EDMONTON
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Minnesota, @ New York Islanders
Notes
The Oilers are rested on Thursday in Minnesota and will be waiting for the tired Wild who are in Nashville Wednesday. This is the start of a seven game road trip for the Oilers. Ryan Whitney is starting to get more ice time after returning from a recurrence of his foot injury that kept him out after Christmas last season. Shawn Horcoff is without a goal in his last dozen games but still has seven goals and 20 points in 34 games. Hall is back with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle on the top line.
FLORIDA
Games this week
vs. Toronto, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Montreal
Notes
The Panthers will be tired on Saturday against the Canadiens as they play the Rangers Friday night. Kris Versteeg continues to have a career year with 37 points in 34 games. Mikael Samuelsson was finally starting to play well in a Florida uniform as he had three assists in his previous two games, but a possible back injury suffered when hit by Shane Doan has put him on the sidelines yet again. Jason Garrison leads all NHL defensemen with 10 goals while teammate Brian Campbell is third in points with 27.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
vs. Phoenix, @ Chicago, @ Winnipeg, vs. Vancouver
Notes
The Kings play four games this week including three in four, so look for Jonathan Bernier to play at least once in place of Jonathan Quick. The King will be tired Thursday when they play in Winnipeg as they are in Chicago the previous night. Darryl Sutter has taken over the reins behind the bench and his tough love style of coaching should make a difference for the Kings the rest of the season. Mike Richards returned to action this past week from a concussion. Slava Voynov was a healthy scratch for a couple of games before getting back into the lineup on Thursday. Mike Richards returned to action Thursday as well, from a concussion and scored his 12th goal of the season and 10th in his last 12 games.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Colorado, @ Nashville, vs. Edmonton, vs. Phoenix
Notes
The first place Minnesota Wild play three games in four nights so expect to see Josh Harding to spell Niklas Backstrom at least once this week. The Wild will be tired on Thursday when they face Edmonton as Minnesota is in Nashville on Wednesday. The Wild continue to be hurting up front with Mikko Koivu, Guillaume Latendresse and Casey Wellman are out of action. Koivu has 28 points in 32 games including 18 in his last 14 contests.
MONTREAL
Games this week
@ Ottawa, @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida
Notes
The Canadiens finish up a six-game road trip this week. They will be rested on Saturday when they are in Florida and the Panthers will be tired having played the Rangers on Thursday night. After going minus-four over his previous two games, P.K. Subban was a healthy scratch on Thursday. Michael Cammalleri has only one goal in his last 14 games. A big controversy is brewing in Montreal after they fired coach Jacques Martin and replaced him with Randy Cunneyworth. The problem is that Cunneyworth does not speak French and that is not going over too well with the French media. We feel bad for Cunneyworth as he is a good coach worthy of a shot in the NHL and there is all this controversy surrounding him that is not his fault.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
vs. Detroit, vs. Minnesota, @ St. Louis, vs. Calgary
Notes
The Predators play four games this week but not three in four nights. Still, Anders Lindback could get into a game in place of Pekka Rinne. Shea Weber picked up three assists on Thursday to move into second place in scoring among defensemen with 28 and has 20 points in his last 19 games. Jonathon Blum is back in Nashville after a three game stint with Milwaukee of the AHL. He has a lot of offensive upside but is blocked on the Predators at this time by Weber and Ryan Suter.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
@ Carolina, vs. Buffalo, vs. Pittsburgh
Notes
It looks like the flu bug is going through the New Jersey dressing room as Patrik Elias and David Clarkson have been sidelined of late. Adam Larsson has left the team in order to go to the funeral of his grandmother in Sweden. He will also miss Monday’s contest in Carolina but should be back for the Buffalo game. The Devils have surrendered an NHL-worst 10 shorthanded goals in 33 games this season. Travis Zajac scored in his third game since returning from his Achilles tendon injury.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@New York Rangers, vs. Calgary, vs. Edmonton
Notes
What kind of week would it be without an injury to an Islander goaltender. It seems this week Al Montoya suffered a concussion and he is now on the sidelines with Rick DiPietro. Thankfully, Evgeni Nabokov returned from a groin injury and is now the starting goalie. Mark Streit is getting back into the swing of things after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury. He had two assists on Thursday to give him 16 as well as two goals. Kyle Okposo started the season with only three points in his first 14 games but now has 12 points in 29 games although only two points in his last five.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ Washington, @ Florida
Notes
Carl Hagelin started on the first line Thursday with Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan and that can’t hurt his fantasy value. Marc Staal hasn’t been cleared for practice but is still skating. He has yet to play this season as he is still trying to recover from a concussion injury suffered last season. Wojtek Wolski is expected back this week. He has played in just six games this season and is worth looking at if available in deep leagues.
