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| Sydor sees time at forward | Saturday 10/11, 11:46 PM CT |
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Defenseman Darryl Sydor played six minutes and 31 seconds at left wing on Saturday night. Head coach Michel Therrien informs the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he needed to use the veteran at the point on the second power-play unit. Defensemen Brooks Orpik and Ryan Whitney also saw time at left wing last season.
Our View: Maybe Therrien figures you can actually teach an old dog new tricks. Sydor didn't even play in the second game, and he clearly doesn't have a big role right now. |
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| Frolov scores in opener | Saturday 10/11, 11:32 PM CT |
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Forward Alexander Frolov netted a goal in Saturday's season opener against the Sharks. He also led the team with three shots.
Our View: It was not a strong effort for the lowly Kings, but as happened often last year, Frolov still managed to help fantasy teams. He is a useful fantasy player despite his teammates. |
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| Vlasic sets up two goals | Saturday 10/11, 11:29 PM CT |
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Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic produced two assists in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Our View: Vlasic, 21, is expected to step up his play this year. He's not a highly-rated fantasy player, but he might be able to surprise us. |
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| Bieksa injures knee | Saturday 10/11, 10:47 PM CT |
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Defenseman Kevin Bieksa injured his left knee during the first period of Saturday's game against the Flames, the Ticker reports. He is not expected to return.
Our View: We hope this isn't serious. Bieksa can help fantasy teams, but he is coming off an awful calf injury and can't afford to miss more time. |
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| Two goals for Savard | Saturday 10/11, 10:43 PM CT |
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Center Marc Savard scored twice in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Wild. He has three goals and one assist through two games.
Our View: There's a good reason Savard was a high fantasy pick. He usually gets it done with assists, but we'll certainly take these goals. |
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| Belanger nets two | Saturday 10/11, 10:41 PM CT |
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Center Eric Belanger scored twice in the Wild's 4-3 win over the Bruins on Saturday night.
Our View: Belanger has never been much of a fantasy helper, and one good night shouldn't change that view. |
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| Jones could miss four months | Saturday 10/11, 10:03 PM CT |
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Defenseman Randy Jones will undergo right hip surgery this week and could miss up to four months, the AP reports. He has a torn labrum.
Our View: We previously saw a timeline of 6-8 weeks, so this is worrisome. Fantasy owners should feel free to drop him. |
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| Dumont dishes two assists | Saturday 10/11, 10:01 PM CT |
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Forward J.P. Dumont helped set up both of Jason Arnott's goals in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Stars.
Our View: It's good to see the Dumont-Arnott connection once again working well. J.P. is coming off a career-high 72 points last season and is a decent bet to reach that total again. |
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| Three points for Arnott | Saturday 10/11, 9:58 PM CT |
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Center Jason Arnott netted two goals in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Stars. He also chipped in an assist.
Our View: Arnott has surpassed 70 points in two of the last three seasons, and he is off to a hot start this year. He is a solid fantasy asset. |
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| First goal for Lecavalier | Saturday 10/11, 9:56 PM CT |
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Center Vincent Lecavalier scored his first goal of the season on Saturday night. His effort put the Lightning up 3-0 during the second period, but they went on to lose 4-3.
Our View: Hopefully this is a sign that Lecavalier is beginning to find his rhythm. It's nice to see the Lightning finish with more than one goal for the first time this season. |
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| Staal plays the hero | Saturday 10/11, 9:54 PM CT |
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Center Eric Staal scored twice in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Lightning. He tied the game with a goal in the third period and netted the game-winner in overtime.
Our View: Staal hasn't been able to duplicate his 100-point effort of 2005-06, but he is still a very good fantasy player. |
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| Fleury stops 47 shots | Saturday 10/11, 9:51 PM CT |
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Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 47 shots on Saturday night, but the Devils got two by him and ended up with a 2-1 win.
Our View: You can't blame Fleury when the Penguins get out-shot 49 to 15. |
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| Parise nets winner | Saturday 10/11, 9:47 PM CT |
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Forward Zach Parise scored an overtime winner in Saturday's 2-1 victory over the Penguins. Following a hot preseason, Parise has two goals in as many regular season games.
Our View: Parise, 24, posted similar numbers in his last two seasons, but he is showing signs of taking his scoring to another level. |
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| Gerber plays well in loss | Saturday 10/11, 9:44 PM CT |
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Goalie Martin Gerber stopped 38-of-41 shots but ended up taking a loss to the Red Wings on Saturday night.
