers play host to a rested Washington on Sunday after Florida plays Atlanta on Saturday. They traded Cory Stillman on Thursday to Carolina and received Ryan Carter in exchange. Stephen Weiss is still getting mentioned in trade talks.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week
vs. Detroit, vs. Phoenix, vs. Vancouver

Notes
The Kings are play three times at home this week. Marco Sturm has returned from a knee injury and is back on the first line with Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds. Scott Parse had a setback from his hip surgery and may not return in early March. Andrei Loktionov has been a healthy scratch this past week.

MINNESOTA

Games this week
vs. Chicago, @ New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers, vs. Buffalo

Notes
Minnesota play three games in four nights so look for Jose Theodore and Niklas Backstrom to share the net. The Wild are tired on Thursday when they face the Rangers after playing on Long Island the night before, but play all three other games against tired teams as they are rested. It starts on Monday when they face Chicago and it continues on Wednesday against the Islanders finishing on Sunday at home to the Sabres after Buffalo are in Philadelphia the previous day. Cam Barker is out with a mid-body injury, forcing the Wild to recall Nate Prosser. Mikko Koivu is out three-four weeks with a broken finger.

MONTREAL

Games this week
@ Atlanta, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay

Notes
The Canadiens are in the deep south this week with all three games against Southeast division rivals. They have acquired Nigel Dawes and Brent Sopel from the Thrashers. It looks like Jaroslav Spacek is gone for the season with a lower body injury. Michael Cammalleri returned this past week from a shoulder injury.

NASHVILLE

Games this week
@ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary

Notes
The Predators are in Western Canada all week. Sergei Kostitsyn is out with an undisclosed injury. Jordin Tootoo returned to action this past week after being out since late December with a substance abuse problem. Patrik Hornqvist leads the team in goals with 17 while defenseman Shea Weber is first in points with 37.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week
vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Pittsburgh, @ New York Islanders

Notes
The Devils are rested pm Sunday when they take on the Islanders as the New Yorkers are home to St. Louis on Saturday. There is no hotter team than the Devils in the NHL as they are 15-1-2 in their last 18. Johan Hedberg has been outstanding in place of Martin Brodeur as Hedberg has won his last seven starts in a row, giving up only seven goals in 173 shots. Brodeur will have a tough time regaining the net with the hot play of Hedberg. Ilya Kovalchuk is on an 11 game scoring streak with seven goals and 13 points.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week
@ Washington, vs. Minnesota, vs. St. Louis, vs. New Jersey

Notes
The Islanders play four times this week so expect Nathan Lawson and Al Montoya to each see action. The Islanders are a tired team twice this week as they face Minnesota on Wednesday after playing in Washington the previous night and are tired on Sunday when they face a rested Devils squad after they play the Blues on Saturday evening. Al Montoya is 3-1-1 for the Islanders this season giving up ten goals on only 154 shots.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week
vs. Buffalo, vs. Minnesota, @ Ottawa, vs. Philadelphia

Notes
The Rangers play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Martin Biron to play once in place of Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers will be rested twice this week while taking on a tired opponent. The first time it happens is on Thursday against the Wild while they take on a tired Flyers squad on Sunday. Marian Gaborik is out with a concussion so look for Wojtek Wolski to benefit from the injury. Brandon Dubinsky leads the Rangers in points with 43.

The trade deadline is on Monday and if there is one thing to guarantee, it is that there will be lots of movement. Should goaltenders change hands in the next few days, some of the information before will be dated.

Monday is also the one year anniversary of the Gold Medal game between Canada and the United States when Sidney Crosby scored the Golden goal for Canada. I was wondering if it is known as the Silver goal below the 49th Parallel.

A couple of teams, Ottawa and Toronto seem to have traded away players and are looking towards next season but the Maple Leafs keep winning and are now only four points out of a playoff spot.

Johan Franzen has gone 11 straight games without a goal since scoring five on February 2. He was frustrated on Thursday as he was minus-two but took 12 minutes in penalties.

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Here is The Week Ahead.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6


4 Games - Buffalo, Calgary, Chicago, Detroit, Florida, Minnesota, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Vancouver

3 Games - Anaheim, Atlanta, Boston, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington

2 Games - Colorado

Buffalo and Detroit play all four games on the road this week.