OTTAWA
Games this week
vs. Montreal, vs. Calgary, @ Buffalo
Notes
The Senators will be rested when a tired Calgary team comes to town on Friday after the Flames play in Long Island the previous night. Although he is skating, Milan Michalek will not be back from his concussion until after the Christmas break. The Senators acquired Kyle Turris this past week from Phoenix and they are hopeful he will be the second line center that they have needed in the last few years. They gave up a lot in defenseman David Rundblad and a second round pick for the former third overall pick. Jason Spezza had eight points last week and was the first star of the week.
Calgary and Edmonton are on road trips this week as the World Junior Tournament hits both cities, forcing them on the road. In fact there are only a few games in Canada this week as Montreal and Toronto play all three away from their friendly confines while Vancouver plays three out of four away from home.
Both the Senators and Jets play two out of three at home, so five of the 50 NHL games this week will be played in the United States.
Philadelphia and the New York Rangers get the weekend off in anticipation of the Winter Classic which will be played on Monday in Philadelphia. You can watch the game on NBC.
WEEK OF DECEMBER 26-JANUARY 1
4 Games – Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, Phoenix, St. Louis, Vancouver, Washington
3 Games - Anaheim, Chicago, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Montreal, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Winnipeg
2 Games – Boston, Philadelphia, San Jose
Calgary plays all four games away from home this week.
Edmonton, Montreal, Phoenix, Toronto and Vancouver play three times away from home.
Chicago, Florida, Minnesota, Nashville and Tampa Bay play three games at home this week.
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INJURIES
Martin Havlat is out up to eight weeks after surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon.
(Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ San Jose, vs. Vancouver, vs. Colorado
Notes
The Ducks will be rested on Thursday when they take on a tired Vancouver team who play in San Jose the previous night. Niklas Hagman is projected to be the newest member of the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Saku Koivu is still day-to-day with a groin injury but he should return to action after Christmas. Bobby Ryan is centering the second line in place of Koivu at this time but could return to the top unit, replacing Hagman once Koivu does return.
BOSTON
Games this week
@ Phoenix, @ Dallas
Notes
Rich Peverley has two goals and five assists in his last four games despite struggling with an undisclosed injury. Milan Lucic received a one game suspension for his hit on Zac Rinaldo of the Philadelphia Flyers. It was the second time this season that Lucic has been called up in front of Brendan Shanahan so if he gives out another illegal hit, the suspensions will get more serious. The Bruins continue to get outstanding goaltending from both Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask and if this continues, Boston will be very difficult to defeat in the race for the Stanley Cup.
BUFFALO
Games this week
vs. Washington, @ New Jersey, @ Washington, vs. Ottawa
Notes
The Sabres play four times, including three games in four nights so expect to see Jhonas Enroth in once, in place of Ryan Miller. The Sabres also play Washington twice this week, so look for some fisticuffs, especially with the Christmas spirit gone by late in the week. Patrick Kaleta and Paul Gaustad. Thomas Vanek has been a fantasy stud with 17 goals and 35 points to go with 32 penalty minutes this season and 14 power play points including seven goals. Brad Boyes should return after the break as he has been out a month with an ankle injury. He is having another poor season with only eight points in 21 games.
