This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
Marian Hossa is a god. At 36 years of age, the first-liner is showing no signs of slowing down.
"Come near to me, so that I may place my mystical powers upon you." —Demi-god Marian Hossa. pic.twitter.com/6v87Z4CKi0
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 14, 2015Kris Versteeg on #Blackhawks teammate Marian Hossa: "Have you seen him with his shirt off? He's like a Greek god."
— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) February 12, 2015Hossa has recorded four straight multi-point games, compiling seven goals and one assist in that span. He's now up to 17 goals and 42 points in 56 games, putting him on track for another 25-goal, 60-point season. Six of his last seven goals have come in the third period, showcasing his clutch ability. Skating on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad, Hossa has scored in four straight games and is simply a must-start in fantasy right now.
Here's what you need to know for Saturday's NHL action.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
Oilers (Viktor Fasth) at Senators (Robin Lehner*), 2:00
Leafs (Jonathan Bernier) at Canadiens (Carey Price), 7:00
Jets (Michael Hutchinson) at Red Wings (Jimmy Howard*), 7:00
Blue Jackets (Curtis McElhinney) at Islanders (Jaroslav Halak), 7:00
Rangers (Cam Talbot) at Coyotes (Mike Smith), 8:00
Hurricanes (Anton Khudobin) at Wild (Devan Dubnyk), 8:00
Devils (Cory Schneider) at Predators (Pekka Rinne), 8:00
Stars (Kari Lehtonen) at Avalanche (Semyon Varlamov*), 9:00
Canucks (Ryan Miller) at Flames (Jonas Hiller), 10:00
Capitals (Braden Holtby) at Kings (Jonathan Quick), 10:00
*Confirmed Starters
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check out our Projected Goalies Grid.
Injury News For Teams Playing Saturday
Coyotes
Joe Vitale, C (upper body) -- Is nearing a return to action, the Coyotes' official site reports.
Alex Bolduc, RW-- Is dealing with what is described as a mid-body injury, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports.
Martin Hanzal, C -- Coyotes GM Don Maloney announced Thursday that Hanzal is dealing with a recurring back issue that will require surgery, likely ending his season, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports. "The likelihood of [Hanzal] returning this season is remote, but we do anticipate a full recovery."
Connor Murphy, D -- Was scratched from Tuesday's game against the Blues due to an illness, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports.
Flames
Paul Byron, C (illness) -- Isn't expected to play Thursday against the Kings, Derek Willis of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.
Hurricanes
Ryan Murphy, D -- Has been ruled out four weeks with a leg injury and was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, Chantel McCabe of FOX Sports Carolinas reports.
Avalanche
Patrick Bordeleau, RW (knee) -- Was on the ice for Tuesday's optional skate, Terry Frei of the Denver Post reports.
Blue Jackets
Brian Gibbons, C (knee) -- Was a participant in Wednesday's practice.
Dalton Prout, D -- The Blue Jackets have ruled Prout (upper body) out for their two weekend games, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Sergei Bobrovsky, G (groin) -- Skated on his own for the second straight day on Tuesday, the Columbus Dispatch reports. "Just making some easy movements, slow motion," Bobrovsky said. "I don't push too hard. Day by day, you know?"
Ryan Murray, D (ankle) -- Was placed on injured reserve Monday, Shawn Mitchell of The Columbus Dispatch reports.
Stars
Tyler Seguin, C -- Suffered a lower-body injury in Friday's win over Florida. He was helped off the ice and didn't return. Seguin will be re-evaluated Saturday and will miss "some time," Lindy Ruff said.
Ales Hemsky, RW -- Suffered a lower-body injury early in the first period of Friday's win over Florida and did not return. "He's going to miss some time," Ruff said.
Patrick Eaves , RW -- Was struck in the right side of the head by a wrist shot from defenseman John Klingberg in Friday's win over Florida. He was helped off the ice and did not return.
Patrick Nemeth, D (arm) -- Is about a week away from playing in games, but he will head to the AHL before joining the Stars, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Antoine Roussel , LW-- Was suspended two games for cross-checking Adam McQuaid on Tuesday.
Oilers
Benoit Pouliot, LW (foot) -- Won't play Thursday against Montreal.
Ben Scrivens, G -- Will be "out a while" due to the hamstring injury, Jack Michaels of the Oilers Radio Network reports.
Taylor Hall, LW -- According to Rob Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun, Hall is out six weeks with a lower leg injury.
Kings
Alec Martinez, D (concussion) -- Did not travel with the team to Columbus for Monday's game, Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Wild
Ryan Carter, C (upper body) -- Was ruled out Wednesday for at least a month, Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Jason Zucker, LW -- Will require surgery on a broken clavicle suffered in Monday's game against the Canucks and will be out for three months, Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Canadiens
P.A. Parenteau, RW (concussion) -- Could return next week, possibly as early as a Feb. 19 contest against the Panthers, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.
