Marek Zidlicky

Zidlicky will draw back into the lineup Friday in Florida, Arthur Staple of Newsday reports.

Zidlicky will replace the injured Ryan Pulock (upper body) who will be out 1-2 weeks. What Zidlicky lacks in size he can make up for in speed. His play this season has been inconsistent at best but at this point in the playoffs coach Jack Capuano has decided to go with the experience in Zidlicky rather than the youth of Adam Pelech.

Zidlicky (upper body) will return to the lineup Saturday night against the Penguins, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.

Zidlicky has missed the past 13 games with the upper-body ailment. At 39 years old, Zidlicky is no spring chicken, and he's not nearly as mobile as he used to be. Still, he could be a decent spot play in deep leagues since he does average close to two minutes per game on the man advantage and knows the game well.

Zidlicky (upper body) will be "out a little while" according to coach Jack Capuano, which rules him out for Saturday's tilt with Boston, Arthur Staple of Newsday reports.

Without a definitive timeline to return, it is unclear when Zidlicky will be ready to return. The Islanders play three games in the next four days, meaning the blueliner could be out at least another week. Having registered 15 points in 49 contests this season, the veteran does offer mid-range fantasy value, but has gone without a point in his last five matchups.

Zidlicky (upper body) won't play Wednesday against the Maple Leafs, Newsday's Arthur Staple reports.

Zidlicky has been a solid defender for the Islanders this season, posting a plus-4 rating over 49 games, but shouldn't be owned in the vast majority of fantasy leagues, as he's tallied just 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) and 43 shots on goal over that span. The 39-year-old blueliner will hope to return to action Saturday against the Bruins.

Zidlicky will miss Tuesday's matchup with the Penguins with an upper-body injury.

Zidlicky has been in and out of the lineup all season due to injuries and depth on the Islanders blue line. Additionally, the veteran's inability to score with consistency, he's tallied a paltry two points in his last 10 outings, has led to coach Jack Capuano searching for different combinations at defense. It remains unclear if the 39-year-old will be cleared for action Wednesday when the team travels to Toronto.

Zidlicky will be in the lineup Tuesday night against the visiting Blue Jackets.

Zidlicky has missed seven games this season with Islanders coach Jack Capuano occasionally parking him on the bench. Scott Mayfield is the only other Isles blueliner that is healthy and has a right-handed shot, but he'll reportedly draw out of the lineup in favor of Zidlicky on Tuesday.

Last Week's Top 5

Nick Leddy, NYI: With Johnny Boychuk (upper body) out 4-to-6 weeks, Leddy has picked up the slack, posting a goal and five assists over a five-game point streak. The Islanders have allowed 10 goals in their past two games, which is what happens when you lose a top-four defender in Boychuk, but if Leddy can chip in offensively, they'll have a chance to outscore the opposition.

Matt Niskanen, WSH: The Caps have allowed nine goals in their past two games, both losses to underdog teams, but it could've been even worse without Niskanen. The veteran is on a three-game point streak and played 32:04 and 28:25 in the two losses, also recording six shots and five hits. His workload increased thanks to minor league call-ups Aaron Ness and Connor Carrick getting less than 10 minutes from Barry Trotz.

Jack Johnson, CLB: Johnson went plus-1 in an impressive 6-3 win over Dallas, then added two power-play goals and an assist in a 5-4 win over Washington on Saturday. Sergei Bobrovsky is back on injured reserve after again aggravating his groin injury, which likely spells the end of the Jackets' playoff hopes and continued disastrous plus-minus for Johnson, but the 28-year-old should still be playing big minutes and contributing on the power play.

Mattias Ekholm, NSH: He had a stinker in a 5-1 loss to Dallas that saw him finish with a minus-3 rating, but Ekholm bounced right back the following game, picking up an assist and scoring the overtime winner against Carolina. He gets overlooked on a team that also has Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Seth Jones and Ryan Ellis, but Ekholm's a very solid player in his own right who's tallied 14 points on the season. It's worth mentioning that the Predators' defense has managed to stay astonishingly healthy -- Ryan Ellis and Barret Jackman have missed one game each.

