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By Neil Parker It was quite the night in the National Hockey League: Sidney Crosby registered a natural hat trick and Connor McDavid returned from a lengthy layoff with a three-point night. There won't be as many storylines Wednesday, with just three games on the schedule, and especially with a pair of lackluster matchups. Nonetheless, the small slates can lead to huge scores in the daily racket. Here are your values and busts Wednesday. Going against Vegas with a few Sabres is a potential means of differentiating lineups, and while risky, Montreal has been a basement dweller for the past two months. [ Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now ] GOALIE Robin Lehner, BUF at MON ($33) - Montreal has been awful for an extended stretch, and while no one should confuse the Sabres as a bully, they likely shouldn't be underdogs in this tilt, either. Montreal could easily take home the victory, but Lehner has been strong in his limited action this season, posting a .936 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average. And he is cheap. Given the recent form of each offense, the nod goes to Buffalo and Lehner, though he is far from a safe undertaking as your No. 2 goalie. Goalie to avoid: Karri Ramo, CGY vs. CAR ($34) - With just five wins through his past 14 games and a mediocre .914 save percentage, Ramo continues to underwhelm. He allowed five goals to the Hurricanes recently, and Carolina lit up Chicago for five goals in its latest game. Calgary has struggled defensively all year and has allowed exactly 3.0 goals per game, which makes Ramo a huge risk in goal and nothing more than a No. 2 goalie filer in plus-matchups. CENTER Jack Eichel, BUF at MON ($24) - Expect Eichel to carry a low ownership Wednesday, as his price has climbed, and he is more expensive than a trio of Red Wings who carry more name value. Eichel has been on an extended hot streak, though, with 20 points -- seven goals and 13 assists -- over his past 18 games with 49 shots on net. With the Canadiens allowing 4.0 goals per game through the five outings before the break, it is a great matchup, too. Center to avoid: Steven Stamkos, TB vs. DET ($28) - As the most expensive skater in the player pool, it is difficult to spend up for Stamkos with confidence, as he has missed the score sheet in six of his past 13 games. Of course, there is multi-point upside, but Detroit, and especially red-hot Petr Mrazek ($42), are an unfavorable matchup. Just twice over its past 10 games has Detroit allowed more than two goals in a game. WING Johnny Gaudreau, CGY vs. CAR ($27) - The home/road splits are unkind to Gaudreau, but this game is in Cowtown. At home, Gaudreau has 17 goals, 17 assists and a plus-17 rating through 24 games. Carolina isn't a doormat opponent, but with limited options available, Gaudreau's home-ice dominance is tough to ignore. Jeff Skinner, CAR at CGY ($16) - Talented and streaky, Skinner's inconsistency keeps his price in profit territory. He has a goal, two assists and 10 shots in his past two games, and this is a plus-matchup. Rarely will you find a two-time, 30-goal scorer in this price range. Wing to avoid: Max Pacioretty, MON vs. BUF ($25) - This price is clinging to past success, and Pacioretty has no business being priced as a high-end asset. He has just 11 points -- six goals -- over his past 25 games and a minus-15 rating. The only plus is the high shot volume, but you get value from appearances on the score sheet, not shots on net. DEFENSEMEN P.K. Subban, MON vs. BUF ($24) - It is never advised to start a skater against one of your goalies, but a potential exception could be made for Subban. If you're avoiding Lehner, Subban is a must-start rearguard. He has been a lone bright spot for Montreal with 14 points and 41 shots on net in his past 14 games. Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF at MON ($14) - Tied for 10th in scoring among blue liners, Ristolainen is an emerging star. Sure, his current form is weak, but he stuffs the peripheral categories (2.36 shots and 1.54 shot blocks per game) and plays all the right offensive minutes. There is a plus/minus risk most nights, but if you're looking to stack a few Sabres, he carries the best value-upside combo. Defenseman to avoid: Victor Hedman, TB vs. DET ($23) - This is purely a matchup fade. As noted, Detroit is stingy, and these two teams battling it out in a low-scoring, low-event bout is a concern. At the cap hit, it takes a lot to return value, and there might not be enough opportunities for Hedman to do so Wednesday. MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY: Continue to Article

