The NHL trade deadline is on Monday and the trades have already started with the Blue Jackets putting two in the can, trading Antoine Vermette to Phoenix and sending Jeff Carter to Los Angeles for Jack Johnson and a first round pick.
The dealing of Carter has to hurt Columbus got him in the off-season in a move that cost them Jakub Voracek, a former first round pick, seventh overall in 2007 and two picks in the 2011 Entry Draft, the eighth and 68th overall in which they received Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins, a center with the Soo Greyhounds who has 30 goals and 72 points in 55 games this season.
A Happy Birthday to my Mom and my brother Howie.
Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 4
4 Games – Anaheim, Boston, Calgary, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, St. Louis
3 Games – Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
2 Games – Pittsburgh, Winnipeg
New Jersey and St. Louis play all four games on the road.
Boston, Carolina, Colorado, San Jose, Vancouver and Washington play three games at home this week.
Buffalo and the New York Islanders play three games away from home this week.
Follow me on twitter!
INJURIES
Pavel Datsyuk is out for two-three weeks with a knee injury.
(Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
Don’t forget to tune into Rotoworld on Monday for all the news during the trade deadline. I will be doing a live chat with some special guests including our friends at Pro HockeyTalk, from 12:30 until around 4 p ET. Join in and ask your questions as it should be a wild and fun afternoon.
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ Colorado, vs. Buffalo, vs. Calgary, @ Los Angeles
Notes
The Ducks play four times this week including three games in four nights. They have jumped back into the playoff picture so do not be surprised if Jonas Hiller plays in every game until Dan Ellis is ready to return. Anaheim is a tired team twice this week , once on Monday when they face the Avs in Colorado after playing Chicago at home on Sunday and then on Saturday when they take on their cross-town rivals in Los Angeles after the Ducks host Calgary on Friday. They are rested Friday when they take on the Flames as Calgary is in Phoenix on Thursday. Dan Ellis is expected to start practicing this week as he tries to return from a six week absence due to a groin injury. Teemu Selanne is unlikely to waive his no-trade contract, especially with Anaheim knocking on the playoff door. They could use some production from Ryan Getzlaf who has only two goals in his last 34 games. Hiller was the first star of the week, but had trouble in his first start after that as he gave up three goals on only 16 shots to the Lightning.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. New Jersey, vs. New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers
Notes
The Bruins play three games in four nights so expect to see Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask share the net. The Bruins are tired Sunday against the Rangers in New York after playing the Islanders at home Saturday. They face the Senators in the second-half of a back-to-back series on Tuesday so expect to see Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara add to their penalty minute totals if there are any fisticuffs. David Krejci is seeing time on the wing with Milan Lucic and Chris Kelly on the second line. Joe Corvo picked up an assist on Wednesday for his first point in eight games and only his fourth point in his last 20 contests. Nathan Horton (concussion) is still not working out and he could be gone for the season. He last played on January 22.
BUFFALO
Games this week
@ Anaheim, @ San Jose, @ Vancouver
Notes
The Sabres play all three games on the West Coast this week and play them in four nights so it would not be a surprise if Jhonas Enroth plays once in place of Ryan Miller. Buffalo is in the midst of a five game road trip. The Sabres should be tired on Thursday when they face a rested Sharks squad in San Jose after playing the Ducks in Anaheim on Wednesday. Derek Roy is starting to get hot as the trade deadline approaches as he has seven points in his last four games after picking up only four points in his first 16 games in 2012. Paul Gaustad is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and his name has been popping up in trade rumors. Tomas Vanek is starting to score again with five points in his last seven games after picking up only one point in his previous ten.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. St. Louis, @ Phoenix, @ Anaheim, vs. Dallas
Notes
The Flames play four games this week playing three games in four nights as well. Miikka Kiprusoff should play at least three times with Henrik Karlsson possibly getting a start. The Flames sent Leland Irving back to the minors this past week with the return of Karlsson. They will be tired Friday in Anaheim when they take on the Coyotes in Phoenix Thursday. Chris Butler is out after being cut by the skate of Kiprusoff. He needed 30 stitches to close the cut and is likely to be out for three weeks. Look for Anton Babchuk to draw back into the lineup after sitting out 14 games as a healthy scratch. The Flames got Curtis Glencross back into the lineup Thursday after missing five weeks with a knee injury. David Moss (ankle) is back skating after undergoing ankle surgery. He has been out of the lineup since November 12 and there is no timetable for his return.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. Nashville, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Tampa Bay
Notes
The Hurricanes end a six game home stand this week and are the rested team in two games. Firstly, they are rested when they face a tired Nashville team as the Predators are home to Los Angeles Monday. They play a tired Tampa Bay squad Saturday as the Lightning face the Rangers Friday. Cam Ward is currently out with a lower body injury so the Hurricanes recalled backup goalie Mike Murphy on an emergency basis. Justin Peters got the start Monday in place of Ward and turned aside all 17 shots in shutting out the Capitals. Tuomo Ruutu was one of the hot commodities as the NHL trade deadline approached but was taken off the market upon signing a four-year/$19 million extension. Chad LaRose is slated to be out a week with an upper body injury. Eric Staal has 10 points in his last six games.