Jake Gardiner, TOR: He registered his 100th career point this past week, and picked up a goal and an assist in two statement wins against Pittsburgh and St. Louis. The Leafs have six wins in their past 10 games, but a playoff spot still seems out of reach and an upcoming road swing through California will be a tough test. Morgan Rielly remains the gem of the Toronto defense, but if Gardiner can continue to keep producing, they should keep him around as a solid No. 2 guy.

Top 5 Trending Up

Calvin de Haan, NYI: With Boychuk sidelined, a lot of the duties will fall on Leddy's shoulders, but don't forget about de Haan, a first-round pick from 2009 who is in the midst of his third full NHL season, meaning that he's close to breaking out and entering his prime. Although de Haan doesn't have the same offensive upside as Leddy, he's a very physical top-four defenseman who could put up a few more points with some extra ice time. He has seven points in 40 games this year, but leads the Isles' blue line with a plus-11 rating and is third on the team with 79 hits. Who else can Jack Capuano give the extra ice time? Marek Zidlicky?

Anton Stralman, TB: Count me among those who think this season for the Lightning is a write-off.With the ongoing Steven Stamkos drama, injuries to the Triplets line, Jonathan Drouin's trade request and an off year for some of its key players, there just isn't very much to look forward to. This isn't nearly as good a team as last year's despite little turnover. But that hasn't dampened Stralman's production recently -- he has eight points in his last 10 games, accounting for half of his season total.

Kris Letang, PIT: There's been an awakening ... have you felt it? Perhaps it's the injection of new blood behind the bench with Mike Sullivan, or perhaps it was simply a matter of getting healthy, but whatever the case, Letang is coming off three games in four nights with six points scored. The Pens may be turning it around with four wins in their past six, and it bodes well that Sidney Crosby is scoring again. Another strong game, and the buy-low opportunity for Letang might just be slammed shut.

Tyler Myers, WPG: I'm a big fan of the big pterodactyl and I firmly believe he has much more upside than Zach Bogosian, but points have been hard to come by for the big guy despite his generally solid play. He's a big minutes eater for Paul Maurice and plays in all situations, but has just 15 points this season. The Jets have a good chance of making the playoffs, but impending free agent Dustin Byfuglien can fetch quite the haul in a trade; should Big Buff get dealt, Myers could be in line for some extra duty.

Connor Carrick, WAS: The impending return of John Carlson (undisclosed) will likely end Carrick's NHL stint at three games. After dressing in 34 games with the Caps two years ago, the fifth-round pick and former Plymouth Whalers standout became a forgotten prospect, spending the entirety of last season with AHL Hershey, where he scored 42 points in 73 games. The Caps gave Carrick just 30 minutes of total ice time in those three games, and while it would be surprising to see him play any role bigger than that this season, he's a name to watch for the future, along with Dmitry Orlov. Tuck this one away until next season, folks.

Top 5 Tending Down

Keith Yandle, NYR: At what point do you cut loose? Yandle was one of the most sought-after power-play quarterbacks in Fantasy drafts, but has managed just one goal this season. He's shooting a career-low 1.2 percent, a quarter of his 4.8 percent career average, and has not reached double-digits in goals since 2012-13. Yandle's still a very good puck mover with some room to improve, but I just don't think this is his year.

Victor Hedman, TB: The biggest story line in the Eastern Conference this year will be that the Rangers and Lightning don't make it to the conference finals. If they make the playoffs as higher seeds -- which they should -- it's just too easy to see an upset. Neither of the teams is playing well, and there are just too many question marks going into the second half. This is all paving the way for the Capitals to make the finals, the first time they'll do so in the Alex Ovechkin era. Hedman is on pace to match last season's total of 38 points, but may struggle to achieve that unless the Lightning get it going.