CALGARY
Games this week
@ Columbus, @ New York Islanders, @ Ottawa, @ Nashville
Notes
Calgary plays three games in four nights so Leland Irving could get a start in relief of Miikka Kiprusoff this week. The Flames play all four games on the road and will be rested on Tuesday in Columbus while the Blue Jackets are in Chicago the previous night. The Flames will be tired on Friday when they are in Ottawa after playing in Long Island Thursday. Jarome Iginla is getting hot again as he has four goals and seven points in his last eight games. Some good news on the Mark Giordano front as he has resumed skating after suffering a terrible leg injury. There is no timetable for his return.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. New Jersey, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Toronto, @ Tampa Bay
Notes
Carolina plays four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Mike Murphy to get a start in place of Cam Ward. Eric Staal has continued his bad season. While his 20 points thus far isn’t horrible, his minus-20 rating is. Jeff Skinner has been placed on the injured reserve list with a concussion. There is no time table for his return. Young Justin Faulk was not given permission to join Canada at the World Junior Tournament as he is too valuable to the Hurricanes.
CHICAGO
Games this week
vs. Columbus, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Detroit
Notes
Jonathan Toews became the second player in the NHL to hit the 20-goal mark, and is a leading candidate for the Hart Trophy in the early going. Daniel Carcillo was placed on the injured reserve list with an upper body injury. Corey Crawford finally got back into a game as coach Joel Quenneville decided to give Ray Emery a lengthy stretch of games as Crawford has not played well this season. Crawford gave up only a goal on 21 shots in a 5-1 win over Montreal so he goes into the Christmas season feeling better about himself. The Blackhawks are home for all three games this week.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Minnesota, vs. Winnipeg, vs. Phoenix, @ Anaheim
Notes
The Avalanche play four games this week, including three games in four nights, so expect to see Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere split the net. The Avs will be tired on Tuesday when they are home to Winnipeg after playing in Minnesota the previous day, while they are rested and waiting for the Coyotes on Thursday with Phoenix playing Boston Wednesday. Kyle Quincey is due to return from a groin injury this week. Peter Mueller (concussion) is skating again but there is no timetable for his return. He played three games at the start of the season after missing all of last year with the same concussion woes.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
@ Chicago, vs. Calgary, @ Dallas, vs. Washington
Notes
The Blue Jackets play four times this week after playing only once the previous week and find themselves playing three in four nights. Therefore, we expect Curtis Sanford to play at least once in place of Steve Mason. The Blue Jackets will be tired when they are home to Calgary on Tuesday after playing in Chicago on Monday but the tables are turned Saturday as they are rested and home against the Capitals who face Buffalo on Friday. Coach Scott Arniel has split up Rick Nash and Jeff Carter so the top two lines are: Carter alongside Mark Letestu and Vaclav Prospal while Nash will play with Derick Brassard and R.J. Umberger. Look for Sanford and Mason to split the net fairly evenly the next while.
DALLAS
Games this week
@ St. Louis, vs. Columbus, vs. Boston
Notes
Richard Bachman continues to get most of the starts in goal with Kari Lehtonen out of action and Andrew Raycroft just not good enough. The Stars had a couple of injuries in the last week, as Tomas Vincour and Philip Larsen are out. Adam Burish is back from a broken hand and Lehtonen should return after the Christmas break as he has started practicing again.
DETROIT
Games this week
@ Nashville, vs. St. Louis, @ Chicago, vs. St. Louis
Notes
The Red Wings play four times but do not play three in four. Nevertheless with two back-to-back series, look for Ty Conklin to play once in place of the red hot Jimmy Howard. They play the Blues twice this week so look for Jonathan Ericsson and Todd Bertuzzi to add to their penalty minute totals. Niklas Kronwall was not popular in the Vancouver dressing room as he charged into Ryan Kesler and then refused to drop his gloves when challenged by Kesler. Drew Miller has been solid on the third line alongside Darren Helm and Daniel Cleary. Jan Mursak will go to Grand Rapids on a conditioning stint after Christmas as he recovers from a broken ankle.
