Midseason Guide – Final version – is now out. Formatting is fixed, last minute updates (i.e. Kostitsyn) are in, a couple of charts have been added, and my projections for the teams – who will make the playoffs? It’s all there in your downloads for you to pick up (assuming you were smart and bought it)

Midseason Guide – Arguably more important than the preseason guide. All poolies buy some sort of aid in August or September to help them with their picks, but how many in your pool have a full guide that comes out in January to help them down the stretch run? The ones that read DobberHockey and that’s it. Dobber has poured countless hours into this thing, and all of the great writers, old and new, have contributed unique and interesting perspectives.

Some goalie starts (I know you can find this news elsewhere, but if you are on the site and curious) – Neuvirth in for WSH, Elliott in for OTT, Gustavsson in for TOR, Hedberg in for ATL, and the Halak Attack in for the Habs.

I mentioned Kevin Connauton a few days ago in the ramblings. Here is a solid piece on hi.

Sheldon Souray has stated that he will be willing to waive his NTC, but wants to remain close to his kids in Los Angeles. San Jose, perhaps? How about the Kings?

Most importantly, the guide sales help support the site. Sure, you can get updates and forums for free elsewhere, but we have built a great community here and try to offer fresh and unique perspectives instead of just injury updates, signings, and rumors.

A solid interview with Habs prospect Alexander Avtsin, courtesy of RussianHockeyFans.

I contributed an interesting article on the Olympics and potentially fantasy effects. I spent some time analyzing data, and although I didn't really reach a true conclusion, I think it is fairly thought provoking.

Jamie Benn had an assist – his first point in six games. Struggles are common with rookies, and his ice time has taken a big hit lately. Last night he played over 17 minutes, but during the pointless streak his ice time ranged between 10 and 13 per game.

Tuomo Ruutu left the game last night after breaking his hand in a fight with Darcy Tucker. Injuries keep piling up for the Hurricanes. Not sure who will be called up next…

John Tavares has one point in is last 10 games. Again, great time to try and acquire him. He will be a big time producer but is too young and inexperienced to produce on his own, and the Islanders have arguably the least talented team in the entire NHL.

Dion Phaneuf has two points in his last 10.

Poor Belarus – Grabovski, Kostitsyn the Elder, and Salei are all going to miss the Olympics with injuries.

Antoine Vermette had a big game for the Jackets, scoring once and assisting on the other two goals. He has games like last night where he shows flashes of being a 70-80 point forward, but then he goes cold for five or six. He has that upside, but consistency is a tough thing to predict for the future. Some players find it, some don't.

Brandon Yip continues his strong play for the Avalanche. He scored the lone Colorado goal (with only a few ticks left on the clock in the third). He has four goals in eight games and is showing great tenacity and is a pretty steady player at both ends of the ice. I have no idea what his fantasy upside is, but he quickly has made his way onto my radar. Yip led all Colorado players with five shots on goal as well.

Cam Ward had a strong game, stopping 29 of 30 shots. He is an elite goalie. I think it is a great time to try and acquire him in keeper leagues, as Carolina has lots of young talent and should be much improved next season.

Weird situation in New Jersey – the game had to be postponed after the power at the Prudential Center went out. Tampa was up three nothing at the time. Rumor has it that Marty Brodeur was spotted carrying around wire cutters at intermission…

Tyler Myers is distancing himself in the Calder race a bit. He had two goals and an assist last night for the Sabres, and played close to 25 minutes.

Thanks to a comment below – Jimmy Howard is also in the mix. Wierd that Detroit is having to rely on a goalie to win them games – no depth at either defense or goaltending will do that to you. Varlamov would also probably be in the mix as well if he was playing more often. Tavares and Duchene have been producing in the NHL at 18, but to play sound defense for 24 minutes a night on a playoff club… Myers is definitely a step ahead of the pack right now.

Chris Butler had two assists – he and Myers are the PP duo of the future in Buffalo.

Thomas Vanek played 12:30 last night. Tim Kennedy played 12:31. Something is up.

Rick DiPietro was very rusty in his return, allowing four goals on 28 shots. However, the Islanders weren't sharp in front of him defensively. Still, it is encouraging to see him make his first start in over a calendar year.

Amazing DiPietro stat – he has assists in each of his last three starts. That is crazy enough, but there is more. Each start has taken place in a different year! 2008, 2009, and now 2010.

With Ribeiro out, Tom Wandell saw almost 17 minutes of ice time. He didn't see a second of PP time, but the Stars only had one.

Jake Voracek – who I am predicting a big second half from, had two assists. He is such a strong player on the puck offensively, but often doesn't play with enough talent to consistently put up points.

Matt Cullen is on fire right now. In his last 10 games, he has 10 points. In addition, he has played over 19 minutes in each of his last seven games. With Staal out indefinitely for family reasons, expect Cullen's production to continue.

Stamkos finally scored, breaking a six game goalless drought. He is still on pace for over 40.

Chris Botta (Islanders blogger) raised a great point last night. Long Island is now one game below .500 (not counting the loser point, but whatever), and Roloson has a record of 16-7-6. Insane.

Ryan O'Reilly has one point in his last 20 games. He is still playing very well in his own zone and on the PK (which is incredible for an 18 year old), but the offense has completely dried up.

Selanne is playing tonight after missing 17 games with a hand injury. He was very productive before the injury, with 14 goals in 27 games. This is his last season, so expect a big second half – Selanne plays with pride and will want to go out on top.