Niklas Kronwall, DET: You don't get him for the points, so it's even worse when he goes minus-6 in a little over a week. The grizzled veteran can't be counted on to do everything for Detroit anymore, and Fantasy owners should realize that he's good for peripherals, but not much else.

Cam Fowler, ANA: His knee injury could cost him six weeks of action, so the good news is that he'll return before the end of the season. The bad news is that this injury comes at a bad time for the Ducks, who will miss one of their better performers this season. For those debating about stashing Fowler on bench or injured reserve, keep in mind that the 24-year-old blueliner will be returning from a lengthy injury and that the Ducks may find themselves out of the playoff picture.

Christian Ehrhoff, LA: He had a solid game against Philadelphia, notching two hits and two shots, but still didn't do quite enough to warrant a spot back in the Kings' top four. A few more strong games might help, but it seems as though Darryl Sutter will rotate "The Hoff" with Jamie McBain, who's likely destined to be a journeyman despite being a second-round pick.

Top-5 Pickups

Matt Niskanen, WAS: Maybe Trotz will ease Carlson back into the lineup and maybe he won't, but Niskanen should still see a lot of minutes and has four games on the slate this week.

Ryan Murray, CLM: He's actually second among Jackets defensemen with 13 points and has two games against Carolina this week. There's a good chance he manages to score a few, and if he gets the hot hand, it won't be a fluke.

Anton Stralman, TB: Because I can't say he's trending up, then not endorse him. The Lightning go on a three-game road trip through Western Canada this week.

Colin Miller, BOS: The Bruins have tough matchups against Braden Holtby and Cory Schneider this week, but Miller is capable of scoring. He was recalled Saturday from AHL Providence.

Brendan Smith, DET: Smith has two goals and three assists in his past five games and may continue that hot streak against San Jose and Anaheim. He has been surprisingly productive against them, with six assists in 17 career games.

In other news, Chicago assigned David Rundblad to Zurich in the Swiss League, while Keith Aulie was released from a tryout with Arizona's AHL affiliate and signed with HIFK in Helsinki. This might spell the end of the NHL careers for those two defensemen -- both were highly touted coming into the league, and both failed to make much of an impression.

Rundblad was the 17th overall pick in 2009 by the Blues, a rare miss in a first round that has only seen five players not play an NHL game this year. He handled himself well as a 19-year-old in the Swedish pro league and was supposed to be a two-way defenseman, but Rundblad never quite adjusted to the pro game in North America. He had one good season with AHL Portland, and that was it. There's a chance he'll return to the NHL someday, but I believe he will more likely find success in Europe; if the rest of the season goes well for him, I don't see why he would return. Interestingly enough, without Rundblad, the Blues wouldn't have been able to draft Vladimir Tarasenko. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Aulie was the opposite of Rundblad, a 6-foot-6 giant picked in the fourth round in 2007, a weaker draft year. He was paired with Tyler Myers at the 2009 World Juniors, where they led Canada to a gold medal, but could never use his size to the same effectiveness in the pros, where his lack of mobility and puck skills (as well as some injuries) impeded his development. Aulie's size will always draw attention from teams, but it's unlikely he'll be anything more than a seventh defenseman in the NHL.

Zidlicky will be in the lineup Tuesday night, opposing the Maple Leafs on the road, Arthur Staple of Newsday reports.

Zidlicky reportedly will replace Brian Strait against the Buds. Interestingly, the 53 points that Zidlicky put up in his rookie campaign with the Predators has proven to be his best mark through 11 years of service time. He can still get it done offensively as a bottom-pairing defenseman, but Zidlicky is 38 years old and the Islanders don't need him to be a 20-plus minute player like he was with the Devils in 2014-15.

