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| Doughty scores goal | Saturday 10/4, 11:54 PM CT |
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Drew Doughty scored a goal in Saturday's 5-2 loss to Phoenix.
Our View: Doughty had a solid night and has a bright future with the Kings, but the young defenseman won't be consistent enough to consider for fantasy rosters in 2008. |
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| Brown records two points in loss | Saturday 10/4, 11:47 PM CT |
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Dustin Brown scored a goal and an assist in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Coyotes.
Our View: Brown has improved in each of his first four seasons in the NHL, and could potentially rank as a solid No. 2 fantasy forward in 2008. |
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| Porter notches three points | Saturday 10/4, 11:41 PM CT |
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Kevin Porter scored a goal and two assists in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Kings.
Our View: Porter had a great night, but will not be productive enough for fantasy rosters while working as a backup right wing. |
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| Reinprecht racks up two goals | Saturday 10/4, 11:35 PM CT |
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Steve Reinprecht racked up two goals in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Kings. Both of his goals were scored on a wrist shot.
Our View: The 32-year-old will serve as a solid mentor to the younger skaters on the club, but may not be productive enough to merit fantasy consideration in standard-sized leagues. |
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| Pavelec sent down by Atlanta | Saturday 10/4, 11:27 PM CT |
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Atlanta has sent goalie Ondrej Pavelec down to AHL affiliate Chicago, according to the AP.
Our View: Pavelec is a top prospect in the Thrashers' organization, but there is not yet a spot for him at goalie behind Kari Lehtonen and Johan Hedberg. |
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| Kulda demoted | Saturday 10/4, 11:23 PM CT |
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Arturs Kulda has been demoted to AHL affiliate Chicago by the Thrashers, according to the AP.
Our View: Kulda has a future in the NHL, but was not yet ready to crack the Thrashers' roster. |
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| Stevenson sent down | Saturday 10/4, 11:20 PM CT |
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Grant Stevenson has been sent down by the Thrashers to AHL affiliate Chicago, according to the AP.
Our View: Stevenson hasn't played in the NHL since 2005-06, when he only scored 22 points over 47 games with San Jose. He was viewed as a longshot to make the Thrashers. |
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| Weber sent down to Hamilton | Saturday 10/4, 11:14 PM CT |
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Yannick Weber has been sent down to AHL affiliate Hamilton by the Canadiens, according to the AP.
Our View: The defenseman performed better than expected through training camp and will head to Hamilton with confidence. He could return to Montreal at some point this season, but holds no fantasy value in standard leagues for now. |
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| Denis cut by Montreal | Saturday 10/4, 11:10 PM CT |
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Marc Denis has been cut by Montreal, according to the AP.
Our View: He should end up with AHL affiliate Hamilton. He had no shot to compete for a favorable role at goalie behind Carey Price and Jan Halak. |
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| McGrath sent down, among others | Saturday 10/4, 11:04 PM CT |
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Evan McGrath has been sent down to the minors by Detroit, according to TSN. The team also sent down PJ Atherton, Daniel Larsson, Jakub Kindl, Logan Pyett, Sergei Kolasau, Ryan Oulahen, Jamie Tardif, Randall Gelech, and Darren Haydar.
Our View: None of the listed players were expected to make an impact with the defending champion Red Wings this season. |
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| Sterling scores lone goal for Atlanta | Saturday 10/4, 10:45 PM CT |
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Brett Sterling scored the Thrashers' lone goal in Saturday's 4-1 loss to St. Louis.
Our View: Sterling scored one goal and two assists over 13 games with Atlanta last season, and is not yet ready to make a favorable fantasy impact. |
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| Kariya enjoys big night | Saturday 10/4, 10:39 PM CT |
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Paul Kariya generated a goal and two assists in Saturday's 4-1 preseason win over Atlanta.
Our View: Kariya will turn 34 this month, but has not missed a regular season game over the last three seasons, while averaging 75 points over the span. He has a few more productive seasons left in him, and is a solid player to round out a fantasy roster with. |
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| Stempniak dishes three helpers | Saturday 10/4, 10:34 PM CT |
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Lee Stempniak contributed three assists in Saturday's 4-1 win over Atlanta. Two of his points came on the power-play.
