Now that most fantasy trade deadlines have come and gone, the only way to maximize your team’s production down the stretch is through the waiver wire. Based on trades, changes in ice-time, or simply recent NHL trades during the past week, we’ve compiled a thorough list of buys and sells.

Buy

Wojtek Wolski, LW, PHO—A sell candidate just a couple weeks back, a change of scenery could be good for Wolski, particularly with Chris Stewart emerging for the Colorado Avalanche as their main scoring threat. Wolski becomes one of Phoenix’s go-to offensive weapons and has already posted a pair of goals and an assist in two games since joining the Coyotes.

Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW, PIT – “Poni” is the best two-way winger the Penguins have now, and it’s only a matter of time before head coach Dan Bylsma tries the 6’4” Ukrainian on either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin’s wing. He had an impressive six shots in his first game as a Penguin, one of which found the net.

Johan Hedberg, G, ATL—Hedberg’s recent play has made the Thrashers trade of former starter Kari Lehtonen that much easier to swallow. He’s 6-2-1 in his last nine starts and is the primary reason the Ilya Kovalchuk-less Thrashers are still contending for a playoff spot.

Brandon Sutter, C, CAR—Valuable in more than just keeper pools, Sutter is showing that, at 21, he’s ready to contribute at the NHL ranks. He has four goals and four assists for eight points during a current six-game point streak. With the Hurricanes out of a playoff contention, Sutter will get every chance to shine in Raleigh. He’s owned in just three percent of pools.

Joni Pitkanen, D, CAR—He’s a plus-minus liability playing for the lowly ‘Canes, but if points are all that matter in your pool, Pitkanen’s a steady option. His 38 points this season tie him for eleventh among NHL defensemen.

Carlo Colaiacovo, D, STL—The Blues are winners of five of their last six, scoring 26 goals over that time period. Colaiacovo’s benefitted from the team’s inspiring play, accumulating six assists and a plus seven rating over that span.

Sell

Dion Phaneuf, D, TOR—The Maple Leafs just aren’t going to generate enough offense for Phaneuf to be a worthy fantasy play down the stretch, especially if you’re in a pool that doesn’t value penalty minutes. A five point output over his remaining 16 games is probably his ceiling.

Alex Tanguay, LW, TB—When the Lightning managed to snag Tanguay for a measly $2.5 million for one season last summer, I thought it was the best free agent signing of the offseason based on value alone. Well, Tanguay’s lackluster play this season hasn’t even been worth the $2.5 million, and he’s bounced around all four forward lines as a result.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, G, TOR—Leafs’ coach Ron Wilson plans on alternating starts between Giguere and rookie Jonas Gustavsson for the remainder of the season, so hopefully Giguere’s pair of shutouts in his first two games as a Leaf didn’t get your hopes up.

Bill Guerin, RW, PIT—Guerin’s currently battling back spasms and, at his age, the Penguins are likely to rest him for the postseason. With the Pens’ addition of Ponikarovsky, the fantasy value of veteran wingers like Guerin and Chris Kunitz take a definite hit.

Ryan Malone, LW, TB—Malone was on a torrid pace through December (35 points in 40 games) but has hit quite the wall in the second half of the season (nine points in 24 games since January 2nd). With the rising stock of youngsters Steven Stamkos and Steve Downie, the Lightning haven’t had to rely on Malone as much of late.

With the Olympics wrapping up, and the trade deadline today, this week’s Stock Watch takes a bit of a different approach. Let’s have a look at whose Olympic performances might carry over into the NHL season, and who might be moving on deadline day.

Noteworthy Olympians

Pavol Demitra, C, VAN—Demitra’s injury problems and ability to produce when healthy are both well documented. This season has been a particularly disastrous one, and Demitra has posted just 4 points in 11 games with the ‘nucks. That being said, Demitra led the Olympics in scoring with 10 points, and was instrumental to the Slovaks’ inspired run. He won’t spend any time paired with a triggerman like Marian Hossa in Vancouver, but with the Sedins drawing the opposing team’s best checkers, Demitra could quietly post some numbers down the stretch.

Evgeni Nabokov, G, SJ—Nabokov’s meltdown against Canada in the quarterfinals was surprising to say the least. To be fair, Nabokov’s defence offered no support, and coach Vyacheslav Bykov probably should have yanked him sooner. Still, just ask Marc-Andre Fleury how much one loss can shatter your confidence. It took Fleury quite some time to return to form after his famous own goal at the 2004 World Junior Hockey Championship.

