The Fantasy Hockey Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Every week, we provide you with top matchups, the latest news and give you the scoop on injured players.

Fantasy Week 20 (Feb. 16-22)

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

Editors Note: Projections are for Feb. 16-22 games and all stats are through Thursday

This week's news and notes for each team:

Anaheim Ducks: Both Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Ebbett dodged serious injury Wednesday against the Flames. Getzlaf went down in the first period after taking a hard shot off the stick of Dion Phaneuf on his lower right leg. He needed help to the bench, but was back on the ice a minute later. Ebbett took an elbow to the head from Phaneuf in the second period, but was able to finish out the game ... Defenseman Scott Niedermayer had his 12th career two-game goal Wednesday. He has 19 points (three goals) in 19 games since the calendar year hit 2009 ... Free-agent disappointment Brendan Morrison ended an 18-game goal drought with his ninth goal Wednesday. Morrison's name has come up in trade rumors and Anaheim might be willing to part ways with the veteran center because he has been a healthy scratch as of late ... Corey Perry has four goals in five February games... Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere seems to be currying favor again in Anaheim having started the last three games for Anaheim (2-1-0). He hasn’t allowed more than three goals in his last five outings and could be regaining his No. 1 Fantasy goalie status.

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Atlanta Thrashers: Ilya Kovalchuk has scored in three straight games and has 12 goals in his last 18 outings ... Slava Kozlov has two goals and two assists during a three-game point streak ... Mathieu Schneider, who has been mentioned heavily in trade rumors, has three assists in his last four games, but hasn't scored since Jan. 17 ... Rich Peverley is mired in a scoring funk with no goals in six games and just two assists in that span ... Goalie Kari Lehtonen has had to make 38 or more saves in three of his last five games ... Atlanta is on a West Coast road trip Week 20 as they face Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Jose. The Thrashers surprisingly rank sixth in road GFA, averaging 2.96 goals per game. However, San Jose and Los Angeles rank in the top 10 for defense.

Boston Bruins: Chuck Kobasew sustained a leg and upper body injury Tuesday against the Sharks. He missed Friday's game against the Devils and remains day-to-day ... The Bruins got the bad news Tuesday that forward Michael Ryder could miss up to three weeks following surgery to repair a broken face bone. He should be kept reserved through at least Week 20 with a possible return Week 21 (Feb. 23-March 1) ... Milan Lucic had both of the team's goals during a 5-2 loss to the Sharks Tuesday. It was his first multi-goal game of his career and the first goals since Jan. 1. He had missed eight of the previous 16 games with a pair of injuries ... Defenseman Dennis Wideman hasn't slowed down since the All-Star break with points in nine of his last 10 games (four goals, five assists) ... Patrice Bergeron hasn't scored in eight games since returning from a concussion and Phil Kessel hasn't scored in seven games since coming back from mono ... Boston takes a trip south Week 20 with stops against Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay. The Bruins rank 11th in road GFA, averaging 2.86 goals. Boston is averaging 4.00 goals per game against each opponent, so consider starting your Bruins skaters.

Buffalo Sabres: In case you have been living under a rock, the sad news has come down that Thomas Vanek will miss 3-4 weeks following surgery to repair a fractured jaw. He is not expected back until late February-early March. Buffalo recalled Nathan Gerbe from Portland (AHL) to take his roster spot ... Ales Kotalik has just three goals in 21 games after scoring Wednesday against the Senators ... Tim Connolly has two goals and three assists during a four-game point streak. He has nine goals and five assists in his last 15 appearances ... Jason Pominville has gone 17 games without a goal. He does have 13 assists, however, in that span ... Derek Roy hasn't scored in seven games, but has three assists in that span.