Look at the stats for Penguins defensemen, and there's one clear problem: They aren't good enough. With Kris Letang sitting at just one goal and a minus-14 rating, and no other blueliner averaging more than 20 minutes a game, the entire group has been very underwhelming. Of course, this is just part of a bigger set of problems the Penguins had been facing before firing coach Mike Johnston on Saturday.

Johnston leaves Pittsburgh with a 58-37-15 record; previous coach Dan Bylsma was fired after going 51-24-7 in his final season before bowing out in the second round of the playoffs. Bylsma had a better record, but the bar is set pretty high in Pittsburgh, and anything short of a Stanley Cup appearance is deemed a disappointment. It is worth noting, however, that the Penguins looked very much like a different team under Johnston. They were a little too passive and a little too concerned with limiting goals than scoring them, which should still be the team's strength.

What's most glaring, however, is Johnston's work with the defense, something that should've been constantly improving. When Johnston really made a name for himself with WHL Portland from 2008-14, the Winterhawks rivaled the Kelowna Rockets as a factory of defensemen, producing Joe Morrow, Derrick Pouliot, Tyler Wotherspoon and Seth Jones -- all of whom are making or will make a difference in the pros. Pouliot in particular didn't find as much success under Johnston with the Pens as he did with the Winterhawks, and has spent the entire season in the AHL so far.

Olli Maatta remains a bright spot, but after being limited to just 20 games last season, he's lost precious development time, and he's only recently returned from yet another injury. But the rest of the crew, including puck movers Brian Dumoulin and Adam Clendening, has failed to make much of an impact. Sure, the Penguins' defense is generating a lot of shots on net, mostly thanks to Letang, but outside of him and Maatta's recent stretch, there's not much to speak of.

Ideally, these young defensemen are the ones who should be generating speed from the back end and pushing the puck up to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, but Dumoulin, Clendening and Ian Cole have combined for just 12 assists in 63 games combined. These are the players new coach Mike Sullivan has to work with because Jim Rutherford so hastily traded away Philip Samuelsson, Scott Harrington and Simon Despres. The bright side is that Sullivan was a long-time assistant to John Tortorella, whose teams generally fare well on defense.

It'll be interesting to see how Sullivan spreads the ice time around in his first test, a big one against Washington on Monday. That's something to pay close attention to as Sullivan familiarizes himself with the team with ever-mounting pressure, both from management and himself, as he tries to establish himself as an NHL-caliber coach. With Letang out for the next two weeks, if there was ever a time for the rookies to step up, it's now.

Last Week's Top 5

Justin Faulk, CAR: The Hurricanes are winners in four of their past five games and they've been having no trouble scoring goals; Faulk's led the way with four goals and six points from the blue line in the last four games. Crazy as it seems, Carolina's only six points out of a playoff spot.

Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF: His first career hat trick unfortunately came in a losing cause against Calgary, but the young Finnish defenseman now has seven goals and 22 points on the season, placing him in the league's top 10. The Sabres snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Kings on Saturday, with Ristolainen playing 27:30.

Dan Boyle, NYR: What happened to the bit about Alain Vigneault resting him to keep him fresh? The grizzled veteran has now played in seven straight games, including a pair of back-to-backs, and though the Rangers have lost three straight and five of their past six, Boyle's doing what's expected of him, notching two goals and two assists this past week.

Niklas Hjalmarsson, CHI: Hjalmarsson led all defensemen with a plus-6 rating this past week and also chipped in with four helpers. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook may get the spotlight, but Hjalmarsson has been the ever-dependable No. 3, giving the Blackhawks 21 minutes of solid hockey every night.

Drew Doughty, LA: At the rate Darryl Sutter is playing Doughty, you have to wonder whether he has enough energy to crawl into an ice tub at the end of the game. Saturday's 2-1 loss to Buffalo was the first time in six games Doughty didn't play at least 30 minutes, as he skated "just" 26:42. Thirty friggin' minutes. For five straight games. That's half the damn game! The race to see which defenseman ends up leading the league in ice time will be fun to watch. It's a three-way race between Doughty, Ryan Suter and Erik Karlsson again this year.

