Week 11 Fantasy Hockey Planner

The Fantasy Hockey Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every week, we provide you with top matchups, the latest news and give you the scoop on injured players.

Teams with four games: Carolina, Colorado, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Jose, St. Louis
Teams with three games: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Minnesota, N.Y. Islanders, N.Y. Rangers, Ottawa, Phoenix, Toronto, Washington
Teams with two games: Anaheim, Florida, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Vancouver

Fantasy Week 11 (Dec. 15-21)

Christmas is just around the corner, so the NHL is trying to squeeze in as many games as they can before taking off Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.

Eight teams are up for four games Week 11, while 16 teams play at least three games. Also, 18 teams have back-to-back slates.

Editors Note: Projections are for Dec. 15-21 games and all stats are through Thursday

This week's news and notes for each team:

Anaheim Ducks: Chris Kunitz has scored three times in five games and has two assists in that span. He also had his first two-goal effort since Feb. 15 ... Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere is 3-0 with a 1.91 GAA and .945 save percentage in his last four starts. He is finally starting to come around after a three-win November ... Rookie Bobby Ryan has been dropped to the team's fourth line with Ryan Carter and George Parros, but the trio has been clicking and could stay in that formation for a few games. Ryan is still seeing power-play time, so don't fret that he is on a lower line for the time being ... Speaking of Parros, he has already set a career-high for points with seven and is also sporting a favorable plus-9 rating. Still, he is best used in leagues that reward heavily for PIM.

Atlanta Thrashers: Rumors are running rampant that Thrashers GM Don Waddell is shopping star forward Ilya Kovalchuk, but he continues to deny any such reports. Kovalchuk is finally getting hot with two goals in his last two games and four in his last eight. He has 21 points in his last 17 games and is back to being a reliable high-end Fantasy option after a sluggish start ... It was believed Erik Christensen was on the bench for his poor play, but it finally came out that he has a shoulder injury. He hopes to play soon, but rookie Joey Crabb has been doing a fine job in his place, so Atlanta can take their time with Christensen ... Goalie Kari Lehtonen, who has been out since Oct. 31 with a back injury, has been practicing with the Thrashers and might return to action Week 11. However, he remains an injury-risk start until he is back on his feet and starting full time ... Defenseman Mathieu Schneider remains day-to-day with a nagging hamstring injury ... Forward Chris Thorburn has scored twice in his last four games and has three points in December ... Forward Bryan Little has scored once in his last six games, while Slava Kozlov has gone six games without a goal.

Boston Bruins: Center Patrice Bergeron is struggling to find the back of the net. He hasn't scored in eight games and has one goal in the last 16 outings. He was also an uncharacteristic 3-16 on faceoffs Wednesday against the Capitals. He has been playing through a bum shoulder, but perhaps it's time for Boston to sit him down. It's not like David Krejci can't pick up the slack ... Phil Kessel has a NHL-best 13-game point streak going. He has 17 points (six goals) in that span, and with the way he has played early in the season, should be getting some MVP consideration ... Center Marc Savard has no points in the last three games and no goals in the last eight. This might be as big a point slump we are going to see Savard endure this season ... Defenseman Aaron Ward feels he is ahead of schedule from a leg injury that has kept him out four games, but he is still on the day-to-day watch ... Marco Sturm has missed more time than expected with a neck injury, but he is back practicing ... Boston has three games Week 11 and all three of their opponents -- Carolina, Toronto, St. Louis -- have GAAs 3.00 or higher. Consider starting your Boston skaters.

Buffalo Sabres: Thomas Vanek scored twice Wednesday against the Lightning and it was the sixth time in 2008-09 he has accomplished that feat. He leads the NHL with 22 goals and is on pace for 63 tallies. Vanek is another early MVP candidate ... Right winger Jason Pominville notched a goal and two assists Wednesday for his third three-point night this season. He also picked up his 200th career NHL point on his empty-net shorthanded goal with 13 seconds remaining. He is still second on the team with 22 points, but the goal was his first score since Nov. 19 ... The Sabres face the Devils, Kings and Canadiens Week 11. All three teams have GAAs 2.75 or lower. It could be a tough week for the Sabres' skaters.