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Calgary Flames: Keeping an eye on junior hockey, Flames prospect Greg Nemisz is making solid progress for Windsor of the OHL. The 2008 first-round pick (25th overall) has 30 goals and 34 assists in 55 games. He is starting to come into his own as a power forward ... Jarome Iginla hasn't scored in six games and has just two goals in his last 18 appearances since a five-point night New Year's Eve ... Michael Cammalleri scored his team-leading 29th goal Thursday against the Kings and it was also his 14th on the man advantage. He is tied for second in the NHL with 14 power-play scores and has 15 goals since January ... Rene Bourque has three goals and two assists in seven February games. Todd Bertuzzi has the opposite with two goals and three assists in that span ... Matthew Lombardi has three goals and 10 assists in his last 18 outings ... Daymond Langkow hasn't scored in 12 games and has just three assists in that span ... Curtis Glencross has just four goals and seven assists in his last 25 games after totaling 12 points (four goals) in 14 November games.

Top 10 Players Added
Player % Change
1. Matt Niskanen, D, DAL 21
2. Chris Mason, G, STL 19
2. Andy McDonald, C, STL 18
4. Ryan Kesler, C, VAN 17
5. Jonathan Quick, G, LA 15
6. Steve Ott, LW, DAL 15
7. Jason Blake, LW, TOR 14
8. Alexander Edler, D, VAN 14
9. James Neal, LW, DAL 14
10. Sergei Gonchar, D, PIT 12

Carolina Hurricanes: Center Rod Brind'Amour returned to action Thursday against the Panthers after missing two games with a lower-body injury. However, he played just 14 minutes while primarily centering the fourth line ... Eric Staal took a season-high 11 shots Thursday, but failed to find the back of the net. He has scored five times in his last 11 games ... Matt Cullen has four goals and five assists during a five-game point streak that ended Thursday. He continues to center a line with Ray Whitney and Justin Williams ... Sergei Samsonov has two goals and three assists in his last three games ... Michael Leighton has appeared in two of the last three games after replacing Cam Ward during Thursday's 5-0 loss to the Florida, but coach Paul Maurice isn't about to make a rash decision. Ward is still his top goalie ... Carolina has four games Week 20 with three at home, where they rank dead last in offense (2.38 GFA). Luckily, Carolina gets three of the 10 worst defensive teams -- Tampa Bay, Colorado and N.Y. Islanders -- next week, so this might be a week to start your Hurricanes skaters.

Chicago Blackhawks: The Blackhawks had to recall goalie Antti Niemi from Rockford of the AHL Thursday after goalie Nikolai Khabibulin sustained a "minor" lower-body injury Wednesday against the Thrashers. Khabibulin is day-to-day, but if he is not in uniform by Saturday against the Blues, then he is an injury-risk start Week 20. Cristobal Huet will likely see most of the work with Khabibulin, who missed six games earlier this season with a lower-body ailment, sidelined ... Coach Joel Quenneville sent two regulars a message Wednesday by benching Dustin Byfuglien and James Wisniewski against the Thrashers ... Forward Patrick Sharp hasn't broken out of his scoring funk despite being moved from center to the wing. He hasn't scored in four games and has just three tallies in his last 16 outings ... Kris Versteeg has four short-handed goals and three short-handed assists in 49 games this season ... Defenseman Cam Barker has had consecutive two-assist games and has six points (one goal) in his last five outings ... Defenseman Matt Walker has five assists in four February games ... Dave Bolland has a team-high three goals in February and is tied for the lead with five points ... Chicago has four games Week 20 with three on the road. Chicago ranks third in road GFA (3.07), so consider starting your Blackhawks skaters.