February 03, 2016 11:37:am EST

Dobber launched his fantasy hockey website DobberHockey back in 2005 and has been Puck Daddy's resident fantasy hockey 'expert' since 2009. Ian Gooding has been the associate editor for DobberHockey since early 2015. Knowing that not all teams have played the same number of games, you can target and deploy players from teams that have more games down the stretch. Sometimes fantasy leagues are won and lost by the slimmest of margins, so even slight advantages matter. For example the New York Islanders, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs all lead the league with 34 games remaining after the All-Star break. Maybe this is a good time to target John Tavares, who happens to be just outside the top 50 in scoring at the moment. The Chicago Blackhawks have the least number of games with 29, followed by the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues with 30. You probably don’t want to part with Patrick Kane in a non-keeper given the rate he has been scoring, but what if there was a sweet return being offered to you? And what about home games? Of the Vancouver Canucks’ 32 remaining games, 19 are at home. Ryan Miller’s goals-against average is over half a goal lower at home than it is on the road. He can probably be had for a bargain basement price. I found this information at the Frozen Pool Game Planner at Dobber Hockey . You can set your dates for the week, month, or the rest of the season. These and many more free tools are available here . How about one more second-half stat? Puppy sales for children in NHL cities will continue to rise. Studs... These fellas are wielding a hot stick. Take that into consideration when you go after them in trade talks... Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks (48-9-32-41, plus-18, 42 PIM, 76 SOG, 13 PPPts) How far did Thornton fall in your fantasy draft? Sure, assist-heavy centers over 30 aren’t the kind of players that fantasy owners are tripping over themselves to obtain. But if not for a zero-point game on January 7, Thornton might be challenging Patrick Kane for the longest point streak of the season. Big Joe has points in 18 of his last 19 games, and he has been sizzling in January with 15 points in 12 games. The lack of goals also means a lack of shots on goal, yet Thornton’s total of 32 assists is currently seventh in the NHL. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins (38-6-27-33, minus-12, 34 PIM, 111 SOG, 17 PPPts) Owning Letang is similar to owning Pavel Datsyuk, or Peter Forsberg before that. In other words, a new injury always seems to be around the corner, but benching the stud to minimize your risk means you’re missing out on a golden opportunity. In spite of missing ten games, Letang is tied for seventh in scoring among defensemen. He also has had a January to remember with 14 points in 10 games, having been held without a point in just two games. Petr Mrazek (18-9-4, 2.03 GAA, .932 SV%) Mrazek’s season stats are amazing by themselves, but his stats this month are even more eye-popping. How does a 7-1-1 record to go with a 1.32 goals-against average and .952 save percentage and two shutouts sound? Mrazek has Jimmy Howard mostly riding the pine right now, even though Howard earns $5 million-plus for three more seasons after this one. Mrazek is an RFA after this season, so the Detroit goaltending situation will be one to watch. Duds... Somebody wake these guys up – their fantasy owners are counting on them... Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning (36-5-11-16, plus-4, 8 PIM, 80 SOG, 7 PPPts) This is more of a reflection on Johnson’s season overall than it is on his recent play. With one goal and four assists over his last eight games, Johnson isn’t the most ice-cold player at the moment, but he’s not yet into the red-hot territory that he occupied for much of last season. If you offer pennies on the dollar, an impatient owner might be willing to deal him while you reap the rewards afterward. Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues (42-9-18-27, minus-10, 30 PIM, 111 SOG, 15 PPPts) Sure, Shattenkirk had been slowed by lower-body injury earlier this season. But his fantasy owners should expect more than three points over 12 games in January. By the way, are there more than a few normally solid fantasy options with poor plus/minuses this season? Shattenkirk and the aforementioned Letang and Stone are all examples. Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens (50-2-22-24, minus-1, 16 PIM, 66 SOG, 10 PPPts) After December 2 the Canadiens are a league-worst 5-18-1, so there’s a few players from the team that could make this list besides Markov. After all, the Habs have averaged fewer than two goals per game over that stretch, so not having Carey Price can’t be the only reason for the slump. These splits say it all about Markov, though: October/November: 25 games, 18 points December/January: 25 games, 6 points The Wire... Mostly short-term grabs here, but as always some potential steals... Carl Hagelin, Pittsburgh Penguins (18%) (48-4-12-16, minus-4, 16 PIM, 97 SOG, 0 PPPts) Hagelin’s speed seems to be a better fit on the run-and-gun Penguins than he was on the rough-and-tumble Ducks. As a Penguin, Hagelin has points in four of five games – all assists. His lack of power-play time is concerning, so he will have a tough time finding his first power-play point of the season. But he’s always been a power-play dud, so you shouldn’t be surprised. Regardless, his fantasy value skyrockets after the deal to Pittsburgh. David Perron, Anaheim Ducks (21%) (47-6-15-21, minus-9, 36 PIM, 104 SOG, 5 PPPts) The man Hagelin was traded for is also enjoying his new digs, where his gritty qualities might also work more to his advantage. Perron has found the score sheet in each of his four games as a Duck, scoring two goals and three assists. He has mainly played on a line with the red-hot Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg, so he is being given the opportunity to maintain more consistency. Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets (5%) (5-5-2, 2.74 GAA, .915 SV%) Adding a Blue Jackets’ goalie to your team isn’t appealing. But Korpisalo has asserted himself as the guy now that Sergei Bobrovsky is back on IR with his nagging groin injury. Korpisalo has earned wins in four of his last six games, including wins on back-to-back nights against Montreal. He has also allowed two or fewer goals in each of those six starts. Andre Burakovsky, Washington Capitals (4%) (43-5-12-17, plus-5, 6 PIM, 50 SOG, 3 PPPts) Playing on a line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams has helped Burakovsky. So far this month Burakovsky has four multipoint games and nine points over his last six games. The Capitals have significant scoring depth, so there’s no guarantee this will last. But he’s worth a short-term pickup – and 4% fantasy ownership borders on the ridiculous. Mattias Ekholm, Nashville Predators (12%) (50-6-16-22, plus-1, 24 PIM, 63 SOG, 3 PPPts) Ekholm is playing a more prominent role for the Predators these days. After the Seth Jones trade, Ekholm has six points over his last five games and is now receiving second-unit power-play time. He is also playing more than 20 minutes per game more frequently than he was before the trade. Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets (14%) (49-12-10-22, minus-1, 12 PIM, 120 SOG, 6 PPPts) Ehlers recorded his first career hat trick on Tuesday, extending his current point streak to four games. He was fortunate enough to have the red-hot Blake Wheeler as his linemate for that game, so Ehlers is worth a pickup while the Jets find out what they have by pairing these two. You can follow Ian Gooding on Twitter @Ian_Gooding MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY : Continue to Article

January 29, 2016 7:58:am EST

[Breaking down the plausibility of the week's biggest rumor.] The Rumor The Calgary Flames, sitting eight points out of a playoff spot in the Pacific after Tuesday night's games, are almost certainly not going to make the postseason this year. They join the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers as the only two teams in the West that are well and truly out of it barring some sort of miracle late-season run. As a result, and like those other teams, people are now starting to think about what Calgary GM Brad Treliving will reasonably have to do with the crop of pending UFAs the team has on the roster. On Insider Trading this week, Bob McKenzie reported that the Flames are starting to get calls from other clubs about the availability of Jiri Hudler, who's in a down year, just turned 32, and will be looking for a new contract from somebody this summer. Likewise, on Sportsnet 960 Monday morning, Elliotte Friedman imparted that he imagines other teams would kick the tires on trading for Hudler or defenseman Kris Russell. It's worth noting that other pending UFAs for the Flames include David Jones, who is not very good, and both of their current goalies: Jonas Hiller and Kari Ramo. The question is whether Treliving and the Flames organization value having these players around long-term — in that if you keep them past the deadline you damn sure better re-sign them — more than