Calgary Flames: Todd Bertuzzi collected his 600th career point Wednesday against the Red Wings, but was at minus-2. He's now minus-14 on the season to go with his 20 points (seven goals), although he hasn't scored a goal in 17 games ... Matthew Lombardi also had a tough night against Detroit as he was eventually demoted from the second line to the fourth. He has no points in four games and hasn't been very explosive since returning from a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined a month ... Defenseman Dion Phaneuf leads the team with seven points in five December games, but all of them have been assists. He is 0-for-17 on shot attempts ... Forward David Moss is surprisingly leading the Flames with four goals in December and has scored seven times since Nov. 18 ... Daymond Langkow is struggling to open December with two points (one goal) in five games to go along with a minus-2 rating.

Carolina Hurricanes: Joe Corvo is the lone defenseman to play every game this season after Niclas Wallin went on the injured list with a leg injury. Too bad Corvo hasn't made it count with just 10 points and a plus-2 rating. He hasn't scored since Nov. 7 and has just three points in his last 15 games ... Goalie Cam Ward has been put on injured reserve and it doesn't appear he will be back in net for Week 11. Michael Leighton continues to start in his absence ... Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg came off injured reserve because of a leg injury, but did not play Thursday against the Flyers. But he is expected back on the ice shortly ... The Hurricanes play four games Week 11, but it's an intimidating slate with two games against the Canadiens, one against Boston and one against Florida. All three teams rank in the top 10 for defense. It could be a challenging week for Carolina's skaters ... Ray Whitney has five points during a four-game streak after going five games to end November without a point ... Sergei Samsonov has nine of his 12 points in the last 11 games ... Eric Staal has three goals in his last two games after going seven games without a score.

Chicago Blackhawks: Defenseman James Wisniewski, who hasn't played this season while recovering from offseason knee surgery, has been sent to the AHL for a conditioning stint. There is no word when he might be recalled since he is on a long-term injury exception loan ... Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin has returned from a lower-body injury after missing six games. Backup goalie Cristobal Huet did an admirable job in his place, which included a shutout Wednesday against the Senators, but Khabibulin has resumed his role as No. 1 goalie ... Chicago hits the road for three games Week 11. They rank 12th in road GFA (2.75), but are still being outscored 39-33 away from home ... Forward Andrew Ladd leads the team with seven points in December. Forward Jonathan Toews has a team-high four goals ... Forward Kris Versteeg missed one game during Week 10 serving a suspension for getting an instigator penalty. He is back in action and a safe start for Week 11.

Colorado Avalanche: First-line center Joe Sakic was already out of action with a back injury, but the news got even worse when he damaged three fingers in a snow blower incident. He is expected to miss the next three months and Paul Stastny will remain the team's top center in his absence ... Ben Guite (ribs), Darcy Tucker (knee) and Adam Foote (neck, knee) are all back on the ice, but it appears Foote is the closest to returning ... Forward Marek Svatos is day-to-day with a back injury ... The Avalanche's top line of Stastny, Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk has combined for eight goals and 14 assists in the last five games ... Cody McLeod scored twice Tuesday against the Kings. He has five goals in 28 games, but isn't expected to score a lot as a fourth liner. He is still best used in leagues that reward heavily for PIM ... 2006 first-round pick Chris Stewart had the first two points of his career in his third NHL game Tuesday. He is up with the team because of all the injuries suffered up front ... The Avalanche hit the road for four games Week 11. They rank 22nd in road GFA (2.33).

Columbus Blue Jackets: Defenseman Clay Wilson has been summoned from the minors to give Columbus' ailing offense a boost. He has seen time at the point on the power play and has been working as a forward. Wilson had 15 points (eight goals) in 23 games with Syracuse before his recall, but is not a big-time prospect ... Rookie forward Jakub Voracek was a healthy scratch Dec. 7 against the Ducks for the first time this season after getting just one goal and one assist in his previous 13 games. He returned to action Thursday against the Predators and scored the shootout winner, but he still played less than 10 minutes during the game. Coach Ken Hitchcock is trying to send a message ... Hitchcock is also trying to get defenseman Christian Backman's attention by making him a healthy scratch against Anaheim as well ... Rookie forward Derick Brassard ended a goal drought with a tally against the Ducks. It was his first goal since Nov. 14 ... Steve Mason has firmly entrenched himself as the Blue Jackets' top goalie, but with one back-to-back slate Week 11, we could see Pascal Leclaire in net for a start.