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Colorado Avalanche: Coach Tony Granato switched up his lines during Wednesday's game against the Wild. He replaced Ryan Smyth on the top line with Cody McLeod, who skated with Wojtek Wolski and Milan Hejduk. Smyth skated with Ian Laperriere and Chris Stewart in even-strength situations, while T.J. Hensick was sent to the press box. The move seemed to spark Smyth, who scored both of the team's goals in a 3-2 loss ... Wolski can't seem to get going, however, as he has failed to score in 13 games. He has taken 25 shots in that span and hasn't scored since a three-game streak from Jan. 6-10 ... Good news on the injury front is that Paul Stastny, who has been out since late December with a fractured forearm, is expected to start practicing within the week. However, he is still not a recommended start Week 20 ... Milan Hejduk, who was able to stave off a serious jaw injury, hasn't scored in three games since managing a four-game goal streak ... John-Michael Liles has no goals and one assist in five February games after finishing January with a point in five of six games ... Defenseman Jordan Leopold's name has come up in trade rumors as he is in the final leg of a two-year contract.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Goalie Steve Mason came off injured reserve Friday and has been cleared to play after battling mono. He says he has full medical clearance and the ailment has dissipated, but only time will tell if he is back to his top form. Dan LaCosta was sent down to the AHL with Mason's return ... Rostislav Klesla is back on injured reserve after separating his shoulder Tuesday against Colorado. He has played just 23 games this season due to various ailments ... Rick Nash has scored just once in his last six games ... Fedor Tyutin and Jason Williams lead the team with two goals in February ... Columbus has four games on the docket Week 20 with three at home. They average just 2.63 goals at Nationwide Arena (22nd). Luckily, they face three teams -- Dallas, St. Louis and Toronto -- in Week 20 that rank in the bottom 10 for defense.

Dallas Stars: The Sean Avery saga took another twist earlier this week when Dallas assigned the suspended forward to Hartford of the AHL, the Rangers' minor league affiliate. Dallas has made it clear that Avery, who has cleared waivers, won't be back with the team. He is likely to go through re-entry waivers in the coming weeks and the Rangers seem to be the only team willing to take a flier on the enforcer ... Goalie Marty Turco has played in 24 straight games, breaking Cesare Maniago's franchise record for consecutive appearances (1968-69. Turco is 8-3-0 with a 1.73 goals-against average in his last 11 games ... Jere Lehtinen is tied with Matt Niskanen for the team lead with seven points in February. Lehtinen has two goals and five assists, while all of Niskanen's points have been assists ... Steve Ott, James Neal and Brad Richards have all scored three times in February ... Brian Sutherby has three of his six goals this season in the last six games.

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Detroit Red Wings: What was supposed to be a minor injury is turning into a headache for forward Johan Franzen, who remains out of the lineup with a bruised right hand. The swelling hasn't gone down and Franzen isn't expected to play by Sunday against the Avalanche. It's conceivable he will return Week 20, but Franzen remains a risky start ... Tomas Holmstrom isn't as lucky to be day-to-day, as he is expected to miss 3-5 weeks following hernia surgery ... Pavel Datsyuk continues his quest for the league MVP title with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in his last 10 games. He now ranks fourth in the NHL with 68 points and has a plus-30 rating, which is only second to Boston's Blake Wheeler (plus-32) ... Marian Hossa thinks Datsyuk deserves the MVP, but he has been no slouch himself with 31 goals and 27 assists in 55 games. He has been hot as of late with seven goals and three assists during a six-game point streak ... Niklas Kronwall's confidence, and in effect his offense, has skyrocketed since being paired with future Hall-of-Famer Nicklas Lidstrom. Kronwall has 16 assists in his last 15 games ... Fellow defenseman Brian Rafalski has one goal and seven assists during a five-game streak. He has 44 points on the season and is well on his way to eclipsing his career-high 55, which he set the last two seasons.

Edmonton Oilers: It has not been a kind week to the Oilers. On Tuesday, they learned they would be without defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky the remainder of the year following shoulder surgery, and on Wednesday they lost defenseman Denis Grebeshkov for at least two weeks with a sprained ankle ... On a bright note, Shawn Horcoff returned to the lineup Wednesday against the Canadiens after missing two games with a lower-body injury and had two assists ... The Oilers shut down an Internet rumor Tuesday that had Jaromir Jagr close to signing a deal with Edmonton. The team said no deal was in place as Jagr is still under contract with the KHL (Russia) through the end of the season. Also, Jagr would have to be placed on waivers before returning to the NHL ... Both Tom Gilbert and Robert Nilsson lead the team with five points in February, but neither player has scored a goal ... Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner, Zack Stortini, Sam Gagner and Sheldon Souray all have two goals this month ... Edmonton is away from home for three of their four games Week 20. They rank 12th in road GFA (2.85). Also, they are averaging 3.67 or more goals per game against three of their opponents -- Calgary, Phoenix and Dallas -- so consider starting your Edmonton skaters.