Our View: Stempniak is expected to operate the power-play in place of the injured Erik Johnson, and is worth targeting as a fantasy flier. Tonight's performance could be a preview of good things to come. |
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| Richards collects two points in loss | Saturday 10/4, 10:26 PM CT |
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Mike Richards scored a goal and an assist in Saturday's 4-3 preseason loss to the Devils. Both of his points came on a power-play.
Our View: Richards scored 75 points over 73 games in 2007, and is off to a solid start heading into the new season. |
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| Briere racks up three points | Saturday 10/4, 10:21 PM CT |
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Daniel Briere recorded a goal and two assists in Saturday's 4-3 preseason loss to the Devils.
Our View: Briere looks to top 30 goals for the third straight season, and should remain a productive starting winger. He will turn 31 on Monday. |
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| Langenbrunner chips in two assists | Saturday 10/4, 10:15 PM CT |
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Jamie Langenbrunner chipped in a pair of assists in Saturday's 4-3 preseason win over the Flyers.
Our View: Langenbrunner looks to be healthy again this season, and could challenge 60 points over a full campaign, ranking him as a favorable bottom-of-the-lineup forward. |
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| Rolston racks up two points in win | Saturday 10/4, 10:10 PM CT |
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Brian Rolston racked up a goal and an assist in Saturday's 4-3 preseason win over the Flyers.
Our View: Rolston is slated to serve as the Devils' first-line center in 2008. He may not top 30 goals for the fourth-straight season, but could potentially see a boost in assists. |
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| Price surrenders three goals in loss | Saturday 10/4, 10:03 PM CT |
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Carey Price stopped 22-of-25 shots on goal in Saturday's 3-0 preseason loss to Minnesota.
Our View: Price won 24 games as a rookie in 2007, with a 2.56 goals-against-average, and the team plans on giving him at least 60 starts this season, making him a viable starting fantasy goalie. |
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| Backstrom records preseason shutout | Saturday 10/4, 9:57 PM CT |
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Niklas Backstrom recorded a shutout in Saturday's 3-0 preseason win over Montreal. He made 25 saves.
Our View: Backstrom held a .920 save percentage and 2.31 goals-against-average in 2007, with four shutouts. He looks to be headed for another solid season as a No. 1 fantasy goalie. |
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| Two points for Veilleux | Saturday 10/4, 9:53 PM CT |
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Stephane Veilleux generated a goal and an assist in Saturday's 3-0 preseason win over the Canadiens.
Our View: He is enjoying a strong preseason, but only registered 18 points (11 goals) over 77 games with Minnesota in 2007, and has never reached at least 20 points in his five-year career. He should not be over-valued as a fantasy prospect. |
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| Antropov notches pair of assists | Saturday 10/4, 9:48 PM CT |
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Nik Antropov notched a pair of assists in Saturday's 4-3 preseason loss to Detroit.
Our View: He looks to serve as the Leafs' first-line center until Mats Sundin potentially returns, making Antropov a solid sleeper candidate for at least the early part of 2008. |
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| Blake scores two goals in losing effort | Saturday 10/4, 9:10 PM CT |
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Jason Blake scored two goals in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Detroit.
Our View: Blake scored 40 goals with the Islanders in 2006 after dipping to 15 in 2007 due to his treatment for Leukemia. His illness is believed to be behind him, and is off to a solid start in the preseason. He could once again rank as a starting fantasy forward in 2008. |
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| Leino chips in two assists in win | Saturday 10/4, 9:03 PM CT |
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Ville Leino chipped in two assists in Saturday's 4-3 preseason win over Toronto.
Our View: The winger has solid skills, namely as a passer, but the Wings are too deep at the position for him to make a fantasy impact as a rookie. |
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| Cleary leads Wings with two goals | Saturday 10/4, 8:56 PM CT |
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Dan Cleary scored two goals on Saturday as he led the Wings to a 4-3 win over the Leafs in preseason action.
