Fantasy Forecast for Monday, October 19

WEEKEND ROUNDUP:

Rookie center Matt Duchene is a keeper, so say the Colorado Avalanche. The Denver Post reports the club is keeping the 18-year-old on the roster, forgoing the option to return him to his junior team -- Brampton of the OHL -- before playing 10 games in the NHL. Ten games is the cutoff before the first year of Duchene's professional contract becomes valid.

Duchene (8 games, 1-3-4, owned in 18 percent of all Yahoo! leagues) still can be returned to Brampton at any point this season, but that is highly unlikely given his NHL salary and because he could not be recalled by the Avs the rest of the regular season. A formal announcement on Duchene's plans is expected by the Avalanche sometime Monday.

There is no word yet on Colorado's other 18-year-old rookie center, Ryan O'Reilly (8, 1-5-6, 1 percent).

The Canadiens' blue line, which has produced only 3 goals and 11 points through seven games, is about to get a boost with the recall of offensive defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron from AHL Hamilton. The Montreal Gazette reports he'll make his season debut Tuesday at home against Atlanta. Bergeron (3 percent), signed Oct. 6 as a free agent after injuries to Andrei Markov and Ryan O'Byrne, completed a conditioning assignment with the Bulldogs and recorded 6 assists in three games with a plus-6 rating.

Newsday tweeted from Rangers morning practice to announce backup goalie Steve Valiquette (1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 3 percent) will get the home start against San Jose on Monday, spelling Henrik Lundqvist (6-1-0, 2.15 GAA, 98 percent).

Have faith, fantasy owners of Vincent Lecavalier. No goals and 6 assists through seven games is not what you or anyone else expected, and Lightning coach Rick Tocchet realizes that. The Tampa Tribune reported that at Sunday's practice, Lecavalier (98 percent) was reunited with right wing Martin St. Louis (7, 3-8-11, 99 percent). Rookie James Wright filled out the unit. To do so, Tocchet broke up the successful line of St. Louis, Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone. "We had one or two goals in the last few games. We're trending down. We're not playing well and we have guys struggling," Tocchet said. "Obviously I have to try to find a way to get Vinny out of this slump. Maybe Marty can help him. But I still don't want to compromise what we're trying to do here."

Other new lines had Steve Downie joining Stamkos and Malone, and Alex Tanguay with Jeff Halpern and Drew Miller.

Bruising winger Milan Lucic (6, 0-3-3, 70 percent) sat out Boston's 4-1 loss at Phoenix on Saturday with a broken right index finger, and Sunday he was placed on long-term injured reserve. The move means Lucic must miss a minimum of 10 games, and the Boston Globe reports Lucic likely will require corrective surgery. He won't be eligible to return until Nov. 10. To compensate, the Bruins swung a minor deal to acquire forward Chuck Kobasew (7, 0-1-1, 7 percent) from the Minnesota Wild.

With center Alex Steen out 6-8 weeks with a fractured wrist, Blues coach Andy Murray juggled his lines beginning with Saturday's game against Anaheim. According to the Post-Dispatch, the combinations are T.J. Oshie-Jay McClement-B.J. Crombeen, Andy McDonald-David Backes-Brad Boyes, Paul Kariya-Patrik Berglund-David Perron, and Brad Winchester-Keith Tkachuk-Cam Janssen. "We put Oshie in there (with McClement and Crombeen) because he's pretty responsible, plays a smart defensive game, yet can score," Murray said. "To put other guys there who can't control the puck as well is not good."

The Red Wings will begin a five-game, 10-day road trip Thursday and coach Mike Babcock told the Detroit News that backup goalie Jimmy Howard (0-1-0, 4.19 GAA, 5 percent) will get to spell starter Chris Osgood (3-2-1, 3.20 GAA, 93 percent). "We're still planning to play Ozzie about 50 games," Babcock said. "I said this before, 'Ozzie can buy Howie some time to be around NHL shooters every day.' I think he's been really good in practice. I think playing on the road sometimes is less pressure, you just get out there and relax."