Best Fantasy schedules
Team Schedule
1. Oilers @PHO, @SJ, @DAL, CGY
2. Devils @FLA, @TB, @NYI
3. Bruins @CAR, @FLA, @TB
4. Rangers @STL, NYI, @BUF, TOR
5. Sharks EDM, LA, ATL

Florida Panthers: Goalie Tomas Vokoun, who has started 14 of the past 15 games, recorded his fourth shutout during Thursday's 5-0 win against the Hurricanes. He had four shutouts last season and his career-high is five. Vokoun has had to make 35 or more saves in four of his last six outings, including three straight ... Nathan Horton has scored in two straight games after going seven without a score. He has two goals and four assists in five February games ... Richard Zednik has four goals and two assists during a four-game point streak. In that span was a two-goal game Tuesday against the Maple Leafs on the year anniversary of taking a skate to his neck during a game against Buffalo ... Gregory Campbell has two goals and two assists in five February games. He has a career-high 12 goals, 14 assists and 26 points this season ... Michael Frolik ended a five-game point drought with his 12th goal Thursday ... Florida is home against New Jersey, Chicago and Boston Week 20. The Panthers rank 16th in home GFA (2.88), but all three of their opponents rank in the top five for defense. Consider benching your Florida skaters.

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Los Angeles Kings: Goalie Jonathan Quick has made a quick rise through the organizational rankings. After coming into the season as the fourth best option in net, Quick now appears to be the unquestioned starter. Quick is 7-2-0 in his last nine outings, and has a 2.33 GAA, .920 save percentage and three shutouts on the season. He is worth a look as a No. 2 Fantasy goalie while he is playing well ... Oscar Moller returned to the lineup Thursday against the Flames for the first time since breaking his clavicle at the World Junior Championships in late December ... Defenseman Jack Johnson played in his 10th game Thursday since returning from a shoulder injury. He has received a lot of praise for the Kings' strong play as of late since Los Angeles is 7-2-1 in the 10 games since Johnson returned. Unfortunately, Fantasy owners can't return the same thanks since Johnson has one goal and no assists in 10 games ... Anze Kopitar has a team-high four goals in February and is tied for the team lead in points (five) with Alexander Frolov ... Los Angeles has four games Week 20. However, against three of their opponents -- Anaheim, San Jose and Phoenix -- they are averaging 2.33 or fewer goals. Consider benching your Los Angeles skaters.

Minnesota Wild: Antii Miettinen has set a new career-high with 37 points after getting two goals and two assists during a three-game point streak ... Mikko Koivu shares the team-lead in points with Miettinen as both players have two goals and three assists in February. Koivu, however, has been on a roll for several weeks. He has five goals and 11 assists in his last 14 games. Koivu is one point shy of tying his career-high (54) and continues to threaten as a point-per-game player for the first time in his career ... Defenseman Marek Zidlicky has an assist in two straight games, but hasn't scored in eight outings ... Cal Clutterbuck hasn't scored in seven games after getting four goals in his previous six outings ... Minnesota has games against Calgary, Detroit and Chicago Week 20. They are averaging 2.67 or fewer goals against each opponent, so consider benching your Wild skaters.

Montreal Canadiens: Goalie Carey Price has just a .860 save percentage since returning from an ankle injury in late January and has lost seven of his last nine starts. Coach Guy Carbonneau is standing behind the All-Star praising Price's character and has confidence he will regain his form ... Mathieu Dandenault played his first game Wednesday against the Oilers since he suffered a broken arm on Dec. 9. He had a goal and an assist while playing on the top line with Alexei Kovalev and Tomas Plekanec ... Speaking of Plekanec, he has been suspended two games for tripping Denis Grebeshkov from behind Wednesday. He is out until Wednesday against the Capitals, but is still a safe play Week 20 ... Roman Hamrlik is the team leader in points in February with five (two goals) ... Kovalev has an assist in four of his last five games, but hasn't scored in eight games.

