The weather is starting to turn cool (well at least in some parts of Canada it is) and Fantasy owners who are not interested in that game with the goal posts and pigskins are starting to think about pucks. We are just a few days away from the opening of training camp, as 29 teams try and unseat the Anaheim Ducks as champions.

The offseason brought us a ton of transactions, with some significant players changing zip codes. The team that looks to be on the verge of a huge upward movement in the standings is in the same vicinity as the champs. The Los Angeles Kings significantly upgraded their roster, bringing in a plethora of veteran talent to join their impressive collection of youngsters. While they lost D Jamie Heward and C Jamie Lundmark to Europe, they replaced them with G Jean-Sebastien Aubin, LWs Kyle Calder and Ladislav Nagy, C Michal Handzus and Ds Tom Preissing and Brad Stuart.

While the additions might not necessarily be household names, they are solid veterans who understand their roles and will work in concert with youngsters such as Michael Cammalleri, Alexander Frolov, Anze Kopitar and Patrick O'Sullivan. Don't forget about Lauri Tukonen, either, who is another first-round pick on the verge of a significant role with the Kings.

So what does all of this mean from a Fantasy perspective? Well, veterans like Rob Blake and Lubomir Visnovsky are likely going to improve dramatically in the plus/minus category. While Visnovsky wasn't that bad at plus-1, all things considered, Blake's minus-26 was just downright awful. The terrible rating is not all his fault, as he did not exactly have NHL-caliber goaltending behind him most nights. While he still brings it in the hits department, he seems to have lost a step defensively. He can be beaten in 1-on-1 situations, where before that was unthinkable. However, he should be back among the top Fantasy defensemen in the league, especially because his offense remains fairly strong. Visnovsky is also one of the most underrated offensive rearguards in the game.

So you like prospects?

We're not going to go bananas on long-term keeper prospects who are years away from making a splash in the NHL. There is plenty of time for that during the season, especially when owners in dynasty leagues re-adjust their goals and start looking towards next year. We'll cover keeper prospects at a later date.

However, the three prospects we will look at here are those that should make an immediate impact for Fantasy owners:

1) Nicklas Backstrom, C, Washington -- Don't confuse this hulking Swede with the goaltender (Niklas Backstrom) from the Minnesota Wild. This kid has a great nose for the goal and will likely wind up on the team's second line skating with the likes of Alexander Semin. He might see time on the top scoring line with Alex Ovechkin if anything happens to free agent acquisition Michael Nylander. Where to target Backstrom: Look in Rounds 5 through 7 in seasonal leagues and Rounds 1 or 2 in keeper formats.

2) Jonathan Toews, C-LW, Chicago -- Toews has plenty of experience representing his country, Canada, in tournament play and with the University of North Dakota. He has tremendous size for a youngster and a powerful wrist shot that has to have Blackhawks fans salivating. With tremendous players such as Toews and the No. 1 pick overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in Patrick Kane, the future is looking bright in the Windy City. Where to target Toews: Look in Rounds 6 through 8 in seasonal leagues and Rounds 2 or 3 in keeper formats.

3) Rob Schremp, RW-C, Edmonton -- Schremp is just one year removed from a ridiculous 145-point campaign for the London Knights of the OHL in the junior ranks. He appeared in one game last year for the Oilers, going scoreless in that late-season contest. Schremp continues to progress and the Oilers continue to get younger and younger, making his days of becoming a Fantasy impact player on the immediate horizon. With a strong training camp and preseason, not only can Schremp earn a roster spot, but he should be in line for a significant role. Add to the fact veteran Fernando Pisani is out indefinitely with colitis and his chances are even better. Where to target Schremp: Look in Rounds 8 through 10 in seasonal leagues and Rounds 2 through 4 in keeper formats.

Others worth keeping an eye on: RW Igor Grigorenko, Detroit, D Erik Johnson, St. Louis, RW Bobby Ryan, Anaheim

Dollars and sense

How many times have you served as the commissioner of your Fantasy league, chased after your owners for the money and then spent it some time during the season? Then, the Fantasy playoffs come around, the championship is over and it is time to pay your league champ, assuming it is not yourself, and you're broke. This happens over and over again to commissioners and there is a simple solution that can keep you out of financial ruin at season's end and even knock off a few dollars for your entry fee.

Over the past few years, I've taken my $100 entry fee and that of my 11 fellow owners and deposited it into the bank. I take that $1,200 and invest it in a six-month certificate of deposit at 4.59 percent at my credit union. The interest will net you $28, which is not tremendous. However, wouldn't you rather pay 28 percent less to be in the league and have the same chance as the others paying the whole $100? Not only does it save you a few dollars, but it also assures that the money will be ready for payout without delay at the end of the season, which is roughly the same length as the terms of your certificate.

Mailbag

Jeffrey Norman, Winnipeg, MB, Canada: Daniel, I have a bit of a quandary, as our keepers are due in two weeks and I have a bunch of killer prospects. Which player between Luc Bourdon, Jack Skille and Ty Wishart?

D.E.D.: Wow, your team is stacked with three players who might be All-Star players by the year 2010. For now, I think that Skille has the best chance at making an immediate impact for your team, as he plays in an organization that's a little more patient with developing young players. Bourdon in Vancouver and Wishart in San Jose might be able to see meaningful time at the NHL level this season, but I believe Skille has the best chance to make the most significant impact. That's quite an eye for talent that you have, however. You might be able to re-acquire at least one in your draft, too.

You can e-mail your Fantasy Hockey questions to DMFantasyPucks@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Fantasy Hockey in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state/province. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.