Dallas Stars: The Stars brass met Wednesday to discuss the fate of troubled forward Sean Avery. No immediate decision came down as a result, but Dallas could be quick to act as soon as Avery's NHL mandated six-game suspension ends Saturday against the Predators. For now, Avery remains a poor start heading into Week 11 ... Right winger Chris Conner had two assists Wednesday against the Coyotes, giving him the first multi-point game of his NHL career. He now has four assists in his last five games ... Fabian Brunnstrom added his eighth goal against the Coyotes. It was his second goal in four games, but just his fifth since having a hat trick in his NHL debut Oct. 15 ... Defenseman Sergei Zubov has been put on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury and is not a recommended start Week 11 ... Enforcer Steve Ott, who has been out since Nov. 24 with a hand injury, skated with his teammates Wednesday, but is still not expected back until January ... Forward Jere Lehtinen has skated with other injured teammates before practice, but still could be 2-3 weeks away from playing ... Forward Toby Petersen has five points (three goals) during a five-game point streak and is tied for the team lead with Mike Modano with four points in December.

Detroit Red Wings: Coach Mike Babcock hasn't made many lineup changes this season, but he decided to switch it up Wednesday against the Flames. Henrik Zetterberg played on a line with Marian Hossa and Daniel Cleary, while Johan Franzen moved up to the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom. On defense, Brad Stuart and Brian Rafalski swapped spots as Stuart was paired with Nicklas Lidstrom and Rafalski with Niklas Kronwall. Babcock isn't sure how long he will stick with this formation ... Cleary, primarily a third-line forward, is being rewarded for his hard play with top-six minutes and power-play time. He has two goals and six assists in his last six games since returning from an eye injury ... Defenseman Chris Chelios, who has been sidelined all season with a leg injury, is ready to be recalled from the minors and make his season debut. Still, he isn't expected to be much more than a lower-pairing defender ... Center Valtteri Filppula has five points in his last three games (two goals). He is making a concerted effort to shoot the puck more after trying to be more of a playmaker ... Detroit is home for three games Week 11. They rank third in home GFA (3.85), so consider starting your Detroit skaters.

Edmonton Oilers: Ales Hemsky continues to skate circles around the opposition with four goals and seven assists during his last nine games ... Sam Gagner returned to the lineup Thursday against Florida after missing two games with a concussion. He appeared on the fourth line as Edmonton tries to ease him back up to the top six ... Forward Robert Nilsson has been placed on IR with a shoulder injury. He is due back in mid-December, but there is no official date for his return ... Goalie Mathieu Garon has started three of the last four games in net for Edmonton and is flashing a hot hand. Here we go again with the goalie carousel in Edmonton. Garon seems like the safer start Week 11, but we have no idea what coach Craig MacTavish is thinking since he hasn't treated Dwayne Roloson as a No. 1 goalie since giving him that title in late November ... Forward Andrew Cogliano has scored three times in six games ... Rookie forward Rob Schremp has three assists in his first four games since a recall from the AHL.

Florida Panthers: Coach Peter DeBoer has had forwards David Booth (shoulder), Cory Stillman (concussion) and Nathan Horton (leg) practicing in full recently, but he is not yet ready to clear them for action. If they don't play Sunday against the Canucks, then they are considered risky starts Week 11 ... DeBoer has come out publicly and named Craig Anderson the team's starting goalie, even adding that he gave Tomas Vokoun his chance to begin the season and didn't perform up to standards. It might be a while until Vokoun gets another shot at the starter's job, but is still worth holding onto in larger Fantasy formats ... Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester continues to remain mum on his looming free agency in the offseason and it hasn't distracted him much on the ice lately. He had four goals and nine assists in his past 14 games ... Center Stephen Weiss has three goals in his past six games ... Center Gregory Campbell has four goals and four assists in his past nine games ... Forward Anthony Stewart hasn't recorded a point in his past 16 games ... Center Kamil Kreps hasn't recorded a point since Nov. 1 ... Forward Michal Repik scored a goal in his NHL debut Dec. 8 against the Senators. He was a second-round pick in 2007.