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Nashville Predators: Goalie prospect Chet Pickard, the 18th pick in 2008, is 4-1-0 with a 1.22 GAA and .950 save percentage in his last five starts for Tri-City of the WHL (juniors). He is 27-11-3 with a 2.40 GAA and .916 save percentage this season ... Sorry if you were one of those Fantasy owners who were banking of Steve Sullivan regaining his scoring touch immediately after returning from a two-year absence (back). Sullivan hasn't scored in 14 games since returning to the lineup. He has five assists and a minus-6 rating ... Jason Arnott has five goals and two assists during a six-game point streak ... Jordin Tootoo has missed seven games with a hand injury, but still remains just a day-to-day candidate ... The Predators have four games Week 20 with one back-to-back. Dan Ellis should take at least one start away from Pekka Rinne.

New Jersey Devils: The Martin Brodeur saga is getting nauseating as every day there seems to be a new update on his recovery from elbow surgery. Brodeur has been facing shots the last few weeks and is slated to practice with the team in the coming days. However, he is still not expected back until the end of the month at the earliest, but that could all change depending on how well he does in practice. However, coach Brent Sutter has said Brodeur won't be an everyday goalie once he returns. That could only be immediately because New Jersey does have to get Brodeur ready for the playoffs. He is still worth a flier in most Fantasy formats when active, which is unlikely to be Week 20 ... Zach Parise has to be considered in the MVP race with the season he has put together. Parise has scored two goals in each of his last two games and has six points in that span. He already has a career-high 34 goals and 67 points, which puts him in the top five in the NHL ... Jamie Langenbrunner had his fourth two-goal outing in his last nine games Wednesday against the Islanders. He has nine goals in that span ... Travis Zajac has 11 points (one goal) in his last nine games ... Patrik Elias doesn't have a goal in six games, but does have a five-game point streak (six assists) ... New Jersey is on the road for games against Florida, Tampa Bay and N.Y. Islanders Week 20. They rank eighth in road GFA (2.96) and are averaging 3.00 or more goals against each team. Consider starting your Devils skaters.

N.Y. Islanders: Kyle Okposo is finally starting to hit his potential with six goals in his last nine games after getting just five scores in his first 32 games ... Doug Weight is out at least six weeks with a sprained MCL and is likely no longer on the trading block ... Defenseman Radek Martinek notched his second goal in five appearances Wednesday against the Devils following a drought of more than 100 games dating to the 2006-07 season ... Defenseman Mark Streit has missed four games with a shoulder injury and continues to be just day-to-day. If he can't play Saturday against the Flyers, then he remains an injury-risk start heading into Week 20 ... Trent Hunter is also day-to-day with a hip flexor ... New York is home for three of their four games Week 20. They are averaging just 2.58 goals (25th) at Nassau Coliseum. They are also averaging 2.67 or fewer goals against three of their opponents -- New Jersey, N.Y. Rangers and Pittsburgh -- so consider benching your Islanders skaters.

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N.Y. Rangers: Petr Prucha, who had a season-high four points in nine games in January, is the odd man out of the forward rotation once again. He has been a healthy scratch for five games. Prucha still could be moved at the trade deadline ... Chris Drury and Scott Gomez lead the team with three points in four February games, but neither player has a goal ... Markus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev have the team-lead with two goals this month, and only three other players have scored -- Lauri Korpikoski, Ryan Callahan and Paul Mara ... The Rangers have four games Week 20 with three against teams in the bottom five for defense -- St. Louis, N.Y. Islanders and Toronto. Consider starting your Rangers skaters.

Ottawa Senators: Nick Foligno continues to thrive since the coaching change. He has scored in three of his last four games and has four points in five games since Cory Clouston took over behind the bench ... Goalie Brian Elliott has righted the ship since being pulled Feb. 1 against the Capitals after allowing four goals on 16 shots. He has allowed just nine goals in his last five games, winning his last three ... Daniel Alfredsson has a team-high seven points and four goals in February, while Jason Spezza is second on the team with three goals and six points. Dany Heatley, Antoine Vermette and Foligno also have three goals ... Filip Kuba has an assist in two straight games after getting no points in his previous seven.