Top 5 Trending Up

Francois Beauchemin, COL: He's back! After a hot start with five assists in his first two games this year, Beauchemin cooled off considerably but recently came back to life with points in back-to-back games, the first time he's done so since the beginning of November. The Avs are coming off impressive road wins over Nashville and St. Louis. Beauchemin has seen his minutes spike recently, as Patrick Roy's leaning on him in close games; he's sitting on his highest average ice time since 2011-12.

David Rundblad, CHI: Perhaps the nicest thing about Rundblad's career so far is that he gets to play again. The 17th overall pick from the 2009 draft, Rundblad has only managed to become a depth defenseman in the NHL but has dressed in four straight games, picking up assists in two of those. He'll never advance beyond the third pairing without an injury to a top-four guy, but Rundblad's certainly trending up.

Matt Hunwick, TOR: Mike Babcock likes Hunwick because he's smart and the does the little things well. That man crush has gotten a little more love recently, with Hunwick playing well over his usual 22 minutes in his last two games, both of them wins. Though he has just one assist and a minus-8 rating on the season, he's been making a significant impact on the Leafs defense. He doesn't have a lot of Fantasy value, but if Hunwick keeps seeing big minutes, there may be a stretch in which the pucks start bouncing his way and he racks up a few assists.

Alec Martinez, LA: He has played over 24 minutes in each of his past three games after eclipsing the 20-minute mark just twice since Nov. 22. The forgotten scorer of the Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2014, Martinez will probably top out as a second-pairing defenseman, but he has been given a little more responsibility by Sutter recently and has three points in his past three games.

Jared Spurgeon, MIN: The undersized, but talented Spurgeon continues to trail Suter by a large margin in ice time on the power play, 3:49 to 2:01, even though he has probably the more offensively dynamic of the two. Mike Yeo will entrust him with more power-play time if he continues to play well, though, and Spurgeon's exceeded his usual 22 minutes in his last two games, collecting a point both times.

Top 5 Trending Down

P.K. Subban, MTL: Subban finds himself on this list for the second time in a row, but with the Habs losing four of their past five and their star blueliner without a point in that stretch, eyebrows are starting to be raised. After keeping pace with the likes of Erik Karlsson and John Klingberg in terms of points early on, Subban's fallen well behind, and he's still sitting on just one goal.

Brent Burns, SJ: The Sharks are going belly-up at an inopportune time. Except for the Kings, who may have already locked up the division title with a 10-point lead over second place, the Pacific Division is wide open, but the Sharks haven't been able to take advantage. Despite losing six straight, San Jose's still just one point out of a playoff spot; if the Sharks somehow miss the postseason, this will be the moment they will look back on as a lost opportunity. For his part, Burns is still putting up points regularly, but he's sitting on a minus-12 rating over the past nine games.

Alex Pietrangelo, STL: He has gone eight games without a point and the Blues have won just three of their past nine. With just 11 points so far, Pietrangelo's on pace for roughly 30, which would be a 16-point drop from the previous season and a new career low, discounting the lockout-shortened season during which he scored 24 points in 47 games.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI: The Coyotes have won once in their past seven games in what's turning out to be a brutal Pacific Division. OEL is still doing his part as Dave Tippett's linchpin, but he also hasn't scored in six games and has an ugly minus-9 rating in that span. The problem with OEL in fantasy is that the Coyotes don't have a lot of scoring depth or goaltending to complement what their young star blueliner brings to the table.

Cam Fowler, ANA: Are there changes coming in Anaheim? Pittsburgh finally said enough was enough and fired Johnston, and with the Ducks sitting at the bottom of their division, Bruce Boudreau's seat is getting hot enough to bake pizza. Fowler drew some pretty good reviews early on in the season on a struggling team, but he's beginning to struggle a little himself after a horrendous minus-3 showing in a surprising 5-1 loss to Carolina.

