Yahoo! Playoffs coming up
Yahoo! hockey pools will start their playoffs on April 8th so I thought I would give everyone a heads up on each team's remaining games in this column so they can make deals in conjunction with the NHL trade deadline of April 3.
11 Games - Boston (4,4,3) Calgary, (4,4,3) Carolina (4,4,3) St. Louis (4,4,3)
10 Games- Chicago (3,3,4) Colorado (4,3,3) Dallas (3,4,3) Edmonton (3,3,4) Minnesota (3,4,3) Montreal (3,4,3) New York Rangers (3,4,3) Ottawa (3,4,3) Philadelphia (3,4,3) Phoenix (3,3,4) San Jose (3,4,3) Tampa Bay (4,3,3) Toronto (3,4,3) Vancouver (3,4,3)
9 Games- Anaheim (3,3,3) Buffalo (4,3,2) Columbus (3,4,2) Detroit (3,4,2) Florida (2,3,4) Los Angeles (3,3,3) New Jersey (2,4,3) New York Islanders (3,3,3) Pittsburgh (3,3,3) Washington (3,3,3)
8 Games- Nashville (3,2,3) Winnipeg (2,3,3)
You can certainly benefit if you can deal someone on Nashville or Winnipeg and pick up a similar talent on Boston, Calgary, Carolina or St. Louis and pick up three extra games.
Congratulations are in order to my first cousin Paul Wernick who co-wrote GI Joe: Retaliation, out in theaters now. Click here for the trailer.
I'll be on Google+Hangout Thursday with NHL.com's Matt Cubeta, Chris Foster, Pete Jensen, Brian Metzer and Matthew Sitkoff for our regular fantasy chat as we will be taking questions on the previous day's trade deadline or any fantasy questions you may have. Please ask your questions on twitter with the hashtag #NHLHangout. You can also ask your questions on Google+. You can watch archives of the chat by clicking here.
Don’t forget to purchase Season Pass if you haven't done so already.
Now to The Week Ahead.
WEEK OF APRIL 1-7
5 Games - Nashville
4 Games– Anaheim, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, , New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, St. Louis, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Washington, Winnipeg
3 Games – Boston, Buffalo, Columbus, Florida, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Vancouver
2 Games - Toronto
San Jose plays all four games at home.
Calgary, Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, Minnesota, Ottawa, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Winnipeg play three games on the road this week.
Anaheim, Carolina, Chicago, Montreal, Nashville and Phoenix play three games at home.
Follow me on twitter!
INJURIES
Chris Letang broke his toe and will be out a week. (Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)
ANAHEIM
Games this week
@ Dallas, vs. Dallas, vs. Dallas, vs. Los Angeles
Notes
The Ducks play the Dallas Stars three times this week so look for Brad Staubitz and Matt Beleskey to partake in fisticuffs as tempers are expected to flare. The Ducks play four games including three games in four nights (all against the aforementioned Stars) so expect to see Viktor Fasth to play once in place of Jonas Hiller. Anaheim will be the tired team on Monday in Dallas after playing Columbus Sunday. They will be rested Sunday against the Kings who take on Edmonton Saturday. The Ducks signed Radek Dvorak after his season with Davos in the Swiss League and he played on Wednesday after clearing waivers. Anaheim has been struggling of late as they are on a four game losing streak. They could move Peter Holland up the depth charts and make him the second line center, giving him added fantasy value.
BOSTON
Games this week
vs. Ottawa, vs. New Jersey, @ Montreal
Notes
It sure looked like the Bruins were going to acquire Jarome Iginla and many newspapers thought so as well as early editions made their way to doorsteps with articles putting him in a Boston uniform. Unfortunately for Bruins fans, he was dealt in the early morning hours to Pittsburgh and Boston will now have to look elsewhere to bolster their lineup. Do not expect them to trade prized prospect Malcolm Subban as the goaltender is highly regarded. Patrice Bergeron has been outstanding this season as he has 31 points in 32 games with a plus-24 rating, fulfilling his early career promise that was sidetracked due to concussion woes. Rich Peverley is minus-nine, the worst on the Bruins and his terrific season of last year when he had 11 goals and 42 points with a plus-20 rating in 57 games seems so long ago.