Brian Rafalski, D, DET—After three straight seasons of 50+ points, Rafalski was on pace for just 39 this year. He was outstanding in the Olympics though, posting 8 points through 7 games. As the Red Wings get healthy and start to click, look for Rafalski to post big numbers down the stretch.

Sergei Kostitsyn, RW, MTL—Kostitsyn earned six points in seven games for the Habs prior to the Olympics, and five in four games with Belarus. Keep in mind he put up those 5 points with absolutely no offensive support, as Mikhail Grabovski and Andrei Kostitsyn were both forced to miss the Olympics. With Mike Cammallerri still rehabbing his injured knee, the Habs would love to see Kostitsyn’s inspired play continue.

Rick Nash, LW, CLB—Nash may not exactly be a feasible “buy” in your league, but I have every reason to expect that his play will improve over the rest of the NHL season. This has been a difficult season in Columbus, but Nash was impressive throughout the Olympics, particularly in a shutdown role against Alex Ovechkin. Nash has often been viewed as a one-dimensional offensive player, but his play at the Olympics certainly seems to indicate he has matured.

Keep Your Bags Packed

Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW, TOR—Brian Burke must have been salivating when Montreal dished out a 2nd round pick to acquire Dominic Moore. Ponikarovsky is probably the second best offensive option expected to move on deadline day, after just Ray Whitney. Consider the fact that Ponikarovsky is still young, and could be locked up long term, and you could argue that Ponikarovsky would be an even better acquisition than Whitney.

[Editor’s Note: Between receiving this article from Iain, and publishing it, Ponikarovsky was moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins for prospect Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula to make the money work.]

Ray Whitney, LW, CAR—There’s a lot to like here from a rental perspective. Whitney has 8 seasons with 20+ goals, and is a weapon on the power play. He’s also won a Stanley Cup fairly recently, and brings loads of experience to the table. Whitney wants a contract extension before he will waive his no-trade clause, which could limit the Hurricanes’ bargaining power. As the deadline approaches though, it’s difficult to imagine Whitney passing up a trade to the likes of say, the Penguins, even without a contract in place.

Others Who Might Move
And Have Some Fantasy Value

Cory Stillman, Joe Corvo, Steven Reinprecht, Dan Hamhuis, Rostislav Olesz

There have been rumblings of Tomas Vokoun being moved, but I just don’t see it happening. Vokoun isn’t getting any younger, so he would only fit into the plans of a team that’s trying to win now.

A quick scan of the teams currently jostling for playoff position yields but a few teams who might want to improve between the pipes—Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, and Chicago.

Chicago is pressed up against the cap, and would need to move Brent Sopel and another high priced player to make this work. They could conceivably move Cristobal Huet, but there would be absolutely no reason for the Panthers to downgrade their goaltending situation without allowing themselves financial flexibility, unless there was a heap of draft picks or prospects coming their way, or the teams somehow worked out a three way deal.

Of the teams mentioned above, Atlanta is my personal favourite scenario. Management really needs this team to make the playoffs this year after dealing away Ilya Kovalchuk, or risk losing a significant chunk of their fan base. Atlanta has the cap space to pull this off, and stability in net could get this team into the playoffs.

On a final note, Jordan Leopold is worth watching now that he’s with the Penguins. His puck skills and offensive prowess could allow him to put up some big numbers, but the Pens already have Sergei Gonchar, Alex Goligoski, and Kris Letang as capable puck movers. Still, the Pens powerplay has underperformed so far this year, so Leopold could get a shot to see if he can shake things up.

Before you know it, it’ll be time for all you hockey diehards to snap out of Olympic mode and back into NHL fantasy mode.

With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, so too are most fantasy leagues’ trade deadlines. Now is the time to cut dead weight and acquire the players who will produce down the stretch. We’ll provide our usual “Buy, Hold, Sell” candidates, as well as some advice regarding the remaining schedule.

The Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers are tied for most games remaining at 22—something to consider when trading or scanning the waiver wire for skaters this late in the season.

For goalies, who typically rack up most of their points through wins and shutouts, home ice is particularly important. The Thrashers have the most remaining home games left at 14, while the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars are tied for second most with 12 contests left on home ice.