This Week's Top-5 Picks

Dougie Hamilton, CGY: He has probably played himself off quite a few Fantasy teams so far this season, but Hamilton may be worth considering this week with a four-game slate. They're all tough opponents, of course, but the Flames aren't having any trouble scoring goals and are winners of five straight. Dennis Wideman is likely available, too, but Hamilton is the better choice.

Olli Maatta, PIT: He has four points in four games since returning from injury, and maybe the firing of Johnston can help give the team a spark. Maatta played 25:02 in a 3-2 loss against the Kings and should continue to see ice time in the 20-to-25-minute range for the rest of the season. The Penguins' blue line is talented, but has yet to reach its full potential. A home-and-home against Boston, then a game against Carolina -- two teams that try to win by outscoring their opponents -- should provide plenty of opportunities to score.

Marek Zidlicky, NYI: The veteran scored two goals and played over 18 minutes in a 4-0 win against New Jersey despite having played sparingly for much of the season. At 38 years old, he still quarterbacks the power play at times and can obviously still play, but the goals have been fewer and further between. Still, upcoming matchups against Colorado and Arizona shouldn't be too challenging.

Dan Boyle, NYR: If Vigneault doesn't intend to rest him, why should we? With an upcoming date against Edmonton, it'll be a good time for Boyle to generate some offense and exact some revenge -- the Rangers lost 7-5 the last time these two teams met.

Darnell Nurse, EDM: He has played over 20 minutes in nearly every single game and he rides into Monday's game against Boston on a two-game point streak. With a four-game road trip this week, the Oilers are going to be challenged, but they're riding high with a five-game winning streak. Games against Boston and Colorado seem to offer the Oilers a pretty good chance at winning.

Last Week's Picks

Brent Burns, SJ: A goal and two assists as the Sharks continue their slide.

Shea Weber, NSH: No goals in four straight games after a hat trick, but three assists in his past four games.

Keith Yandle, NYR: The Rangers aren't playing well and he has just one assist in their past three games. He has just one goal on the season.

Kevin Shattenkirk, STL: He had a very productive week, netting a goal and four assists, even though the Blues aren't winning a whole lot.

Mike Green, DET: It looked like he was back on track with helpers in three straight games, but he proceeded to add just one assist over his next three games.

Zidlicky potted a pair of goals in Sunday's win over the Devils.

Zidlicky had been held off the scoresheet in four straight coming in, and hadn't found the back of the net since the first game of the season, but continued to find success against his former club as he now has four points against the Devils in three games this year. The blueliner has just 10 points on the year though, and likely won't contribute much in standard formats.

This week's article includes a hot Sedin, a possible new superstar in Hockeytown, the Ghost in Philly, Price down again and a struggling elite D-man in Calgary.

First Liners (Risers)

Tomas Plekanec, C, MTL: Despite going scoreless Tuesday, Plekanec has 12 points in his last 12 games, putting him to close to a point-per-game pace for the season. Last year, the veteran found the fountain of youth, notching 26 goals and 34 assists at 31 years old. That fine season earned him a two-year, $12 million contract extension with the Canadiens. With Brendan Gallagher (hand) out six weeks, Plekanec will be counted on even more by Montreal.

Henrik Sedin, C, VAN: After a poor 2013-14 campaign, Sedin likely was overlooked in your leagues last year. He responded by notching 18 goals while dishing out 55 assists with 25 of those points coming on the man-advantage. That production was mildly discounted as his shooting percentage spiked to 17.8 percent. This year, Sedin is making that number look downright weak, as he is hitting on 21.6 percent of his shots while tallying 23 points in 25 games through Monday.