Columbus, Dallas, Montreal, Nashville and Pittsburgh play three games on the road.

Anaheim, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and San Jose play three home games this week.

INJURIES
Mikko Koivu is out of action for three weeks with a broken finger.
Click here to check out all the injured players in the NHL.

ANAHEIM

Games this week
vs. Detroit, vs. Dallas, vs. Vancouver

Notes
The Ducks are a rested team on Sunday when they take on the Canucks as Vancouver plays in Los Angeles the night before. Anaheim is worried about their goaltending as Jonas Hiller is on the injured reserve list with vertigo. Curtis McElhinney was not the answer in goal and he was dealt to Anaheim for Dan Ellis. Ray Emery was recalled from the minors. Saku Koivu is out of the lineup with a groin injury. Corey Perry already has 31 goals this season and is fifth in the NHL in points with 67.

ATLANTA

Games this week
vs. Montreal, vs. Ottawa, vs. Florida

Notes
The Thrashers have been struggling of late as goaltender Ondrej Pavelec has lost seven of his last eight games. Do not expect Zach Bogosian to be traded at the deadline despite all the rumors to the contrary. He was drafted third overall two seasons ago and it is much too early to give up on him. Andrew Ladd is having a good season for the Thrashers with 22 goals and 45 points. His point total is tied for first in Atlanta, along with defensemen Tobias Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien.


BOSTON

Games this week
@ Ottawa, vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Pittsburgh

Notes
The Bruins are a rested team twice this week as they take on Tampa Bay on Thursday after the Lightning play in New Jersey the previous night, and also play the Penguins on Saturday after Pittsburgh are also in New Jersey the previous night. Marc Savard is still experiencing symptoms from his latest concussion and there is a chance that his career could be over. The acquisitions of centers Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley have made Tyler Seguin the fourth line center. The trade for Tomas Kaberle has made the Bruins a top contender from the East for the Stanley Cup.

BUFFALO

Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ Carolina, @ Philadelphia, @ Minnesota

Notes
The Sabres play all four on the road this week including three games in four nights. The Sabres play three games in four nights so do not be surprised if Jhonas Enroth gets recalled once again to play in place of Ryan Miller as Buffalo does not seem to trust Patrick Lalime in the net. The Sabres are tired on Sunday when they play in Minnesota after traveling from Philadelphia on Saturday. Captain Craig Rivet passed through waivers and was sent to the minors. Our guess is that he will be replaced as captain.

CALGARY

Games this week
@ St. Louis, @ Chicago, vs. Columbus, vs. Nashville

Notes
The Flames play four times this week including three games in four nights so expect to see Henrik Karlsson once in goal in place of Miikka Kiprusoff. The Flames will be tired on Wednesday when they are in Chicago after playing in St. Louis on Tuesday but they get a break on Friday when they are rested and at home, as they take on the Blue Jackets who play in Edmonton on Thursday. Niklas Hagman went through waivers and remained a Calgary Flame while Ales Kotalik was put on re-entry waivers on Wednesday.

CAROLINA

Games this week
vs. Florida, vs. Buffalo, @ Chicago

Notes
The Hurricanes play three times in four nights so we could finally see Justin Peters replace Cam Ward in a game. Peters last played in a full game on January 9. The Hurricanes will be a tired crew on Friday when they are in Chicago after playing at home against the Sabres on Thursday. Sergei Samsonov and Jay Harrison lead the Hurricanes with a plus-three, while Tim Gleason leads in penalty minutes with 69.

CHICAGO

Games this week
@ Minnesota, vs. Calgary, vs. Carolina, @ Toronto

Notes
The Blackhawks play four times this week including three games in four nights so expect to see Corey Crawford and Marty Turco split the net. The Blackhawks are either tired or playing a tired team in all four games this week. They are tired on Monday when they face Minnesota, and on Saturday when they face Toronto after playing the previous day, but benefit against Calgary on Wednesday and Carolina on Friday as both play the previous night. The top line of Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane has been on fire lately as the trio has combined to score six goals and 15 points in the Blackhawks last three games.

