Week 4 Fantasy Hockey Planner

Week 4 (Oct. 26-Nov. 1)

Teams playing four games: Colorado, Minnesota, Montreal, N.Y. Islanders. N.Y. Rangers, Phoenix, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
Teams playing three games: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, New Jersey, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose, St. Louis
Teams playing two games: Atlanta, Calgary, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay

Atlantic Division

Devils defenseman Cory Murphy cleared waivers and was sent to Lowell of the AHL. He had no points in three games this season as he rotated for the sixth defenseman spot with Andy Greene. We expect to see Murphy back at some point, but there is no need to hold onto him in Fantasy ... Devils center Rob Niedermayer surprisingly has a point in six of eight games to begin the season ... Devils forward Zach Parise is doing a good job showing his career season in 2008-09 was no fluke. He has 10 points (five goals) in his first eight games ... Rangers right wing Ales Kotalik continues his early-season surge with two points Thursday against New Jersey. Kotalik has 10 points in his first 10 games ... Flyers defenseman Matt Carle also hasn't slowed down with a point in five of his last six games. He leads the Flyers with nine points and a plus-6 rating ... In order to help Braydon Coburn reach his potential, Flyers coach John Stevens moved him to a defensive pairing with Kimmo Timonen ... Flyers rookie James Van Riemsdyk has five assists in five games to begin his NHL career.
Injury report: Devils forward Patrik Elias, who has yet to play because of a groin injury, is hoping to practice shortly. He wants to debut Thursday against the Bruins, but Elias still shouldn't be started in Fantasy in Week 4 ... Islanders center Doug Weight is merely day to day with an illness. At least he didn't suffer a setback with his nagging groin injury ... Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro's return date from knee surgery has been pushed back until early November, although no firm timetable has been given ... Rangers enforcer Donald Brashear is back on the injury report with a case of soreness. He is again day to day ... In case you missed it, Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar is out 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist. Martin Skoula is expected to see more playing time in Gonchar's absence.
Favorable matchup: N.Y. Rangers (PHO, @NYI, @MIN, @BOS). The Rangers are one of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL (3.70 GFA) and they could very well stay there because of their Week 4 schedule. The Bruins (3.11 GAA), Wild (3.38) and Islanders (3.63) all rank in the bottom 10 for defense.
Unfavorable matchup: Philadelphia (@WAS, CAR). It's tough to judge what a team can do in a short week. The Flyers had one game against Florida in Week 2 and lost 4-2. While Philly is a top-scoring team, possibly starting a player with three or four games is a better option for one week. Both the Capitals and Hurricanes are allowing 3.00 goals per game.

