With 61 points in 57 games, the 7th place Flyers sit just 2 points ahead of the 9th place Boston Bruins.

60 games into their season the Canadiens are up one point and just one spot ahead of the Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference.

Currently there are 7 teams within 5 points of one another, and there are only three available playoff spots within a reach. The Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers appear to be in for a long playoff race that should be very entertaining for the remainder of the regular season.

Tomas Plekanec, who leads the team with 58 points, 43 assists (43 assists place him 7th in the NHL) and will continue to lead the Canadiens on Saturday. Jeff Carter leads the Flyers with his 23 goals so far this season.

The two teams played last on December 7, where the Canadians beat the Flyers 3 to 1. Friday, the two teams square off in Philadelphia and again on Saturday. 2 games in as many nights, a possible 4 points on the line here in this tight rivalry.

The Coyotes are in excellent position to claim a playoff spot and are slowly creeping up on the elite teams in the West. They have lost just two of the last ten and are on a five-game win streak.

Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov is at the top of his game and is helping Phoenix get those wins. Bryz is among the best goalies in the league with a 2.29 GAA and a save percentage of .920.

On the offensive side of the rink, Shane Doan is on a tear. He has 15 points in the last nine games and leads by example at both ends of the ice.

Doan was blanked in their 1-0 shootout victory over Nashville. Adrian Aucoin was the unlikely hero in the 10th round of the shootout.

Phoenix is playing really solid hockey right now and the Nashville win is a perfect illustration of that. It was a boring game to watch, but Phoenix didn’t open it up and were able to keep the crowd out of it and pick up the ugly win.

Against Chicago, Phoenix will likely try the same game-plan, but Chicago has a lot more weapons than Nashville.

Chicago came back from their season-long eight-game road trip with a 5-3 record. They then promptly dropped their first game at home 3-2 to Saint Louis.

Hawks coach Jim Quenneville felt that their turnovers handed the game to the Blues. “A lot of their goals we generated via turnovers,” he said. “A lot of our puck possession game led to their offense.”

The Hawks will come in to this game much more focused than against St Louis and should have a much stronger defensive game.

The Hawks are listed as -225 NHL odds favorites over the Coyotes +195. The over/under is 5.5 which seems a little high given both team’s strong defensive play.

This preview of the Hawks and Coyotes is provided courtesy of NHL hockey preview where you can find daily updates and previews of NHL hockey games.

Josh Bailey, the ninth overall pick of 2008, has picked up the baton and run away with it. He has 12 points in his last 10 contests and he’s doing it without monster ice time – not once in that span has he played even 16 minutes. He’s a future 75-point player – the perfect second-liner and the perfect complement to Tavares’ star. But it is looking like J.T.’s day is still a year or two away. So while he’s in his little cold streak, Bailey is filling in admirably.

With this recent surge, Bailey is now on pace for 38 points. He’ll most certainly cool off again, but he’ll set a career high with 45 to 50 points regardless.

Isles’ fans can only hope that Tavares will get back into his zone by then. With just one goal and two points in his last 14 games (and every one of them with more ice time than the 20-year-old Bailey), he’s about due to come out of it. The slump has brought his pace down to finish at a projected 51 points, but I still think he’ll get to 60. It would mean 31 points in his last 36 games, but we’ve already seen him produce at that pace.

As for Moulson, even though he has been moved off the Tavares line and has seen a cut in ice time, he has three points in his last four games and showing some positive signs. When he or J.T. start to get hot again, there is a good possibility that they will be reunited. Great buy-low candidates right now.

Meanwhile, Kyle Okposo has been their most consistent player all season. Granted, he has gone four games without a point on two occasions, and five games without a point once – but that’s far better than any other player on this young team. His game is starting to iron out and he’ll top 60 points this year.