COLORADO

Games this week
@ San Jose, vs. Edmonton

Notes
The Avalanche only play twice this week so we recommend benching all your Colorado players, if you can. The Avs made a controversial trade this past week when they dealt Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris Stewart and a second round pick to St. Louis and acquired Erik Johnson, Jay McClement and a first round selection in return. Matt Duchene missed only two games with his injured hand and has now returned. In another move, the Avs dealt goalie Craig Anderson, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, to Ottawa for struggling netminder Brian Elliott.

COLUMBUS

Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary

Notes
The Blue Jackets play all three games in four nights and in Western Canada, so look for Mathieu Garon to play once in place of Steve Mason. The Blue Jackets play in Edmonton on Thursday and then meet a rested Calgary squad Friday. Rick Nash is 15th in NHL scoring despite playing less per game than any other player who is higher in the scoring race. Derick Brassard is skating but still unable to hold a stick with his injured hand so his return is still unknown. Matt Calvert has three goals and four points in his last four games.

DALLAS

Games this week
@ Phoenix, @ Anaheim, @ San Jose

Notes
The Stars are on the road for all three this week. They will play a rested San Jose team on Saturday after meeting the Ducks the night before. The Stars continue to be in a terrible slump and have fallen out of a playoff spot after leading the Pacific division for most of the season. They are starting to get healthy again as Jamie Benn returned on Tuesday and Adam Burish and Krys Barch did the same on Thursday. The Stars made a bold move in trading for Alex Goligoski and finally got the quarterback they were missing for the power play. It cost them a lot in James Neal but Matt Niskanen was floundering in Dallas and needed a change of scenery. Perhaps he will get it in Pittsburgh.

DETROIT

Games this week
@ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim, @ San Jose, @ Phoenix

Notes
The Red Wings continue on the road this week with all four games, including three games in four nights so look for Joey MacDonald to play once in place of the struggling Jimmy Howard. The Red Wings will be tired on Thursday when they play San Jose after playing the Ducks the night before. Daniel Cleary has already hit a career high of 21 goals this season and he missed a month of action with a broken ankle. Chris Osgood says he will return this season after undergoing surgery for a groin injury.

EDMONTON

Games this week
vs. Nashville, vs. Columbus, vs. Colorado

Notes
The Oilers placed Sheldon Souray on re-entry waivers hoping that someone would claim him but there were no takers and Souray is back in the minors. Watch out for Taylor Hall as he is heating up. He has four goals and an assist in his past three games. Rookie linemate Jordan Eberle has three goals and an assist in his last five. Devan Dubnyk has seen action in five of the Oilers last nine games and is 8-7-6 this season.

FLORIDA

Games this week
@ Carolina, vs. Montreal, @ Atlanta, vs. Washington

Notes
The Panthers play three games in four nights so look for Scott Clemmensen to play at least once in place of Tomas Vokoun, if Vokoun is not traded by Monday. The Panthers play host to a rested Washington on Sunday after Florida plays Atlanta on Saturday. They traded Cory Stillman on Thursday to Carolina and received Ryan Carter in exchange. Stephen Weiss is still getting mentioned in trade talks.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week
vs. Detroit, vs. Phoenix, vs. Vancouver

Notes
The Kings are play three times at home this week. Marco Sturm has returned from a knee injury and is back on the first line with Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds. Scott Parse had a setback from his hip surgery and may not return in early March. Andrei Loktionov has been a healthy scratch this past week.

MINNESOTA

Games this week
vs. Chicago, @ New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers, vs. Buffalo

Notes
Minnesota play three games in four nights so look for Jose Theodore and Niklas Backstrom to share the net. The Wild are tired on Thursday when they face the Rangers after playing on Long Island the night before, but play all three other games against tired teams as they are rested. It starts on Monday when they face Chicago and it continues on Wednesday against the Islanders finishing on Sunday at home to the Sabres after Buffalo are in Philadelphia the previous day. Cam Barker is out with a mid-body injury, forcing the Wild to recall Nate Prosser. Mikko Koivu is out three-four weeks with a broken finger.

MONTREAL

Games this week
@ Atlanta, @ Florida, @ Tampa Bay

Notes
The Canadiens are in the deep south this week with all three games against Southeast division rivals. They have acquired Nigel Dawes and Brent Sopel from the Thrashers. It looks like Jaroslav Spacek is gone for the season with a lower body injury. Michael Cammalleri returned this past week from a shoulder injury.