BUFFALO
Games this week
@ Pittsburgh, vs. Ottawa, vs. New Jersey
Notes
The Sabres will be rested on Sunday when they take on the Devils who play in Toronto Saturday night. Thomas Vanek is out with an upper body strain. Drew Stafford is having an off year and has been a healthy scratch for the last three games. Ryan Miller is also having an off-season and it may be that his days of being an elite goaltender are over. He is 11-14-5 with a 2.91 GAA and a .911 save percentage. Cody Hodgson is having a very good season with 12 goals and 28 points in 34 games after action on Thursday.
CALGARY
Games this week
@ Edmonton, vs. Edmonton, @ San Jose, @ Vancouver
Notes
The Flames play three games in four nights so expect to see Joey MacDonald play at least once in place of Miikka Kiprusoff. The Flames will be tired on Saturday when they take on Vancouver after playing the Sharks in San Jose Friday. The rebuild in Calgary has started with the dealing of Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh and receiving Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski as well as the Penguins first round pick in 2013. The Flames play their provincial rival Oilers twice this week so look for Brian McGrattan to get into the lineup for a rare appearance and likely get into an altercation or two. Miikka Kiprusoff could be the next one out of town but it appears that he may not report if dealt and there are rumors that he may not play next season. Roman Cervenka has two goals and three points in his last three games.
CAROLINA
Games this week
@ Montreal, vs. Washington, vs. Tampa Bay. vs. New York Rangers
Notes
The Hurricanes play three games in four nights so look for Dan Ellis to get at least one start with Justin Peters also in the equation. The Hurricanes will be tired Tuesday when they host Washington after playing in Montreal Monday. They will be rested on Saturday when hosting the Rangers who are in Pittsburgh Friday. The Hurricanes waived Jussi Jokinen but there were no takers and he will remain with the team for now. Chad LaRose returned from a concussion after missing 10 games and lined up alongside Jeff Skinner and Jordan Staal. He has only two goals and three points in 20 games and missed Thursday's game with the flu. Carolina has been so impressed with the play and attitude of Alexander Semin that they inked him to a five-year/$35 million extension this past week.
CHICAGO
Games this week
vs. Nashville, vs. St. Louis, @ Nashville, vs. Nashville
Notes
The Blackhawks play three games in four nights as part of their four game week so the net could be shared equally by Corey Crawford and Ray Emery. Chicago will be tired Monday when hosting the Predators after playing the Red Wings on Sunday. The Blackhawks play the Predators three times this week and it is likely that Brandon Bollig and perhaps Daniel Carcillo (if he plays) will wind up in the penalty box. Patrick Sharp should return to action this week after injuring his shoulder on March 6. Michael Frolik replaced the injured Marian Hossa on the top line and responded with a two goal and one assist night. Hossa should return this week so Frolik's fantasy value should be short-lived.
COLORADO
Games this week
@ Detroit, @ Nashville, vs. Detroit, @ Phoenix
Notes
The Avalanche play the Red Wings twice so expect to see Cody McLeod, Patrick Bordeleau and Ryan O'Byrne to add to their minute totals as tempers should flare. They play four games this week but not three in four nights. Nevertheless, look for Jean-Sebastien Giguere play once this week. The Avs are rested Monday and Friday when they play the Red Wings as Detroit plays Chicago Sunday and in Phoenix Thursday. They are the tired team on Saturday when in Phoenix after playing Detroit Friday. Ryan O'Reilly has 13 points in 14 games since he signed his deal with Colorado after being a restricted free agent through the first month-and-a-half of the season. The Avs made a nice signing in the off-season when they inked P.A. Parenteau as he has 34 points in 33 games.
COLUMBUS
Games this week
@ Nashville, @ St. Louis, vs. Minnesota
Notes
The Blue Jackets play three games in four nights and it is possible that Steve Mason will get one start in place of the red-hot Sergei Bobrovsky. James Wisniewski has been activated from injured reserve and will help quarterback the power play after missing 14 games with a broken foot. Former first round selection Ryan Johansen has been stellar in shutting down the top centers on other teams with coach Todd Richards using him in all situations. No one on the Blue Jackets has 10 goals with Vaclav Prospal leading the team with nine goals and 18 points.