In the Eastern Conference, the Flyers have the easiest schedule over the last month and a half, with 14 matchups against teams not currently in a playoff spot. In the West, the Predators have the most favorable schedule, with 13 games against non-playoff opponents.

Here are some specific players to consider adding or dropping:

Buy

Antti Niemi, G, CHI—The Finnish rookie was starting more often than veteran Cristobal Huet heading into the Olympic break, and with a 17-4-1 record this season, the starts are well-deserved. The Chicago Blackhawks have been one of the NHL’s strongest teams this season, so check your waiver wire for the 57 percent owned backstopper.

Steve Downie, RW, TB—He’s quietly putting together an impressive season, producing across a variety of fantasy categories. It helps that he and Steven Stamkos have developed some explosive chemistry.

T.J. Oshie, C, STL—Flashy with a bit of an edge, Oshie is another player who will put up numbers across the board. He had 8 points in as many games heading into the Olympic break, and his omission from Team USA could help feed the fire down the stretch.

Jack Johnson, D, LA—Though -12 for the season, Johnson was +6 in his last 6 games before the break, while also posting a goal and five assists. He’s been one of Team USA’s best defenders so far during the Olympics, and the experience he’s acquiring should serve him well in his return to NHL action.

Hold

At this point of the season, the only players you should be waiting on are goalies like Cristobal Huet and Semyon Varlamov, who may or may not receive quality starts down the stretch. Don’t waste time “holding” or “holding out” on skaters, unless you’re in a keeper league.

For keeper leaguers looking to rebuild for next season, Brandon Yip, Brandon Sutter, Jamie Benn, Tyler Bozak, Cal O’Reilly, and P.K. Subban have impressed of late and could be on the verge of a breakout season in 2010-11.

Sell

Tomas Kaberle, D, TOR—His four points in 10 games before the break isn’t terrible, but it’s not the explosive production we’ve seen from him previously this season. His ice-time has also been cut significantly since the Dion Phaneuf acquisition, and the Leafs have a slew of tough matchups down the stretch.

Wojtek Wolski, LW, COL—It’ll still be a career year for Wolski, but his numbers will be a far-cry from the pace he had going through December. Float him out there in an offer for Downie or Oshie.

Jason Blake, LW, ANA—He’s owned in an astounding 62 percent of pools, but I’d bet that there are better waiver wire players in each and every one of those pools. Don’t waste your time putting Blake on the trade block—you won’t get any offers. Drop him.

I’ve been using Twitter for a little while now, and while I do like it, I continue to feel it out and explore ways to get the most out of it for me personally.

For those not familiar with Twitter, start by checking out my account for DraftBuddy.com. You do not need a Twitter account just to see the main page for anyone’s account, although some people choose to protect their “tweets” (short blurbs people post on Twitter). If only some NFL players selected that option in recent months.

Twitter accounts connect together using a follow system. I can choose who I follow, and others can choose if they want to follow me. The tweets you see on my main page are tweets I’ve sent out, sorted chronologically from most recent to oldest. If people find them interesting enough, or care to be updated in this way about what is going on with the Cheatsheet Compiler & Draft Buddy or DraftBuddy.com, then they will follow my account.

Of interest to me of course, is what other people have to say, so I choose to follow them. My main interests include breaking baseball news, football news and hockey news, plus some comedic sidebars and updates from friends are never a bad thing. Initially I followed a whole host of people across these sports topics and other people I knew.

The collected tweets of people I’m following builds a personal timeline. You can see your own timeline (you’ll need to have a Twitter account for this) by clicking “Home” at the top of your page. Now I have constant news and updates faster than any other resource short of being there in person, all in one convenient spot.

As a bonus, I don’t need to be at a computer to view my timeline. I can take it with me on my iPhone using any number of Twitter applications for mobile devices. I use Tweetdeck.

One thing I found though is the more people I follow on a whole mish-mash of topics, the more daunting viewing the timeline can be. If I want to get an update on football, I’d rather just look at updates from the guys who tweet about football. Keep me organized Twitter, please.