CHICAGO
Games this week
vs. Toronto, @ Ottawa, @Detroit
Notes
The Blackhawks will be rested on Wednesday when they are home to a tired Maple Leafs team who are home to the Florida Panthers Tuesday. After losing nine straight, the Blackhawks won four in a row to right their ship but lost on Thursday to Dallas. Jonathan Toews has missed the last two games with an upper body injury although coach Joel Quenneville said that it is not the wrist injury that plagued him earlier in the season. Rumors are he may have a concussion. He was also involved in a one auto accident but was not hurt. He was replaced at center by Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks have not scored in their last 33 power play chances. Duncan Keith hit the 30 assist mark for the fourth straight season.
COLORADO
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, vs. Columbus, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Minnesota
Notes
The Avalanche play four times this week including three games in four nights so expect to see Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Semyon Varlamov split the net. They are rested Monday when they host the Ducks who play in Chicago Sunday, but they are tired Sunday in Minnesota when they face the rested Wild as they are home to Pittsburgh Saturday. Erik Johnson left Wednesday’s game with back spasms and could sit out this week. The Avalanche dealt Kyle Quincey to Tampa Bay and picked up the pesky Steve Downie who not only racks up penalty minutes but also knows how to score. The Avs used him alongside Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog in his first game for Colorado. Matt Duchene finally returned from a knee injury after missing almost eight weeks. Stefan Elliott was recalled to play on the blueline with the departure of Quincey.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
vs. Detroit, @ Colorado, @ Phoenix
Notes
The Blue Jackets started getting into trade mode by dealing Antoine Vermette to the Phoenix Coyotes earlier in the week, getting a second and a fifth in addition to goaltender Curtis McElhinney. Then on Thursday night they swapped Jeff Carter to the Kings for defenseman Jack Johnson and a first round pick. The sweepstakes for Rick Nash are heating up with San Jose now rumored to be interested in the goal scorer. The Kings are said to be very interested as well. Nash has a no-trade contract and will need to agree if the Blue Jackets are bowled over with an offer. It’s hard to believe that GM Scott Howson is still in charge but apparently the Blue Jackets hierarchy must believe in their General Manager, otherwise he would have been fired long ago. James Wisniewski missed a couple of games with a groin injury but is projected to return on February 24.
DALLAS
Games this week
vs. Pittsburgh, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary
Notes
Sheldon Souray returned to action on Thursday after missing seven games with a foot injury. Jacob Dowell is out a week with an upper body injury and Matt Fraser was recalled to take his place. Ryan Garbutt was called up for the first time in his career and the 26-year-old scored in his third NHL game while putting six shots on goal. Jamie Benn is still out after missing a week with a cut from a skate on his leg. He has been skating so his return could be imminent.
DETROIT
Games this week
@ Columbus, vs. Minnesota, vs. Chicago
Notes
Detroit will be rested on Friday when they face Minnesota who are in Montreal Thursday. Todd Bertuzzi has had a very good season this year and the Red Wings rewarded him with a two-year contract extension. Jimmy Howard missed close to three weeks with a broken finger and finally returned on Tuesday. As we predicted last week, they put Ty Conklin on waivers and kept Joey MacDonald as Howard’s backup. Pavel Datsyuk underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this past week and will return in about 10 days. Henrik Zetterberg has taken over as the number one center between Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi in the interim with Valtteri Filppula moving up to Zetterberg’s spot on the second line. The Red Wings dealt their first round pick in 2012 and prospect Sebastien Piche to Tampa Bay for defenseman Kyle Quincey who was acquired by the Lightning from the Avalanche for Steve Downie.