Next year, each one of these guys will take a big step forward. And I’ll add a dark horse to the list – Rob Schremp. After exploding out of a string of healthy scratches with three consecutive games with a point, Schremp has been seeing 17 or 17 minutes of ice time. He has six points in his last five games and is really getting comfortable at this level. As his teammates improve around him, I think he will be a great complement to them. His hands are of elite quality and with better passes from and positioning by his teammates, he’ll see his production improve without even trying (not that he won’t, I’m just saying). So if we get the following production in 2010-11 from these guys:

Tavares – 75

Bailey – 65

Okposo – 65

Moulson – 65

Then we should see Schremp in that 65-point range as well.

Darryl Dobbs

After averaging a point-and-a-half per game in the Western League and putting on WJC show overshadowed only by Jonathan Toews. He made the NHL as a 19 year old and potted 54 points, with the bulk of those coming in the second half. Then the bottom dropped out.

Let’s attribute his slip in Year 2 (2008-09) to a sophomore slump and a concussion problem. So how do you explain four in 21 to start his third year? Let’s take a stab at it.

My first instinct is to check back to last season and see how he did after the concussion versus before. He returned February 14 and finished the season with just six points in 24 games (0.25 points per game). He had 30 in 48 before that (0.625). So in all, 10 points in 45 games since being out with a concussion. He’s playing scared. He’s changed his game. Can he come out of it? With the right coach teaching the right lessons – definitely. And therein lies another possible answer – a new coach. Dave Tippett isn’t quite as lenient or reliant on Mueller as Wayne Gretzky was.

I think he’ll bounce back next season. There are legions of poolies who feel otherwise, but those are the same chumps who figured Jeff Carter would never break out playing behind Daniel Briere and Mike Richards. Young players need at least four seasons before you should consider writing them off for good, and sometimes five or even six. Granted, the signs are weak in the case of Mueller, but give it time.

So what to do with him in the meantime? Definitely write him off for this season. It doesn’t look as though it will change any time soon. But watch carefully for healthy scratches (he’s already had two of them), a trade, or a couple of injuries to key players like Shane Doan and Robert Lang. Any turnaround in 2009-10 will require a catalyst and the ones listed above are the best ones.

To make this season a promising one, he will need 40 points in the next 60 games. That will give him something to build on for next year and in that case you can hope for (expect?) a big break out. If Mueller can’t give us that kind of promise over the next three-quarters of 2009-10, then next year he’ll show that promise – and save the break out for 2011-12.

Meanwhile…

Maybe Sidney Crosby is taking the season off as well, but don’t count on it. His current 0.96 points-per-game average is lower than it has been at any level in any league dating back to his pre-teen years. He’ll turn it around – soon. At least 105 points this year…

Philly’s Matt Carle’s blazing start has settled down. He has just six points in his last 15 games after starting off with eight in five. Meanwhile, another young rearguard has caught up to him (almost) in the scoring race – Anton Stralman of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Right now, give me Stralman in a straight-up points league. I think Carle will finish in that 42- to 48-point range, whereas for Stralman I would guess 44 to 57 points. A slightly wider range since we haven’t seen as much of him as we have of Carle…

David Perron is 15th on the Blues in ice time and second on the team in scoring. Andy Murray will eventually catch onto that. I still think the Blues’ leading scorer this season will have 65 points and that player will be Brad Boyes. But I also believe that there will be a cluster of youth in that 50- to 60-point range. Andy McDonald will be there, but he’ll be joined by Perron, Erik Johnson, T.J. Oshie and even the slumping David Backes. Paul Kariya should be in that neighborhood as well, but there is so much competition for a scoring role on this team that he is being shouldered out by youth. There is still gas in Kariya’s tank, but you probably won’t see it being used in St. Louis. Youth has been served and Perron is leading the way.

Dobber Hockey

There is a lot going on in the hockey world down in, er, the desert. With all of these off-ice distractions, how can these promising young players continue to blossom into fantasy studs? Let’s take a look at some of the key components.

It’s a difficult thing to measure or properly gauge – the balance between a player’s natural tendency to let outside influences get to him, with a player’s ability improving with added strength and experience. For the youngsters who haven’t been in the league long enough to really know any different, is the attention off the ice any different then playing in say Toronto or Montreal? For the veterans who are used to relative anonymity, will this new spotlight that has nothing to do with their play affect their numbers?