Our View: Cleary has scored 20 goals in each of his last two seasons with Detroit, and looks to stay on par in 2008, ranking him as a favorable reserve winger for deeper leagues. |
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| Gerber surrenders four goals | Saturday 10/4, 8:18 PM CT |
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Martin Gerber stopped 26-of-30 shots in Saturday's 4-3 preseason loss to the Penguins.
Our View: Gerber won 30 games last season, but only held a .910 save percentage. He ranks as a solid No. 1 fantasy goalie, but is not going to push for elite status. |
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| Sim improves bid with goal | Saturday 10/4, 6:36 PM CT |
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Jon Sim improved his bid to nail down a spot at left wing alongside Doug Weight and Bill Guerin, as he scored a goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over Boston. Guerin assisted on the goal.
Our View: Sim is expected to open the season on the third-line, but could work his way up if he continues to perform like tonight. He is worthy of targeting as a flier. |
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| MacDonald shuts down Bruins | Saturday 10/4, 6:24 PM CT |
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Joey MacDonald shut down the Bruins in Saturday's 3-1 preseason win as he stopped 28 of 29 shots-on-goal.
Our View: MacDonald has solid skills, evidenced by tonight's performance, but his fantasy value will remain limited while serving as the primary backup to starter Rick DiPietro. |
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| Weight contributes goal in win | Saturday 10/4, 6:20 PM CT |
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Doug Weight contributed a goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over Boston. He scored on the power-play.
Our View: Weight has 265 career goals, but only scored 10 over 67 games with the Ducks last season, and will provide little more than veteran leadership to the Islanders in 2008. |
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| Savard chips in assist in loss | Saturday 10/4, 6:16 PM CT |
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Marc Savard registered an assist in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Islanders.
Our View: Savard's goal output has declined over each of the last three seasons, but remains among the best passers in the NHL, as he averages just under 69 assists over that span. |
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| Chara scores lone goal for Boston | Saturday 10/4, 6:11 PM CT |
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Zdeno Chara scored the Bruins' lone goal in Saturday's 3-1 preseason loss to the Islanders. The score came on the power-play.
Our View: Chara looks to be recovered from off-season shoulder surgery, evidenced by tonight's performance. He should remain a top fantasy defenseman for 2008. |
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| Spezza generates two points in loss | Saturday 10/4, 5:16 PM CT |
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Jason Spezza generated a goal and an assist in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh.
Our View: Spezza averages 34 goals and 55 assists over his last two seasons with Ottawa, and looks to stay on par in 2008, making him a strong choice as a fantasy center. |
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| Kuba racks up pair of assists | Saturday 10/4, 5:11 PM CT |
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Filip Kuba racked up a pair of assists in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Penguins.
Our View: The defenseman looks to be productive while serving on the power-play this season, and is worth consideration as a flier. One of his assists today came on the power-play. |
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| Malkin notches goal in win | Saturday 10/4, 5:07 PM CT |
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Evgeni Malkin notched a goal in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Senators. The goal was unassisted.
Our View: He is off to a solid start and should once again challenge 50 goals in 2008. |
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| Kennedy blasts two goals | Saturday 10/4, 5:04 PM CT |
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Tyler Kennedy blasted two goals in Saturday's 4-3 win over Ottawa. Both scores came on a wrist shot.
Our View: The 22-year-old center has a future in the NHL, but the Penguins are too deep at the position right now for him to make an impact. |
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| Baumgartner sent down | Saturday 10/4, 4:58 PM CT |
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Nolan Baumgartner has been sent down by Vancouver to AHL affiliate Manitoba, according to the AP.
Our View: The 32-year-old spent all of last season in the AHL, while playing in 18 games with the Moose after joining them in February from the Dallas Stars. He would hold no fantasy value if called up during the season.
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| Cowan waived by Canucks | Saturday 10/4, 4:34 PM CT |
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Jeff Cowan has been waived by the Canucks, according to TSN.
Our View: Over 413 career games, the veteran forward has 47 goals and 81 points with 695 penalty minutes.