The NHL trade deadline is on Monday and the trades have already started with the Blue Jackets putting two in the can, trading Antoine Vermette to Phoenix and sending Jeff Carter to Los Angeles for Jack Johnson and a first round pick.
The dealing of Carter has to hurt Columbus got him in the off-season in a move that cost them Jakub Voracek, a former first round pick, seventh overall in 2007 and two picks in the 2011 Entry Draft, the eighth and 68th overall in which they received Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins, a center with the Soo Greyhounds who has 30 goals and 72 points in 55 games this season.
A Happy Birthday to my Mom and my brother Howie.
Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 4
4 Games – Anaheim, Boston, Calgary, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, St. Louis
3 Games – Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
2 Games – Pittsburgh, Winnipeg
New Jersey and St. Louis play all four games on the road.
Boston, Carolina, Colorado, San Jose, Vancouver and Washington play three games at home this week.
Buffalo and the New York Islanders play three games away from home this week.
Follow me on twitter!
INJURIES
Pavel Datsyuk is out for two-three weeks with a knee injury.
(Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
Don’t forget to tune into Rotoworld on Monday for all the news during the trade deadline. I will be doing a live chat with some special guests including our friends at Pro HockeyTalk, from 12:30 until around 4 p ET. Join in and ask your questions as it should be a wild and fun afternoon.
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ Colorado, vs. Buffalo, vs. Calgary, @ Los Angeles
Notes
The Ducks play four times this week including three games in four nights. They have jumped back into the playoff picture so do not be surprised if Jonas Hiller plays in every game until Dan Ellis is ready to return. Anaheim is a tired team twice this week , once on Monday when they face the Avs in Colorado after playing Chicago at home on Sunday and then on Saturday when they take on their cross-town rivals in Los Angeles after the Ducks host Calgary on Friday. They are rested Friday when they take on the Flames as Calgary is in Phoenix on Thursday. Dan Ellis is expected to start practicing this week as he tries to return from a six week absence due to a groin injury. Teemu Selanne is unlikely to waive his no-trade contract, especially with Anaheim knocking on the playoff door. They could use some production from Ryan Getzlaf who has only two goals in his last 34 games. Hiller was the first star of the week, but had trouble in his first start after that as he gave up three goals on only 16 shots to the Lightning.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. New Jersey, vs. New York Islanders, @ New York Rangers
Notes
The Bruins play three games in four nights so expect to see Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask share the net. The Bruins are tired Sunday against the Rangers in New York after playing the Islanders at home Saturday. They face the Senators in the second-half of a back-to-back series on Tuesday so expect to see Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara add to their penalty minute totals if there are any fisticuffs. David Krejci is seeing time on the wing with Milan Lucic and Chris Kelly on the second line. Joe Corvo picked up an assist on Wednesday for his first point in eight games and only his fourth point in his last 20 contests. Nathan Horton (concussion) is still not working out and he could be gone for the season. He last played on January 22.
BUFFALO
Games this week
@ Anaheim, @ San Jose, @ Vancouver
Notes
The Sabres play all three games on the West Coast this week and play them in four nights so it would not be a surprise if Jhonas Enroth plays once in place of Ryan Miller. Buffalo is in the midst of a five game road trip. The Sabres should be tired on Thursday when they face a rested Sharks squad in San Jose after playing the Ducks in Anaheim on Wednesday. Derek Roy is starting to get hot as the trade deadline approaches as he has seven points in his last four games after picking up only four points in his first 16 games in 2012. Paul Gaustad is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and his name has been popping up in trade rumors. Tomas Vanek is starting to score again with five points in his last seven games after picking up only one point in his previous ten.
CALGARY
Games this week
vs. St. Louis, @ Phoenix, @ Anaheim, vs. Dallas
Notes
The Flames play four games this week playing three games in four nights as well. Miikka Kiprusoff should play at least three times with Henrik Karlsson possibly getting a start. The Flames sent Leland Irving back to the minors this past week with the return of Karlsson. They will be tired Friday in Anaheim when they take on the Coyotes in Phoenix Thursday. Chris Butler is out after being cut by the skate of Kiprusoff. He needed 30 stitches to close the cut and is likely to be out for three weeks. Look for Anton Babchuk to draw back into the lineup after sitting out 14 games as a healthy scratch. The Flames got Curtis Glencross back into the lineup Thursday after missing five weeks with a knee injury. David Moss (ankle) is back skating after undergoing ankle surgery. He has been out of the lineup since November 12 and there is no timetable for his return.