And they did. Twitter developed a new feature – simple enough – called lists. Now I can group people I’m following into lists, basically a group of people to follow on a particular topic. In fact, I don’t even need to follow them outside the list. So what I did is created three new lists at the DraftBuddy account. They are:

• Fantasy Baseball Updates
• Fantasy Foootball Updates
• Fantasy Hockey Updates

I believe you can see those even if you don’t have a Twitter account.

As it says in the list description, “MLB (or NFL or NHL) breaking news from media insiders, plus discussion and opinion from fantasy baseball experts.” Essentially, I’m looking for a nice mix of media guys who break the news most importantly, plus others focussed on fantasy whose thoughts and opinions are worth reading and discussing.

I guess the reason for this post in the blog is to introduce all of you to Twitter, and the Twitter lists. If you have a Twitter account, then you can follow the lists yourself, which is another nice feature of the lists. You don’t need to create your own list if you find another list that is useful to you and managed by someone else.

And even if you don’t have or want a Twitter account, then you can still go to the Twitter website at each of those list links and get updates that way. Maybe we’ll convert you over eventually.

Where I could use your help is to suggest new people to follow on each of the lists. We’ll leave out pro baseball, football and hockey players and stick to media and fantasy experts. If you know of worthwhile people to follow on Twitter that would be beneficial to any of these three lists, let me know and I’ll verify and add them to the lists.

At the end of the day, we’ll have one fine resource for each of those three topics that are near and dear to our hearts, or shall I say to further our fantasy sports fanaticism.

Buy

Travis Zajac, C, NJ – Really, anyone playing center for the New Jersey Devils could be slotted into this category. Ilya Kovalchuk’s arrival is sure to boost the assist totals of whichever pivot he plays with, and the often unheralded Zajac seems like the best fit. The guy is a legitimate fantasy player at center, and Kovalchuk’s arrival might just push him into the spotlight.

Olli Jokinen, LW/C, NYR – There is no way he is going to play worse in the Big Apple than he did in Calgary. Jokinen is a first line talent, and the change of scenery might be just what he needs to get going.

Bryan Little, C, ATL – After reaching the 30 goal plateau last season, expectations were high for Little this year. To say he has underperformed would be a major understatement. With Kovalchuk gone, the onus will be on youngsters like Little, Evander Kane, and, to a lesser extent, the newly acquired Niclas Bergfors, to step up. Little will get all the powerplay time he can handle, and he could be a good source of cheap goals down the stretch.

Much of the above logic also applies to Evander Kane. He should see increased ice time, and increased responsibility with the departure of Kovalchuk.

Niclas Bergfors, LW/RW, ATL – Bergfors goes from a crowded forward situation in the Meadowlands to the Thrashers. The jury is still out on his long term potential, but he looked solid for much of this season, and could slide into a top six role down the stretch with the Thrashers.

Hold

Ilya Kovalchuk, LW, NJ – Kovalchuk is now surrounded with way more talent than he ever was in Atlanta. Even if he doesn’t end up seeing regular ice time with Zach Parise, the Devils have plenty of quality players up front (Jamie Langenbrunner, Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac, David Clarkson, Dainius Zubrus) who should be able to complement Kovalchuk nicely.

The flipside is, now that he’s playing on a legit contender, with some depth up front, he might not get the unlimited ice time and free reign to play his game that he did in Atlanta. Jacques Lemaire coached teams also don’t tend to be offensive powerhouses. Don’t trade the farm for him just yet.

Matthew Lombardi, C, PHO – Lombardi is having himself a fine season so far in the desert. He’s on pace for a point total in the mid-fifties, and put up five points the other night against the Oilers. He is probably available on the cheap in your pool, but be wary, his previous career high for points in a season was 46, and he was repeatedly given the chance to center for Jarome Iginla.

Kari Lehtonen, G, DAL – I did mention him here a couple blogs back, but his new situation in Dallas is definitely worth watching. It appears the Marty Turco era is over, and I’m not sold on Alex Auld being the number one going forward. If Turco gets moved soon, Lehtonen could be given every opportunity to win that number one job. In deeper leagues, he’s worth stashing on your bench for the time being.

Sell

Tomas Plekanec, C, MTL – Plekanec’s bread and butter is his passing game. With two of Montreal’s top goal scoring threats (Mike Cammalleri and Benoit Pouliot) joining Andrei Kostitsyn on the IR, goals are going to start to be tough to come by in Montreal. Plekanec currently sits tied for 16th in NHL scoring, so see if you can get some solid assets for him before his assist totals start to drop.