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| McIver acquired by Ducks | Saturday 10/4, 4:32 PM CT |
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The Ducks have acquired Nathan McIver off waivers from the Kings, according to TSN.
Our View: The 23-year-old failed to score a goal or an assist over 17 games with Vancouver in 2007. His fantasy stock is not likely to improve with Anaheim this season. |
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| Stewart sent down | Saturday 10/4, 4:27 PM CT |
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Chris Stewart has been sent down by Colorado to AHL affiliate Lake Erie, according to the Rocky Mountain News.
Our View: The 20-year-old was Colorado’s first-round pick in 2006, and is not yet ready to make a favorable contribution. The move trims Colorado's preseason roster down to 27.
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| Boychuk inks with Carolina | Saturday 10/4, 4:24 PM CT |
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Carolina has signed first-round pick (14th overall) Zach Boychuk to a three-year entry-level contract Saturday, according to TSN.
Our View: The 19-year-old center racked up 33 goals and 39 assists in 61 regular-season contests last season in the WHL. He has a bright future in the NHL, but will hold no fantasy value this season.
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| Moore nursing foot injury | Saturday 10/4, 4:18 PM CT |
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Dominic Moore is nursing a foot injury and is not expected to return to the ice until Thursday's season opener at Detroit, according to the Toronto Star.
Our View: Moore is not productive enough to merit fantasy consideration. |
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| White on bubble, among others | Saturday 10/4, 4:15 PM CT |
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Ian White is believed to be on the roster bubble with the Leafs, according to the Toronto Star. Staffan Kronwall, Jonas Frogren, Jiri Tlusty, and Mark Bell are also in jeopardy of not making the roster.
Our View: None of the listed players would be expected to make an impact if they hang on to make the Leafs. |
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| St. Louis lights the lamp | Saturday 10/4, 2:04 PM CT |
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Martin St. Louis scored the lone goal in the Lightning's 2-1 loss to the Rangers Saturday.
Our View: He was assisted by Vincent Lecavalier, who had a team-high six shots on goal. |
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| Dubinsky nets game winner | Saturday 10/4, 2:03 PM CT |
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Brandon Dubinsky had five shots on goal Saturday and got one of them across the crease, as he netted the game winner in a 2-1 victory over the Lightning.
Our View: Dubinsky has a chance to emerge this year in New York.. Keep an eye on him. |
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| Smith solid in loss | Saturday 10/4, 1:59 PM CT |
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Mike Smith was terrific in a losing effort Saturday, stopping 39-of-41 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Rangers.
Our View: Smith will likely lose some playing time to Olaf Kolzig this year, and he is playing on a bad team, but the guy has a lot of ability. |
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| Lundqvist stop 20-of-21 shots in win | Saturday 10/4, 1:58 PM CT |
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Henrik Lundqvist picked up where he left off last season Saturday, stopping 20-of-21 Lightning shots in a 2-1 win in Europe.
Our View: Lundqvist will try to make a run at 40 wins this season after posting 37 victories last year. |
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| Thornton won't miss opener | Saturday 10/4, 1:18 PM CT |
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Joe Thornton is iffy to play in Sunday's preseason finale, but he will be on the ice for next week's regular season opener, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Thornton left the Sharks' last preseason game with a minor groin injury.
Our View: It was thought that the injury was minor, but it's good to see it confirmed. Play Thornton with confidence next week. |
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| Goligoski to be scratched | Saturday 10/4, 12:34 PM CT |
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Alex Goligoski is expected to be scratched from the lineup today in favor of Darryl Sydor, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Our View: I guess coach Michel Therrien doesn't trust Goligoski to fill in for Sergei Gonchar after all. Goligoski is a talented on offense, but his defensive skills are lacking. |
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| Sykora out this weekend | Saturday 10/4, 12:31 PM CT |
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Petr Sykora will not play in the team's season opener tonight and will likely miss tomorrow's game, as well, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sykora returned to practice earlier this week after missing five days because of a respiratory illness, but he is now out with a groin ailment.