CAROLINA
Games this week
vs. Nashville, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Tampa Bay
Notes
The Hurricanes end a six game home stand this week and are the rested team in two games. Firstly, they are rested when they face a tired Nashville team as the Predators are home to Los Angeles Monday. They play a tired Tampa Bay squad Saturday as the Lightning face the Rangers Friday. Cam Ward is currently out with a lower body injury so the Hurricanes recalled backup goalie Mike Murphy on an emergency basis. Justin Peters got the start Monday in place of Ward and turned aside all 17 shots in shutting out the Capitals. Tuomo Ruutu was one of the hot commodities as the NHL trade deadline approached but was taken off the market upon signing a four-year/$19 million extension. Chad LaRose is slated to be out a week with an upper body injury. Eric Staal has 10 points in his last six games.
CHICAGO
Games this week
vs. Toronto, @ Ottawa, @Detroit
Notes
The Blackhawks will be rested on Wednesday when they are home to a tired Maple Leafs team who are home to the Florida Panthers Tuesday. After losing nine straight, the Blackhawks won four in a row to right their ship but lost on Thursday to Dallas. Jonathan Toews has missed the last two games with an upper body injury although coach Joel Quenneville said that it is not the wrist injury that plagued him earlier in the season. Rumors are he may have a concussion. He was also involved in a one auto accident but was not hurt. He was replaced at center by Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks have not scored in their last 33 power play chances. Duncan Keith hit the 30 assist mark for the fourth straight season.
COLORADO
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, vs. Columbus, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Minnesota
Notes
The Avalanche play four times this week including three games in four nights so expect to see Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Semyon Varlamov split the net. They are rested Monday when they host the Ducks who play in Chicago Sunday, but they are tired Sunday in Minnesota when they face the rested Wild as they are home to Pittsburgh Saturday. Erik Johnson left Wednesday’s game with back spasms and could sit out this week. The Avalanche dealt Kyle Quincey to Tampa Bay and picked up the pesky Steve Downie who not only racks up penalty minutes but also knows how to score. The Avs used him alongside Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog in his first game for Colorado. Matt Duchene finally returned from a knee injury after missing almost eight weeks. Stefan Elliott was recalled to play on the blueline with the departure of Quincey.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
vs. Detroit, @ Colorado, @ Phoenix
Notes
The Blue Jackets started getting into trade mode by dealing Antoine Vermette to the Phoenix Coyotes earlier in the week, getting a second and a fifth in addition to goaltender Curtis McElhinney. Then on Thursday night they swapped Jeff Carter to the Kings for defenseman Jack Johnson and a first round pick. The sweepstakes for Rick Nash are heating up with San Jose now rumored to be interested in the goal scorer. The Kings are said to be very interested as well. Nash has a no-trade contract and will need to agree if the Blue Jackets are bowled over with an offer. It’s hard to believe that GM Scott Howson is still in charge but apparently the Blue Jackets hierarchy must believe in their General Manager, otherwise he would have been fired long ago. James Wisniewski missed a couple of games with a groin injury but is projected to return on February 24.
DALLAS
Games this week
vs. Pittsburgh, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary
Notes
Sheldon Souray returned to action on Thursday after missing seven games with a foot injury. Jacob Dowell is out a week with an upper body injury and Matt Fraser was recalled to take his place. Ryan Garbutt was called up for the first time in his career and the 26-year-old scored in his third NHL game while putting six shots on goal. Jamie Benn is still out after missing a week with a cut from a skate on his leg. He has been skating so his return could be imminent.
DETROIT
Games this week
@ Columbus, vs. Minnesota, vs. Chicago
Notes
Detroit will be rested on Friday when they face Minnesota who are in Montreal Thursday. Todd Bertuzzi has had a very good season this year and the Red Wings rewarded him with a two-year contract extension. Jimmy Howard missed close to three weeks with a broken finger and finally returned on Tuesday. As we predicted last week, they put Ty Conklin on waivers and kept Joey MacDonald as Howard’s backup. Pavel Datsyuk underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this past week and will return in about 10 days. Henrik Zetterberg has taken over as the number one center between Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi in the interim with Valtteri Filppula moving up to Zetterberg’s spot on the second line. The Red Wings dealt their first round pick in 2012 and prospect Sebastien Piche to Tampa Bay for defenseman Kyle Quincey who was acquired by the Lightning from the Avalanche for Steve Downie.