they value the pieces they would get back by selling them off. Who's Going Where? These trades, if they happen, would likely come closer to the deadline, because Friedman, in the same interview, said only really sees the Jets as a team that could sell in the more immediate future. The deadline is still more than a month away, but no one on earth thinks the Jets pull it together and make a push for a Central Division playoff slot; they're eight points out of the Wild Card, albeit with two games in hand on Colorado, and would have to leapfrog the Nashville Predators and hard-charging Anaheim Ducks. Which probably won't happen no matter how well Connor Hellebuyck plays (and he's at a fantastic .927 in 22 appearances, a number which has singlehandedly gotten the Jets two extra points in the standings relative to the league average, but still only 12-9-1). So if the Jets are looking to move players — and the current rumors have them perhaps shopping Andrew Ladd instead of Dustin Byfuglien — that would necessarily eat into the market for Hudler, because one team would have a difference-making forward added to the lineup ahead of a Hudler trade. But it might also make the market for Hudler a little livelier in some respects, if offense-starved teams feel as though they missed out on something they desperately need. Hudler, of course, hasn't done the Flames any favors with his no-good season, but you'd imagine he'd still be worth a decent prospect or pick (or combination thereof) if Calgary got the urge to sell. As for Kris Russell, he's inexplicably viewed as being valuable in Calgary, getting more 5-on-5 ice time per game than Mark Giordano (really!) because of his affinity for blocking shots. Otherwise, the Flames get pounded when he's on the ice, and it's another in the long line of ridiculous coaching decisions Bob Hartley has stuck with for the last two seasons despite the fact that they're getting his team bullied every single night. As I've often said before: Blocking shots is a useful skill to have in much the same way as being able to plug a hole in the hull of a ship. But if you're only good at plugging the holes because you're the ones drilling them, that's a major problem. About two weeks ago, Friedman said other GMs had gotten the message that Calgary was trying to re-sign Russell. So let's assume he wants a raise from his current cap hit of $2.6 million — a gross overpayment — and wonder if Calgary has the willingness. If they're still trying to hammer out a deal, it's tough to see them making any hard and fast decisions on shopping him any time soon. If they're smart, though, the Flames trade both without a second thought, and see if someone will take one of the goalies and David Jones off their hands as well. They won't need any of them where they're going. The Implications A few years ago, the Flames learned the hard way that hoping to re-sign veterans as they approach UFA, and therefore holding onto them past the trade deadline, was not a good idea for a team that had little chance of making the playoffs. Mike Cammalleri was turning UFA on July 1 back in 2014, and a week before the trade deadline, the Flames were 15 points out of a playoff spot. But they held onto him in hopes of re-signing him, rather than trading him for some sort of asset they could use in what was, at that point, broadly acknowledged as the start of the rebuild. This was not the “Going For It” era in Calgary. Treliving had not yet been hired, but while Cammalleri wasn't likely to fetch a ton on the open market, he closed the year with 45 points in 63 games and a huge relative possession number that would have made him valuable to a contender. This team was also supposed to be “smarter” about managing a hockey team than Jay Feaster by a factor of at least two, just by his exclusion. But the Flames kept the player, made an offer, and lost him to New Jersey when free agency opened. They did not make that mistake last year, offloading the now-retired winger Curtis Glencross for a second- and third-round pick from Washington (and Sven Baertschi to Vancouver for another second, but he wasn't in their plans and was only an RFA). This happened when they were in the midst of that delusion-inducing run toward a playoff spot. Now, with the Flames well outside the playoffs and also not performing anywhere near a decent quality at this point, the path forward is pretty clear. Or at least it ought to be. This Is So Huge, If True: Is It True? On a B.S. detector scale of 1-5, with one being the most reasonable and 5 being the least: Because of the Cammalleri thing, you'd have to think that the club has learned its lesson about keeping players past their sell-by dates. When it comes to Hudler specifically, I'd think he's more likely to get shipped than Russell (though again, Russell is awful and should be jettisoned at the earliest convenience). I would also think that Treliving won't move either goalie, though he should in both cases. And if he can find a taker for David Jones, that's a very lucky day indeed. So as to the Flames moving their pending UFAs: Continue to Article