Dylan Larkin, LW, DET: The Red Wings' 2014 first-round draft pick, Larkin shined at the University of Michigan in 2014-15, piling up 15 goals and 47 points in 35 games. Despite those big numbers and high expectations, he was likely slated to open the season at Grand Rapids. Injuries and a strong camp gave him a shot and he has made the most of it, notching a team-leading 10 goals along with eight assists. Larkin has the skill set and on-ice intelligence plus maturity to continue this fine performance throughout the season.

Patrick Kane, RW, CHI: Kane notched another goal Tuesday, extending his point streak to 20 games, which is the record for the longest point streak by an American-born player. Kane leads the NHL with 38 points in 25 games, having been held off the score sheet just twice all year. The legal issues, which may have dropped down on draft lists and made him a bit of a bargain, are a thing of the past. So, as long as he stays healthy, a 100-point season could be within reach.

Jason Chimera, LW, WAS: In 23 games, Chimera has almost equaled his output in 77 games last season, tallying 14 points after putting up just 19 a year ago. He has seven points, including five assists and four PPPs, in his last five games. Chimera is still just playing on the third line and shooting 13.5 percent, so don't overrate, but he is worth a short-time flier while hot.

Rasmus Ristolainen, D, BUF: Ristolainen only had 20 points with a minus-32 rating last season, but entered 2015-16 as a mild sleeper. There was expected growth, as Risto was to see a spike in ice time and responsibility. So far, so good. The Finn has four goals and 14 assists (including four Tuesday). In 25 games, Ristolainen is seeing 3:30 more in ice time each game, so jump on the bandwagon before there is no room.

Shayne Gostisbehere, D, PHI: Our preseason outlook noted that Gostisbehere received a taste of NHL action in 2014-15 when the Flyers called him up from AHL Lehigh Valley for two games in October. But shortly after returning to the minors, he suffered an ACL tear that would keep him sidelined the rest of the season. The Ghost was expected to spend a good portion of this season in the minors, but Mark Streit's injury created an opportunity. The 22-year old has made the most of his chance, notching four goals, including three on the man-advantage, in nine games. Even when Streit does return in about a month, Gostisbehere should continue to see major PP TOI. Don't sleep on him as I did in my league; Dan Pennucci beat me to him while I debated if I should waive Justin Schultz.

Sergei Bobrovsky, G, CBJ: Bobrovsky suffered through a nightmarish October, losing eight of 10 decisions, plummeting him down the goalie rankings. He was a totally different man this past month, conceding just 20 goals in 11 starts, while posting a .940 save percentage. Bobrovsky lost 2-1 Tuesday, allowing the two goals on 26 shots, which is another solid effort. If Columbus is going to try and move into playoff contention, the Bob will need to carry them as he has lately.

Mike Condon, G, MTL: Fantasy sports is all about recognizing trends or taking advantage of injuries. In the case of Condon, he picked up the baton when Carey Price was sidelined earlier in the year. Now, he will be the man for the next six weeks while Price is out again with a right leg injury. Condon stopped 22 of 23 shots Tuesday to improve to 9-2-3 and lower his GAA close to two for the season. Ride the former Princeton Tiger.

Others include: Ryan Strome, Matt Duchene, John Tavares, Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique, Cody Eakin, Evgeni Malkin, Joe Pavelski, Ryan Johansen, Kyle Turris, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Max Domi, Mikko Koivu, Claude Giroux, Robby Fabbri, Patrick Sharp, Rick Nash, Michael Cammalleri, Vladimir Tarasenko, Leo Komarov, Elias Lindholm, Mikkel Boedker, Thomas Vanek, Charlie Coyle, Mike Hoffman, Lee Stempniak, Michael Stone, Roman Polak, Brent Seabrook, John Carlson, Cam Fowler, Kris Letang, Duncan Keith, Sami Vatanen, Connor Hellebuyck, Chad Johnson, Ben Bishop, Garret Sparks, Craig Anderson, and Braden Holtby.