Interesting quote from Flames coach Brent Sutter in the Calgary Herald: "I don't get caught up in that at all as far as being a one, two, three or four line. Really, what is that?" Well, to us fantasy owners, we put stock in that kind of stuff. So here are the most current line combinations being used -- Craig Conroy centering Curtis Glencross and Jarome Iginla; Daymond Langkow between Rene Bourque and Nigel Dawes; Olli Jokinen flanked by Fredrik Sjostrom and Eric Nystrom; and Dustin Boyd centering Brandon Prust and Brian McGrattan.

Rehabbing right wing Marian Hossa (88 percent) skated for the first time last Friday since undergoing surgery on his shoulder in July. "So far, I'm happy. I have to work on conditioning on the ice," Hossa said after his workout.

"He's really progressing," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. Hossa may not be able to play his first game until late November or early December.

Injured Red Wings star Johan Franzen (3, 1-1-2, 69 percent) underwent successful surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee Friday. He is expected to be out of the lineup a minimum of four months from the date of the injury, which was Oct. 8.

Phoenix goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was named the NHL's First Star for the week ending Oct. 18. He posted a 3-0-0 record with one shutout, a 0.95 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage. Second Star went to Colorado goalie Craig Anderson, who won four straight road games with a 2.20 GAA and .928 save percentage. Alexander Ovechkin of Washington won Third Star with 4 goals and 2 assists in three games.

Remember to check the Fantasy Forecaster's daily Top Picks. Here he lists the players you should have in your active lineup Monday.

MONDAY'S PROJECTED GOALIES:

San Jose (Evgeni Nabokov) at NY Rangers (Steve Valiquette), 7 p.m. ET (VERSUS, TSN2)
Los Angeles (Jonathan Quick) at Dallas (Marty Turco), 8:30 p.m. ET
Vancouver (Roberto Luongo) at Edmonton (Nikolai Khabibulin), 9 p.m. ET

RECENT INJURIES:

Pavel Datsyuk, C, Detroit: Is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Dan Hamhuis, D, Nashville: Is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Martin Havlat, C, Minnesota: Is day-to-day with a groin injury.
Jan Hejda, D, Columbus: Placed on injured reserve with a sprained left knee.
Jere Lehtinen, RW, Dallas: Is day-to-day with a chest injury.
John-Michael Liles, D, Colorado: Is out two weeks with a bruised shoulder.
Milan Lucic, LW, Boston: Is out indefinitely with a broken finger.
Steve Ott, LW, Dallas: Placed on injured reserve with an oblique injury.
Ryan Parent, D, Philadelphia: Is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Alex Steen, C, St. Louis: Will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken right wrist.
Petr Sykora, RW, Minnesota: Is day-to-day with a groin injury.
Jose Theodore, G, Washington: Is day-to-day with back spasms.
James Wisniewski, D, Anaheim: Is day-to-day with a sprained right shoulder.

TRANSACTIONS:

Boston Bruins: Recalled F Brad Marchand and F Vladimir Sobotka from Providence (AHL). Recalled F Guillaume Lefebvre on an emergency basis from Providence (AHL). Placed LW Milan Lucic on long-term injured reserve. Acquired a second round choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the rights to unsigned draft choice Alexander Fallstrom and forward Craig Weller from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for RW Chuck Kobasew.
Chicago Blackhawks: Claimed C Andrew Ebbett off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks and reassigned RW Jack Skille to Rockford (AHL).
Columbus Blue Jackets: Placed D Jan Hejda on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 13.
Dallas Stars: Placed C Steve Ott on injured reserve. Recalled C Perttu Lindgren from Texas (AHL). Reassigned C Aaron Gagnon to Texas (AHL).
Los Angeles Kings: Recalled F Oscar Moller from Manchester (AHL).
Minnesota Wild: Acquired RW Chuck Kobasew from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a second-round choice in the 2011 Entry Draft, the rights to unsigned draft choice Alexander Fallstrom and forward Craig Weller.
Montreal Canadiens: Recalled D Marc-Andre Bergeron from Hamilton (AHL). Assigned D Shawn Belle to Hamilton (AHL).
Nashville Predators: Recalled D Cody Franson from Milwaukee (AHL). Assigned F Ben Guite to Milwaukee (AHL). Signed D Ryan Ellis to a three-year entry-level contract.
New York Islanders: Recalled RW Joel Rechlicz from Bridgeport (AHL).
Phoenix Coyotes: Reassigned F Kevin Porter to San Antonio (AHL).
St. Louis Blues: Placed C Alex Steen on injured reserve.
San Jose Sharks: Recalled Ryan Vesce from Worcester (AHL). Reassigned F Jamie McGinn and D Derek Joslin to Worcester (AHL).
Vancouver Canucks: Recalled C Alexandre Bolduc from Manitoba (AHL).
Washington Capitals: Recalled G Braden Holtby from South Carolina (ECHL).

NHL.COM EXPERTS LEAGUE:

Week 2 final results
Hempstead Slowpokes 5, Rocky Trottier 3 (3 ties)
The Birdcage 7, Skoula Hard Knocks 3 (1 tie)
Code Monkeys 8, Clown Shoes 2 (1 tie)
Philly Cheesestakes 5, Big Skillets O'BKLYN 4 (2 ties)
Ovie's Heroes 6 vs. No Shanahan-igans 3 (2 ties)
Out on a Dan Hinote 6, Hammerhead United 3 (2 ties)
Week 3 matchups
Rocky Trottier vs. Hammerhead United
Skoula Hard Knocks vs. Code Monkeys
Clown Shoes vs. Out on a Dan Hinote
Hempstead Slowpokes vs. No Shanahan-igans
The Birdcage vs. Big Skillets O'BKLYN
Ovie's Heroes vs. Philly Cheesestakes

Rejected -- No Shanahan-igans offered to trade Milan Hejduk and Dan Ellis to Rocky Trottier in return for Ryan Miller.
Accepted -- Out on a Dan Hinote traded Marc-Andre Fleury to No Shanahan-igans in return for Corey Perry.

E-MAIL OF THE DAY:

I am having some trouble with defense in one of my rotisserie leagues. Neither of my defensemen have been stepping up (Brian Rafalski, Shea Weber), so I am considering dedicating one of my two bench spots to defense with a pickup of one of the following from free agency -- Matt Carle, Sergei Gonchar, Kimmo Timonen, Christian Ehrhoff, Kyle Quincey, Drew Doughty, among many others with fewer points thus far. The categories that we use are goals, assists, plus-minus and power-play points (and others that wouldn't apply to defensemen). Who would you recommend picking up? I want to take Carle, but I'm wondering whether or not he is this year's Filip Kuba.
Thanks,
-- J. Canuckfan

Well, you certainly can't do anything with Rafalski and Weber other than keep playing them, but they'll be fine. Funny how a guy with a goal and 5 points in his first seven games is not considered to be "stepping it up," but the alarming Rafalski stat for me is only nine shots on goal.

Of the six choices you have for a free-agent defenseman, the one you mention is the one I like the least. Remember, four of Carle's points all came in one heavenly 20-minute period Oct. 6. He scored 42 points in 77 games with the Sharks in 2006-07. Since then, Carle has 49 points in 144 games with three teams. What an enigma. I'd rather have someone with more consistency and/or potential. I rank the other five choices in this order: 1) Gonchar, 2) Doughty, 3) Quincey, 4), Timonen, 5) Ehrhoff. Gonchar remains a master at running a power play and I love that he's shooting a lot -- 20 through his first eight games. Doughty, only 19 years old, is hanging with these veterans stats-wise, which truly is impressive. The Kings are leaning on him and you should, too. I love everything about his fantasy potential.

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