This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
Looking at the highest scoring teams in the NHL, you see some of the expected names. The Montreal Canadiens are way at the top, which is not surprising given their red hot start, although the hotness of that start may be a bit surprising. The Washington Capitals, who have guys like Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, are up there, too. Then, there are the Winnipeg Jets (who were held to one goal by the Kings on Tuesday after I had already written the bulk of this. Oops).
You may not think about the Jets are a wheeling and dealing team, when you even think about them at all. Their move from Atlanta to Winnipeg delighted many, and when they got their first playoff game up there in years it was a grand old raucous time. However, they remain a roster of relative no names and castoffs. Yet, here they are, playing hockey as exciting as almost anybody so far.
Blake Wheeler is leading the way, and, so far, Drew Stafford is having a bounce back season. However, it's the young players emerging, guys like Mark Scheifele and rookie Nikolaj Ehlers, that make them particularly intriguing. There are better teams than the Jets, and they may not keep this up, but, for now, it may behoove you, as a hockey fan, and as a fantasy player, to keep an eye on Winnipeg.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Flames (Jonas Hiller) at Senators (Craig Anderson*), 7:30 PM
Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury) at Capitals (Braden Holtby), 8:00 PM
Predators (Pekka Rinne) at Sharks (Martin Jones), 10:30 PM
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News For Teams Playing Wednesday
Flames
Lance Bouma, C (leg) – Out three months
T.J. Brodie, D (hand) – No timetable for return
Michael Ferland, LW (knee) – Week-to-week
Senators
Mike Hoffman, LW (lower-body) – Doubtful for Wednesday
Curtis Lazar, C (upper-body) – Out Wednesday
Clarke MacArthur, LW (concussion) – Out indefinitely
Marc Methot, D (concussion) – Practiced Tuesday, wants to return Wednesday
Milan Michalek, LW (undisclosed) – Questionable for Wednesday
Chris Phillips, D (back) – Out indefinitely
Penguins
Beau Bennett, RW (undisclosed) – Practiced Tuesday, may play Wednesday
Eric Fehr, RW (elbow) – No timetable for return
Bryan Rust, RW (arm) – Out a couple of weeks
Capitals
Chris Brown, C (hand) – Return date unknown
Justin Williams, RW (illness) – Questionable for Wednesday
Predators
Calle Jarnkrok, C (illness) – Likely to play Wednesday
Sharks
Logan Couture, C (leg) – On injured reserve
Joonas Donskoi, RW (lower-body) – Day-to-day
Ben Smith, RW (upper-body) – Day-to-day
Raffi Torres, LW (suspension) – Serving 41-game suspension
Hot
David Krejci, C, BOS – Krejci had a real tough season for the Boston Bruins last year, being held to seven goals and 31 points in 47 games. This year, he already has seven goals, after adding two more on Tuesday. He's as hot as any player in the NHL, and is one of the top scorers in the league. He'll slow down, but for now, take advantage of this hot streak of play while you can.
Thomas Vanek, LW, MIN – Vanek is another guy who disappointed people last year, and being disappointed in Vanek seems to be an annual tradition for a lot of hockey fans. There's no reason to be disappointed right now, though. Two assists Tuesday gives Vanek a four-game point scoring streak. For all the jive talking, this is a guy with 302 career goals, and he's still a real fantasy value.
Cold
Dougie Hamilton, D, CGY – Everybody applauded the Flames, and derided the Bruins, for the Hamilton trade. So far, Calgary is on the losing end of this deal. Hamilton has exactly one point on the season, and he has been held pointless in his last seven games. He's also a minus-11. This is all bad, but don't freak out. You may want to leave him on your bench for now, but eventually he should be able to help you.
Ryan Kesler, C, ANA – The Ducks, who have really struggled to score this year, managed three goals in a loss to the Dallas Stars. Kesler, however, only managed an assist, and he was a minus-1 in the game. His only points this season are two assists, and he's also a minus-5 in nine games. People thought the new deal was going to bite Anaheim in a few years. Maybe that is going to happen sooner than expected.
Recommended Pickup
Mikkel Boedker, LW, ARI – The bottom is likely to fall out on Arizona at some point, but that likely will impact youngsters like Max Domi and Anthony Duclair more. Boedker is a bit more of a proven commodity. He has 19 goals and 51 points two seasons ago, and 14 goals in 45 games last year, and he's only 25. He's off to a strong start to the season, and if the Coyotes are a bit better than expected, his plus/minus may not be as big of a problem, which will only help his value.