NASHVILLE

Games this week
@ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ Calgary

Notes
The Predators are in Western Canada all week. Sergei Kostitsyn is out with an undisclosed injury. Jordin Tootoo returned to action this past week after being out since late December with a substance abuse problem. Patrik Hornqvist leads the team in goals with 17 while defenseman Shea Weber is first in points with 37.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week
vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Pittsburgh, @ New York Islanders

Notes
The Devils are rested pm Sunday when they take on the Islanders as the New Yorkers are home to St. Louis on Saturday. There is no hotter team than the Devils in the NHL as they are 15-1-2 in their last 18. Johan Hedberg has been outstanding in place of Martin Brodeur as Hedberg has won his last seven starts in a row, giving up only seven goals in 173 shots. Brodeur will have a tough time regaining the net with the hot play of Hedberg. Ilya Kovalchuk is on an 11 game scoring streak with seven goals and 13 points.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week
@ Washington, vs. Minnesota, vs. St. Louis, vs. New Jersey

Notes
The Islanders play four times this week so expect Nathan Lawson and Al Montoya to each see action. The Islanders are a tired team twice this week as they face Minnesota on Wednesday after playing in Washington the previous night and are tired on Sunday when they face a rested Devils squad after they play the Blues on Saturday evening. Al Montoya is 3-1-1 for the Islanders this season giving up ten goals on only 154 shots.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week
vs. Buffalo, vs. Minnesota, @ Ottawa, vs. Philadelphia

Notes
The Rangers play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Martin Biron to play once in place of Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers will be rested twice this week while taking on a tired opponent. The first time it happens is on Thursday against the Wild while they take on a tired Flyers squad on Sunday. Marian Gaborik is out with a concussion so look for Wojtek Wolski to benefit from the injury. Brandon Dubinsky leads the Rangers in points with 43.

OTTAWA

Games this week
vs. Boston, @ Atlanta, vs. New York Rangers

Notes
The Senators play all three games in four nights so look for Robin Lehner to play at least once in place of Craig Anderson. Marek Svatos was claimed off waivers from the Predators. It looks like Daniel Alfredsson may be out for the remainder of the season. Alexei Kovalev was dealt to Pittsburgh. Bobby Butler has five goals and seven points in his last five games.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week
vs. Toronto, vs. Buffalo, @ New York Rangers

Notes
The Flyers are rested on Thursday when they take on the tired Maple Leafs as Toronto plays Pittsburgh the previous night. The Flyers are tired on Sunday when they travel to meet the Rangers after playing the Sabres the previous day. Philadelphia plays three games in four nights so look for Brian Boucher to play once in place of Sergei Bobrovsky. Ville Leino has been bothered by an injury to his surgically repaired hip of late. Nikolay Zherdev has passed through waivers. No decision has been made on what to do with the enigmatic Russian.

PHOENIX

Games this week
vs. Dallas, @ Los Angeles, vs. Detroit

Notes
The Coyotes are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games. Ray Whitney was injured a week ago and still has not returned to the lineup. Adrian Aucoin is in the same predicament. Scottie Upshall was suspended for two games by the NHL for a late hit on Philadelphia defenseman Oskars Bartulis Tuesday night. Shane Doan is now the Coyotes/Jets all-time leader in games played surpassing Teppo Numminen this past week. Doan will play his 1,100th NHL game on February 25.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week
@ Toronto, @ New Jersey, @ Boston

Notes
The Penguins play three games in four nights so expect to see Brent Johnson play once for Marc-Andre Fleury. Pittsburgh is tired on Saturday when they play the rested Bruins as the Penguins face New Jersey on Friday. They play Toronto for the second time in four days on Wednesday as both games are in Toronto. Look for some fisticuffs in that game with Michael Rupp, Matt Cooke and Deryk Engelland likely combatants for Pittsburgh. The Penguins have been busy on the trade front as they dealt Alex Goligoski to Dallas and received talented James Neal and disappointing former first round pick Matt Niskanen in return. They then picked up former Penguin Alexei Kovalev from the Senators in exchange for a conditional seventh round pick. They still need to get the concussed Sidney Crosby back in the lineup if they are to cause any damage in the post-season.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week
vs. Calgary, @ Washington, @ New York Islanders

Notes
The Blues will have a relatively easy week as they play only three times after playing five last week. David Perron has been out of action since November 4 with a concussion and while he is doing some light exercising, his symptoms are still not gone. The Blues have scored on the power play in each of the last seven games, moving from 26th overall to 17th. Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk were dealt from St. Louis in exchange for Erik Johnson and Jay McClement. Stewart had three power play goals for the Blues in his first week with the team. Jaroslav Halak could return to the lineup this week from a bruised hand.