EDMONTON
Games this week
@ Vancouver, @ Minnesota, @ New York Islanders
Notes
The Oilers are rested on Thursday in Minnesota and will be waiting for the tired Wild who are in Nashville Wednesday. This is the start of a seven game road trip for the Oilers. Ryan Whitney is starting to get more ice time after returning from a recurrence of his foot injury that kept him out after Christmas last season. Shawn Horcoff is without a goal in his last dozen games but still has seven goals and 20 points in 34 games. Hall is back with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle on the top line.
FLORIDA
Games this week
vs. Toronto, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Montreal
Notes
The Panthers will be tired on Saturday against the Canadiens as they play the Rangers Friday night. Kris Versteeg continues to have a career year with 37 points in 34 games. Mikael Samuelsson was finally starting to play well in a Florida uniform as he had three assists in his previous two games, but a possible back injury suffered when hit by Shane Doan has put him on the sidelines yet again. Jason Garrison leads all NHL defensemen with 10 goals while teammate Brian Campbell is third in points with 27.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
vs. Phoenix, @ Chicago, @ Winnipeg, vs. Vancouver
Notes
The Kings play four games this week including three in four, so look for Jonathan Bernier to play at least once in place of Jonathan Quick. The King will be tired Thursday when they play in Winnipeg as they are in Chicago the previous night. Darryl Sutter has taken over the reins behind the bench and his tough love style of coaching should make a difference for the Kings the rest of the season. Mike Richards returned to action this past week from a concussion. Slava Voynov was a healthy scratch for a couple of games before getting back into the lineup on Thursday. Mike Richards returned to action Thursday as well, from a concussion and scored his 12th goal of the season and 10th in his last 12 games.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Colorado, @ Nashville, vs. Edmonton, vs. Phoenix
Notes
The first place Minnesota Wild play three games in four nights so expect to see Josh Harding to spell Niklas Backstrom at least once this week. The Wild will be tired on Thursday when they face Edmonton as Minnesota is in Nashville on Wednesday. The Wild continue to be hurting up front with Mikko Koivu, Guillaume Latendresse and Casey Wellman are out of action. Koivu has 28 points in 32 games including 18 in his last 14 contests.
MONTREAL
Games this week
@ Ottawa, @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida
Notes
The Canadiens finish up a six-game road trip this week. They will be rested on Saturday when they are in Florida and the Panthers will be tired having played the Rangers on Thursday night. After going minus-four over his previous two games, P.K. Subban was a healthy scratch on Thursday. Michael Cammalleri has only one goal in his last 14 games. A big controversy is brewing in Montreal after they fired coach Jacques Martin and replaced him with Randy Cunneyworth. The problem is that Cunneyworth does not speak French and that is not going over too well with the French media. We feel bad for Cunneyworth as he is a good coach worthy of a shot in the NHL and there is all this controversy surrounding him that is not his fault.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
vs. Detroit, vs. Minnesota, @ St. Louis, vs. Calgary
Notes
The Predators play four games this week but not three in four nights. Still, Anders Lindback could get into a game in place of Pekka Rinne. Shea Weber picked up three assists on Thursday to move into second place in scoring among defensemen with 28 and has 20 points in his last 19 games. Jonathon Blum is back in Nashville after a three game stint with Milwaukee of the AHL. He has a lot of offensive upside but is blocked on the Predators at this time by Weber and Ryan Suter.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
@ Carolina, vs. Buffalo, vs. Pittsburgh
Notes
It looks like the flu bug is going through the New Jersey dressing room as Patrik Elias and David Clarkson have been sidelined of late. Adam Larsson has left the team in order to go to the funeral of his grandmother in Sweden. He will also miss Monday’s contest in Carolina but should be back for the Buffalo game. The Devils have surrendered an NHL-worst 10 shorthanded goals in 33 games this season. Travis Zajac scored in his third game since returning from his Achilles tendon injury.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@New York Rangers, vs. Calgary, vs. Edmonton
Notes
What kind of week would it be without an injury to an Islander goaltender. It seems this week Al Montoya suffered a concussion and he is now on the sidelines with Rick DiPietro. Thankfully, Evgeni Nabokov returned from a groin injury and is now the starting goalie. Mark Streit is getting back into the swing of things after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury. He had two assists on Thursday to give him 16 as well as two goals. Kyle Okposo started the season with only three points in his first 14 games but now has 12 points in 29 games although only two points in his last five.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ Washington, @ Florida
Notes
Carl Hagelin started on the first line Thursday with Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan and that can’t hurt his fantasy value. Marc Staal hasn’t been cleared for practice but is still skating. He has yet to play this season as he is still trying to recover from a concussion injury suffered last season. Wojtek Wolski is expected back this week. He has played in just six games this season and is worth looking at if available in deep leagues.
