Looking ahead at the best schedules in Week Four.

There are no guarantees in fantasy hockey, but a pair of tried and true strategies will always pay off in the long haul:

Bet on the best combination of talent and opportunity to achieve the desired level of production you are looking for from your roster. Talent means nothing without opportunity, and vice-versa.

Focus on the process by which you make roster decisions, as opposed to the results they yield. Long-term success is not attainable without the knowledge of why you were successful in the short term.

With that in mind, let's take a look ahead at some teams and players to avoid in the coming week or so:

Love 'Em (These squads are the best bet to produce for fantasy owners)

Vancouver

Long overlooked as one of the game's consistent goal scorers, veteran winger Radim Vrbata is enjoying a tremendous start to the season. Playing alongside Henrik and Daniel Sedin has been a significant boon to Vrbata's fantasy value in his inaugural campaign with the Canucks. Vancouver's top line combined for seven goals and 23 points through the team's first five games. With struggling squads like Carolina (team save percentage of .889) and Edmonton (.855) on the schedule in the coming week or so, Vancouver's top line should continue to pile up points for fantasy owners.

Chicago

It's no secret the Blackhawks enjoy a tremendous amount of offensive talent. There are so many players who have the potential to contribute on any given night. The usual suspects (Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith to name a few) are always must-starts, but Brad Richards, Kris Versteeg and Andrew Shaw also may be worthy of consideration this week. Chicago has a pair of matchups against Ottawa (home on Sunday, Oct. 26 and away on Thursday, Oct. 30), a squad with unspeakably bad defensive depth. They also take on a Toronto squad still trying to find consistency in net. Expect the Blackhawks to finish October on a high note.

Colorado

There's a lot of skilled talent on Colorado's top two lines. Nathan MacKinnon is developing into a fantasy monster. Gabriel Landeskog is a two-way forward blessed with maturity beyond his years. Ryan O'Reilly is an underrated and versatile top-line forward. Matt Duchene has put up a handful of impressive statistical seasons, and he's still just 23 years of age. This is a team that's better than what they've shown so far this season. It's only going to get better from here. Upcoming matchups against Winnipeg and the New York Islanders should allow the Avs' top offensive options to get on track. Expect big things from the aforementioned forwards, as well as elder statesman Jarome Iginla and promising young defenseman Tyson Barrie.

Leave 'Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed for the immediate future)

Florida

There are a number of reasons to be wary of Panthers skaters over the next several days. First and foremost, they have very little high-end offensive talent. Aleksander Barkov is still trying to find his way and become a productive top-six player, as is Jonathan Huberdeau. They are surrounded by a bunch of veterans with limited upside and obvious flaws: Brad Boyes, Sean Bergenheim, Scottie Upshall and more. This team is nowhere close to boasting an explosive offense. Look elsewhere for help in the short term.