Our View: Bummer for Sykora's owners. He'll be back next weekend when the team returns to the states. |
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| Weiss tests out groin | Saturday 10/4, 12:21 PM CT |
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Stephen Weiss said he felt "pretty good" out on the ice during Friday's practice and hopes to return to practice Saturday to see how his strained groin responds, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Our View: Weiss' production fell off last year after he notched a 20-goal season in 2006-07. The Panthers are hoping he can return to form this year. |
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| Umberger has bruised hand | Saturday 10/4, 12:18 PM CT |
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R.J. Umberger suffered a hand injury Friday as a result of a slash, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Our View: Coach Ken Hitchcock said it was just a bruise and that Umberger should be good to go by Tuesday. |
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| Rolston looking good at center | Saturday 10/4, 12:15 PM CT |
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Brian Rolston has looked great at center for the Devils, even though he hasn't played the position in four years, according to the NY Post. "I'm feeling more comfortable getting the puck in the middle of the ice," the 35-year-old said. "It takes a little time to get used to it, but we're only going to get better as a line."
Our View: Rolston could see a dip in goal production, but that would likely be made up with more assists. |
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| Boucher goes through full practice | Saturday 10/4, 12:12 PM CT |
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Philippe Boucher participated in his first full practice of the preseason Friday and will be in the lineup for the team's preseason tilt Sunday, according to the Dallas Morning News. Boucher is coming back from a toe injury.
Our View: Boucher will be leaned on heavily on the power play with Sergei Zubov likely sidelined for at least a month, so the Stars need to get him back on the ice. |
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| Purcell skating on top line | Saturday 10/4, 12:08 PM CT |
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With Patrick O'Sullivan still involved in a contract dispute, Teddy Purcell is set to skate on the same line as Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, according to the LA Times. "Good players need to play with good players," said coach Terry Murray. "That's going to give him the best opportunity to show us how it's going to fit for him."
Our View: We expect O'Sullivan's contract situation to be resolved eventually, but if it should happen to carry over into the regular season, Purcell could be a sleeper, at least in the short term. |
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| Doughty paired with O'Donnell | Saturday 10/4, 11:58 AM CT |
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No. 2 overall pick Drew Doughty will be paired with the newly acquired Sean O'Donnell, according to the LA Times.
Our View: The Kings got this one right, as O'Donnell should be able to cover up a lot of the youngster's mistakes. |
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| Morrison tallies three assists | Saturday 10/4, 12:23 AM CT |
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Center Brendan Morrison played on Teemu Selanne's line on Friday. He tallied three assists while Selanne earned a hat trick. The Ducks beat the Coyotes 4-1.
Our View: Morrison had offseason knee surgery but it appears he will be ready to go for the regular season. If Selanne and him remain linemates, Morrison should rack up 40 assists. |
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| Hiller has another strong performance | Saturday 10/4, 12:17 AM CT |
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Jonas Hiller stopped 19 of 20 shots in the Ducks 4-1 win over the Coyotes on Friday night. It was another strong preseason performance for the 26-year-old netminder.
Our View: Jean-Sebastien Giguere's backup has enough talent to be a No. 1 but doesn't figure to get 30 starts this season. Hiller is good enough to carry on your roster if you are fortunate to draft Giguere. |
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| Niedermayer records three assists in win | Saturday 10/4, 12:13 AM CT |
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Scott Niedermayer had three assists in Anaheim's 4-1 win over the Coyotes on Friday. Two of his helpers came on the power play.
Our View: Niedermayer posted 25 points in 48 games last season. His production figures to go up as he sees Teemu Selanne more often on his power play unit. He is a quality fantasy blue-liner for the upcoming campaign. |
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| Selanne records hat trick | Saturday 10/4, 12:07 AM CT |
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Teemu Selanne continues to impress the entire league in his return to Anaheim. He needed just three shots and a little over 13 minutes of ice-time to record a hat trick in Duck's 4-1 win over the Coyotes.
Our View: That gives Selanne five goals in the preseason in limited action. Optimistically, if he can give the Ducks a full season, he could make a run at 40 goals and up to 90 points. |
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