The Vets

Shane Doan – The captain is a born leader and is coming off of the two most productive seasons of his career. You have to think that distraction will have little impact on his numbers so expect a number between his last two seasons (73 and 78).

Matt Lombardi – He produced at a 68-point pace upon arriving in Phoenix, but that was before the nasty stuff hit the fan. Still, prior to the lockout Calgary wasn’t exactly entrenched as an NHL certainty and he was around for that, albeit briefly. I still think that improving on his Calgary production is in the cards.

Radim Vrbata – Is the Glendale Gong Show any worse than the Laughable Lightning of a year ago? I submit that his environment has actually improved. Although his role with the ‘Yotes won’t be as important as his last tour of duty, he should still produce in that 40-50 range.

Ed Jovanovski – When it comes to microphones in front of his face, he’s been there and done that. Coming off of his lowest points-per-game since before the lockout, there is nowhere to go but up for this guy.

Adrian Aucoin – For the 36-year-old I would be predicting a drop in production regardless, so it’s hard to say whether the bankruptcy situation will have any impact.

Ilya Bryzgalov – Of all the ‘Yotes, the goaltender coming off of a sluggish season is the most worrisome. It will be difficult for him to hide in shell. Although I like Bryzgalov for a comeback season due to his age and talent, I can’t help but be worried. There could be trouble here.

The Kids

Peter Mueller, Kyle Turris, Mikkel Boedker, Martin Hanzal, Viktor Tikhonov, Keith Yandle – All six youngsters have similar experience and have loads of untapped potential. Mueller, Boedker and Turris are being bred for top six roles and ideally would take the next step this season. Mueller has had his sophomore slump and Turris couldn’t possibly have one, given his dreadful rookie campaign. Hanzal is being brought along as a skilled third-line checker, one who uses his size much like Michal Handzus did in his prime while, also like Handzus, also putting up 45 to 55 points. Tikhonov is in a similar situation as Hanzal, although he may not adapt to the checking role as readily. Yandle is hoping to be the quarterback of the future, but of the four I get the feeling – a gut one – that Yandle is the most susceptible to a small step back.

Scott Upshall and Petr Prucha – Two points in 17 playoff games should give you an idea of how well Prucha handles pressure. I don’t like his chances of thriving at all, especially with his hold on a top-six spot so tenuous. Upshall is a competitor, so although he is a tad fragile, I like him for picking up where he left off. He had a 0.68 points-per-game average after joining Phoenix.

Al Montoya, Kevin Porter and Sami Lepisto – It’s hard to quantify these youngsters given their limited NHL experience. Porter will be hard-pressed to make the team this year and he certainly deserves better than “reserve player” status. The AHL would be best for him, at least until a top-six injury strikes. As for Lepisto and Montoya – give them the boom or bust label. They would have that label regardless of the Gong Show, but now it becomes even more so.

It figures. Spezza owners finally get an 82-game season out of him and he posts his worst points-per-game numbers since his first full NHL season. That means that there has never been a better time to acquire the Ottawa pivot then right now and ditto for his superstar linemate Dany Heatley.

After three consecutive campaigns of producing at least 1.21 points per game, Spezza slipped to 0.89. His 73 points was 14 points lower than his 2006-07 season in which he missed 15 games. At the young age of 25 (he turns 26 this coming Saturday), the Mississauga, Ontario native has his best years ahead of him. He is still short of his prime. So while his owner thinks of him as a 75- or 80-point player with a lot of upside, you can capitalize on that. The fact of the matter is, he is a 90-point player with upside and you’ve just witnessed his downside.

All players have a year or two like it and the real stars bounce back nicely. Joe Sakic had a bad run of two years. In 1996-97 and 1997-98, he had injury-plagued seasons of 74 and 63 points with the latter number even falling short of his games played that year (64). It was hard to believe that Sakic would peak at the age of around 28, but some poolies did that very thing. The expectations were lowered to that of a 70- or 75-point player, but in 1998-99 he had 96 points. He also cleared 100 on two occasions after that.