Los Angeles Kings: Coach Terry Murray shook up his lineup Thursday against the Blues. He pushed Teddy Purcell to the top line with Anze Kopitar and Patrick O'Sullivan. Dustin Brown was dropped to the second line with Jarrett Stoll and Kyle Calder. Murray also switched up his defensive pairings, putting Kyle Quincey in the top set with Drew Doughty. Sean O'Donnell was dropped to the second pairing with Matt Greene. The move seemed to pay off as Brown had his first career hat trick after failed to score on a team-high 26 shots in December coming into the game. The Kings won 6-2... Murray continues to trade starts with Jason LaBarbera and Erik Ersberg. With four games Week 11, both players could start twice ... Alexander Frolov has been Los Angeles' best skater in recent weeks. He has seven goals and three assists in his last 10 games ... Forward Oscar Moller has accounted for four points in six December games after producing just five in 12 November games ... Anze Kopitar is tied with Frolov for a team-high six points in December. He scored twice Thursday and has four goals in his last four games.

Minnesota Wild: Troubled forward Marian Gaborik (lower body) has practiced with the team recently, but not much has been said outside of the fact he will not accompany the team on a road trip that ends Sunday against the Ducks. Gaborik might return to action at some point in Week 11, but he is still far too risky of a start ... Owen Nolan is still sitting in the press box as he recovers from a lower-body injury ... Minnesota has three games Week 11 and all three are against opponents -- Calgary, N.Y. Islanders, St. Louis -- that rank in the bottom 10 for defense. Consider starting your Minnesota skaters despite a recent offensive funk (two goals in three games) ... Mikko Koivu has eight goals and seven assists in his last 12 games ... Pierre-Marc Bouchard has four points in five December games.

Montreal Canadiens: Starting goalie Carey Price missed Saturday's start against the Capitals because of the flu, but it is not an ailment that is expected to sideline him for long. He is still a decent start for Week 11, while Jaroslav Halak remains a player best left for leagues that use average points per game ... Top-line center Saku Koivu is nursing an undisclosed lower-body injury. Ben Maxwell was recalled from Hamilton (AHL) to start in Koivu's place Saturday as Montreal awaits the results of a MRI. Koivu has to be considered a risky start Week 11 ... Christopher Higgins (upper body) is also awaiting MRI results, but is expected to miss at least a week ... Defenseman Mathieu Dandenault is out at least six weeks following surgery to repair a broken arm ... Right wing Alexei Kovalev's goal drought extended to 18 games Thursday against the Lightning, but he did pick up an assist and has six helpers in his last five games ... Defenseman Andrei Markov has three goals and five assists during a six-game point streak. He leads the team with 24 points ... Montreal is up for four games Week 11 with three home contests. The Canadiens are averaging just 2.62 goals per game at home, but face Carolina (twice), Buffalo and Philadelphia. All three teams have GAAs 2.82 or higher.

Nashville Predators: Coach Barry Trotz isn't stirring up a goalie controversy in Nashville, but backup Pekka Rinne has started five of the last eight games over Dan Ellis. Rinne could be the future in net for Nashville, but Ellis is still the De facto No. 1 goalie. With two games for Nashville Week 11, neither player is a recommend start ... Enforcer Jordin Tootoo is nursing a lower-body injury, but he isn't expected to miss much time and is a low-risk start Week 11 ... Martin Erat ended a 12-game goal drought with a score Thursday against the Blue Jackets. He has two points in his last two games after getting in the previous four ... Forward J.P. Dumont leads the team with six points and three goals in six December games.

New Jersey Devils: Goalie Scott Clemmensen continues to shine in the absence of Martin Brodeur (elbow). He has started six straight games and nine of 10. He is 7-1-0 in his last eight. Poor Kevin Weekes ... Forward Jay Pandolfo hasn't scored a goal in his last 13 games ... Defenseman Andy Greene has missed 16 games with a broken hand, but has been cleared for full practice and is getting into game shape ... The Devils are up for four games Week 11. They face three teams -- Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Toronto -- with GAAs 2.82 or higher. Consider starting your New Jersey skaters ... Zach Parise has found his scoring touch again with a goal in three straight games. It is the fourth time this season he has scored in at least two straight games ... Patrik Elias is tied with Parise for the team lead of three goals in December ... Forward Jamie Langenbrunner has totaled nine points in his last seven games.

N.Y. Islanders: Injured goalie Rick DiPietro (knee) has resumed skating in full equipment and is targeting a Christmas return to the lineup. He had knee surgery in late October. DiPietro, who needs medical clearance to return to practice, has undergone surgeries on both knees and both hips in the past 18 months. He has appeared in just three games this season, going 0-2 with a 3.91 GAA. He is expected to resume full-time starting duties once healthy ... Center Doug Weight extended his point streak to five games (one goal, four assists) with an assist in a 9-2 loss Thursday in Pittsburgh and moved within five points of 1,000 for his NHL career ... Defenseman Mark Streit is tied with Capitals defenseman Mike Green for the NHL lead in power-play goals by defensemen with seven ... New York has lost five straight games and has been outscored 27-10.