Our View: We're sure the local press will keep the goalie controversy theme going. Frankly, we think it's silly to discount Gerber so early in the season. |
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| Franzen scores twice | Saturday 10/11, 9:42 PM CT |
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Center Johan Franzen scored two third period goals in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Senators.
Our View: Franzen flipped a switch last March and suddenly turned into a points hog. He looks like a quality lower-end fantasy forward with upside. |
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| Another assist for Havelid | Saturday 10/11, 9:40 PM CT |
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Defenseman Niclas Havelid followed up his three-assist performance on Friday with another helper in Saturday's loss to the Panthers.
Our View: Havelid is certainly off to a nice start. He wasn't drafted in most fantasy leagues, but he's worth keeping an eye on after this opening. |
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| Booth wins it in overtime | Saturday 10/11, 9:36 PM CT |
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Forward David Booth was the big star in Saturday's 3-2 overtime win over the Thrashers. Booth netted a first period goal and added a game-winner in the extra period.
Our View: That's two straight multi-point games for the 24-year-old forward. He didn't have a ton of fantasy value entering this season, but he definitely has our attention. Get him while you can. |
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| Weight chips in two assists | Saturday 10/11, 9:34 PM CT |
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Center Doug Weight got off to a good start on Friday, and he continued the trend on Saturday. He picked up two assists in the 5-2 win over the Blues.
Our View: Weight left his best fantasy days behind sometime around the turn of the millennium, but he is still useful as a long-end fantasy center. |
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| MacDonald picks up win | Saturday 10/11, 9:31 PM CT |
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Goalie Joey MacDonald had another nice night on Saturday. He stopped 24-of-26 shots against the Blues and picked up a win. MacDonald is filling in while Rick DiPietro (knee) is out.
Our View: That's two straight solid showings for MacDonald. He is available on the fantasy hockey dollar menu and may be worth a flier while DiPietro is out. |
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| Tkachuk scores again | Saturday 10/11, 9:28 PM CT |
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Forward Keith Tkachuk netted a power play goal in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Islanders.
Our View: Tkachuk's best days are seemingly behind him, but nobody bothered to tell that to Keith. He has three goals through two games. |
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| Ovechkin scores twice | Saturday 10/11, 9:24 PM CT |
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Some guy named Alexander Ovechkin scored twice in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Blackhawks. The forward produced six shots on goal and added two penalty minutes.
Our View: Huh. Never heard of him. He must be a newcomer. |
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| Nice night for Briere | Saturday 10/11, 9:21 PM CT |
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Center Daniel Briere notched two assists in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers. He also put five shots on goal and chipped in two penalty minutes.
Our View: Briere is a solid fantasy forward, and we look forward to many more nights like this throughout the season. |
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| Biron rocked, replaced | Saturday 10/11, 9:18 PM CT |
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The Rangers chased goalie Martin Biron by netting four first period goals on Saturday night. Antero Niittymaki replaced the starter and pitched a shutout over the final two periods.
Our View: The Flyers came into the season with a short-handed defense, and it certainly showed. Or maybe Biron was simply too dazzled by the appearance of Sarah Palin to perform well. We'll chalk this up as just a bad day for Martin. |
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| Zherdev stays hot | Saturday 10/11, 9:14 PM CT |
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Forward Nikolai Zherdev is enjoying a nice weekend. He followed up a three-point performance on Friday with a one-goal, one-assist effort in Saturday's win over the Flyers.
Our View: Zherdev is coming off a breakout 2007-08 season, and it looks like he is hungry for even more. Fantasy owners should continue to count on him for decent production. |
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| Tanguay scores, adds three assists | Saturday 10/11, 9:11 PM CT |
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Forward Alex Tanguay picked up four points in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Maple Leafs. He netted a second period goal and added three assists.
Our View: Tanguay shook off a disappointing opener and showed why we were high on him in his new digs. We hope to see more such efforts as he becomes more comfortable with Saku Koivu and the rest of his new teammates. |
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| Kostsitsyn nets two | Saturday 10/11, 9:08 PM CT |
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Forward Sergei Kostsitsyn helped the Habs to a 6-1 win by netting two goals and chipping in an assist on Saturday night. Both of his goals came on power plays.