DALLAS
Games this week
vs. Anaheim, @ Anaheim, @ Anaheim, @ San Jose
Notes
The Stars play four times this week including three games in four nights so expect to see Richard Bachman to play once in place of Kari Lehtonen. The Stars play the Ducks three times this week so look for Antoine Roussel and Brenden Dillon to add to their penalty minute totals. Dallas will be the rested team Monday when they host Anaheim as the Ducks play Columbus Sunday. The Stars dealt their captain Brenden Morrow to Pittsburgh in exchange for former first round pick, defenseman Joe Morrow, who they promptly sent down to the minors for some more seasoning. Look for Morrow to eventually be the Stars quarterback on the power play. The great Jaromir Jagr is leading the Stars with 25 points and at the age of 41 could be in line to sign another one year contract with Dallas.
DETROIT
Games this week
vs. Colorado, @ Phoenix, @ Colorado, vs. St. Louis
Notes
The Red Wings play Colorado twice this week so do not be surprised if Jordin Tootoo adds to his penalty minutes. Detroit will be the tired team twice this week, and both times the Colorado Avalanche are the beneficiaries as the Wings play Chicago on Sunday and Phoenix Thursday before facing the Avs. Mikael Samuelsson has been out of action since Feb. 17 with a broken hand but could finally return by the start of the week, if not a day earlier. After not scoring on the power play in their first 10 road games, Detroit had scored in each of their last six games on the road with the man-advantage before getting shutout on Thursday.
EDMONTON
Games this week
vs. Calgary, @ Calgary, @ Vancouver, @ Los Angeles
Notes
The Oilers will play four times this week including three in four nights and it is likely that Devan Dubnyk and Nikolai Khabibulin will split the net. Edmonton will be tired on Thursday in Vancouver after playing the night before in Calgary. They play the Flames in back-to-back games early in the week so it is likely that the recently acquired Mike Brown will spend some time in the sin bin. Taylor Hall is healthy this season and it's showing as he has nine goals and 31 points in 30 games. He went first overall three years ago and is becoming a top performer, even if a lot of people do not know about him. Khabibulin always seems to have a great season in the last year of a contract. He is 3-3-1 in 2013 with a 2.30 GAA and a .930 save percentage.
FLORIDA
Games this week
@ Tampa Bay, vs. Washington, vs. Ottawa
Notes
The Panthers will be tired on Sunday when they face the Senators after playing the Capitals on Sunday. Jonathan Huberdeau was in a goal scoring slump as he had not found the back of the net in 10 games before popping one on Thursday. Shawn Matthias has nine goals in his last 15 games. Jacob Markstrom has given up only 10 goals in his last five games on 185 shots as he is finally settling down in the NHL. Peter Mueller has only one goal in his last 18 games and only four points in his last 14. After missing 10 games with a core injury, Dmitry Kulikov returned to action this past week. He has seven assists in 24 games. Brian Campbell has seven goals this season but is minus-19.
LOS ANGELES
Games this week
@ Phoenix, vs. Minnesota, vs. Edmonton, @ Anaheim
Notes
The Kings play three games in four nights this week so look for Jonathan Bernier to play at least once in place of Jonathan Quick. The Kings are rested Thursday when they play the Wild who are in San Jose Wednesday. They are tired Sunday in Anaheim after hosting the Oilers Saturday. Jeff Carter was placed on a line with Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. Jonathan Quick has re-established himself as the Kings number one goalie as he has started in 11 of the last 13 games although he is only 5-4-0 in those games. Jacob Muzzin has six goals and 13 points in 30 games and is second on the team lead in plus-minus with a plus-13 rating, one less than Justin Williams.
