Fantasy Hockey News

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Ballard To Play Tuesday

Mon, 08 Mar 2010

Update: D Keith Ballard left practice early Monday with what the team was tentatively calling a strain according to Steve Gorten of the Florida Sun-Sentinel. However, according to George Richards of the Miami Herald, Ballard just needed some minor treatment and will be good to go when the team travels to Minnesota to take on the Wild on Tuesday.

Fantasy Impact: Ballard played his college hockey at the University of Minnesota, so you have to assume he's going to do whatever he can to get on the ice. Ballard has been very solid this year for Florida, but isn't really a guy that is on most fantasy teams' radar anyway.  But he has been getting 5 more minutes per game since the deadline deals of Leopold and Seidenberg, collecting 2 points, having a +1 rating, and receiving 6 PIMs, so he could be worth a speculative add if you're weak on defensemen.

Kaleta, Sabres beat Rangers

Sun, 07 Mar 2010

Update: After giving up a last minute goal that sent the game to overtime, The Buffalo Sabres beat The New York Rangers 2-1 in overtime thanks to forward Patrick Kaleta's game winning goal. The win gave the Sabres their 35th win 79th point as they currently lead the Northeast division.

Fantasy Impact: Kaleta, a Buffalo, NY native is having the best year of three-year career as he now has 9 goals and 13 points in 45 games even though he only averages about 10 minutes of ice-time a game.

Savard carted off ice

Sun, 07 Mar 2010

Update: During the 3rd period of The Boston Bruins 2-1 loss to The Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins center Marc Savard was carried off the ice on a stretcher after being leveled by Pittsburgh forward Matt Cooke with 5:37 remaining in Sunday's game. Savard was on the ice for several minutes, being attended to by a Penguins team doctor, before being carried off. He was moving his legs while on the ice and his arms while on the stretcher.

Fantasy Impact: This is some bad luck for the former all-star as he has already missed significant time due to injury earlier this year. Savard, 32, has played in 41 games this season registering 10 goals and 23 assists.

Ladd's hat trick not enough

Sun, 07 Mar 2010

Update: In desperate need of a win to stay within the top 8 teams in the Western Conference, The Detroit Red Wings overcame The Chicago Blackhawks' forward Andrew Ladd's first career hat trick as the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 5-4 on Sunday afternoon. The win gave the Redwings 74 points, which is 3 points ahead of the idle Calgary Flames, as they currently own the 8th spot in the West.

Fantasy Impact: As for Andrew Ladd, his first career hat trick gave him 15 goals on the season to go along with 16 assists in 65 games. The 4th overall pick in 2004, Ladd tied his career high with goals, which was set last year.

Bryzgalov's 34th win a franchise record

Sun, 07 Mar 2010

Update: The Arizona Republic is reporting that Coyotes netminder Ilya Bryzgalov's 34th victory of the season on Saturday set a franchise record. He is also tied for the league lead with seven shutouts following Saturday's 4-0 win.

Fantasy Impact:  Bryzgalov has been nothing short of fantastic all year for Phoenix, and he is one of the main reasons this team is playing so well. 

Kovy riding hot streak for NJ

Sun, 07 Mar 2010

Update: According to the Newark Star Ledger Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk has two goals and one assist in the two games since the Olympic break, and is on a four game point streak.

Fantasy Impact:  Kovalchuk has done it all since coming over to the Devils. The main difference with head coach Jacques Lemaire using him on the point on the power play.  The Devils will contend for the East in the playoffs as long as Kovy continues to light the lamp. 

Brassard to return Monday

Sun, 07 Mar 2010

Update: Blue Jackets forward Derick Brassard (hand) is expected to rejoin the team on Monday against Los Angeles, according to the Columbus Dispatch. He has missed the last two games with a hand injury.

Fantasy Impact:   Fantasy owners should wait till Monday for more information before deploying Brassard in their lineups for the week. 

Horton still out

Sun, 07 Mar 2010

Update: According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Panthers forward Nathan Horton (leg) still has yet to practice with the team and will not travel with them on their upcoming three-game road trip.  The new target date for a possible return is March 16th. 

Fantasy Impact: Horton should be ready to return in mid to late March, but it will probably be a few games before he gets his skates back under him having missed so much time. 