Buy

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, G, TOR – The former Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner will get his second crack at a starting job this season, after failing to lock up the position in Anaheim. Fortunately for Giguere, he’ll be pressed for starts by the struggling rookie Jonas Gustavsson, as opposed to a rising star like Jonas Hiller. While the Leafs will probably lose more games than they’ll win down the stretch, it will likely be due to their inability to score, rather than their failure to keep pucks out of the net.

Jonas Hiller, G, ANA – Hiller had already played his way into the starter’s role with a consistent string of strong starts the last month or so, but with Giguere gone and Vesa Toskala now the backup, Hiller could get somewhere in the range of 20 to 25 of the Ducks’ 27 remaining starts.

Johan Franzen, RW, DET – He’s recovered from the torn ACL suffered October 8th, but still needs conditioning. He’s slated to return to the Red Wings’ lineup February 9th against the St. Louis Blues.

Matthew Lombardi, C, PHO – He’s in a contract year, and will be relied upon even more heavily now that the ‘Yotes leading scorer, Scottie Upshall, is out with a torn ACL.

Keith Yandle, D, PHO – The 23-year-old is on pace for a 15 goal, 28 assist and +15 season. The breakout blueliner has four goals in his last four games, with two of them coming on the powerplay.

Bill Guerin, RW, PIT – Make no bones about it, Guerin’s inflated numbers at the ripe age of 39 are mainly the benefits of playing with Sidney Crosby. Numbers are numbers though, and Guerin will help you in a variety of offensive categories.

Hold

Dion Phaneuf, D, TOR – Even a 40 point season for Phaneuf may be out of reach at this point, but his addition makes the Leafs’ powerplay infinitely more dangerous. Can you imagine Kaberle quarterbacking a powerplay with howitzer-like one-timer options in both Phaneuf and Phil Kessel? However, among the Leafs’ current forwards, they have just three 50 point seasons collectively, and they could have serious scoring issues over the remainder of the season.

Michal Neuvirth, G, WAS – Yes, he was just sent back down to the AHL, but he played quite well in his first stint in the “bigs”. If you have bench room, stash him – the Caps have had major injury issues between the pipes this year, and Neuvirth looks like a budding young star.

Ryan Malone, LW, TB – Started the season on a tear which carried right into December. He’s been largely ineffective the last month, and maybe you should have sold him a few weeks ago for peak value, but he’s known for being streaky and it could be just a matter of time before his shots start going in again.

Sell

Brenden Morrow, LW, DAL – While he hasn’t had a terrible season, he hasn’t exactly bounced back into a dominant role after last year’s knee injury, as many had projected. The Stars’ have better offensive weapons right now, namely Loui Eriksson, Brad Richards, James Neal, and Mike Ribeiro (when he returns from injury), so put Morrow on the trading block.

Jonas Gustavsson, G, TOR – The “Monster” will be among the most dropped players in pools this week, as Leafs’ coach Ron Wilson has already said that Giguere will get the bulk of the remaining starts. It will be interesting to see if the Leafs try to resign the oft-injured rookie netminder for next season, or whether they will let him test the free agent market this offseason.

Andy Greene, D, NJ – He experienced most of his early season success on the Devils’ powerplay, but hasn’t registered a point with the man advantage since December 21st. He had just one point in January.

Slava Kozlov, LW, ATL – The 37-year-old veteran, who is on pace for his lowest point total in years, could be nearing the end of his career. As an unrestricted free agent this coming offseason, Kozlov could test the market, but if there’s limited interest he’ll probably retire, or maybe even play a year or two in the KHL, in his native country, Russia.

Buy

Joe Pavelski, C/W, SJ – Pavelski has posted nine points in his last five games. He’s progressed nicely in each of his three pro seasons, and a 65-70 point season seemed like a reasonable expectation for this year. He started relatively slow, with just 21 points in 33 games, but he looks to be back on track. He shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg in a trade, because he doesn’t have the same big name value that his superstar teammates do. He also benefits from Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau, and Dan Boyle drawing most of the attention from opposing checking lines.