OTTAWA
Games this week
vs. Montreal, vs. Calgary, @ Buffalo
Notes
The Senators will be rested when a tired Calgary team comes to town on Friday after the Flames play in Long Island the previous night. Although he is skating, Milan Michalek will not be back from his concussion until after the Christmas break. The Senators acquired Kyle Turris this past week from Phoenix and they are hopeful he will be the second line center that they have needed in the last few years. They gave up a lot in defenseman David Rundblad and a second round pick for the former third overall pick. Jason Spezza had eight points last week and was the first star of the week.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, @ Pittsburgh
Notes
The Flyers only play twice this week so we can suggest benching all your Philadelphia players with the exception of Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen. Claude Giroux returned to action from a concussion on December 21, way ahead of what most people thought and returned with a bang as he was in on all four goals. Not good news if you had Wayne Simmonds in your hockey pool as he had a goal taken away from him Monday and did not get an assist as Daniel Briere was credited with the marker.
PHOENIX
Games this week
@ Los Angeles, vs. Boston, @ Colorado, @ Minnesota
Notes
The Coyotes play four times including three in four nights so expect to see Jason LaBarbera in goal once instead of Mike Smith. Phoenix will be tired on Thursday when they travel to Colorado after playing Boston Wednesday. The Coyotes are hoping that Smith will be back in action this week as he left the December 20 game with an undisclosed injury. The Coyotes recalled Justin Pogge to back up LaBarbera in the interim. Ray Whitney continues to amaze at age 39 as he has 12 goals and 32 points in 34 games to go with a plus-10 rating. David Rundblad was acquired by the Coyotes in exchange for Kyle Turris in a great trade for Phoenix as he is a highly regarded rearguard. He will be helped out by fellow Swede Oliver Ekman-Larsson in a duo the Coyotes hope will be around for ten-plus years.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. Carolina, vs. Philadelphia, @ New Jersey
Notes
The Penguins will be rested on Tuesday when they are home to Carolina as the Hurricanes will be a tired team after playing New Jersey on Monday. Deryk Engelland was suspended for three games for his hit on the Blackhawks Marcus Kruger. Paul Martin has been out for a week with a possible lower body injury and is still day-to-day. Eric Niskanen was thought to be the throw-in in the James Neal/Alex Goligoski trade last season but he has taken over the power play duties from the injured Kris Letang and is doing a great job on the blueline. He has two goals and 14 points in 33 games to go with 27 penalty minutes and a plus-nine rating but has a goal and seven points in his last five games. He is worth picking up in all fantasy pools at this time.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
vs. Dallas , @ Detroit, vs. Nashville, @ Detroit
Notes
The Blues play four games this week including two games against the Red Wings in Detroit. There may be fisticuffs in the pair of games so look for Chris Stewart, Ryan Reaves and Scott Nichol to add to their penalty minute totals. T.J. Oshie is playing in front of the net during the first power play. Look for B.J. Crombeen to see his first action of the season this week as he has been out with a shoulder injury. No word yet as to whether or not the shoulder will hold up during a fight.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, vs. Vancouver
Notes
The Sharks are at the end of a six game homestand. Martin Havlat suffered a torn hamstring that required surgery and will keep him on the shelf for the next six-eight weeks. He was injured trying to jump over the boards. The Sharks only play twice this week, so if you have some options as far as most secondary Sharks are concerned in weekly pools, bench your San Jose players. Antero Niittymaki is playing well while rehabbing in the AHL and should return shortly. Thomas Greiss will be sent back to the minors once Niittymaki is recalled.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, vs. Montreal, vs. Carolina