Philadelphia Flyers: Defenseman Ryan Parent has played the last four games alongside Kimmo Timonen and will be watched closely the next few weeks leading up to the March 4 trade deadline. The Flyers are looking for a reliable player to slot along Timonen down the stretch and Parent has his chance to debut for the gig in the coming weeks. However, he is a low-risk, no-frills defender, and isn’t expected to help much offensively ... Injured Daniel Briere (groin) joined his teammates on the ice Wednesday, but is still a ways away from returning. The earliest he might return is Feb. 25 against the Kings, so he can be kept reserved through Week 20 ... Jeff Carter and Scott Hartnell are tied for the team lead in goals (two), assists (three) and points (five) in February ... Mike Knuble, who has 18 goals, hasn't scored in seven games ... Mike Richards returned to the lineup Thursday against the Senators after missing three games with the flu. He scored a goal and has seven points (three goals) in his last six games ... Even though Philadelphia has just two games Week 20, they are both in Philly -- where the Flyers rank fourth in home GFA (3.72) -- and against opponents -- Buffalo and Pittsburgh -- in which Philadelphia averaging 3.00 or more goals.

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Toughest Fantasy schedules
Team Schedule
1. Panthers NJ, CHI, BOS
2. Kings ATL, @ANA, @SJ, PHO
3. Wild CGY, DET, @CHI
4. Islanders PIT, @NYR, CAR, NJ
5. Lightning CHI, NJ, @CAR, BOS

Phoenix Coyotes: Peter Mueller came off injured reserve Friday after missing seven games with a concussion. It appears safe to activate him Week 20 ... Martin Hanzal is day-to-day with a shoulder injury, but is close to playing ... Enver Lisin and Joel Perrault lead the team with two goals in February. Leading goal scorer Shane Doan has just one score in his last seven games and Olli Jokinen hasn't scored in eight games ... Phoenix sent struggling rookie center Kyle Turris to the AHL Thursday after he totaled six goals, 10 assists and a minus-12 rating in 50 games ... Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has allowed four or more goals in three of his last four starts and has won just once -- a 1-0 shutout Wednesday against the Stars -- in his last eight outings.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who has been out since the preseason with a shoulder injury, is ready to come off IR and might play Saturday against the Maple Leafs ... Ruslan Fedotenko, who has been out since early January with a broken hand, might also play Saturday ... Philippe Boucher will not be joining them after he had foot surgery Friday and will be sidelined indefinitely ... Prospect Luca Caputi was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) Friday after totaling one goal and no assists in five games with Pittsburgh ... Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is 8-5-1 with a .916 save percentage since Jan. 6 ... Pittsburgh plays three of its four games Week 20 on the road. They average 3.00 goals (5th) away from home and are averaging 3.00 or more goals against three of their opponents -- Washington, Philadelphia and N.Y. Rangers. Consider starting your Pittsburgh skaters.

San Jose Sharks: Ryan Vesce made his NHL debut Wednesday against the Penguins after being recalled from the minors. Vesce, who led Worcester of the AHL with 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 48 games, logged 6:48 of ice time over 13 shifts. He is likely headed back to Worcester as soon as a roster spot is needed ... Jody Shelley continues to be day-to-day with a lower-body injury ... Ryane Clowe has a team-high six points and five assists in four February games ... No Sharks player had more than one goal this month heading into Friday's game against the Sabres ... San Jose has home games against Edmonton, Los Angeles and Atlanta Week 20. San Jose is third in home GFA (3.75) and face two teams -- Oilers and Thrashers -- that rank in the bottom five for defense. Consider starting your San Jose skaters.

