The Fantasy Hockey Weekly 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.
Projections are for Jan. 28-Feb. 3 games and all stats are through Saturday.
Teams with four games: Montreal and N.Y. Rangers
Teams with three games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Jersey, N.Y. Islanders, Ottawa, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington
Teams with two games: Calgary, Chicago, Edmonton and Minnesota
Teams with three home games: Montreal, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay
Teams with three away games: Anaheim, Buffalo, Dallas, Los Angeles and Phoenix
Teams with four away games: N.Y. Rangers
Teams with back-to-back games in the upcoming scoring period, which means that a backup goalie might start one of the two contests: Anaheim, Atlanta, Buffalo, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, New Jersey, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Jose and St. Louis
On tap: Week 18 brings us 11 nationally televised games in either the United States or Canada: Buffalo at Tampa Bay (U.S.) on Tuesday; San Jose at Edmonton (U.S.) on Tuesday; Pittsburgh at Atlanta (CAN) on Wednesday; Anaheim at Minnesota (U.S.) on Wednesday; San Jose at Calgary (CAN) on Wednesday; Chicago at Colorado (U.S.) on Wednesday; Colorado at Detroit (CAN) on Friday; N.Y. Islanders at Montreal (CAN) on Saturday; Ottawa at Toronto (CAN) on Saturday; Dallas at Calgary (CAN) on Saturday; and N.Y. Rangers at Montreal (U.S.) on Sunday.
| F A N T A S Y S P I N S |
The Ducks could be weeks, perhaps days, away from receiving a belated Christmas present. Reports have surfaced that Teemu Selanne is expected to re-emerge from semi-retirement to rejoin the Ducks. Anaheim, third in the Pacific Division, received a lineup boost when Scott Niedermayer came out of hiding in mid-December. If the Ducks can add an explosive forward like Selanne, who managed 94 points (48 goals) and a plus-26 rating last season, a Stanley Cup repeat is doable. Selanne told the Los Angeles Times there's a "very good chance" he'll play this season, so Fantasy owners might want to take a flier on him before it's too late. ... The Lightning went into the All-Star break on the wrong end of an 8-4 shellacking by the Senators. However, it was not all bad news for Tampa Bay. Top defenseman Dan Boyle played in his first game since undergoing a second surgery in early November to repair damaged tendons in his left wrist. Boyle was the unfortunate recipient of a freak accident that involved a skate falling out of his locker and cutting into his wrist. He didn't take to the ice until late October, but in just four games, Boyle and the Lightning sensed something was amiss. It was discovered that the first surgery didn't take and it was back under the knife for Boyle. Lightning fans and Fantasy owners were crushed. Well, it's time to turn those frowns upside down. Boyle scored twice in his return to the ice Jan. 24 and looked like his old self. It's time for Fantasy owners to jump back on the Boyle bandwagon. ... One of the feel good stories of the 2007-08 season comes via Ilya Bryzgalov. Stuck behind Jean-Sebastien Gigure in Anaheim and going nowhere fast, the Ducks made a surprising move in mid-November and waived the talented Bryzgalov after they couldn't trade him. The Ducks threw out the winning lottery ticket and the Phoenix Coyotes cashed in, as did the 27-year-old Russian. Bryzgalov inked a three-year deal worth more than $12 million before the All-Star break. Bryzgalov is 18-13-3 with a 2.38 GAA this season, but is 16-10-2 with a 2.33 GAA since joining Phoenix on Nov. 17. He has given a franchise buried in the cellar of the Western Conference an outside shot at the playoffs. Phoenix heads into the second half just three points out of a playoff spot. Bryzgalov has turned the Coyotes into a playoff contender and has developed into a solid No. 2 Fantasy goalie in the process. ... Let's stay out in the desert and talk about the impending return of Coyotes rookie LW Daniel Carcillo. The 23-year-old has been assigned to San Antonio of the AHL for conditioning purposes. Carcillo has been out since Dec. 20 after injuring his leg in a scrum with Sharks forward Jeremy Roenick. Carcillo was making quite a name for himself as one of the league's top enforcers before his injury. Don't expect that to change upon his return. He has exceptional skill as an offensive contributor for an enforcer, but make no bones about it, his Fantasy value still lies in leagues that reward heavily for penalty minutes. ... In case you missed it, the Flyers recalled one of their top enforcers -- Jesse Boulerice -- on Jan. 24. Boulerice made headlines earlier in the season when he was suspended 25 games for a nasty cross-check to the face of Ryan Kesler. Boulerice didn't resume his hockey career until Dec. 27 when he took the ice for the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL). In 14 games with the Phantoms, he scored two goals and added three assists. He spent 37 minutes in the penalty box that included five major penalties for fighting. He is still up to his roughhousing ways, but will have to be careful as the NHL will be watching his play very closely.
