Posted On Wednesday, 12.31.2014 / 1:09 AM

By NHL.com Staff -  /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Roy gets assist, Oshie scores again

Derek Roy hadn't scored a point for the Nashville Predators since Nov. 22. It took him 4:37 to get one in his first game with the Edmonton Oilers.

Roy (1 percent owned in Yahoo leagues, C), who was traded to the Oilers on Monday, assisted on a first-period goal by Matt Hendricks in a 3-2 shootout win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

Roy, who left the game briefly in the first period, played 14:53 primarily with Teddy Purcell and Nail Yakupov at even strength. Roy had 2:32 of power-play time.

The 31-year-old had 28 points in 42 games as recently as the 2012-13 season, but he provides little in the peripheral categories and position eligibility. Roy, who had 10 points (one goal) in 26 games with Nashville (none in his last six), maybe can get a scoring boost if he winds up playing with Taylor Hall or Jordan Eberle at some point.

Posted On Tuesday, 12.30.2014 / 12:41 AM

By David Satriano -  NHL.com Staff Writer /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Brodeur shutout complicates Blues

Just when it seemed like Jake Allen had a firm grasp on the St. Louis Blues' goaltending job, Brian Elliott is about to return to the lineup, and Martin Brodeur got a shutout in his first start in 11 days.

Brodeur (24 percent owned in Yahoo leagues) made 16 saves in a 3-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, proving he still has some value for fantasy owners. His prior start was a disaster, allowing six goals on 37 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, a game when the Blues had a 3-0 first-period lead. He's 3-2-0 with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.

Allen (60 percent owned) started six of the seven games prior to Monday and allowed more than three goals per game. He is 11-5-2 with a 2.76 GAA and a decreasing .899 save percentage.

Elliott, who sustained a knee injury Nov. 25, has been medically cleared to play and is expected to return as early as this weekend. He is the best option of the three (8-4-1, 1.82 GAA, .931 save percentage) but is owned in 79 percent of leagues.

Posted On Sunday, 12.28.2014 / 12:44 AM

By David Satriano -  NHL.com Staff Writer /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Stepan, Fisher worth a look

New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan scored three goals in a 3-1 win against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday and has 22 points in 21 games.

Point-per game players are not often available, but Stepan is owned in 55 percent of Yahoo leagues. He has eight points in his past four games, has averaged more than 18 minutes of ice time per game, and sees time on the power play (3:12 per game) and penalty kill (1:36).

The downside is he's only eligible at center and doesn't take penalties (2 PIM) or deliver hits (13), but he's usually going to get on the scoresheet. His three goals Saturday were shorthanded, on the power play, and with the net empty.

Posted On Wednesday, 12.24.2014 / 12:00 AM

By David Satriano -  NHL.com Staff Writer /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Hutchinson, Perreault producing

Winnipeg Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson (owned in 38 percent of Yahoo leagues) made 38 saves in a 5-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.

Hutchinson and Ondrej Pavelec (65 percent owned) have alternated starts in the past 14 games. AfterTuesday , the splits in the past seven for each are as follows: Hutchinson, 5-1-1, .941 save percentage, 2.15 goals-against average; Pavelec, 3-1-3, .897 save percentage, 2.55 GAA.

Picking up a goalie who starts half of his team's games is not usually ideal, but it's clear who has the better numbers -- and it's not even close. With the way Hutchinson is playing, it's only a matter of time before he takes over as the Jets' No. 1 goalie.

Posted On Tuesday, 12.23.2014 / 1:04 AM

By David Satriano -  NHL.com Staff Writer /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Smith scoring on Predators' top line

Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith (owned in 16 percent of Yahoo leagues, C/RW) has benefitted from playing on the first line with Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro, though the sample size is small.

Smith, who had seven goals, 15 points and was plus-3 before Saturday, has three goals, four points and is plus-4 with 14 shots in two games with his new linemates.