Spezza will be the same way. When you follow a player’s statistics closely, like die-hard poolies do, you are following them day-to-day and week-to-week. To see a player have an entire season go bad, it’s only natural to have your expectations dip. This is where the more casual fantasy owner has an advantage. That owner sees the year-to-year numbers and still sees a player who will get 90 points with potential for more. Sometimes you have to take a step back and look at the big picture. Pretend you didn’t live through Spezza’s ups (he had a couple) and downs (he had a lot) from last campaign and take 2008-09 as the exception and not the rule. If it helps, just think of how he had 33 points in 34 games under the new coach. Still sub-par for him, but much better.

Dany Heatley is in the same boat. The 28-year-old had three straight campaigns with a 1.15 points-per-game average or better before slipping to 0.71. As Spezza goes, so goes Heatley and you need to after him with the same eagerness that you would go after a 100-point player. Don’t overpay, because now is the time to get him at a discount, but put in the effort – give his owner a call and try and make something happen.

That means that if you can get Spezza or Heatley by giving up a player who beat them in scoring this year, then do so. I’m talking about Rick Nash, Alexander Semin, Mike Richards, Martin St.Louis, Marc Savard or even Jeff Carter – Spezza and Heater will top all of them in scoring in three of the next four seasons. The only exceptions would be any player in the Top 9 scoring this season, or Joe Thornton. As far as I’m concerned, any other player in the Top 30 (Spezza finished 31st) should be swapped for one of these guys in keeper leagues that count strictly points, not taking into account positions. It may seem crazy now, but you won’t regret it.

The Obvious: Marc Savard, David Krejci, Phil Kessel, Tim Thomas, Dennis Wideman, Zdeno Chara, Michael Ryder.
Not So Obvious: Krejci has just 13 points in his last 26 games…After just two points in his first six games as a Bruin, Recchi has six in his last four…
Dark Horses: Chuck Kobasew has eight points in his last 10 games. When healthy, he has shown to be quite productive this season; Milan Lucic has all the tools to be that playoff warrior that becomes a legend. If the B’s play 15 postseason games, Lucic could get 10 or 12 points.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Obvious: Ray Whitney, Eric Staal, Tuomo Ruutu, Rod Brind’Amour, Cam Ward, Sergei Samsonov.
Not So Obvious: Samsonov has 44 points in the last 58 games, which is a 62-point pace…Brind’Amour found his magic anti-aging juice around the trade deadline day. He has 16 points in his last 12 games…
Dark Horses: Matt Cullen had 26 points in 25 games prior to his lower body injury. He’ll be fine for the playoffs and could be back in that form; Joe Corvo has 10 points in his last 11 games. His surge coincides with the rest of the team finding their offensive mojo. So which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well – if both are producing, then feel free to draft the egg; Erik Cole is a dark horse only in the sense that he has 37 points this season. Don’t overrate him, however. Even on the Hurricanes, he is not the point-per-game player he looked to be before all his injuries. In 15 games he’ll get you 10 points and no more.

Florida Panthers

The Obvious: Stephen Weiss, David Booth, Cory Stillman, Nathan Horton, Jay Bouwmeester and Tomas Vokoun.
Not So Obvious: Weiss has 38 points in the last 43 contests…Booth had streaks of 16 in 11 and 11 in six. That means that in the other 49 games he had just 24 points. That screams “streaky”. So he’ll either be hot in the playoffs or he’ll be a huge bust – be careful…After 65 points in 45 games last year in junior, Michal Frolik had just six points in nine playoff contests – and was a minus-4.
Dark Horses: Goaltender Craig Anderson has started and won two games in a row. If the Panthers get into the playoffs on his back then he’ll backstop them once they get there, as well; Gregory Campbell will probably be used to shut down the opposition’s big guns, but he is a great candidate to be this year’s Sami Pahlsson-type and post eight points in 15 games.