January 28, 2016 5:12:pm EST

NASHVILLE -- Last January, NHL.com wrote a story about a hockey rarity: Sidney Crosby attending the NHL All-Star Game. He played in 2007. He missed 2008 with a high-ankle sprain, missing 6-8 weeks overall. He missed 2009 with a knee bruise that kept him out one game before the break. He missed 2011 and 2012 recovering from the horrific concussion. He didn’t play in 2006, 2010 or 2014, because the Olympics wiped out the game; ditto 2013, when the lockout did the same. The story was published on Jan. 19. “I think just to be able to go there with all the guys representing different teams is good. Some of the guys are guys you've met before and others you haven't, so it's nice to be a part of that,” said Crosby. On Jan. 22, an editor’s note was affixed to the top of the story: “Sidney Crosby withdrew from the All-Star Game due to a lower-body injury.” D'oh. Crosby isn’t playing in the 2016 All-Star Game, either – failing to win the fans’ votes, getting squeezed out by the new format’s numbers game and, as of this writing, not coming on as an injury replacement. And yet Crosby’s name was all over the place on Thursday morning, as the Washington Capitals brazenly pulled Alex Ovechkin from the game to rest a nagging injury and Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews opted out due to a flu bug that cost him the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes two nights ago. The reactions ranged from immediate calls to have Crosby replace Ovechkin – his Capitals teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov eventually did – to those asking the big question: Why does Crosby get slammed for ducking out of the All-Star Game while there’s an “understanding” for when Ovechkin and Toews do the same? Both of these players will serve their mandatory one-game “suspension” for missing the All-Star Game, as Crosby did last season. It’s a toothless threat from the NHL in order to keep players from pulling out en masse, considering where many of these players’ teams are in the standings. But more on that in a bit. But if the question is why they aren’t treated with the same vitriol as was Crosby, the answer is pretty simple. Ovechkin will have now missed two All-Star Games of the seven he’s been elected to play in. He’s established himself as the clown prince of the NHL’s goofiest weekend: We remember the attempted trick shots, the goofy costumes and, perhaps most of all, how Ovechkin was the most compelling thing about the NHL fantasy draft. It’s hard to argue he hasn’t put in the time at the All-Star Game, which is why his absence sucks. Toews has appeared in three All-Star Games, and served as the team captain for the fantasy draft in 2015. For a guy whose enthusiastic disposition makes Crosby seem like Chris Hardwick by comparison, Toews embraced the spotlight and was basically the face of the game. He’s also played 322 games in the last four seasons, including the playoffs, to go along with his Olympic run in 2014. He’s on his fourth outdoor game this season too. A lot of Crosby supporters, Penguins fans and general All-Star Game loathers didn’t appreciate my piece slamming Crosby’s decision to pull out of Columbus. I stand by it, because the idea an alleged “face of the NHL” can’t be bothered to show up for the World Cup of Hockey unveiling or any All-Star Game fanfare in a city less than three hours away (by car) from Pittsburgh is ridiculous. And it’s confirmed by the way the NHL has apparently just decided to stop asking Crosby to attend its signature in-season event, and fans have stopped flooding the ballot box for him. Because they’ve gotten the hint. That said, you’re out of your mind if you think the NHL did either Ovechkin or Toews dirty with their mandatory suspensions. *** It’s pretty amazing to see one of the NHL’s 30 teams drop its pants and piss all over the All-Star Game like the Washington Capitals did with Ovechkin. “Alex has been an incredible ambassador for our team and the league, but we believe it is better if he uses this time to heal and ideally be completely healthy for the duration of the season,” wrote GM Brian MacLellan. What the Capitals wagered on was