Three Stars of the Week
Alex Ovechkin, LW, WSH: Daniel Alfredsson came very close to nabbing the honors with his seven-point performance against the Lightning right before the All-Star break, but Ovechkin has been more consistent as of late. He scored in seven of the nine games leading up to the break and is on a seven-game points streak (seven goals, six assists). Signing that huge contract has only further motivated him.
Ryan Suter, D, NSH: The third-year defenseman deserves some props for his inspired play. Benched for two games in early January by head coach Barry Trotz for his sluggish play, Suter returned to the lineup Jan. 13 and has at least one assist in five of seven games. He headed into the All-Star break on a four-game points streak (five assists).
Pascal Leclaire, G, CLB: Leclaire wrapped up the first half with a shutout performance against Chicago. Leclaire has actually been playing well throughout January. He is 6-2-0 with a 2.18 GAA, and all six of his wins have come in his last seven appearances. He hasn't looked this good since opening the season 6-2-0 with a 1.25 GAA and four shutouts in eight October games.
| F I V E T E A M S W I T H F A V O R A B L E M A T C H U P S | |||||||
| The following five teams have the best matchups for the upcoming week. That doesn't necessarily mean they will post the best Fantasy stats, but if you're looking for a one-week start or are trying to make a difficult decision between two players to use, lean toward players from these teams: | |||||||
| Team | 1/28 | 1/29 | 1/30 | 1/31 | 2/1 | 2/2 | 2/3 |
| New Jersey Devils | -- | PIT | -- | -- | NYR | LA | -- |
| The Devils are 14-8-0 at home and won't have to leave the Prudential Center during Fantasy Week 18. Goalie Martin Brodeur leads a defensive charge that ranks fifth in goals against average (2.18) at home. The Penguins have no problems scoring on the road (2.67 GFA), but both the Rangers (2.39 GFA) and the Kings (2.23) rank in the bottom 10 when it comes to scoring in unfamiliar rinks. | |||||||
| Atlanta Thrashers | -- | -- | PIT | -- | BUF | @WAS | -- |
| Atlanta might not be consistent with its scoring efforts, but with Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa leading the attack, the Thrashers are in good hands heading into Fantasy Week 18. Pittsburgh lost twice entering the break and allowed 10 goals in the process. The Sabres are allowing a shocking 2.79 goals per game this season, and while Washington is an offensive juggernaut (2.90 GFA), they fall short on defense (3.08 GAA). Atlanta could be in a real shootout with Washington at week's end. | |||||||
| Washington Capitals | -- | @MON | -- | MON | -- | ATL | -- |
| Speaking of high-scoring affairs, it could be a very good stretch for Washington skaters. They begin the week with a pair of contests against the Canadiens. Montreal pours in 3.08 goals per game because they allow 2.67 per contest. Washington has faced Montreal twice this season and has scored seven goals. The Capitals have been one of the best offensive teams in 2008 by averaging 3.73 goals in 11 January games. | |||||||
| Buffalo Sabres | -- | @TB | @FLA | -- | @ATL | -- | -- |
| The Sabres usually don't score a lot on the road (2.35 GFA), but this is the week they might break the curse. They face the two worst ranked teams -- Atlanta and Tampa Bay -- in goals against average. Also, they have had success this season against all three teams. Florida is allowing 3.00 GAA against Buffalo; Tampa Bay is at 4.00 GAA; and Atlanta is at 6.00 GAA after allowing 18 goals in three contests. | |||||||
| Montreal Canadiens | -- | WAS | -- | @WAS | -- | NYI | NYR |