MINNESOTA
Games this week
vs. St. Louis, @ San Jose, @ Los Angeles, @ Columbus
Notes
The Wild play three games in four nights and it is likely that Niklas Backstrom will get a night off, so either Matthew Hackett or Darcy Kuemper will get a start in goal. Minnesota will be tired on Thursday when in Los Angeles after playing the Sharks in San Jose Wednesday. It looks like good news for Josh Harding who was taking shots on net in practice this week. He has been out of action since Feb. 7 with multiple sclerosis, but it looks like he has found the right combination of medicine to keep it under control. After a very slow start, Ryan Suter has vaulted to the top for consideration in the James Norris Trophy race as the NHL's top defenseman. He has three goals and 27 points and has been very good defensively.
MONTREAL
Games this week
vs. Carolina, @ Philadelphia, vs. Winnipeg, vs. Boston
Notes
The Canadiens play three times in four nights so Peter Budaj could get a rare game between the pipes in relief of Carey Price. After missing the first six games of the season due to restricted free agency, P.K. Subban has 10 goals and 24 points in 27 games this season as he is establishing himself as one of the NHL's top defensemen. Brendan Gallagher has been a pleasant surprise this season as the rookie has 10 goals and 19 points. Kudos to Montreal GM Marc Bergevin for his trade of Erik Cole to Dallas for Michael Ryder as Ryder now has 12 goals and 27 points this season including six goals in his last eight games, while Cole has only two goals in 12 games with Dallas.
NASHVILLE
Games this week
@ Chicago, vs. Colorado, vs. Columbus, vs. Chicago, @ Chicago
Notes
The Predators play the last five game week of the year. Pekka Rinne is likely to play four times with Chris Mason picking up one start. They play divisional rival Chicago three times this week so look for Richard Clune to add to his penalty minute count. He has been a surprisingly good fantasy player this season as he has 77 penalty minutes to go with three goals and seven points and a plus--three rating. Martin Erat leads the team in points with 20. Colin Wilson has resumed skating after missing nine games with an upper body injury but there is still no word on his return. Patric Hornqvist finally returned this past week after missing eight games with his latest upper body injury. He could be worth looking at in deeper pools but the Predators are not a good goal scoring team.
NEW JERSEY
Games this week
vs. New York Islanders, @ Boston, vs. Toronto, @ Buffalo
Notes
The Devils play three games in four nights so look for Johan Hedberg to play once with Martin Brodeur seeing the rest of the action. New Jersey will be a tired team on Sunday when they travel to Buffalo to play the Sabres after entertaining Toronto on Saturday. Bad news for the Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk owners as he suffered a right shoulder injury on March 23, an injury that will keep him out of action another one-three weeks. Matt D'Agostino will take his place on the top line alongside Adam Henrique and Andrei Loktionov. Patrik Elias leads the Devils with 29 points, two ahead of Kovalchuk. David Clarkson leads with 12 goals.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Games this week
@ New Jersey, vs. Winnipeg, @ Washington, vs. Tampa Bay
Notes
The Islanders play three games in four nights and Kevin Poulin may see one game in goal replacing Evgeni Nabokov who will likely need a rest. Despite a poor plus/minus, the line of John Tavares, Matt Moulson and Brad Boyes has been one of the best offensive lines in the NHL this season. They are sixth in the NHL in power play goals with 26 and the line has led the way as Tavares has 15 points, Moulson 14 and Boyes 12. The Islanders would like to re-sign their three veterans, Mark Streit, Lubomir Visnovsky and Evgeni Nabokov and not deal them at Wednesday's trade deadline.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Games this week
vs. Winnipeg, vs. Pittsburgh, @ Pittsburgh, @ Carolina
Notes
The Rangers play three games in four nights so you could see Martin Biron play once in place of Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers are the rested team on Wednesday when they host Pittsburgh as the Penguins take on Buffalo at home Tuesday. They will be the tired team Saturday when they travel to Carolina after playing in Pittsburgh Friday. Pittsburgh and New York play back-to-back games this week and the action could get rough on the ice so look for Arron Asham to find his way to the penalty box after dropping his gloves. Mats Zuccarello re-signed with New York after spending the season in the KHL and he could be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Lundqvist's peripherals are very good with a 2.20 GAA and a .922 but his 14-12-2 record indicates that the Rangers have not been a very good team this season.