Stamkos extends point streak

Sun, 07 Mar 2010

Update: Needing a win to stay in the thick of the playoff race, The Tampa Bay Lightning got two goals and an assist from star forward Steven Stamkos as they beat the Atlanta Thrashers 6-2.

Fantasy Impact: Stamkos perfromance tonight extended his point streak to 16 games, a franchise record as he now has 40 goals and 36 assists in 64 games. Quietly, Stamkos is becoming a star NHL player in only his second season.  

Crosby, Penguins beat Stars

Sat, 06 Mar 2010

Update: Sidney Crosby scored two goals for The Pittsburgh Penguins as the team scored 5 straight goals on their way to a 6-3 win over the struggling Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon. The win was the Penguins 3 straight.

Fantasy Impact: Crosby has scored in each of the three games since the Olympic tournament ended and currently has a 5 game goal scoring streak as his MVP caliber season continues.

Luongo chased in loss

Sat, 06 Mar 2010

Update: It wasn't a good night to say the least for Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo as The Chicago Blackhawks scored 5 goals in the first period on rout to their 6-3 win over the Canucks.

Fantasy Impact: Usually when a goalie performs so poorly it is mainly because his team was not ready to play and this was definitely the case with the Canucks. Like all good goalies, expect Luongo to quickly forget about this game and move on playing good hockey.

Connolly nets OT winner

Sat, 06 Mar 2010

Update: Stuck in a 2-2 tie heading into overtime, Buffalo Sabres' forward Tim Connolly scored the overtime winner to give the Sabres the 3-2 edge over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Fantasy Impact: Connolly, who seems to be healthy for the first time in a long time, is having a great season thus far scoring 15 goals and 42 assists in 63 games.

Habs' Lapierre suspended

Fri, 05 Mar 2010

Update: According to the Associated Press, Montreal Canadiens forward Maxim Lapierre has been suspended four games for a late hit on San Jose Sharks forward Scott Nichol. The NHL announced the discipline on Friday. Lapierre knocked Nichol into the end boards 1:50 into the third period of the Sharks' 3-2 win Thursday night in San Jose. Nichol was injured on the play and did not return to the game. No penalty was assessed on the play.

Fantasy Impact: Lapierre, who has 6 goals and 12 assists, will miss games at Los Angeles, at Anaheim, against Tampa and against Edmonton. He will be eligible to return March 13 against Boston.

Lundqvist shines, but Rangers fall

Fri, 05 Mar 2010

Update: G Henrik Lundqvist made 50 saves, but the rest of his team couldn't make his effort a winning one as they fell to the Penguins 5-4 in overtime.

Fantasy Impact: Lundqvist as usual was the best player on the ice for the Rangers. They were outshot 23-1 in the 3rd period and overtime. The guy at this point, especially after his record breaking performance in the Olympics of not allowing a goal for over 160 minutes, has to be considered the top goalie in the world. He is keeping a Rangers team in the playoff race that has absolutely no business being there. If they end up in the playoffs, it will be because of him and no one else.

Walker scores two in debut

Thu, 04 Mar 2010

Update: Making his debut with The Washington Capitals, former Carolina Hurricanes forward Scott Walker scored two goals, including the game-winner as the Capitals beat The Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4.

Fantasy Impact: Well I guess the rich get richer as the top team in the NHL added a strong veteran presence in Walker at the deadline. The 2 goals were Walkers 4th and 5th of the season.

Kariya, Blues rout Stars

Thu, 04 Mar 2010

Update: Battling to stay in the playoff chase, The St. Louis Blues got two goals from veteran forward Paul Kariya scored two goals as they beat The Dallas Stars 6-1 on Thursday night.

Fantasy Impact: It's been pretty good season, albeit a down one for the former all-star as he now has 14 goals and 17 assists.

Injury sidelines Rask

Thu, 04 Mar 2010

Update: According to a report by NESN.com's James Murphy, Boston Bruins' goalie Tukka Rask will miss tonight's game against The Toronto Maple Leafs with an apparent lower-body injury.

Fantasy Impact: Rask, who has made the last seven starts for the Bruins, appears to be the full-time starter for the Bruins as well as the future goalie in Boston. I expect goalie Tim Thomas to be moved this off-season.

Bergeron out for Bruins

Thu, 04 Mar 2010

Update: According to a report by NESN.com's James Murphy, Boston Bruins' forward and gold-medalist Patrice Bergeron is listed day-to-day with an apparant groing injury and will not play tonight as the Bruins play The Toronto Maple Leafs.