Posted On Sunday, 12.21.2014 / 12:57 AM

By David Satriano -  NHL.com Staff Writer /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Tanguay available under radar

How many players who lead their NHL team in scoring are largely un-owned in fantasy?

Not many, not many, but Colorado Avalanche forward Alex Tanguay (13 percent owned, LW) fits that bill and continues to fly under the radar. He had two goals and an assist in a 5-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres, and has 22 points. That's more than Jarome Iginla, Matt Duchene, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.

Did we mention he's available in 87 percent of Yahoo leagues?

Tanguay, who has 16 points in 17 games since Nov. 4, had 11 points in 16 games during an injury-plagued 2013-14 season. He played Saturday on a line with Iginla and John Mitchell.

Posted On Saturday, 12.20.2014 / 1:17 AM

By David Satriano -  NHL.com Staff Writer /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Stars move Eakin to top line

Forward Cody Eakin played on the Dallas Stars' first line Friday and he delivered like a top-line player in a 2-1 victory against the Calgary Flames.

Eakin (2 percent owned in Yahoo leagues, center eligibility) played with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, and had an assist on each of the Dallas goals in 18:34 of ice time, including 1:16 on the top power-play unit with Seguin, Benn, Trevor Daley and Jason Spezza. Eakin assisted on Benn's first-period goal and Daley's goal in the second period.

Eakin had been playing on the second line with Antoine Roussel and Ales Hemsky, and had one point in his past six games. He got more ice time than his season average (17:18), and may be worth adding if his chemistry with Seguin and Benn continues.

- New Jersey Devils forward Scott Gomez (2 percent owned, C) picked up an assist in a 3-2 shootout win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Gomez has seven points in 10 games since signing with the Devils earlier this month, and has seven points in his past seven games. Gomez, skating on the top line with Adam Henrique and Jaromir Jagr, played 16:50, including 2:12 on the first power-play unit.

Posted On Friday, 12.19.2014 / 2:15 AM

By David Satriano -  NHL.com Staff Writer /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Minus Schwartz, Blues spread scoring

The St. Louis Blues will miss the offense that top-line forward Jaden Schwartz has provided. He sustained a foot injury Tuesday and is considered week-to-week, but the Blues had no problem scoring Thursday in their first game without him.

In Schwartz's absence, 11 different Blues each had one point in a 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

Schwartz, who was tied for second on the team with 27 points, was replaced on the first line by T.J. Oshie (owned in 74 percent of Yahoo leagues, center-eligible), who returned after missing one game for personal reasons. Oshie skated with Alexander Steen and David Backes; the latter two each had an assist.


Posted On Wednesday, 12.17.2014 / 11:13 PM

By NHL.com Staff -  /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Krejci, Elias return from injury

Boston Bruins center David Krejci and New Jersey Devils forward Patrik Elias each returned to action Wednesday.

Krejci, who had an undisclosed injury, possibly to his groin, played 18:22 in his 12th game of the season. He skated with usual linemate Milan Lucic and Seth Griffith in a 3-2 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild.


Posted On Tuesday, 12.16.2014 / 11:54 PM

By David Satriano -  NHL.com Staff Writer /NHL.com - Fantasy Spin Blog

Fantasy Spin: Drouin, Galchenyuk moving up

If you gave up on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin and dropped him from your fantasy team, you're not alone.

The third pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Drouin spent all of last season with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and fractured a finger in Lightning training camp this season.

He didn't make his NHL debut until Oct. 20, and had nine points in his first 18 games, not exactly the scoring numbers expected from a top-3 pick.

Drouin (owned in 47 percent of Yahoo leagues) has been a healthy scratch four times, including as recently as Dec. 9. His ice time dropped significantly, and he hadn't logged more than 15 minutes in a game since his fourth of the season.

So it was a pleasant surprise to see him get 14:50 of ice time, including 4:35 on the power play, Tuesday in a 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Prior to the game, Drouin averaged 1:32 of power-play ice time.

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