Training Room (Injuries)

Derek Stepan, C, NYR: Stepan will miss the next four to six weeks with broken ribs suffered on what look to be a late, unpenalized hit by Matt Beleskey last Friday. While Stepan had just 12 points in 23 games, he was a stalwart shorthanded and saw some time on the man-advantage while also serving as the 1 or 1a center. Oscar Lindberg is now getting a shot at centering Stepan's line.

Logan Couture, C, SJ: Couture was injured Oct. 15 and was slated to miss four to six weeks with a fractured right fibula at the ankle that required surgery. He resumed skating Nov. 21 and was able to go for 30 minutes during Monday's practice. Couture "looked like he was moving well" and he could be back in the lineup before too long. San Jose has clearly missed its prized center, who notched at least 21 goals in his past five seasons.

Kevin Klein, D, NYR - Klein, the Rangers' most consistent D-man the last two seasons, will miss the next two to three weeks with an oblique injury. In his absence, Dylan McIlrath should be in the lineup each game.

Carey Price, G, MTL: Price, who missed nine games with a lower-body injury suffered on Oct. 29, returned to action on Nov. 20. That stint was short-lived; he aggravated the injury last Wednesday and will now be sidelined six weeks, though he will not need surgery. Mike Condon and Zachary Fucale will fill in for Price.

Others include: Connor McDavid (shoulder, healing faster than expected, could be back mid-to-late January), Jonathan Drouin (undisclosed, could play Wednesday), Ondrej Palat (out since Nov. 10 with a suspected ankle injury, could return this week), David Pastrnak (non-displaced fracture in left foot, no timetable), Joffrey Lupul (LBI, placed on IR on Tuesday), Justin Schultz (back, out since Oct. 25, activated), and Kari Lehtonen (suffered UBI on Nov. 24).

Fourth Liners/Press Boxers (Fallers)

Bo Horvat, C, VAN: Horvat had a solid rookie campaign, notching 13 goals and 25 assists in 68 games as a 19-year old. The sophomore slump may be the case this year, as he has just two goals and six assists in 25 games. In addition, he has just one goal since October 10. Horvat is the Canucks' second-line center for now and especially the future, but lately he is going through growing pains.

Chris Kreider, RW, NYR: This was expected to be CK20's breakout campaign. So far that has not been the case, as Kreider has four goals and seven assists in 25 games. Kreider benefitted from a poor play by Cam Ward to score Monday and maybe that will be what he needs to help reach his potential.

Mark Giordano, D, CGY - Giordano had 48 points in 61 games and looked to be in line for a Norris Trophy nomination before he tore his biceps in February. This season, he is off to a very slow start, tallying five goals and three assists in 25 games. Maybe the defensive depth in Calgary is playing a part in his regression, but whatever the reason, he is not returning the value most expected when drafting him.

Cam Ward, G, CAR: Ward wasn't horrible last year, going 22-24-4 with a 2.40 GAA and .910 save percentage. In 2014-15, Anton Khudobin got decent playing time. This year, Carolina traded for Eddie Lack, who was expected to challenge Ward for playing time. So far, it has been Ward's job, as he has made 19 appearances, but he is just 7-8-3 with a 2.53 GAA and.898 save percentage. He is in the final year of the six-year contract extension he signed with Carolina in late September 2009, worth $37.8 million, so it's only a matter of time before he is headed out of town.

Others include: Nazem Kadri, Jori Lehtera, Tomas Hertl, Jakob Silfverberg, Jeff Skinner, Beau Bennett, Nikolaj Ehlers, Shea Weber (before Tuesday's game), Anton Stralman, Dan Girardi, Marek Zidlicky, Cam Talbot, Jonathan Bernier, and Jaroslav Halak.

Zidlicky notched two assists versus the Panthers on Friday.

Zidlicky only saw 13:01 of ice time, and these points were his first in eight games.