EDMONTON
Games this week
@ Winnipeg, vs. St. Louis, vs. Dallas
Notes
Ales Hemsky is looking for a four-five year deal, similar to the one Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu signed and if the Oilers are unable to sign him then he should be gone by 3:00 pm ET on Monday which is the trade deadline. Corey Potter returned to action Tuesday after missing three games with a groin injury. Head coach Tom Renney still is unable to be behind the bench for games since being hit with a puck on February 6, an incident that caused a concussion. Nikolai Khabibulin is out seven-ten days with a groin injury that should go past the trade deadline. Yann Danis has been called up in the interim to back up Devan Dubnyk.
FLORIDA
Games this week
@ Toronto. @ Winnipeg, vs. Nashville, vs. Ottawa
Notes
The Panthers play three games over four days so expect to see Scott Clemmensen play once in place of Jose Theodore. The Panthers will be tired when they host the Senators on Sunday as they entertain Nashville Saturday. Ed Jovanovski returned to action on Thursday from a broken hand as he missed over five weeks with the injury. Jason Garrison has missed the last five games with an ankle injury but is close to returning. Matt Bradley is out with a concussion. John Madden is out two weeks with a lower body injury. Stephen Weiss is now the all-time Florida Panther leader in career games with 613.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
@. Nashville, @ Minnesota, vs. Anaheim
Notes
The Kings will be tired on Tuesday when they are in Minnesota to face the rested Wilde after playing in Nashville the previous night. They will be rested on Saturday when they are home to the Ducks as Anaheim takes on Calgary at home Friday. They pulled the trigger on a deal for a goal scorer on Thursday evening by picking up Jeff Carter from the Blue Jackets. They gave up former third overall pick, Jack Johnson and their first round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft but they badly need a goal scorer as they are the lowest scoring team in the NHL. Dustin Brown could be traded if the Kings get a top four defenseman and a good prospect. Jonathan Quick has slumped of late as he is 1-4-2 in his last seven although to be fair, two of the losses were 1-0. Dustin Penner just celebrated his favorite holiday of the year as it was ‘Pancake Tuesday’ this past week.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, @ Montreal, @ Detroit, vs. Colorado
Notes
The Wild play three games in four nights so look for Josh Harding to play once in place of Niklas Backstrom. They will be rested twice this week, first on Tuesday when they are home to the Kings who are in Nashville Monday, and then on Sunday when they take on the Colorado Avalanche who are home to the Penguins on Saturday. They are tired Friday when they are in Detroit to face the rested Red Wings as Minnesota play in Montreal Thursday. Josh Harding is out with an undisclosed injury so the Wild recalled Matthew Hackett to back up Niklas Backstrom. Warren Peters was suspended one game for his hit on David Backes.