Montreal Canadiens

The Obvious: Andrei Markov, Alexei Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Andrei Kostitsyn, Alex Tanguay.
Not So Obvious: Since the minor Kostitsyn controversy that was all over the Montreal papers, Sergei played his way back to the American League (and is pointless since his recall) and Andrei has stumbled with just two points in 14 games. Steer clear of both…You can kid yourself into believing that Jaroslav Halak is a better goaltender than Carey Price, or that he has earned the top job. Doesn’t matter, regardless of the level of truth of those statements. The Habs will be riding Price every second they can…Robert Lang’s return will hurt Tomas Plekanec, who put up horrible numbers while Lang was in the lineup but strong numbers when Lang was hurt, so watch for that.
Dark Horses: Lang may not return until the second round, or perhaps he’ll catch some first round games. Regardless, he led the team in scoring before he suffered the injury to his Achilles tendon; Since joining the Habs for his second stint, Mathieu Schneider has 13 points in 18 contests.

New Jersey Devils

The Obvious: Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac, Brian Gionta and Martin Brodeur.
Not So Obvious: Brendan Shanahan has just eight points in his last 22 games. Regardless of his track record, stay away…This is a two-line team, so barring an injury to one of their top six, you won’t see points from the likes of Shanny, John Madden, Bobby Holik or Brian Rolston.
Dark Horse: Defenseman Paul Martin has 14 points in his last 17 games and is the man the Devil’s turn to run the power play.

NY Rangers

The Obvious: Nikolai Zherdev, Nik Antropov, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Michal Rozsival, Henrik Lundqvist.
Not So Obvious: Drury has 10 points in 12 games since Antropov joined the squad…Markus Naslund has just four points in those same 12 games. Another big name who you should steer clear of…Rozsival had just one point in 11 games prior to his lower body injury…
Dark Horses: Ryan Callahan is on fire and he plays with the hustle and spark needed in the postseason. He has 10 points in his last 11 games; Sean Avery is playing very well in his return to New York. He has nine points in 12 games.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Obvious: Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Scott Hartnell, Daniel Briere, Kimmo Timonen.
Not So Obvious: Five times this year Joffrey Lupul has gone through stretches of at least three games without a point…Mike Knuble has just eight points in his last 17 games.
Dark Horses: Martin Biron has started 10 of the last 11 games and won seven of them. He heats up every season at the right time; Claude Giroux will be a prolific producer in the NHL and he is seeing plenty of ice time right now. It’s very feasible that he puts up numbers at least as good as what Hartnell can do.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Obvious: Chris Kunitz, Bill Guerin, Petr Sykora, Marc-Andre Fleury, Sergei Gonchar. Oh, and some guys named Sid and Evgeni.
Not So Obvious: Miroslav Satan has seven points in six AHL games. The salary cap will keep him out of the league during the regular season. It won’t be a factor for the postseason…Since the trade deadline, Sykora has one point in eight games. That’s the impact of adding Kunitz and Guerin.
Dark Horses: Kris Letang has eight points in 11 games. Clearing Ryan Whitney off the roster is really helping his numbers; Jordan Staal frequently plays 20 minutes a game and is out there during crunch time.

Washington Capitals

The Obvious: Anyone named Alex. Also Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Brooks Laich, Viktor Kozlov Jose Theodore.
Not So Obvious: Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr have shown that they can produce, but both are immersed in a horrible slump and not worth taking unless a key injury strikes the roster…Michael Nylander is not the same player anymore. Just stay away…Laich has nine points in his last 10 games. He was hot down the stretch last year as well, and he carried that into the postseason.
Dark Horses: Sergei Fedorov still produces in spurts and occasionally the coach throws him on a line with Alexander Ovechkin. If you like the Caps to go deep, he’d be a decent pick in the final round; Fleischmann has just one point in 17 games during his horrible slump. To look at it in a more positive light – he had 31 points in 50 games before that, so the potential is there.

Not to say the treatment is right or wrong. But from a fantasy standpoint, it is frustrating and confusing.