Fantasy Impact: It's been an injury filled year for the 24 year-old Bergeron as he has missed time on more than one occasion and in my opinion, his perfomance has suffered because of it. In 54 games, Bergeron has 12 goals and 25 assists.

Visnovsky traded to Ducks

Thu, 04 Mar 2010

Update: The Edmonton Oilers dealt D Lubomir Visnovsky to the Anaheim Ducks for D Ryan Whitney and a 2010 6th round pick. Visnovsky has 10 goals and 32 points this season in 57 games. Whitney has 4 goals and 28 points.

Fantasy Impact: Great deal for the Ducks. They acquire one of the premier offensive defensemen in the NHL in Visnovsky. Visnovsky makes 5.6M a year and is signed through the 2012-13 season. The Ducks will be very happy with the production of Visnovsky.

I don't understand this deal at all from the Oilers perspective. They are a rebuilding team. They really could have used the prospects and picks that they could have received from dealing Visnovsky. Whitney is okay. He can move the puck. He's gotten much better in his own zone in the past two seasons. But he's not even close to being the caliber of player that Visnovsky is. So basically you just downgraded to get a younger player who isn't as good and only making 1.5M less a season. After this deal and the Grebeshkov deal, Oiler fans should really be wondering about whether or not GM Steve Tambellini is the right guy for the job because he has not gotten back the proper return for his player either time.

Booth, Panthers top Flyers

Wed, 03 Mar 2010

Update: With the deadline behind him, Florida Panthers forward David Booth scored a goal and added two assists to help his Florida Panthers beat The Philadelphia Flyers 7-4 Wednesday night in Sunrise, Florida.

Fantasy Impact: The Panthers, who are 5 points out of a playoff spot will need Booth to keep scoring if they have any hope of making the playoffs this year. Booth, who is coming off an concussion that has forced him to miss many games this season has 4 goals and 6 assists in 18 games.

Kesler, Canucks rout Detroit

Wed, 03 Mar 2010

Update: Vancouver Canucks Center Ryan Kesler had an impressive game tonight as he scored two goals as The Vancouver Canucks beat The Detroit Red Wings 6-2 on Wednesday evening in Detroit

Fantasy Impact: Kesler is picking up right where he left off when he had an excellent Olympic showing for Team U.S.A. In the two game since the Olympics, Kesler has 2 goals and an assist. On the season Kesler has 18 goals and 57 points in 63 games.

Torres shipped to Buffalo

Wed, 03 Mar 2010

Update: ESPN.com is reporting that The Columbus Blue Jackets dealt forward Raffi Torres to the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Nathan Paetsch and a second-round draft pick.

Fantasy Impact: Raffi Torres, 28, has had a pretty strong year with 19 goals and 31 points in 60 games. Torres provides the Sabres with scoring depth and playoff experience.

Coyotes obtain Stempniak

Wed, 03 Mar 2010

Update: According to TSN, The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Lee Stempniak to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Matt Jones and two draft picks - fourth and seventh round - in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Fantasy Impact: The Coyotes capped off a busy day by obtained Stempniak as the deadline all but approached. Stempniak gives the Coyotes a player who could play either wing position and add some scoring as they move towards the playoffs. In 61 games, Stempniak has 14 goals and 15 assists.

Canucks obtain Alberts from 'Canes

Wed, 03 Mar 2010

Update: According to the Vancouver Sun's Elliott Pap, the Vancouver Canucks added defensive defenseman Andrew Alberts to their club on Thursday. Alberts, 28, came at the cost of a 2010 third-round pick and was obtained from the Carolina Hurricanes. His cap hit is $1.05 million and he is under contract for next season as well.

Fantasy Impact: This deal gives the Canucks some much needed defensive depth and insurance as one of their top defensemen Willie Mitchell has been out since January 16th.

Kings acquire Modin

Wed, 03 Mar 2010

Update: According to TSN, the Los Angeles Kings have acquired veteran forward Fredrik Modin from the Columbus Blue Jackets for future considerations. The deal was completed during the last few minutes of the trade deadline.

Fantasy Impact: Modin, a former all-star will give the young Kings another veteran presence who could also add some scoring for the Kings as they continue their march towards the playoffs. Limited to only 24 games this season because of injuries, Modin has 2 goals and 6 points on the season.

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