OTTAWA
Games this week
@ Boston, @ Buffalo, @ Florida
Notes
The Senators start a seven game road trip this week. They are rested Sunday when in Florida as the Panthers take on Washington Saturday. Erik Karlsson is looking to play in the playoffs which may be a lofty goal as he tries to return quickly from an Achilles tendon injury which required surgery in mid-February. Jared Cowan could return to action before the end of the season which would be closer to six months than the six-eight month recovery period that was given when he suffered his hip injury that required surgery in mid-November. Kyle Turris and Sergei Gonchar are tied for the team lead in points with 22. Ottawa continues to get outstanding goaltending no matter who is in net as Ben Bishop is the worst of the bunch (the injured Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner being the others) statistically and he has a 2.32 GAA with a .928 save percentage, stats most goalies would give their eye tooth for.
PHILADELPHIA
Games this week
vs. Montreal, @ Toronto, @ Winnipeg
Notes
The Flyers play three games in four nights this week so it looks like Michael Leighton could get a rare start, replacing Ilya Bryzgalov. They will be tired on Thursday when playing in Toronto after hosting the Canadiens Wednesday. Daniel Briere is out indefinitely with a concussion that he suffered when he crashed into the boards during practice on March 23. Andrej Meszaros is out indefinitely after re-injuring his shoulder. The Flyers switched up their lines with Scott Hartnell moving down to the third line with Matt Read moving up to the first unit. Hartnell responded on Thursday with two power play goals and a fight as he is now playing his regular shift with Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn.
PHOENIX
Games this week
vs. Los Angeles, vs. Detroit, vs. Colorado
Notes
The Coyotes are rested on Saturday when they host the Avalanche who play the Red Wings in Colorado Friday. Boyd Gordon finally scored his first goal of the season in his 33rd game Wednesday. The Coyotes exploded for five goals in the first 8:26 minutes of the first period Thursday and did it on only seven shots as the Coyotes celebrated Steve Sullivan's 1,000th NHL game with a 7-4 win over Nashville. Sullivan is slumping with no points in his last eight games. Rostislav Klesla has a goal and six assists this season after a four assist night Thursday. I don't think you can expect that kind of offensive explosion again, possibly even in a month's worth of games. Shane Doan finally picked up his first power play point of the season Thursday and is now tied with Martin Brodeur this season although the New Jersey goalie does have a power play goal rather than Doan's assist.
PITTSBURGH
Games this week
vs. Buffalo, @ New York Rangers, vs. New York Rangers
Notes
The Penguins have certainly become the Stanley Cup favorites with their moves during the last week as they have picked up Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Doug Murray without giving up one player on their roster. Pittsburgh will be tired on Wednesday when they face the Rangers on Wednesday after playing Buffalo Tuesday. They play the Rangers in a home-and-home series this week so look for Tanner Glass and Deryk Engelland to get involved if there is any rough stuff and of course Morrow and Iginla could want to make their presence felt as well with their new teammates. Marc-Andre Fleury suffered a neck injury and is day-to-day but is expected to be back this week so Tomas Vokoun should get one start as the Penguins play three games in four nights. Beau Bennett had two goals and nine points in 19 games but with the trades and the return of Evgeni Malkin to the lineup, he was sent to the minors as the odd man out. Bennett is a talent so do not forget about him in your pools next season.
ST. LOUIS
Games this week
@ Minnesota, @ Chicago, vs. Columbus, @ Detroit
Notes
The Blues play three games in four nights so it is expected that Jake Allen and Jaroslav Halak will likely split the net this week. Rookie Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice on Thursday and it was the first time he found the back of the net since Feb. 13 although to be fair, he did miss 10 games with a concussion. David Backes has been a bit of a disappointment as he has only three goals this season. Look for him to come back next season. Chris Stewart continues to amaze in 2013 as he has 15 goals and 29 points in 33 games, only one assist off last season's 15 goal, 15 assist effort in a full 82 game schedule.
