All fantasy owners need help in the short term AND the long term. The Looking Ahead feature identifies one player to plug into lineups in the short term, a second to invest in for the long term, a third to bench for the coming week, and a fourth who will struggle to meet expectations for some time. All players discussed are selected based on their upcoming schedule. Stats in this article updated through December 8th^th      

The Immediate Fix (Grab this guy and use him for the next several days)

Marian Gaborik, RW, Los Angeles (Available in 81 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Since returning to the Kings, Gaborik has put up 4G-2A in six games and is getting key minutes on the first power play unit. He’s shooting at an unsustainably high rate (20% on 20SOG), but he’s a double-digit career shooter (12.7%) and has been moved up to the first Kings line at even strength in games Los Angeles is trailing.

The Building Block (Buy now, sit back and enjoy the production)

Nick Bjugstad, RW, Florida (Available in 96 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – It turns out that it’s Nick Bjugstad and not Denis Malgin that gets the prime spot on the first Panthers line, which is a huge boon to Bjugstad’s scoring potential going forward. Since getting moved to that line, Bjugstad has already scored twice – firing 11 shots on goal – and gotten prime minutes. Even when Evgeni Dadonov returns, Bjugstad’s been very solid on a second line with Vincent Trocheck: 22SOG, 2G, 1A while single-handedly pushing Florida’s second line into positive possession numbers.

The Odd Man Out (His short-term value is cause for concern)

Alex Galchenyuk, LW, Montreal (Owned in 40 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – The young scoring threat out of Montreal has been a let-down this season, falling down the depth chart below Phillip Danault, Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Plekanec at centre, and below Charles Hudon, Andrew Shaw, et. al on the wing. He’s seeing only 15 minutes per game, collects almost no peripheral stats, and only has 16 points and is -9 through 30 games. With Montreal barely playing over the next two weeks, Galchenyuk can be shelved.

The Anchors (They’ll do nothing but disappoint even over the long haul)

Brent Seabrook, D, Chicago (Owned in 62 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Seabrook has been incredibly disappointing for the Blackhawks this season from a possession point-of-view, but he also has struggled at putting points on the board while losing ice time. Seabrook is still seeing 20 minutes of ice time a game, but that’s the lowest number he’s seen since his rookie season, and he’s only put up 1G-8A through 28 games. Seabrook still has value in leagues that reward peripheral stats, as he picks up hits and blocks, but he’s droppable in every other format.

Love ‘Em (These squads are sure to pay dividends in the coming days)

Florida – Although Sasha Barkov just got injured and his status is up in the air, the Panthers still have a relatively strong schedule upcoming and the Panthers’ studs should be rolled out with impunity. The Cats see Colorado twice, Arizona, Detroit and Chicago – although all but one game are on the road – which bodes well for a strong offensive team.

Minnesota – With the return of Ch-ahlie Coyle, the Wild finally have an optimal top-six (although missing Zach Parise), and have a stretch of games that should be relatively simple to get the puck in the net. That starts with a game in Anaheim – the worst team in terms of shots allowed – and also features games against Ottawa, Chicago and Edmonton.

Columbus – Columbus is another team that’s recently figured out their optimal lineup, although John Tortorella could change it at any moment, and a great stretch of seven games upcoming as well. They get to face New Jersey, Arizona, Edmonton and Toronto as the highlights.

Leave ‘Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed in the short term)

Montreal – Somehow the Habs only have four games during this period, although the four games are all relatively easy. They have a five-day break between home games against Edmonton and New Jersey but do finish off the period with road games at Ottawa and Vancouver who both struggle at home.

Philadelphia – The Flyers don’t play again until December 12^th, but they do have five straight home games after their lay-off. Four of the five are nice matchups with the fifth coming against a tough Kings team, but just on lack of volume the Flyers can safely be ignored.

Los Angeles – Los Angeles has gone cold on the power play lately – just three PPG in their last 10 games on 26 chances – and have a hard road trip for most of this stretch. They’ll see Carolina at home before going on the road up the East Coast, including a back-to-back against the Rangers and Islanders.