Northeast Division

The Bruins traded Chuck Kobasew to Minnesota in what looked to be a salary-cap clearing. They wasted little time filling his roster spot by picking up Daniel Paille in a trade from Buffalo ... Don't worry about Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara's lack of scoring. Chara hasn't scored a goal in the first nine games. However, last season he went the first 12 games without a goal and finished with 19 ... Bruins center Steve Begin has really benefited from reuniting with coach Claude Julien, who coached the veteran in Montreal. Begin has been one of Boston's most efficient scorers with six points in his first nine games ... Jaroslav Halak is trying to create a goalie controversy in Montreal. He has won two straight starts in place of the ineffective Carey Price and could stay in net as long as the team continues to win. Halak was much better than Price in the second half of last season as well, but Montreal wants to remain committed to Price since they view him as their No. 1 goalie for the next decade. Halak's strong play could also be brought on by the fact he is in a contract year ... Montreal forward Georges Laraque was a healthy scratch Thursday against the Islanders and it might not be the last time this season since the Canadiens haven't called on their enforcer much to begin the year ... Canadiens forward Sergei Kostitsyn has been suspended a second time this season and is threatening again to leave for Russia ... Senators coach Cory Clouston benched both Jonathan Cheechoo and Alexandre Picard during the third period Thursday against Nashville for poor play. Both players now need to work out of the doghouse.
Injury report: Bruins center Marc Savard will be out at least a month with a broken foot. Expect David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron to steal most of Savard's minutes on the top line and on the power play ... Bruins enforcer Milan Lucic is also out at least four weeks following surgery to fix a broken finger. Marco Sturm could benefit from Lucic's absence ... Sabres left wing Thomas Vanek has rejoined the lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury. It's safe to start him in all formats ... Sabres defenseman Toni Lydman is back on the day-to-day watch with a groin injury. He missed the first three games of the season with a hand injury ... Senators center Jason Spezza has been dealing with a nagging undisclosed injury to start the season. It could be why he still doesn't have a goal in eight games, but Spezza isn't using it as an excuse. He did have three assists Thursday against Nashville and remains a must-start Fantasy option as long as he is on the ice ... Senators defenseman Filip Kuba is still battling an injury to his hip/groin and has no timetable for his return ... Maple Leafs goalies Jonas Gustavsson (groin) practiced in full Thursday and is nearing a return to the lineup. If he doesn't play Saturday against Vancouver, then he remains an injury-risk start for Week 4. Vesa Toskala (knee) left the ice after 20 minutes Thursday and appears doubtful for Week 4 ... Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (shoulder) is practicing regularly, but has still not been cleared for contact drills. He is still on track for an early November return, but should be benched until Week 5 (Nov. 2-8) at the earliest.
Favorable matchup: Ottawa (@FLA, @TB, ATL). Florida is 29th in GAA (3.86) and the Lightning isn't far behind at 24th (3.38). Atlanta is in the top 10 for defense (2.71), however, Ottawa already beat them this season (4-2). The Senators also scored a season-high seven goals against Tampa Bay on Oct. 15.
Unfavorable matchup: Toronto (@ANA, @DAL, @BUF, @MON). It's tough to go against a team with four games, but Toronto continues to struggle on offense (2.00 GFA) and they might not break their slump in Week 4. Dallas, Buffalo and Montreal are all allowing 2.89 or fewer goals per game.

Southeast Division

The Thrashers are desperately trying to get Bryan Little going. They moved the struggling winger to the second line with Slava Kozlov and Todd White on Thursday against Washington. Unfortunately, Little recorded no shots on goal while his top-line replacement -- Maxim Afinogenov -- recorded two points ... Speaking of Kozlov, he will not be suspended for a dangerous hit from behind on Montreal's Scott Gomez during Tuesday's game ... Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk has four multi-goal games through the first few weeks ... Panthers coach Peter DeBoer has said he doesn't believe rookie defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will be returned to his junior team and called the Russian blueliner "the real deal" ... Lightning coach Rick Tocchet shook up his lines for Thursday's game against San Jose and the team responded with a 5-2 win. Martin St. Louis was bumped to the top line to help Vincent Lecavalier get on track and the veteran center responded with his first goal. Steve Downie joined Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone on the second line, while Alex Tanguay, who hasn't scored, was demoted to the third line with Jeff Halpern and Drew Miller ... The Capitals have sent center Michael Nylander on a conditioning stint to Grand Rapids of the AHL. This is pretty much an all-time low for the veteran center. Nylander can't seem to get out of coach Bruce Boudreau's doghouse and his hefty contract is making it difficult for Washington to trade him.
Injury report: Hurricanes defenseman Joni Pitkanen is back in the lineup after taking some nights off as he works his way back from preseason knee surgery. Pitkanen's practice time remains limited, so he no longer has to miss games. He has three assists in three games this season ... Capitals forward Alexander Semin is day to day due to soreness. Washington is hoping he plays on Saturday against the Islanders. Even if he doesn't, consider Semin a low-risk start for Week 4 since this injury doesn't seem serious ... Capitals goalie Jose Theodore is back on the bench after missing one game with back spasms.
Favorable matchup: Washington (PHI, @ATL, NYI, CLB). The Thrashers are the only team allowing under 3.00 goals per game in 2009-10. However, Washington scored five goals against Atlanta on Thursday and also scored five times against Philly back on Oct. 6. Also, three games are at the Verizon Center, where Washington is averaging 3.40 goals per contest.
Unfavorable matchup: Florida (OTT, @DAL, @STL). All three of Florida's Week 4 opponents are among the NHL's top defenses. They are allowing 2.80 or fewer goals per contest. Florida is also averaging just 2.33 goals on the road. They travel to Dallas and St. Louis in the upcoming scoring period.