The biggest reason fantasy owners temper their expectations on some of the promising youngsters is what happened to Gilbert Brule. Here is a sixth overall pick in an NHL draft, coming off impressive junior numbers and an equally impressive cup of coffee in the NHL as an 18 year old (four points in seven games). He made the team as a 19 year old, but saw such few minutes that he posted just 19 points. The following year, it was less ice time and even few points (nine).

Then there is Rick Nash. He is an NHL star by many standards and a superstar by some. He is the heart and soul of this Columbus team and after seeing him on the world stage, you can only come away believing that he has that rare ability to top 95 points some day.

So why is his career high 69?

By the end of this season, Nash should sit at around 77 points. So after six NHL seasons, he will still be searching for that first 80-point campaign. Would he have already reached that plateau on the Kings? The Coyotes? The Senators? You could name all of the other 29 NHL teams and wonder how many more (or fewer) points he could be tallying in a single campaign.

Fantasy owners are hopeful, but they are not 100 percent secure in the young Blue Jackets. Nikita Filatov, Derick Brassard and Jakub Voracek are the Big 3 prospects. All three have the potential to at least flirt with 90 points. Filatov could probably give 100 a healthy run. But on this team? Within the next five years?

The good news for Voracek owners is that he has nearly twice the points that Brule had as a 19 year old and although he is seeing just 12:39 ice time per game, it is actually closer to 14 minutes per game as the season wears on. The good news for Filatov owners is that the team is trying to take things slow with him. Perhaps if they did this with Brule, he would be 65-point player by now.

All we can say for sure is that things are very promising, especially with the way Antoine Vermette is playing since joining the team, as well as Kristian Huselius’ potential whenever his team (be it Columbus or Calgary) ices two solid scoring lines and the focus is shifted off of him. Potentially, Vermette, Nash, Huselius, Brassard, Filatov and Voracek could lead a potent offense, with R.J. Umberger as a nice supplement to that. But just temper your expectations a little – particularly on the timeline…

Meanwhile…

The Toronto line of Mikhail Grabovski, Alexei Ponikarovsky and Nikolai Kulemin has been on fire lately, combining for 21 points in the last four games. The three hail from Belarus (but born in Germany), Ukraine and Russia respectively, and there is some potential that this line could remain together (as much as line combos remain together in today’s NHL) for this year and next. Either way, all three will see improved numbers next campaign…

Colorado’s Paul Stastny is having a miserable time of things. After making a huge splash as a rookie, he has really faltered. Prior to his appendectomy in January of 2008, Stastny had 127 points in 128 career games. Since then, he has 61 points in 74 regular season and playoff games and has missed time with a knee injury, a foot injury and a broken arm. He’ll bounce back, but one wonders by how much, given the declining offense around him in Colorado.

First, the “shame on you” section. Steve Sullivan, Tim Connolly, Tom Gilbert and Andy McDonald are owned in less than a third of all Yahoo! leagues. It’s clear that the Sullivan of old is back, which makes him a top center. Twelve points and a plus-8 in his last nine games. Shame on you for not picking him up! Defenseman Gilbert has 11 points in his last 12 contests – shame on you! Connolly may get hurt a lot, but if you can easily switch him back out of your lineup there is absolutely no reason why he should not be on your roster. He has been healthy for the last 26 games, or haven’t you noticed? Shame on you! McDonald was hurt, but now he is back and hasn’t missed a beat – still a point per game. Shame on you!

Now let’s get to the 10 guys you should grab now for what they offer you down the stretch. They may be “depth” guys, but they’ll probably out-produce some of your so-called stars. A lot of players are classified as centermen – but that should not stop you from snagging them. In fact, when you are in that situation, deal one of your “big name” pivots for a good winger, and then replace him with a centerman I have listed here. You won’t lose out in that position, yet you will improve on the wing.

Without further ado:

10. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia. Now that Daniel Briere is out again, Giroux will get back to what he was doing prior to Briere’s return. Projection down the stretch: 15 points in 18 games, even, 10 PIMs, 38 shots.

9. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver. The streaky Kesler is now regularly logging over 20 minutes per contest and at worst he’ll still give you steady numbers in the other categories. Projection down the stretch: 15 points in 18 games, plus-4, 14 PIMs, 55 shots.

8. Sean Bergenheim, N.Y. Islanders. Lots of opportunity on the Island for him now and he has always had the ability in multitude of categories. Projection down the stretch: 15 points in 17 games, even, 18 PIMs, 56 shots.

7. Patrice Bergeron, Boston. Excuse him for taking a few months to get rolling, after missing most of last season. But the Bergeron of old is back with nine points in last 10 games. Projection down the stretch: 15 points in 16 games, plus-5, 4 PIMs, 49 shots.

6. Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo. He has two points in two games since the deadline and is back to his old self. Granted, he could be back in the doghouse, but if not you know what he is capable of. Projection down the stretch: 14 points in 17 games, minus-1, 10 PIMs, 51 shots.

5. Stephen Weiss, Florida. He has 40 points in his last 46 games. The 25-year-old has finally arrived. Projection down the stretch: 16 points in his last 16 games, plus-5, 8 PIMs, 47 shots.

4. Antoine Vermette, Columbus. A new team and new possibilities. Vermette was turning his season around, but now he is entrenched in the top six. Projection down the stretch: 16 points in 16 games, plus-3, 12 PIMs, 49 shots.

3. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay. Everyone was grabbing this guy in September when they shouldn’t have. Nobody is grabbing him now, when they should. The future star has 10 points in his last 10 games and seeing first-line ice time. Projection down the stretch: 17 points in 16 games, minus-1, 8 PIMs, 47 shots.

2. Tuomo Ruutu, Carolina. It’s hard to imagine that he is in just 15% of all Yahoo! pools, with 15 points in his last 14 games and coming off a five-point game. His PIMs are low because Carolina has given up the least power-plays, so it’s a team system. Still, he puts up his share. Projection down the stretch: 14 points in 15 games, plus-2, 14 PIMs and 58 shots.

1. Steve Ott, Dallas. Looks like a lot of Yahoo! managers still haven’t heard the latest – Steve Ott is a fantasy stud. He has 24 points in his last 23 games, with 45 PIMs and is a plus-9 in that span. Seriously – trade your “Joe Thornton” type of player right now for a Daniel Alfredsson type of winger and pick up Ott. You will win out in both positions. Projection down the stretch: 17 points in 17 games, plus-4, 40 PIMs and 38 shots.
Honorable mentions: Matt Lombardi, Phoenix; Ales Kotalik, Edmonton; Eric Fehr, Washington, Michal Frolik, Florida; R.J. Umberger, Columbus; Matt Stajan, Toronto, Andrew Ebbett, Anaheim.

In fantasy hockey, a player being moved to a new NHL team is often good news for the fantasy owner. A fresh start or a likely shot as a star’s linemate – or both – is just what the doctor ordered for a slumping player.

Here are the most interesting players in the West who could be moved March 4, and what to expect from them if they are…

Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota – Despite solid statistics, young backup Josh Harding has a record of just 2-7-1. Since that record doesn’t tell the whole story, the Wild consider the youngster to have the ability to get in some starts down the stretch. Backstrom is a UFA this summer, so the team may move him to improve their future, while at the same time hope Harding keeps them in contention. Still, it is a million dollar industry and not all teams would take a chance on extra playoff revenue like that. On a new team, Backstrom would play in a weaker system, so his stats will go the wrong way. Odds of being dealt: 25%.

Marc-Andre Bergeron, Minnesota – Another Wild candidate to be moved, Bergeron could actually go regardless of whether they buy or sell – simply because of the numbers game. Kurtis Foster is back now and the team already has offensive pop from the blueline in Brent Burns and Marek Zidlicky. Bergeron’s value will go up or down depending on the team he ends up on. You saw his role in Anaheim last year, and it wasn’t pretty. But a team like Buffalo could really use a QB with his skill. Odds of being dealt: 60%.