that Ovechkin’s previous All-Star Game heavy lifting, and the general public’s basic understanding of frivolity vs. the ultimate prize, would earn them a pass. Essentially, it has: I’ve seen way more soft-handed criticism than condemnation of the Capitals essentially putting their own interests ahead of the NHL’s. They shouldn’t, obviously. Even if they think it’s spending earned goodwill. It's a petty decision. The fans put him in the game, and the Capitals shouldn’t take him out days before the event for an injury he’s played with for months. It’s moves like this that have many questioning the All-Star Game’s future and purpose – and as Ken Campbell put it, have created an event of such reduced import that the John Scott campaign can happen unabated. But it also shows the NHL’s ability to “force” its stars to show up for the game is anemic. The Capitals and the Chicago Blackhawks are more than willing to trade a regular-season game for several days off. They’re not the first, nor the last. And that’s a problem for the event. And yet you have columnists like Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune torching the NHL for a policy that dares to attempt to keep its stars in the All-Star Game: The league instituted the rule several years ago because it feared players doing the right thing for the games that really matter instead of bowing to the league’s desperate attempt to make the most meaningless event important. Toews knows winning the Stanley Cup is important, not some cockamamie 3-on-3 shinny tourney. The NHL does not know that, and so, the NHL is suspending the best captain in the league for doing the right thing. Nice look, eh? You feel a little bad for Toews, in that he’s sick and still gets the suspension. But that’s the policy, as it’s been since 2008. It has to be enforced. Hell, if Nicklas Lidstrom can be suspended for no-showing the All-Star Game, Jonathan Toews can too. (One facet of this that never gets discussed: Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk would have avoided suspension had they just shown up and glad-handed some sponsors in Montreal back in 2009.) While I support the League’s policy, there’s something rotten about all of this. *** I really enjoy the All-Star Game, even in what’s admittedly its diminished capacity from how it played for me as a kid. The skills competition is one of my favorite things in sports. And when you’re on site for it, no matter the venue, it really does feel like a massive celebration of our silly League. But every new edition feels like a desperate attempt to reanimate a corpse; or, in perhaps less extreme terms, put some new paint on a termite-munched house. There's an All-Star Game the National Hockey League is putting on that has neither Sidney Crosby nor Alex Ovechkin playing in it, although both logically could. That doesn't feel right. When we’re on the fourth format change for the game since 1998; when the NHL can’t get all of its stars out to the All-Star Game; when players are willing to play 81 games in a season rather than spend a weekend doing public relations; when the fan vote has been diminished to the point of apathy; and when the fan vote generates a result that compels the NHL to bully a player out of the game … it just makes you wonder if it’s time for something different at the midpoint of the season. Because none of this feels right. Maybe the bye weeks that start next season build in the requisite rest and relaxation where players no longer feel the need to no-show the All-Star Game. Maybe the 3-on-3 format turns out to be a boon. I guess they're hope. Something has to change. Because an adversarial relationship between the stars and the All-Star Game is the last thing the fans want. No one likes to attend the party of a child being dragged kicking and screaming into the room because they're cranky and hate clowns. (I may nor may not have been that child.) -- Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK , is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Continue to Article

January 28, 2016 5:03:pm EST

A perfect four-game road trip has Nashville back in a playoff spot as they enter the All-Star break. Shea Weber's power-play goal in the second period stood up as the winner, helping the Predators to a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. The Predators, who opened the night one point out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference, finished a four-game trip 4-0-0, having also beaten Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. Continue to Article

January 28, 2016 1:47:am EST

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