Jason Spezza, C, OTT – Spezza returned from injury in style, scoring the game winner in his comeback against the Bruins. He added another in his second game back against the Devils. The time off this injury provided may have been just what Spezza needed to refocus after a miserable start to his season. Like Iginla (see below), this could be your last chance to grab Spezza for less than market value before he starts to pick it up.

Jonas Gustavsson, G, TOR – If you’re really strapped for wins, then “The Monster” could be a cheap fix. The Leafs have plenty of motivation to win games down the stretch while other teams jostle for lottery position, and coach Ron Wilson has publicly said that Gustavsson will get the bulk of the starts for the rest of the year.

Scott Gomez, C, MTL – Gomez has benefited immensely from Benoit Pouliot’s arrival. On second thought, maybe Pouliot has benefitted immensely from getting consistent minutes with a playmaker like Gomez. Either way, Gomez has 17 points in 17 games, but his overall season totals are underwhelming. He could be available on the cheap, and is particularly valuable if assists are a category in your league.

Jarome Iginla, RW, CGY – This could be your last chance to buy “low” on Iggy. The asking price will no doubt still be extraordinarily high, but we’re at the point in the season where a lot of poolies are ready to make a big shakeup. Iginla hasn’t lived up to his own lofty standards this season, and that could land him on your pool’s trading block. Iginla has three points in his last three games, and he hasn’t had less than 89 points in any of the last three seasons. He also hasn’t scored less than 35 goals in a season since 2000-2001. He will finish the season strong.

Hold

Brian Elliott, G, OTT – If you need immediate help (i.e. some wins), then Elliott is a decent option. Don’t trade for him though, because the Sens are still going to force the number one job on Pascal Leclaire when he’s healthy, and one bad start by Elliott could put Mike Brodeur back between the pipes in a hurry.

Jussi Jokinen, LW, CAR – Jokinen’s point totals have dropped in each of his first 4 NHL seasons, which really makes me question his long-term offensive value. That being said, he has seven points and a +2 rating in his last 4 games, and his playoff exploits last year clearly show that he’s got some offensive ability. He might be available as a free agent in your pool, and could help in the short term if you’re really stuck for offense.

Kari Lehtonen, G, ATL – Lehtonen fits into the “Hold” category for lack of a better option more than anything. Lehtonen is just about ready to return from injury, and the Thrashers still intend for him to be their franchise goalie. If you need some help between the pipes, Lehtonen could be available as a free agent, or come quite cheaply by trade. If, on the other hand, you’re in a deep league or, better yet, a deep keeper league, and have Lehtonen sitting on your bench, then he makes for interesting trade bait.

Sell

John Tavares, C/LW, NYI – Tavares’ production has dropped off markedly since his hot start. To be fair, an 82 game season is daunting for any rookie, and even more so when you’re the primary focus of opposing checking lines. Someone desperate for goals may still be willing to trade for Tavares, hoping he’ll recapture his early season form. In keeper leagues, you could deal Tavares to a bottom feeder looking ahead to next year, and help secure the missing piece that puts you over the top.

Marty Turco, G, DAL – Turco has lost some starts to Alex Auld this year, and there are rumours that the Stars might look to deal him. He’s not anywhere near the fantasy option he was a few years ago, but his name still carries some weight and you might be able to get a decent return from someone who’s really in need of a tender.

Buy

Tim Connolly, C, BUF – The Sabres’ leading scorer is on a tear right now, putting together six goals and 15 assists for 21 points on a current 13 game point streak. Surprisingly, he’s owned in just 62 percent of leagues, so it wouldn’t hurt to take a quick scan of your league’s waiver wire.

Kurtis Foster, D, TB – Foster is a solid pick up right now for those in need of production from a defender. Foster is a great come back story, showing that the severely broken leg he suffered a couple seasons ago has more than healed. He’s the closest thing the Tampa Bay Lighting have to a powerplay quarterback.

Bryan Little, RW, ATL – After a 31 goal campaign last season, the youngster has more than disappointed this year with just six goals through 46 contests. During the next month however, the Thrashers are likely to move 2010 unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk, and they’ll be forced to look to their future stars for offensive support – Bryan Little and Evander Kane. If you’re in a deeper pool, keep yourself informed heading toward trade deadline day so you can grab him when the time comes.

Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW, TOR – Pony’s in a similar boat to Kovalchuk – the 2010 UFA will likely be on the way out of Toronto on or before deadline day. A change of scenery could be a boost to the big winger’s production, much as it was for Nik Antropov last year when he was traded to the New York Rangers. Never underestimate a player’s added incentive to perform during a contract year.