Central Division

The Blackhawks were fortunate to claim Andrew Ebbett off waivers from Anaheim. Ebbett had 32 points in 48 games for Anaheim last season, but became expendable after the Ducks signed Saku Koivu in the offseason. Chicago coach Joel Quenneville loves Ebbett's versatility since he can also play on the wing. Ebbett might eventually re-emerge as a viable Fantasy option ... The Blue Jackets have moved rookie Nikita Filatov from left wing to right wing in hopes the change will spark his game. Filatov was a healthy scratch for three games before playing Thursday against the Oilers ... Blue Jackets forward Raffi Torres has four power-play goals this season after getting all of two man-advantage scores in 2008-09 ... Predators right wing J.P. Dumont, who missed some time earlier this season with a head injury, totaled one goal and five points on Thursday against Ottawa. While Dumont is a 60-point threat, don't expect many five-point nights from the veteran. Dumont is just extraordinarily great against Ottawa. Dumont has 12 points (two goals) in four games against Ottawa as a Predator ... Predators rookie defenseman Cody Franson has two points (one goal) in his first three NHL games. Franson has patiently waited in the minors for his chance to play on Nashville's blue line and was able to develop as a solid two-way player. If Franson sticks around, he could end up being a Fantasy sleeper ... Blues defenseman Erik Johnson, who missed the 2008-09 season with a torn ACL, is showing no ill-effects to begin the year. He has seven assists in seven games and is back to being a high-end Fantasy option.
Injury report: The Blackhawks have a few of their top players -- Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook -- day to day with upper-body injuries. If they aren't back by the weekend, they are considered injury-risk starts for Week 4 ... Columbus defenseman Mike Commodore was activated off injured reserve on Thursday. He had missed the first few weeks of the season with a groin injury. However, he is still not a recommended Fantasy start until he starts performing at 100 percent ... Blue Jackets enforcer Jared Boll is dealing with a minor hip flexor injury that is not considered serious. Keep him active in Fantasy formats that reward heavily for PIM ... Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk returned to the lineup Thursday against the Coyotes after missing two games with an upper-body injury. It's safe to keep him active for Week 4 ... Predators center Jason Arnott is expected to be sidelined 1-2 weeks with an arm injury. He might return during Week 4, but Fantasy owners shouldn't take the risk of starting him.
Favorable matchup: Chicago (MIN, @NSH, MON). The Wild and Predators are allowing 3.33 or more goals per game. Chicago also plays twice on home ice, where they are averaging 3.50 goals per game.
Unfavorable matchup: Columbus (PHO, PIT, @WAS). The Blue Jackets have their work cut out for them in Week 4. They face three teams in the top 15 for defense, with Phoenix leading the NHL in GAA (1.50) and Pittsburgh is third (2.11).

Northwest Division

Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who had troubles scoring in 2008-09, is having no such issues to begin the 2009-10 campaign. He has five goals and eight points in his first nine outings. Phaneuf is making a strong push to impress the Canadian Olympic committee ... The Avalanche have recalled 2006 first-round pick Chris Stewart from Lake Erie of the AHL. Stewart was assigned to Lake Erie on Tuesday after he was a healthy scratch for four consecutive games. He had just one assist in his first four games with Colorado ... Avalanche defenseman Kyle Quincey has pretty much reached must-start Fantasy status. In his first season with Colorado, Quincey is already one of the team's top-logging players and has eight points in his first nine games ... Edmonton coach Pat Quinn opted to split up Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff. The move paid dividends for Hemsky, who broke out with five points on Thursday against Columbus. Horcoff wasn't as fortunate, recording no points and still has just one goal in nine games ... Dustin Penner also had five points for Edmonton on Thursday. He is fourth in the NHL with 14 points and finally seems to be living up to his potential now that he is no longer in former coach Craig MacTavish's doghouse. Quinn is getting the most out of the left winger ... Oilers center Sam Gagner started the season on the team's fourth line, but is now centering the top unit with Penner and Hemsky. He has a goal in two straight games and eight points in nine appearances.
Injury report: Flames forward David Moss (upper body) is practicing in full and is close to returning. Moss was skating on the team's top line before going down with the injury ... Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles is out at least two weeks with a separated shoulder ... Avalanche backup goalie Peter Budaj missed Friday's game against Carolina because of the flu, but he is not a risky start for Week 4 ... Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray, who has been out since the third game with a concussion, is back at the rink but is still out indefinitely ... Wild forward Martin Havlat was back on the ice Wednesday against the Avalanche after missing two games with a groin injury. It's safe to keep him active in all Fantasy formats ... Canucks forward Pavol Demitra, who is on long-term injured reserve following offseason shoulder surgery, is now out indefinitely after a shoulder scope revealed complications with his range of motion ... It is better news for Canucks defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who has also been on long-term IR recovering from shoulder surgery. He is fully recovered and ready to make his debut. However, he can't play until Sunday at the earliest because long-term IR states you must miss 10 games or 24 days. It does appear Schneider will play during Week 4, so if you want to roll the dice, consider starting him in Fantasy.
Favorable matchup: Vancouver (DET, @LA, @ANA, COL). The Avalanche is the Canucks' only opponent in Week 4 that is ranked in the top half of the NHL for defense. The rest of their opponents are allowing 3.13 or more goals per game.
Unfavorable matchup: Minnesota (@CHI, NSH, NYR, @PIT). It's the complete opposite story for Minnesota, who face three teams -- Chicago, New York and Pittsburgh -- all ranked in the top 10 for defense.