Predators
Mattias Ekholm, D (upper body) -- Will not play Thursday against the Jets.
Devils
Stephen Gionta, LW (hand) -- Hasn't been cleared for contact yet and will not be available for the Devils' two-game road trip that concludes Saturday in Nashville, Tom Gulitti of The Record reports.
Damon Severson, D (ankle) -- Skated this morning but does not know how long it will be before he's ready to practice, Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record reports.
Islanders
Calvin De Haan, D (face) -- Won't play Thursday against Toronto, according to Newsday's Arthur Staple.
Michael Grabner, LW (undisclosed) -- Skated with the team Tuesday, according to Newsday's Arthur Staple.
Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist, G -- Andrew Gross of The Record relays that Lundqvist (neck) is currently on the Rangers' IR list.
Senators
Zack Smith, RW (wrist) -- IS considered far off a return to the Ottawa lineup, TSN's Steve Lloyd reports.
Craig Anderson, G (hand) -- Will not be activated from injured reserve ahead of Tuesday's game against the Sabres, TSN's Steve Lloyd reports.
Chris Phillips, D -- Could miss about a week due to "wear and tear," Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen reports.
Leafs
Joffrey Lupul, LW-- Aggravated a knee injury in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers and is expected to be out for about a week, Paul Hendrick of Leafs TV reports.
Dion Phaneuf, D (hand) -- Remains sidelined, Jonas Siegel of TSN Radio 1050 reports.
Jonathan Bernier (illness) -- Was on the ice for practice Monday, Mark Masters of TSN reports.
Canucks
Nick Bonino, C (foot) -- Could be dealing with an injury that is more than a day-to-day concern, Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun reports. Canucks GM was unwilling to project a specific length of absence.
Frankie Corrado, D -- Is dealing with an upper-body injury and will miss the next 2-to-3 weeks, Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun reports.
Jets
Tyler Myers, D -- Myers, who hurt his leg after blocking a shot in Thursday's loss to the Predators, is expected to be fine for Sunday's match with the Red Wings, the Winnipeg Free Press reports. Said coach Paul Maurice on Friday, "Everybody is good."
Hot
Wayne Simmonds, RW, PHI – Simmonds put on a show Friday, scoring twice and adding an assist in an overtime loss to the Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old now has six goals and nine points in his last seven games, giving him 37 points in 55 games on the season. He's hit the 20-goal mark in each of his three full seasons with the flyers and now has 12 power-play tallies this season – third most in the NHL. He does it all for the Flyers and has scored the game-winning goal or shootout winner in six of the Flyers' last 15 wins (40%). He contributes in almost every fantasy category and is going to be key player for the Flyers in the stretch drive.
Roman Josi, D, NSH -- Josi has 12 points in his last 10 games and now has 40 points (10 goals) in 55 games on the season. Amidst all the praise for Pekka Rinne and Fillip Forsberg in Nashville, Josi is having a spectacular season for the Predators. He should be owned in every single league, as he's averaging 26:28 of ice time as Shea Weber's defensive partner both on the power-play and at even strength. Josi sits fourth in defenseman scoring and is contributing in almost every fantasy category, recording a plus-16 rating, three game-winning goals and 132 shots on goal. The 24-year-old is going to be a fantasy monster for many years to come.
Cold
Brent Seabrook, D, CHI - Seabrook had previously gone eight straight games without a point before breaking out for a two-assist showing Friday against New Jersey. He's still averaging 22:30 of ice time on Chicago's first defensive pairing with Duncan Keith, so we wouldn't be worried. The Blackhawks had been struggling of late, so now that they appear back on track, Seabrook's point output will increase. He's still got 27 points (seven goals) in 56 games and has recorded nine shots on goal in his last two games, so you can expect the 27-year-old to build off his strong performance Friday.
Steve Downie, RW, PIT – Downie had gone seven straight games without a point before being designated a late scratch for Thursday's game against the Senators. He's currently playing on the fourth line, so it's going to be hard to for him to get on the scoresheet frequently. While his league-leading 173 PIM are nice for fantasy owners, Downie's shot totals are down and he's only managed four power-play points. Unless injuries plague the Penguins again, don't expect Downie to contribute too much offensively.
Recommended Pickup
Mats Zuccarello, RW, NYR – The 27-year-old has scored in two straight games and is currently riding a seven-game point streak (four goals, five assists). While he's been somewhat inconsistent this season, he's currently playing on the top line with Rick Nash and Derrick Brassard, so there shouldn't be any reason for him to not keep producing. He's fired a healthy 13 shots on goal in his last four games and is sporting an impressive plus-16 rating on the year. You really can't go wrong with Zuccarello right now, as he's also playing on the top power-play unit – which is sure to help him increase his on his lackluster four power-play points. After posting 19 goals last season, Zuccarello is on track to post a similar total this time around. Given his current linemates, it's hard to see the first-liner drifting off too much. Nab him while he's hot.