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St. Louis Blues: After signing a four-year extension Monday, center Andy McDonald returned to the lineup Tuesday against the Canucks after missing 36 games with a broken ankle. He scored a goal and tallied an assist ... With McDonald back in action, coach Terry Murray had to juggle his lines, and that resulted in dropping David Perron from the second to fourth line. It drew the ire of fans seeing how Perron is third on the team with 34 points ... David Backes has remained at center for the time being with McDonald active. He responded by scoring his 18th goal and picking up his 14th assist Thursday against the Predators ... Paul Kariya underwent a second hip surgery in five weeks Tuesday. This time he had surgery on his right hip after bowing out early in the season with left hip problems. Kariya is still expected to miss the remainder of the season ... Brad Boyes has had a successful February with four goals and six assists in six games. Carlo Colaiacovo is the closest teammates with six points -- all assists... St. Louis has games against the Rangers, Predators (twice) and Blue Jackets Week 20. They are averaging 3.50 or more goals against Nashville and Columbus.

Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning finally revealed that Mike Smith has been sidelined the last few weeks due to a post-concussion syndrome. While Tampa Bay has been optimistic that Smith would be back practicing by the weekend, Smith tells a different story of being sidelined indefinitely. It appears Smith is doubtful for Week 20, so continue to keep him reserved. Mike McKenna likely can be used as a stopgap Fantasy option ... While trade rumors of Vincent Lecavalier to Montreal has died down in the last few weeks, another story has popped up. Rumors are flying around that Pittsburgh is heavily interested in trading for All-Star Martin St. Louis. This trade seems unlikely since St. Louis is the engine that drives Tampa Bay, but unlike with Lecavalier where management vehemently denied he was going to be traded, they have said nothing about St. Louis being untouchable ... Mark Recchi has quietly posted 33 points (10 goals) in his last 46 games ... Steven Stamkos has three goals and five assists in his last 12 games ... Ryan Malone has 10 of his 18 goals in the last 19 games ... Vaclav Prospal hasn't scored in five games after doing so in four of his previous six outings ... Tampa Bay has three of their four games Week 20 at home, where they are averaging just 2.63 goals (22nd). They are also facing three top five defenses -- Boston, New Jersey and Chicago -- so consider benching your Lightning skaters.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Lee Stempniak didn't have a score for three weeks before lightning the lamp twice Thursday against the Lightning ... Defenseman Tomas Kaberle had the cast removed from his broken hand Friday, but is still 2-3 weeks away from playing ... Niklas Hagman has a team-high four goals and seven assists in five February games ... Pavel Kubina has an assist in three straight games and five in his last six, but hasn’t scored since Dec. 30 ... Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke didn't hold back Monday while doing a radio spot and pretty much said Nik Antropov doesn't belong in Toronto. Don't be surprised if he is dealt before or at the March 4 trade deadline ... Toronto has three of their four games Week 20 at home, where they are averaging 2.80 goals (18th).

Vancouver Canucks: Goalie Roberto Luongo has won his last four outings, but hasn't allowed less than three goals in six appearances ... Ryan Kesler, Pavol Demitra and Mats Sundin continue to thrive on a line together, and the trio have combined for 23 points (10 goals) in four February games ... Defenseman Alexander Edler is having a nice run in February with two goals and four assists ... Fellow defenseman Kevin Bieksa has a pair of two-assist games in his last two games. He has two goals and seven assists in eight games ... Vancouver has road games against Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto Week 20. The Canucks are averaging 2.92 goals per game on the road (9th).

Washington Capitals: Alexander Semin is back on the injured list with an undisclosed ailment, but it's just a day-to-day scenario at this time. If he can't play by Sunday against the Panthers, then he has to be considered an injury-risk start Week 20 ... Viktor Kozlov also remains day-to-day with a groin injury ... Mike Green became the first NHL defenseman to score in seven straight games since the Bruins' Mike O'Connell did it 25 years ago when he scored twice Wednesday against the Rangers. He has four goals in his last two games, nine during the streak and a career-high 21 on the season. If Green scores Saturday against Tampa Bay, then he stands alone in the record book for longest scoring streak from a NHL defenseman ... Eric Fehr has scored four times in his last five games and has seven points in his last six outings ... Washington has home games against Montreal, Colorado and Pittsburgh Week 20. The Capitals average 3.52 goals per game (7th) at the Verizon Center.

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