MONTREAL
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, vs. Minnesota, vs. Toronto
Notes
Andrei Markov (knee) has been out all season but is expected to accompany the team on the road trip that begins on Friday. Lars Eller is seeing fourth line duty with Louis Leblanc and Aaron Palushaj. Petteri Nokelainen could return to the Habs lineup as he is now skating. He has been out of the lineup for the last five weeks with an undisclosed ailment. Scott Gomez doubled his goal output to two this season on Feb. 17.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, vs. Carolina, vs. Florida
Notes
The Predators will be tired on Tuesday when they face a rested Carolina team as Nashville plays the Kings on Monday. Patric Hornqvist has been out for almost two weeks with an upper body injury but could return on Saturday Feb. 25. Ryan Ellis has been a healthy scratch the last two games and could be headed back to the minors as he needs to play a lot. Hal Gill was acquired from Montreal as the Predators parted with local boy Blake Geoffrion, Robert Slaney and a second round pick. Ryan Suter has been hot in February with two goals and eight points in nine games. Sergei Kostityn has been seeing time on the point for the second power play unit and that should help his fantasy value.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ Boston, @ Washington, @ New York islanders
Notes
The Devils play four matches this week including three in four so look for Johan Hedberg to get one start in place of the veteran Martin Brodeur. They are the tired team twice this week, once on Monday when they are at Madison Square Garden to take on the Rangers after playing Tampa Bay Sunday, and on Friday in Washington after playing the Bruins Thursday. They are rested Sunday when they play the Islanders who take on Boston Saturday. Kurtis Foster is expected back in the Devils lineup after missing a couple of games with a sore back. Rookie Adam Larsson (back) has been skating and could return on Friday as well as Foster. David Clarkson is having a terrific fantasy season for his owners as he has 23 goals and 33 points to go with 97 penalty minutes thus far.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ Washington, @ Philadelphia, @ Boston, vs. New Jersey
Notes
The Islanders play four times this week including three games in four so look for Al Montoya to play at least once in place of Evgeni Nabokov who has been fighting off the flu this past week. The Islanders are tired on Sunday when they play New Jersey after playing in Boston Saturday. P. A. Parenteau is having a great fantasy season with 54 points and 75 penalty minutes this season. Evgeni Nabokov has won eight of his last 11 starts and has given up only 17 goals in that span. Travis Hamonic is expected to return on Friday after missing almost three weeks with a broken nose.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. New Jersey, @ Carolina, @ Tampa Bay, vs. Boston
Notes
The Rangers are rested twice this week and the tired team once. They will be rested and playing a tired New Jersey team on Monday as the Devils play the Lightning Sunday. They are tired on Friday when playing the Lightning in Tampa Bay as they are in Carolina Thursday and get to be the rested team once again on Sunday when they face the Bruins who are home to the Islanders Saturday. Artem Anisimov was in a terrible slump earlier this season but has four goals and seven points in his last nine games playing with Marian Gaborik and Derek Stepan. Wojtek Wolski has been a healthy scratch since January 15.
OTTAWA
Games this week
@ Boston, vs. Chicago, @ Florida
Notes
The Senators are rested on Sunday when they face a tired Florida squad as the Panthers are home to Nashville Saturday. Craig Anderson cut his hand while cooking and there is no word yet on when he will return. Erik Karlsson has been outstanding this season and is definitely a Norris Trophy candidate as he has 13 goals and 47 assists with a quarter of the season yet to go. The Senators are unlikely to deal Filip Kuba at the deadline despite his impending UFA status. Jason Spezza was the third star last week with seven points in two games. Zenon Konopka has been a healthy scratch the last six games.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
@ San Jose, vs. New York Islanders, @ Washington
Notes
The Flyers acquired Pavel Kubina from the Lightning this past week. He is the first right-handed shot from the point since Eric Desjardins in 2005-06 so he will get lots of power play time soon. James van Riemsdyk has been mentioned in trade rumors but wants to remain in Philadelphia. Jaromir Jagr became the NHL’s top scorer in overtime with his 16th career goal this week, breaking a tie with Mats Sundin, Sergei Federov, and Patrik Elias. Wayne Simmonds has 12 points in 10 February games. Tom Sestito is out six-eight weeks with a groin injury and subsequent surgery. Look elsewhere for your penalty minutes.