Our View: We were hoping for improvement from the 21-year-old Kostsitsyn in his second season, and this is a good start. |
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| Martinek shaken up | Saturday 10/11, 8:26 PM CT |
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Defenseman Radek Martinek was knocked out of Saturday's home opener against the Blues. He took a hard hit behind the net in the first period. Doctors declined to give any information about his injury, the AP reports.
Our View: Martinek is a decent defenseman, but he doesn't help out much in fantasy leagues. The main reason to worry would be that his injury could eventually hinder the play in front of goalie Rick DiPietro, who is currently hurt. |
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| Peca suspended indefinitely | Saturday 10/11, 7:04 PM CT |
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Center Michael Peca has been suspended indefinitely for making contact with an official, the AP reports. Peca will appeal the suspension, and he can't play in the meantime. A hearing will be scheduled for next week.
Our View: Peca doesn't have much fantasy value, so this shouldn't hurt too many teams. |
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| Gillies to debut Saturday | Saturday 10/11, 5:29 PM CT |
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Center Colton Gillies will make his NHL debut on Saturday night against the Bruins, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Our View: Gillies, 19, will likely see sporadic time throughout his rookie campaign. Fantasy owners shouldn't expect much out of him, although he remains an decent long-term prospect. |
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| Stempniak out on Saturday | Saturday 10/11, 5:25 PM CT |
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Forward Lee Stempniak won't play on Saturday night against the Islanders and could miss a few more days due to a sore left knee, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. He is day-to-day.
Our View: Stempniak is coming off a disappointing 2007-08 campaign, but he contributed an assist in the opener. We're hoping for a bounceback season, but is sounds like we'll need to wait another game or two to see him again. |
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| Downie out | Saturday 10/11, 4:30 PM CT |
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Center Steve Downie will miss Saturday's season opener against the Rangers due to an injured left knee, HockeyBuzz.com confirms. Jared Ross will take his spot.
Our View: Downie isn't much of a fantasy player at this point in his young career, but we have some long-term hopes. He is day-to-day with this injury. |
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| McCabe out a couple weeks | Saturday 10/11, 4:27 PM CT |
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Panthers defenseman Bryan McCabe did not fracture any vertebrae when he was hit on Friday night, ESPN.com reports. The club says he suffered a "contusion and low back strain," and he is expected to miss a couple weeks.
Our View: That's very good news for McCabe, the Panthers, and fantasy owners. You should obviously bench him for the time being, but it's excellent to know he could be back later this month. |
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| Connolly out at least one week | Saturday 10/11, 4:18 PM CT |
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Center Tim Connolly will miss at least the first week of the season due to a hairline fracture of a vertebra, the AP reports. The fracture is considered to be minor and did not show up in the initial X-rays. The break was revealed in a subsequent MRI.
Our View: Connolly is a talented player, but injuries have been a consistent pain. He appeared in only 50 games over the three previous seasons, and this campaign is not off to a good start. The positive news is that this ailment doesn't sound like a long-term issue. |
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| Malone moves up a line | Saturday 10/11, 2:35 PM CT |
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Ryan Malone will move up to the Tampa Bay Lightning's first line to play with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
Our View: Malone is a -1 with 11 PIM on the season, so he will switch with Vinny Prospal in an attempt to spark the team. His new linemates are center Steve Stamkos and winger Radim Vrbata. |
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| Mason will be in net | Saturday 10/11, 1:53 PM CT |
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Chris Mason will man the net for the St. Louis Blues in their second game in two days, according to Hockeybuzz.com.
Our View: Manny Legace was the winner for St. Louis on Friday, stopping 20 of 22 shots. Mason will be the backup to Legace, but will see enough playing time to keep busy. |
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| Jackman okay | Saturday 10/11, 1:49 PM CT |
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Barret Jackman said his injury is not serious and he may be okay to play on Saturday against the Islanders, although it is not known if he will actually play, according to Hockeybuzz.com.
Our View: Jackman took a skate to the groin mid-way through the second period on Friday night and did not return to the game. |
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| Danton wants prison transfer | Saturday 10/11, 1:16 PM CT |
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Former Blues player Mike Danton would like to be transferred from prison in America to a prison in Canada, but he says the Canadian government is holding things up, according to TSN.com. "I want the prime minister to know that one of his Canadians is in prison in America, and it's not America holding up the transfer, it's his government," Danton said.