SAN JOSE

Games this week
vs. Colorado, vs. Detroit, vs. Dallas

Notes
The Sharks play all three games at home this week as they start a six game home stand. The Sharks are a rested team playing a tired squad twice this week. They meet Detroit on Thursday after the Red Wings travel from Anaheim on Wednesday while they face Dallas on Saturday as the Stars also play the Ducks the previous night. Antti Niemi has played in 17 straight games for the Sharks going 13-2-1 and leading the Sharks into a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Logan Couture has 25 goals this season and has tied Pat Falloon for the rookie record for goals in one season as a Shark.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week
@ New Jersey, @ Boston, vs. Montreal

Notes
The Lightning play three games in four nights so look for the recently acquired Curtis McElhinney to play once in place of Dwayne Roloson. Of course, if the Lightning decide to recall Mike Smith from the minors if he passes through re-entry waivers, he could be the netminder as well. Tampa Bay dealt Dan Ellis in return for McElhinney. Vincent Lecavalier had a monster game against the Coyotes with a goal and five points. They also acquired Eric Brewer from the St. Louis Blues and that move can only help them in the playoffs.

TORONTO

Games this week
vs. Pittsburgh, @ Philadelphia, vs. Chicago

Notes
The Maple Leafs play three games in four nights so expect to see Jean-Sebastien Giguere in goal once in place of rookie James Reimer. They face the Penguins at home for the second time in four nights so expect to see some fisticuffs with Jay Rosehill leading the way for the Toronto side. The Maple Leafs will be a tired team when they travel to Philadelphia on Thursday after playing the Penguins at home the night before but will be rested on Saturday when they face a tired Chicago team. The Maple Leafs have been hot of late and are now in 10th spot, only four points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. Tyler Bozak was pointless in his last 14 games before striking for two goals and three points on Thursday. Phil Kessel is hot once again with six goals and eight points in his last five games.

VANCOUVER

Games this week
vs. Columbus, vs. Nashville, @ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim

Notes
The Canucks four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Cory Schneider to play once for Roberto Luongo. The are a tired team on Sunday when they face Anaheim after playing 28 miles away the previous night in Los Angeles. Schneider has been one of the best back up goaltenders in the NHL this season and could be starting for most teams. He is now 11-3-2 this season with a 2.27 GAA and a .924 save percentage making him a very good second goalie in most fantasy pools despite his lack of game action. Mason Raymond has scored only twice in his last 25 games.

WASHINGTON

Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, vs. St. Louis, @ Florida

Notes
The Capitals are a rested team on Sunday when they face the Panthers as Florida plays in Atlanta on Saturday. Eric Fehr has missed the last 16 games is probably another week or two away from getting back into the lineup from a shoulder injury. Nicklas Backstrom fractured a thumb on Monday but is expected to play on the 25th of February. The Capitals will stick with Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth and not trade for a goaltender according to GM George McPhee.

PLAYERS TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK
Nathan Gerbe - Sabres
Curtis Glencross - Flames
Bryan Bickell - Blackhawks
Mike Modano - Red Wings
Kyle Brodziak - Wild
Brandon Prust - Rangers

LAST WEEK'S PLAYERS
This is how the players performed through Thursday
G A PPP +/- PIMS
Brandon Yip - Avalanche 0 0 0 -2 0
Rostislav Olesz - Panthers 0 0 0 0 2
David Legwand - Predators 0 0 0 -1 2
Frans Nielsen - Islanders 1 1 1 -1 0
Scottie Upshall - Coyotes 0 0 0 -1 2
Vladimir Sobotka - Blues 0 1 1 -3 0