Chicago Blackhawks’ prospects – This team has a ton of really great prospects in the pipeline and they already have a young, skilled and deep NHL roster. They don’t seem to want to accommodate Petri Kontiola’s trade demands – yet – but someone will move for a rental. Jack Skille is another candidate to move. They also have three promising goaltenders in the system – Corey Crawford, Antti Niemi and Josh Unice. Odds of one being dealt: 95%.

Erik Cole, Edmonton – His contract is running out and a lot of teams could use a hard-hitting second-line winger. Don’t point to his playoff and Stanley Cup experience, because – come on – he played two games. But still, he would bring the Oilers a decent return and moving him wouldn’t exactly take them out of contention. On a deep, elite team his value will drop as he will man the third line. On a borderline playoff team, he could see a nice pop if placed on the first line. Odds of being dealt: 50%

Marian Gaborik, Minnesota – His contract is up and he is not thrilled with Minnesota’s system. The Wild are likely to move him for some pipeline replenishment. When healthy, he is one of the greats of the game and it is scary to see how he would do on a team that opens it up. Key words – “when healthy”. Odds of being dealt: 80%

Olli Jokinen, Phoenix – Typically when teams “sell” at the deadline, they move out expensive vets and bring in prospects and young NHLers. So what happens when a team already has an abundance of those? For that reason, you may not see Jokinen or Ed Jovanovski moved. If you do, Jokinen can’t do any worse. A change of scenery would be a plus, no question. Odds of being dealt: 30%

Nikolai Khabibulin, Chicago – The Blackhawks have two No.1 goaltenders and three pretty good prospect goaltenders. Rather than invest so much money in goaltending, the thinking is that the ‘Hawks will deal Khabibulin. Don’t be too sure on that – you can’t buy this kind of insurance. If move, though, it can only help owners to have him play every game instead of split time. Odds of being dealt: 40%.

Jordan Leopold, Colorado – The Avs are fading fast, Leopold is finally healthy and his contract is up this year. Throw in the fact that the market for puck-moving defenders is a strong one, and he’s as good as gone. Leopold will thrive as a No.2 PP guy alongside an elite No.1. If he has a guy like Bryan McCabe at the other end of the blue line, that is the type of situation that would give him fantasy value. Odds of being dealt: 65%.

Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim – The Ducks are in a dogfight and they will lose the dogfight if they trade one or both of their big guns on the back end. However, rumors of him being traded to New Jersey won’t die. The Devils are a different team then when he was last there, so his fantasy value will make a sideways move if he goes there. Odds of being dealt: 45%.

Chris Pronger, Anaheim – He still has another year on his contract, but if the return is right, the Ducks could move him. The arrival of Ryan Whitney makes this just a little more likely. Similar to Niedermayer, on any other team Pronger holds the same high value. Only one of Nieds or Pronger will be dealt, if at all. Odds of being dealt: 40%.

Ryan Smyth, Colorado – Teams value his leadership and scoring punch, but because he is locked in for several more years yet the Avs will wait for the right offer. On a weak team, his value rises. On a strong team it drops. He was a point-a-game player with Paul Stastny out of the lineup, but barely a 50-point guy when he was in the lineup. Odds of being dealt: 50%.

Steve Sullivan, Nashville – His contract is up and he is starting to show some of his old form. The back is so far so good, too. The Preds need a playoff spot, so they probably won’t sell. But if they do, he is a great candidate to go. On a good team, he’ll be buried, but on a similar team he’ll be every bit as good as he is on the Preds and probably even better under a looser system. Odds of being dealt: 15%.

Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis – The Blues have already pulled off this trick and they’ll do it again. Maybe we’ll even see Tkachuk just head back there in the summer. A trade will probably hurt his value, because his situation in St. Louis is a good one. Odds of being dealt: 80%.

DobberHockey.com will have the fantasy impact of every trade within minutes of it being announced on March 4. It is a “must stop” for all fantasy owners who have their own trade deadlines to worry about.