Welcome to week of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (10/26 through 11/2).
Week 4 Matchups
Teams with 5 Games: NY Islanders, Phoenix
Teams with 4 Games: Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota, Montreal, NY Rangers, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
Teams with 2 Games: Atlanta, Calgary
Despite decent starts from Atlanta and Calgary this season, you may want to consider resting certain Thrashers and Flames, as both teams are looking at only 2 games this week against strong competition.
The Islanders and Coyotes will be quite busy in week 4, with 5 games a piece. The Islanders have 3 home games, while Phoenix has 2.
Who's Hot
Tim Connolly (BUF) - Last week, I said it was time to give up on Connolly. After all, the Sabres were scoring but he wasn't. Looks like I was wrong on this one. Connolly was one of the hottest forwards last week, scoring 5 points in 3 games. He still has less fantasy value in most leagues, as the vast majority of his points are assists.
Shea Weber (NAS) - Weber started off slow with just one point in his first five games. He's heated up since then, with 3 goals and 2 assists in his past 4 games. Weber figures to be one of the top end fantasy defensemen this season, and now he's back on track.
J.P.Dumont (NAS) & Dustin Penner (EDM) - It's tough to say a player is hot based on one game, but both of these guys managed to rack up 5 points in one game last night. Both players are capable scorers and are probably available in your league. Could be the start of a hot streak.
Jaroslav Halak (MON) - Montreal finally put a couple of wins together, and Carey Price has been on the bench. Halak allowed only one goal in both games and seems to be the hot hand for the Canadians right now.
Who's Cold
Ryan Getzlaf (ANA) - Much like last season, Getzlaf has gotten off to a very poor start this season. He finally scored his first goal of the season last night after going without a point his previous 3 games. This cold streak won't last long. Bench him at your own risk of missing a big comeback week.
Paul Stastny (COL) - After starting the season on fire, Stastny has cooled off considerably. He has just 1 assist in his last five games. No reason to panic yet, he'll recover soon enough.
Brooks Laich (WAS) - Brooks Laich was the man in the first week of the season and everyone rushed to pick him up. Predictably enough, he's gone completely cold since then, with a pointless streak stretching to 5 games now. Time to drop him.
Waiver Watch
Here are a few other names who may be available in your league and are worth a look:
Matt Moulson (NYI) - Moulson has come out of nowhere this season to lead the Islanders in goals and points so far. He's already registered 5 goals this season, and put home 3 this past week. Chances are, he's still available in your league.
Rich Peverley (ATL) - Peverley is no longer a secret in the NHL, and may already have been claimed in your league. Since coming to Atlanta late last season off of waivers, he's averaged almost a point a game. The trend continued last week, as he put in 4 points in 3 games. Get him if you can.
Jason Demers (SJ) - Rookie defenseman Demers has been racking up the assists so far this season, with 8 in 10 games. He's also a plus 5 on the year.