PHOENIX
Games this week
@ Vancouver, vs. Calgary, vs. Columbus
Notes
The Coyotes finish up a Western Canada swing on Tuesday before heading home for the final two games of the week. They picked up Antoine Vermette from Columbus in exchange for Curtis McElhinney, a second round pick and a fifth rounder. Mike Smith has won nine games in a row leading the Coyotes into a playoff spot at this time. Radim Vrbata is having a career year with 30 goals and 52 points thus far. Gilbert Brule is out with an undisclosed injury.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
@ Dallas, @ Colorado
Notes
The Penguins only play twice this week so I recommend benching all your Pittsburgh players in weekly transaction pools, with the exception of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Sidney Crosby practiced with the Penguins this past week for only the third time since last playing on December 5 with concussion/neck problems and is hoping to return to action before the end of the season. Marc-Andre Fleury is on pace to play in over 70 games this season for the first time in his career. The Penguins signed James Neal to a six-year/$30 million contract extension. Evgeni Malkin continues to lead the NHL in points.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
@ Calgary, @ Edmonton, @ Vancouver, @ San Jose
Notes
The Blues play three games in four nights so look for Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott to share the net. They play four games on the road as they are at the end of a six game road trip. They will be tired Thursday when they go up against the Canucks in Vancouver after playing Edmonton Wednesday. The Blues lost at home this past week for only the fourth time this season as the Bruins lowered their home record to a still sensational 26-4-4. Jamie Langenbrunner is out with a broken bone in his foot so Vladimir Sobotka has joined David Backes and T.J. Oshie on the Blues top line. They are missing three forwards as Matt D'Agostini and Alexander Steen are out with concussions while Jamie Langenbrunner is out with a broken ankle.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, vs. Buffalo, vs. St. Louis
Notes
The Sharks are rested on Thursday when they take on a tired Buffalo team who are in Anaheim Wednesday. Doug Murray is out with a fractured Adam’s Apple and that certainly sounds painful. Patrick Marleau has hit the 25 goal mark for the ninth time. Marc-Edouard Vlasic took a puck near his eye and while he is playing, he is using a full face shield for protection. Martin Havlat has been skating and hopes to return to the San Jose lineup by mid-March from a torn hamstring. Jason Demers returned to action this past week from a lower body injury that kept him on the sidelines for nine games. The Sharks have scored 17 times in their last 46 power play opportunities.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Montreal, vs. New York Rangers, @ Carolina
Notes
The Lightning are the rested team on Friday when they play the Rangers as New York takes on the Hurricanes in Carolina Thursday. They will be tired team the next night in Carolina as the Hurricanes have Friday off. Steve Stamkos leads the NHL in goals with 43, ten ahead of Evgeni Malkin. Marc-Andre Bergeron has missed 17 of his last 18 games with back woes and will see yet another doctor for an opinion on what to do. The Lightning dealt pesky Steve Downie to Colorado and received defenseman Kyle Quincey in return. GM Steve Yzerman then dealt Quincey to Detroit for a first round pick and a minor league prospect. Vincent Lecavalier is out at least three weeks with a fractured bone in his right hand.
TORONTO
Games this week
vs. Florida, @ Chicago, @ Montreal
Notes
The Maple Leafs will be tired on Wednesday when they travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks after entertaining the Panthers Tuesday. The Maple Leafs are slumping and are now out of the playoffs, so we wonder what Brian Burke is going to do. The goaltending duo of James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson have been mediocre of late and the Maple Leafs could be in the market for a short term fix in net. Phil Kessel has 31 goals this season, third best in the NHL. Jake Gardiner is sought after by everyone in a possible trade with Toronto but defensemen like that don’t grow on trees and the Maple Leafs will have to be bowled over to trade him.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
vs. Phoenix, vs. St. Louis, vs. Buffalo
Notes
The Canucks will be a rested team on Thursday when they face a tired St. Louis squad who are in Edmonton Wednesday. They had a big win on Thursday when they became the first team in 24 games to defeat Detroit on home ice. The Canucks are becoming the favorite in the West again as Roberto Luongo is back in form after a slow start to the season. Daniel and Henrik Sedin have been hot of late with eight points apiece in their last four games. Byron Bitz is out of the lineup with a hip flexor injury. He has four points and 14 minutes in seven NHL games.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, vs. New Jersey, vs. Philadelphia
Notes
Washington will be rested on Friday when they face the Devils who are in Boston Thursday night. Alex Ovechkin is out with a lower body injury.He tried to skate on Thursday in practice but could last only 15 minutes. Late word out of Washington is that he will play on February 24 so that is good news for his fantasy owners as well as the Capitals. Alexander Semin has 29 points in his last 32 games. Tomas Vokoun is having a tough season although his record is okay at 23-16-2 with a 2.52 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The Capitals are apparently shopping Roman Hamrlik and have had a few teams kicking his tires although Washington’s asking price may be high at this time. Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) hasn't been traveling with the Washington Capitals and has been out of the lineup since January 3.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
vs. Edmonton, vs. Florida
Notes
The Jets are nearing the end of their eight game home stand but play only twice this week so I would recommend benching all your Winnipeg players in weekly transaction pools. Blake Wheeler was great last week as he was named the NHL’s second star of the week with his one goal and eight points in four games. Zach Bogosian has missed the last five games with a foot injury. Andrew Ladd has been hot of late with five goals and eight points in his last four games to give him 20 goals and 16 assists this season. Before this recent streak, he had gone 13 games without finding the back of the net.