Our View: Danton plead guilty to conspiracy for attempting to hire a hit man to kill his agent, David Frost. He was sentenced to seven and a half years for the transgression. |
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| DiPietro has swelling in knee | Saturday 10/11, 1:13 PM CT |
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Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro has swelling and fluid around his left knee, which he had surgery on in June, according to TSN.com.
Our View: DiPietro did not play in the team's game on Friday, and it sounds doubtful that he will play Saturday against the Blues. |
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| Kopitar signs for seven years | Saturday 10/11, 11:34 AM CT |
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The Los Angeles Kings inked Anze Kopitar to a seven-year extension, worth $47.6 million, according to HockeyBuzz.com. "I am happy to be apart of this organization for the next eight years. I can focus now on hockey-only and on doing what I want to do, which is to bring the Stanley Cup to L.A.," he said.
Our View: Kopitar is one of the most talented young players in the NHL, tallying 77 points last season on 32 goals and 45 assists. |
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| Heatley will be captain | Saturday 10/11, 10:48 AM CT |
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With regular captain Daniel Alfredsson out a number of weeks, forward Dany Heatley will take on the role as temporary captain, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
Our View: Heatley is very skilled, and already has three goals in the team's first two games. It would not be unreasonable for him to accumulate 50 goals for fantasy owners this season. |
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| Foote to play in 1,000th game | Saturday 10/11, 10:39 AM CT |
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Colorado defenseman Adam Foote will play in his 1,000th career game on Sunday, according to the Rocky Mountain News.
Our View: Foote has had a very successful career, winning the Stanley Cup twice, as well as an Olympic gold medal. He is not much of a fantasy option anymore, however, and never really was much of a scorer. |
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| McCabe may have broken back | Saturday 10/11, 10:11 AM CT |
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It is possible that Panthers defenseman Bryan McCabe suffered a broken back in the the team's game on Friday, according to TSN.com.
Our View: McCabe had to leave the game after a hit, and it was not thought to be serious, but he will have an MRI Saturday to determine the extent of the injury. |
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| Jackman injured | Saturday 10/11, 9:53 AM CT |
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Blues defenseman Barret Jackman scored a goal in the team's 5-2 win over Nashville, but had to leave the game in the second period after taking a skate to the groin, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Our View: Ouch. No word on how long the injury will keep Jackman out. Despite his goal Friday, he is not someone fantasy owners should look at for more of them. Jackman scored just two goals all last season. |
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| Rafalski misses practice | Saturday 10/11, 9:22 AM CT |
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Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski missed the team' practice on Friday with a sore knee, according to the Detroit News.
Our View: Despite the malady, Rafalski maintained that he would be in the lineup when the Red Wings take on the Senators Saturday night. |
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| Fernandez likely to play | Saturday 10/11, 9:15 AM CT |
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Manny Fernandez will probably be in net for the Bruins when they take on the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, according to the Boston Herald.
Our View: Tim Thomas is the goalie for Boston, with Fernandez his backup. But Manny will likely be itching to square off against the team he used to play for. |
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| Kobasew is out | Saturday 10/11, 9:12 AM CT |
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Bruins forward Chuck Kobasew, who the team signed to a three-year extension last summer, could miss 3-4 weeks with a cracked bone in his right ankle, according to the Boston Herald.
Our View: Kobasew is a solid player, and scored 22 goals for the team last year before breaking his leg. He had two assists in the Bruins first game this year, but will not play until November. |
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| Bonk is scratched | Saturday 10/11, 8:16 AM CT |
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Radek Bonk was not injured, so it was surprising to see him as a healthy scratch for the Predators' opening game, according to the Tennessean.
Our View: Bonk had the worst +/- in the league last season, with a -31. His presence probably would not have made much difference, as Nashville was pummeled by the Blues, 5-2. |
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| O'Sullivan will miss opener | Saturday 10/11, 8:05 AM CT |
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Center Patrick O'Sullivan will not play in the Kings' initial game of the 2008-09 season, according to the L.A. Times.
Our View: O'Sullivan missed some camp while getting a new contract worked out. He is expected to make his debut on Sunday, however. He is a solid depth player for fantasy owners, as the 23-year-old tallied 53 points last year. |
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