Pacific Division

Ducks checking-line forward Evgeny Artyukhin was suspended three games for slew-footing Dallas defenseman Matt Niskanen on Wednesday. He is eligible to return Oct. 31 against Phoenix, but Fantasy owners will want to leave him benched for Week 4 ... Stars rookie forward Jamie Benn continues to impress. He has eight points (three goals) and a plus-4 rating in his first 10 games and continues to keep his composure skating alongside Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow ... The signing of goalie Jonathan Quick to a three-year deal is an interesting one for Los Angeles. Top prospect Jonathan Bernier is off to a great start at Manchester (AHL) and is finally looking like he is ready for the NHL. But keeping Quick around means Bernier's path to the big leagues is currently blocked. Also, Kings coach Terry Murray recently said he will continually start Quick in net because he isn't pleased with the production of backup Erik Ersberg ... Kings center Anze Kopitar had his first career hat trick Thursday against the Stars. It also catapulted him into a tie with Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in points (16). After a so-so season in 2008-09, Kopitar is back to being a high-end Fantasy forward ... Coyotes defenseman Adrian Aucoin continues to impress his new bosses. In his first eight games with Phoenix, Aucoin has six points (two goals) and a plus-5 rating ... Sharks coach Todd McLellan's patience with struggling forward Ryane Clowe is running thin. Clowe, who inked a four-year extension in the offseason, has no goals and one point in 10 games. McLellan has been overly disappointed because Clowe has primarily played on the second line with Patrick Marleau, who has been a regular to the stat sheet ... Sharks defenseman Jason Demers has been the total opposite of Clowe. The rookie blueliner has eight points -- all assists -- and a plus-5 rating in his first 10 games.
Injury report: Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere was battling a minor groin tweak earlier in the week, but he didn't miss any games and can be left in Fantasy lineups ... Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski is back in the lineup after missing three games with a sprained shoulder ... Stars center Brad Richards is back in the lineup after missing two games with a sore groin. Keep him active for Week 4 ... Kings forward Justin Williams missed Thursday's game against the Stars with a lower-body injury and could be out a few more days. This is not a promising development after the oft-injured forward has gotten off to such a great start in 2009-10... Sharks center Joe Pavelski (foot) is skating on his own, but there is still no timetable for his return.
Favorable matchup: Dallas (TOR, FLA, @NSH). The Stars face the two worst defensive teams in the NHL -- Toronto (4.57 GAA) and Florida (3.86). Nashville is also near the bottom, allowing 3.33 goals per contest.
Unfavorable matchup: Los Angeles (@SJ, VAN). It might not look like such a bad matchup since San Jose and Vancouver have gotten off to poor starts, but their goalies -- Evgeni Nabokov and Roberto Luongo -- have improved as of late. Nabokov has two wins in his last three outings and Luongo hasn't allowed more than two goals in three straight starts.

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