| Montreal is one of two teams during Fantasy Week 18 to play four games. The only real threat to Montreal is the Rangers, who have allowed just four goals in two games against the Canadiens this season. Montreal has sent home nine goals in two games against Washington and seven in two games against the Islanders. Also, Montreal has scored 68 times in 22 home games (3.09 GFA). | |||||||
| F I V E T E A M S W I T H P O O R M A T C H U P S | |||||||
| The following five teams have the worst matchups for the upcoming week. That doesn't necessarily mean you should reserve every player from these teams, but try to avoid less-heralded performers from these squads if you have a better alternative: | |||||||
| Team | 1/28 | 1/29 | 1/30 | 1/31 | 2/1 | 2/2 | 2/3 |
| Ottawa Senators | -- | @NYI | -- | BOS | -- | @TOR | -- |
| The loss of Dany Heatley (shoulder) has had a dramatic impact on Ottawa. They lost five of seven heading into the All-Star break. The fact that Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson weren't at 100 percent wasn't helping. Now they enter a stretch of games against teams they have struggled against offensively this season. Ottawa has scored seven goals in three games against Boston and they've scored eight goals in three games against the Islanders. Relief might only come toward the end of the week against Toronto, a team Ottawa has scored 12 goals against in four games. | |||||||
| Chicago Blackhawks | -- | -- | @COL | -- | -- | @SJ | -- |
| The Blackhawks are .500 on the road, but struggle to score goals. They rank 27th in goals for average on the road (2.30). Throw in the fact that Colorado and San Jose both play great defense at home (tied for 12th with 2.54 GAA), Chicago might not have such a welcoming West Coast road trip. | |||||||
| Edmonton Oilers | -- | SJ | -- | -- | DAL | -- | -- |
| Simple: Edmonton ranks 28th in offense (2.46 GFA), and both San Jose (2.33 GAA) and Dallas (2.57 GAA) have top 10 defenses. Oilers fans might want to stay away from the rink this week. | |||||||
| Los Angeles Kings | -- | @PHI | -- | @NYI | -- | @NJ | -- |
| The worst road scoring team (2.23 GFA) in the NHL hits the pavement for three away games during Fantasy Week 18. They could be mentally and physically spent by the time they roll into New Jersey. | |||||||
| Tampa Bay Lightning | -- | BUF | -- | VAN | -- | FLA | -- |
| The Lightning hold a slight edge in the win column (13-11-2) at the St. Pete Times Forum, but they have to fight for each home win. They score 3.08 goals per home game, but also allow 3.04 goals per home contest. Buffalo (4.00 GFA) and Florida (3.00 GFA) have both had success against Tampa in 2007-08. | |||||||
F A N T A S Y O V E R T I M E
I'm in the stages of building up my team for next year, and have some concerns with my goaltending. Who would you choose if you had a choice on the Philadelphia goalies: Martin Biron or Antero Niittymaki? It is a keeper league, but I have limited spots and would only like to carry one of these guys. --Kevin Martyn, Airdrie, Alta, Canada
MH: It's extremely tricky in keeper leagues to hold onto fringe goaltenders like Biron and Niittymaki. Neither guy has established himself as a dominant goalie and both have proven to be very streaky. Biron had some solid moments earlier in his career with Buffalo, but wasn't consistent enough to hold off Ryan Miller. He started strong in 2007-08 with a 7-2-0 record and 1.78 GAA in nine October appearances, but struggled in November and December and lost starts to Niittymaki. While Niittymaki is 5-1-1 in January, he has a 2.73 GAA. Don't forget, this is the same guy that was 9-29-9 with a 3.38 GAA last season. Niittymaki is the younger goaltender, but if I had to choose, I would keep Biron because he has the slightly better track record. Since 2001, Biron has won 101 of 253 appearances.
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