N.Y. Rangers: Free-agent center Mats Sundin has talked with the Rangers about possibly joining their roster when he is ready to come out of semi-retirement. However, New York will have to get creative with their roster in order to free up salary-cap space. Sundin has reportedly also has drawn interest from Vancouver, Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia and Ottawa ... One possibility for the Rangers is finding someway to dump forward Petr Prucha, who draws $1.6 million in salary ... Defenseman Wade Redden dodged a real bullet after missing just one game with a groin injury. He had three assists in his first game back Wednesday against the Thrashers. He still hasn’t scored since Oct. 10 ... New York is on the road for three games Week 11. The Rangers rank 10th in road GFA, but they face Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles in the upcoming scoring period. All three teams have top 15 defenses ... Seven Rangers have scored one goal in December, but no one has managed two in the first four games.

Ottawa Senators: Mike Fisher, who has just three goals on the season, hasn't scored since Nov. 27. He has had 26 shots on goal in the five games since ... Defenseman Christoph Schubert, who has been a healthy scratch nine times, is rumored to be on the trading block ... Enforcer Chris Neil has been mixing it up as of late with three fights in his last five games ... Jason Spezza has five goals in four December games ... The Senators have one back-to-back slate Week 11, so Martin Gerber might be able to steal a start from Alex Auld.

Philadelphia Flyers: Goalie Martin Biron has gone 7-1-3 in his last 11 starts with a 2.51 GAA and .917 save percentage. However, he's allowed three or more goals in each of his last seven starts and is still getting careless with the puck at times. He is not in jeopardy of losing his starting status, but coach John Stevens is aware of the issues ... Forward Scott Hartnell had his second short-handed goal Thursday against the Hurricanes. Philadelphia has had 12 short-handed scores this season ... Center Jeff Carter has scored four times in the last five games ... Center Mike Richards has a five-game point streak with five goals and three assists in that span ... Defenseman Randy Jones is expecting to return Week 11 after being sidelined since the preseason following hip surgery ... Philadelphia has four games Week 11 with one back-to-back. We should see Antero Niittymaki in net for one start.

Phoenix Coyotes: Phoenix opted to send rookie forward Kevin Porter to San Antonio of the AHL Friday. The 22-year-old forward had 10 points (five goals) in 25 games. Porter is a standout from Michigan and 2008 Hobey Baker winner (NCAA's top player), but it's clear he needs more seasoning in the minors ... The Coyotes are up for three games Week 11 with all three against opponents that rank in the bottom 10 in defense -- Nashville, Dallas and Columbus. Consider starting your Phoenix skaters ... Olli Jokinen has been a great spark for Phoenix since returning from a shoulder injury Wednesday that kept him sidelined six games. He has scored three times since returning to the lineup and Phoenix has won both games. It's safe to activate Jokinen for Week 11 ... Daniel Winnik remains in coach Wayne Gretzky's doghouse as he has been a healthy scratch since Jokinen has returned ... Steve Reinprecht leads Phoenix with seven points in six December games. Martin Hanzal is the high scorer with six goals ... Defensemen Ed Jovanovski and Zbynek Michalek are coming around with six and five points respectively in December.

Pittsburgh Penguins: He's back! Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who has been sidelined since Nov. 15 with an undisclosed injury, is ready for game action. He might not start Saturday against the Flyers, but will be available. That means it's safe to activate him for Week 11. Fleury will resume his role as starting goalie and Dany Sabourin will return to being a backup ... Defenseman Philippe Boucher was back in action Thursday against the Islanders after missing two weeks with an undisclosed ailment. He tallied his first point in six games with Pittsburgh on a first-period goal ... Both forward Petr Sykora and Pascal Dupuis netted hat trick against the Islanders. It was the first time since 1993 that happened for Pittsburgh. Mario Lemieux and Joe Mullen pulled off the feat against New York's other team -- the Rangers ... Center Sidney Crosby has 44 points through 29 games. It is his second-best start through as many games. He had 52 points through 29 games in 2006-07, when he won the scoring title with 120 points ... Center Evgeni Malkin has 49 points through 29 games -- the best start of his career. He had 34 points through as many games last season, when he finished second in the NHL with 106 points ... No further word yet on injured defenseman Ryan Whitney (foot), so expect to keep him reserved Week 11.