SAN JOSE
Games this week
vs. Vancouver, vs. Minnesota, vs. Calgary, vs. Dallas
Notes
The Sharks play all four games at home this week. Brent Burns has been on a tear since returning to the lineup as he has five goals and 10 points in nine games, tremendous production from a player with defenseman eligibility. Antti Neimi has been carrying the Sharks on his back as he now has back-to-back shutouts over the Ducks and Red Wings. Niemi is 15-8-5 with a 2.14 GAA and a .924 save percentage. Over the last eight games Logan Couture has had multiple point games three times which he then has followed up with two scoreless efforts. Look for him to have big games against Vancouver and Dallas this week if the pattern continues.
TAMPA BAY
Games this week
vs. Florida, @ Carolina, @ New York Islanders, @ Washington
Notes
Tampa Bay plays three games in four nights. Anders Lindback is out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain so expect to see Mathieu Garon and Cedrick Desjardins to share the net this week unless one gets hot. Cory Conacher has nine goals and 24 points this season but five goals and seven assists came in the first seven games with four goals and eight assists coming in his last 26. He still is in the running for the Calder Trophy although it appears that Jonathan Huberdeau and Brendan Gallagher have surpassed him. Jon Cooper was named the new head coach of the Lightning this week. Steve Stamkos leads the NHL in goals with 23, two ahead of John Tavares while he sits third and Martin St. Louis fourth in overall scoring.
TORONTO
Games this week
vs. Philadelphia, @ New Jersey
Notes
The Maple Leafs are the only team to play twice this week so I suggest benching all your Toronto players in weekly transaction pools with the exception of Nazem Kadri, Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. Kessel has been red-hot in March with six goals and 18 points in 13 games while Lupul has seven goals and nine points in the six games he has played since returning from a broken forearm. Nikolai Kulemin has been scoring of late with four goals and six points in his last seven games. Tyler Bozak is eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season so his name is being mentioned in trade rumors with the deadline on Wednesday. Kadri leads the Maple Leafs with 35 points, one ahead of Phil Kessel. Kadri is tied for ninth in NHL scoring while Kessel is tied for 13th spot. They are rested Thursday when hosting the Flyers who play Montreal Wednesday.
VANCOUVER
Games this week
@ San Jose, vs. Edmonton, vs. Calgary
Notes
The Canucks are the rested team twice this week, first on Thursday when they play the Oilers who are in Calgary the previous night, and then on Saturday when hosting the Flames with Calgary in San Jose on Friday. Cory Schneider has started the last six games for the Canucks, going a perfect 6-0 and giving up only six goals on 166 shots in that span. He is now the definite number one goalie in Vancouver and do not be surprised if the Canucks deal Roberto Luongo elsewhere at the trade deadline. Alex Burrows moved back to the top line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin and the move paid off quickly as Burrows had a goal and an assist in his first game back Thursday.
WASHINGTON
Games this week
@ Carolina, vs. New York Islanders, @ Florida, vs. Tampa Bay
Notes
The Capitals play three games in four nights this week so expect to see Michal Neuvirth play once in place of Braden Holtby. They are the rested team Tuesday in Carolina as the Hurricanes are in Montreal Monday. It should be interesting to see if the Capitals deal UFA to be Mike Ribeiro who wants to stay in Washington on a long-term deal but apparently turned down a three-year/$14 million offer as he wants a five-year deal. The 33-year-old has 35 points in 33 games this season to lead the Caps. Alex Ovechkin was the NHL's first star of the week with five goals and eight points in four games.
WINNIPEG
Games this week
@ New York Rangers, @ New York Islanders, @ Montreal, vs. Philadelphia
Notes
The Jets play three games in four nights this week so look for Al Montoya to take at least one start away from Ondrej Pavelec. Winnipeg will be rested Thursday when they play the Canadiens who are in Philadelphia Wednesday. Olli Jokinen has been a major disappointment this season with only six goals and 10 points in 35 games. His minus-18 rating is nothing to write home about as well. Tobias Enstrom scored in his first two games back from a shoulder injury. Jacob Trouba is considering leaving the University of Michigan after his freshman season and that will be a big boost if he decides to do so as the Jets could use the big defenseman who was drafted ninth overall in the 2012 Draft, although he will likely need time in the minors.
