It's that time of year where line combinations and power play units should be taken with a grain of salt, but it's impossible not to get excited about the prospect of some of them. One such intriguing combo was in Montreal, where Christian Dvorak, Josh Anderson and Jonathan Drouin were paired together earlier this week in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and exploded for a combined nine points. Drouin has the possibility of being a great bounce-back candidate this season if he sticks with that group and will likely be off the radar in many drafts after taking a leave of absence late last season.

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Kevin Lankinen is getting a lot of love in drafts right now and I'm not sure why. The Chicago netminder currently sits ahead of the likes of Sergei Bobrovsky and Tristan Jarry when it comes to ADP and it makes little sense. Chicago will likely play Fleury a ton and few goalies are more durable, meaning Lankinen shouldn't have a ton of value. There's also the issue of how much improved the Blackhawks will be even with all their offseason additions.

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With NHL camps now in full swing, updates to our Fantasy Guide will be fast and frequent – often to the tune of three times per day. So, be sure to re-download the Guide for the latest changes as you head toward fantasy draft day.

For our francophone readers who prefer to read their gold in their native tongue, we have a translated version of the Guide. You can order your French version here (and please share with any of your francophone pals).

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I thought there was an outside chance Ilya Mikheyev could've had some short-term fantasy in the first couple of weeks of the season if utilized in Toronto's top-six, but that's not looking like the case. Mikheyev got a good look and a bunch of playing time early in the preseason and his problems with finishing remain. Despite a handful of glorious chances, he couldn't find the back of the net. I wondered if general manager Kyle Dubas might have promised Mikheyev some time with either Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner or John Tavares and William Nylander to try and reassure him after his trade request, but even then, I can't see Mikheyev being productive. He's a solid NHL player but just not a good fantasy option.

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Bad news for Nicklas Backstrom owners, as Lars Eller revealed that the veteran Washington Capital may miss the start of the season with an injury. This also has the potential to impact Alexander Ovechkin and hopefully it doesn't mean Ovi is going to get off to a slow start. More than half of Ovechkin's points last year came while playing with Backstrom.

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Jonathan Bernier was always going to have some value for the New Jersey Devils this season based on the contract they gave him, but he may be in for a bit more playing time than originally thought. We learned earlier this week that Mackenzie Blackwood remains unvaccinated, meaning his participation in games in Canada could be in question. The Devils play four games in Canada in eight days in late March, which coincides with when many leagues will be starting their fantasy hockey playoffs. Just something to monitor and consider when drafting.

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The group of players who you could draft and stash is very impressive this year. Jack Eichel, Evgeni Malkin and Tuukka Rask are all obviously big-time talents that could pay major dividends down the road this season. If I had to rank them in order from most to least valuable in one-year leagues, I'd go Malkin, Rask and then Eichel. There's too much uncertainty around Eichel's injury and I'm not sure the Bruins are going to rush Rask back, so Malkin possibly returning at some point December is definitely worth stashing if you have a free IR spot.

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I had a little Twitter debate this week on whether it makes sense to draft two goalies from the same team. It does in certain cases in my opinion when two goalies from the same team are going to get close to a 50/50 split and the team in front of them is very strong. There's not many that fit the bill this year but the New York Islanders with Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin as well as the Leafs with Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek could work out well. It can be an especially effective strategy if your league has the majority of its goalie categories that don't rely on volume (i.e. save percentage and GAA) and a low minimum start requirement. If your league has wins, shutouts, and total saves for instance, then the strategy doesn't work as well and you'll probably want to grab a couple of quality starters from different squads.

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Remember what a tremendous waiver wire pickup Martin Necas was last year? The Carolina Hurricanes youngster finished with 41 points last season, which included a 17-point output in 14 games in March. Necas won't be flying under the radar as much heading into drafts this year and already has an ADP inside the top 100. That's likely because folks have been looking at Carolina's line combos at camp and Necas spent some time with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov last week. That may or may not stick during the season but if it does, that spells good news for Necas and his productivity.

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If you’re interested in alternative fantasy hockey option this season, give Dobbernomics a try. Read more about ideas, strategies and what makes the game so fun.

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel tested positive for Covid on Sunday morning, the team announced. The Pens play on opening night which is eight days from now, so one would think Guentzel may miss that game at least and it’s another tough blow to a team already missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to start the season. Hopefully, Guentzel doesn't have any major complications and gets well soon, but it's another reminder that even with most of league fully vaccinated, Covid is still going to impact the NHL and fantasy hockey this season.  

For fantasy hockey tips and advice follow me on Twitter at @amato_mike