San Jose Sharks: Right wing Jonathan Cheechoo continues to rehab an upper-body injury that has caused him to miss five games. Cheechoo has practiced with his teammates for three straight days, but still remains day-to-day ... Goalie Evgeni Nabokov had his first shutout of the season Thursday against the Ducks. It's a bit odd seeing how he has a 2.40 GAA and .905 save percentage, but Nabokov has allowed two or fewer goals 12 times this season ... Devin Setoguchi leads the team with 14 goals as Patrick Marleau is close on his heels with 13 ... Joe Thornton leads the team with six points in four December games and Marc-Edouard is tied with Marleau for second on the team with five ... San Jose has four games Week 11 with three on the road. They rank atop the league in road GFA (3.55). Consider starting your San Jose skaters.

St. Louis Blues: Goalie Manny Legace is back on injured reserve after sustaining a concussion Wednesday against the Ducks. He is expected to miss at least a week, if not longer. Chris Mason will start in his absence and be backed up by Ben Bishop ... The Blues are up for four games Week 11 with three contests at home. St. Louis is 13th in home GFA -- averaging 3.14 goals. Consider starting your St. Louis skaters ... Brad Boyes leads the team with eight points in six December games, while rookie Patrik Berglund is on his heels with seven. B.J. Crombeen is the top goal scorer with five ... Rookie forward T.J. Oshie continues to sit idle with a nagging ankle injury. He is a risky start Week 11.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Ryan Malone has missed four games with an undisclosed upper-body injury and there is still no word on a return date. He is a risky start Week 11 ... Forward Martin St. Louis recorded the 27th multi-goal game of his career Thursday against Montreal. He has been as red hot as any Lightning with eight points (five goals) during a six-game streak. He has 19 points in his last 20 games.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Defenseman Mike Van Ryn jumped back onto the ice Friday against the Sabres after missing more than a month with facial injuries ... Niklas Hagman is still day-to-day with a concussion ... Coach Ron Wilson recently said rookie defenseman Luke Schenn, who is out until later December with a leg injury, is the team's best defender. While that's encouraging news for the rookie, it doesn't help Fantasy owners much if he isn't being aggressive on offense ... Defenseman Ian White picked up his first point in nine games Monday with a goal against the Islanders. White has struggled offensively since moving back to defense after beginning his season as a forward ... Jason Blake is the only Toronto player with more than three points in December as he has a pair of one-goal, two-assist games in five outings ... Toronto has three games Week 11 against top 11 defenses -- New Jersey, Boston and Pittsburgh. Consider benching your Toronto skaters.

Vancouver Canucks: Perhaps it was too good to be true. Goalie Roberto Luongo was making a faster than expected recovery from a groin injury sustained Nov. 22 and was slated to rejoin the team Saturday against the Oilers. But he suffered a setback during practice Thursday and could be back on a week-to-week basis. If Luongo doesn't dress as expected Saturday, then he needs to remain on your bench heading into Week 11 ... Both forward Daniel Sedin (one goal, five assists) and defenseman Kevin Bieksa (two goals, three assists) are on five-game point streaks ... Defenseman Sami Salo remains day-to-day with a groin injury. He doesn't consider the injury serious, but this is the third time he has been sidelined this season and 31st time in his career.

Washington Capitals: The Capitals are starting to get some of their injured players back as Alexander Semin and Tom Poti returned Wednesday against the Bruins, and defenseman Mike Green and forward Sergei Fedorov were back Friday against the Senators ... One player that went on the injured list was starting goalie Jose Theodore. He injured his hip during Friday's morning skate and was replaced in net by Brent Johnson, who overcame his own hip ailment. 2006 first-round pick Simeon Varlamov was summoned from the AHL to backup Johnson, who might be a stopgap option Week 11 if Theodore is not recovered in time ... Viktor Kozlov has five points (two goals) in five December games and rookie defenseman Karl Alzner has also been streaking with three points (one goal) in five games. They still trail Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom as they lead the team with seven and six points respectively ... Washington has games against the Flyers, Blues and Islanders Week 11. All three teams have GAAs 3.00 or higher, so consider starting your Washington skaters.

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