DAILY PRIME - JANUARY 29, 2013: UPDATES & IN THE SLOT

UPDATES: PEN D-MAN DOWN: Matt Niskanen is out 2-4 weeks due to a lower-body injury. Had some fantasy value playing on the 2nd Pittsburgh PP unit..  JAMES TIME!.. With Joffrey Lupul out with a broken arm, and now Clarke MacArthur out with a finger problem, Toronto has moved James van Riemsdyk to the top line with Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak.  It's like nature wants van Riemsdyk to succeed.  Great opportunity for him, especially if he can jump-start Kessel who has yet to score in 5 games.   ROY ROGER AND OUT!--The Dallas Stars have placed C Derek Roy on IR with a groin injury...2-DOOR SUBBAN--Montreal signed defenseman P. K. Subban to a 2-year deal ending his holdout.  With the quick start by Andrei Markov and the emergence of Raphael Diaz on the back end, Subban had no more leverage and signed.  See Romie's take on the signing in Prime Views...ANDERSON ROCKS!--Yes!  Ottawa G Craig Anderson is off to a hot start.  See Romie's analysis on the Senators net minder in ROMIE HITS THE POST, available only to our PRIME+PLUS subscribers.

 

THE GOALIE EDGE WILL BE AVAILABLE  AROUND 4:30- 5:00 ET DURING WEEKDAYS, SO STAY TUNED FOR WHICH GOALIE MUST BE IN YOUR FANTASY LINEUPS EVERY NIGHT. A MUST-READ FOR ALL FANTASY OWNERS!

 

 

***IN THE SLOT*** FANTASY RECAP OF THE NHL NIGHT IN ACTION

BOSTON 5 @ CAROLINA 3

David Krejci, known for his playmaking, scored his first goal of the season late in the third period to help preserve the 5-3 Bruins road win in Carolina. Krejci also added an assist and has five points in five games. With the return of a healthy Nathan Horton, who also scored a goal and an assist, Krejci and his line-mates have carried the Bruins offense in the early going. Start Krejci while he is hot.  As for Horton, he could make for a solid waiver wire addition if available. He looks more focused than ever.. Defenseman Zdeno Chara also came up huge last night, scoring a goal and two assists, in addition to his usual 25+ minutes of ice-time (26:02 to be precise!). With 4 points in his last two contests, Chara is picking it up offensively after a slow start. Maybe the meteoric rise of rookie Dougie Hamilton has motivated “Big Z”…Tyler Seguin has struggled to begin the season (one assist in 4 games), but scored a power-play goal and an assist last night. He continues to get plenty of ice-time, including on the top power play, so the points should start coming regularly.. Alex Semin had two assists for the Hurricanes. While he has only scored one goal for his team so far, he does have three helpers and continues to show chemistry with captain Eric Staal. All the signs are pointing to a big bounce-back year for Semin. Keep him in your lineup.

 

DALLAS 1 @ COLUMBUS 2

Veteran Vinny Prospal spoiled Jamie Benn's season debut for Dallas by scoring the game-winning goal to propel Columbus to a 2-1 home victory. D James Wisniewski collects an assist, giving him only two points in six games. His fantasy owners need more. Columbus needs more. Need I say more? Don't give up on him, though. The points will come.. Despite the slow start, Dallas D Alex Goligoski has been getting back to his offensive ways, picking up an assist in three straight games.  He also led the Stars with 4:02 of power play time. Close to must-start status.. Jamie Benn (1A) looked rusty upon his return and will likely need a few games under his belt to perform up to his expectations. Owners should exercise some caution before inserting him in your starting lineups.

 

NASHVILLE 0 @ PHOENIX 4

With all the hype surrounding rising star defenseman Oliver-Ekman Larsson in Phoenix recently, Keith Yandle somehow gets overlooked as a top-flight fantasy option.  Well, one goal and two assists last night against Nashville and five points overall in six games should get everyone's attention. An important memo to all owners- Yandle is one of the NHL's elite offensive defensemen and should only get better with the rise of OEL.. Congrats to Phoenix goalie Chad Johnson, for posting a 21-save shutout in front of family and friends. A nice feel-good story for the normal third-stringer, but no fantasy value here.

 

COLORADO 1 @ EDMONTON 4

Jordan Eberle, Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, and Nail Yakupov all scored power play goals in the 4-1 demolition of the Avalanche. The fantasy value for any top-six Oiler forward are all on the rise, considering that Head coach Ralph Krueger can roll out two equally dangerous power play units on any given night. Obviously, the Eberle-Hall-Hopkins trio are on the cusp of being elite, but don't forget Nail  Yakupov on the second line. His three goals have served notice that he is a serious contender for the Calder Trophy. Huge fantasy upside.. With all the talk of defenseman Justin Schultz, Ryan Whitney continues to fly under the radar. He collected a power play assist last night, while his 5:24 minutes on the power play was close to Schultz (5:42). If you can get your hands on him for cheap, Whitney can help your team. A solid 4th fantasy blueliner for sure.

 

VANCOUVER 2 @ LOS ANGELES 3

Slava Voynov's first goal of the season came in an opportune time, as he tied the game in the last minute to send it into overtime. Despite the slow start with one point in five games, the 23-year old defenseman is oozing with offensive ability and should be good for 15-20 points this season.. Jeff Carter scored the other Kings goal, his third, and looks primed for a big rebound. As streaky as they come, owners should start Carter while he is hot.