Hold

Evgeni Malkin, C, PIT – His 47 points in 44 games are nothing to laugh at, but they’re not the Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby-like numbers we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Geno. After being held scoreless for 11 straight, he has four goals in his last two games. Hang on to Malkin – he’ll probably be up there with the other upper echelon studs when all is said and done mid-April.

Thomas Vanek, LW, BUF – With just 13 goals and 30 total points, Vanek’s been somewhat of a disappointment so far this season. He probably won’t put up his usual 40 goals, but he’s still the Sabres top winger and best goal scorer and he’s been known to finish the season strong.

Josh Bailey, C, NYI – With John Tavares struggling, the 20-year-old Bailey has elevated his game recently, with 13 points over the Islanders’ last 10 games. His +12 rating is an added bonus for those in plus/minus leagues, but the Islanders inconsistency often leads to bumpy trends in their players’ production.

Alexander Steen, C, STL – The former first round draft pick is having a streaky season. After missing 14 games over October and November with a broken wrist, Steen returned to the Blues’ lineup and has been a regular contributor. After posting just four points in his first 19 games, he’s tallied 17 points in his last 16. If he keeps up the success for another week or so, he might be a worthy add.

Sell

Scott Niedermayer, D, ANA – Could Scott Niedermayer’s career finally be winding down to an end? He’s an abysmal -17 this season and is on pace for his lowest goal total since 2000-01 when he was limited to just 57 games. He has one of those names that will draw attention on the trade market, so put his name out there and wait for the right offer.

Matt Carle, D, PHI – Carle is presently owned in a ridiculously high 69 percent of pools. Offensive defenseman do a large portion of their scoring on the powerplay, which is ice-time the Flyers are more likely to give to Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen. Of Carle’s 24 points this season, 12 were accumulated in October. Trade or drop him.

Kris Letang, D PIT – Letang isn’t getting the offensive opportunities that fellow Penguins’ defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Alex Goligoski are getting this year. If you’re in a keeper league, hang on to Letang for the long run, otherwise cut him loose.

Steve Mason, G, CBJ – Treat Mason the same as you’d treat Letang – let him go unless you’re in a keeper league. The Blue Jackets are amid some horrific struggles, and are turning to journeyman backup Mathieu Garon for starts more often than Mason.

Buy

Jonas Hiller, G, ANA – The Ducks’ tender is 4-0-0 in his last four starts, sporting a 1.50 goals against average and a .954 save percentage. The Ducks are creeping closer and closer to playoff contention, and look to be fully healthy again. Look for the Ducks to be solid down the stretch, and Hiller will be a big reason why.

Mathieu Garon, G, CBJ – Goaltending has ruined the Blue Jackets this season, and part of the problem is that the Jackets insisted on starting Steve Mason, their franchise cornerstone, despite lacklustre results. For us Habs fans, this is eerily reminiscent of the Carey Price vs. Jaroslav Halak debacle.

Garon went 3-0-0 last week with a 1.46 goals against average and a .940 save percentage. The Jackets need to run with this momentum if they have any hope of making the playoffs again, and Garon might be available on the cheap in your league. He’ll play until he strings together a couple poor starts.

Guillaume Latendresse, LW, MIN – Seven goals in his last 11 games. Being a Francophone hockey player in La Belle Province isn’t easy, and Latendresse is playing like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

Matt Duchene, C, COL – Duchene has steadily improved over the course of his rookie year. He has posted 22 points in his last 25 games, after starting the season with just 7 points in 21 games. The fact that he’s getting significantly better as the season progresses is especially encouraging since many wondered if Duchene was strong enough to play in the show this year, or if he’d fade down the stretch.

Hold

Alex Burrows, LW, VAN – He’s not nearly as good as his last week suggests, but he’s probably a bit better than his stats before that week would indicate. Since Daniel Sedin’s return from injury, Henrik has elevated his game to a whole new level, and Burrows figures to continue to reap the benefits. Expect him to be a solid contributor down the stretch, but if anyone in your league overvalues him after this week I wouldn’t hesitate to deal him.