Notes
The Lightning are home all week as the NHL hopes that Northerners getting away from the winter weather, will come to some Tampa Bay home games. Martin St. Louis surprised many by returning to the lineup before Christmas from nasal and facial fractures. Get him back in your lineup. It looks like it may be the end of the line for Dwayne Roloson who continues to struggle in goal for Tampa Bay. He is 6-8-1 this season and his peripherals are even worse with a 3.72 GAA and a .883 save percentage, making him perhaps the worse fantasy goalie this season in the NHL. Mathieu Garon has been a lot better, but not great, with a 8-9-1 record, a 2.90 GAA and a .901 save percentage. The Lightning are in trouble unless they can turn their goaltending around quickly.
TORONTO
Games this week
@ Florida, @ Carolina, @ Winnipeg
Notes
James Reimer will likely start against the Jets in Winnipeg as the Manitoba native plays his first NHL game there with plenty of friends and family in the crowd. He has played great of late with a couple of 40-plus shot games, one win and a shootout loss. Nazem Kadri was recalled from the minors and this could be the last time he sees time in the minors as he finally looks like belongs in the NHL. He scored a beautiful goal to win Thursday’s game against the Sabres and looked competent defensively. Philippe Dupuis is out with an upper body injury but has no fantasy value with no points in 30 games. Colby Armstrong is out with a concussion and there is no timetable for his return.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
vs. Edmonton, @ San Jose, @ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles
Notes
Vancouver plays four games this week including three in four nights so look for Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo to share the net. The Canucks will be tired on Thursday in Anaheim after playing in San Jose the previous night. Roberto Luongo is back to his old self as he is 4-0-1 in his last five, giving up seven goals on 157 shots. He is 14-6-2 this season with a .913 save percentage and a 2.46 GAA. Alexander Edler has six goals and 24 points this season and has 14 points on the power play.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
@ Buffalo, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Buffalo, @ Columbus
Notes
The Capitals play three games in four nights so expect to see Michal Neuvirth in goal in place of Tomas Vokoun at least one game. Washington will be tired on Saturday when they travel to Columbus after playing the Sabres at home Friday. Speaking of Buffalo, the Capitals face them twice this week so look for John Erskine and Matt Hendricks to add to their penalty minutes. Mike Green is still not ready to return to action from a groin injury. The Capitals have switched up their top two lines and now have Alex Ovechkin on a lone with Brooks Laich and Troy Brouwer while Nicklas Backstrom is with Alexander Semin and Marcus Johansson.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
@ Colorado, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Toronto
Notes
The Jets play two games this week as the rested team. They face Colorado on Tuesday after the Avs are in Minnesota the previous night and also play the Kings Thursday as the rested team with a tired Los Angeles team playing in Chicago on Wednesday. The big game of the week will be New Years Eve as Toronto will come to town and there are a lot of Maple Leaf fans in Manitoba so the crowd reaction should be interesting. It will also be a very hot ticket. Blake Wheeler has been an excellent playmaker this season with 19 assists this season. He also has five goals and a plus-11 rating so he has a lot of fantasy value in deeper leagues.