Benoit Pouliot, LW, MTL – He probably doesn’t merit much attention in anything but the deepest of leagues, but the former 4th overall pick is turning some heads since he arrived in Montreal. He has four goals in his last seven games. He is shooting the puck more than ever, and seeing more ice time than ever. With Andrei Kostitsyn sidelined for the foreseeable future, expect Pouliot to continue to log quality minutes.

Sell

Tomas Plekanec, C, MTL – I’m always really wary of players who have career years when they’re on the verge of unrestricted free agency. Plekanec’s career high for points in a season is 69 points, and he had just 39 over a full season last year. He was red-hot in late November and early December, scoring at almost a 90 point per season pace, but has slowed a little of late. His trade value now is about as high as it’s ever been, and I suspect at least some owners will manage to take advantage of this fact to help them down the stretch.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that many of his assists came during Andrei Kostitsyn’s hot streak, and the enigmatic Belarusian is now sidelined for some time.

Dustin Penner, LW, EDM – Alright, I think it’s finally time to throw in the towel on Penner for this year. Hemsky’s injury certainly didn’t do him any favours, and the Oilers in general have just been terrible recently. Penner has just two points in his last eight, and looks nothing like the player he did early in the season. He’s still on pace for a goal total in the high 30’s though, so he’s probably got some trade value if someone in your league needs goals.

Rich Peverley, C, ATL – Hopefully you sold him a little while ago. Peverley reminds me a lot of Andy MacDonald, or Andrew Ebbett. He’s had some productive stretches, and clearly has a great offensive mind, but size, strength, and consistency are always going to be issues. He’s a stopgap solution as a first-line playmaker. Nevertheless, as with Penner, he’s still on pace for a decent point total, and someone might be interested.

Buy

Andrei Markov – After sitting out more than two months with a severed ankle tendon, Markov’s showing no rust accumulated, compiling 12 points in nine games. Fantasy-wise, Markov is arguably the next best defenseman after juggernaut Mike Green.

Jordan Staal – Playing on a team strapped for centres, Jordan Staal would probably already have at least a couple 50 point seasons under his belt. Unfortunately, playing with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin limits the 21 year old’s powerplay time. He is finally getting more ice-time on a scoring line however, and with three goals and five assists in his last seven contests, he’s headed for a career year.

Milan Lucic – Lucic’s return to the Bruins’ lineup should buffer some of the blow from the loss of Patrice Bergeron, who will be out several weeks with a badly broken finger. Lucic, who hasn’t played since November 25th, is expected to play Saturday night against the Blackhawks, and owners should expect his typical truculent style of play to resume.

Hold

Simon Gagne – Gagne’s healthy, and has nine points in as many games since his return. Gambling on Gagne staying healthy is a bet you’ll lose more often than not though, so tread carefully. If you own him, he’s a definite starter. If you don’t, you probably shouldn’t go out of your way to trade for him.

Rick Nash – The Columbus Blue Jackets have been the worst NHL team over the past month or so, with a 2-11-4 record since December 3rd. During that 17 game stretch, Nash has just 11 points and a -8 rating. Nash has gained the reputation of a stud, so he’ll haul a fair bit on the trade market if you’re getting impatient.

Sell

John Tavares – With just a single point over his last 12 games, the rookie has hit a definite wall. Unless you’re in a keeper league, you should be shopping the slumping 19 year old.

Phil Kessel – Kessel quickly silenced Leafs’ GM Brian Burke’s critics when he exploded out of the gates in November with 15 points in his first 15 games. Expect the speculators to come crawling back out of the woodwork, as Kessel has slumped his way to just seven points in his last 17.
If you recall, Burke forfeited the Leafs’ first round pick in 2010 and 2011, and also their second round pick in 2010. With the Leafs’ current struggles, it’s appearing more and more that this year’s first round pick is going to be a top-5 selection. With the Leafs having no other offensive threats even close to as skilled as Kessel, he should expect the tight checking to continue. Seek out the Leafs’ fans in your pool and shop Kessel accordingly.

Marty Turco – The Dallas Stars’ starter hasn’t exactly played like a star lately, allowing three or more goals in seven of his last eight games. The Pacific has been the NHL’s strongest division this season, and with seven of their next nine games coming on the road, the Stars could be in for a rough ride. If you already have some strength between the pipes and are short offensively, you should consider trading Turco to someone desperate for a starting tender.