Angus here – my fantasy mailbag is open for business today! Ask me your fantasy hockey questions here.

JP Dumont left the Nashville contest with an undisclosed injury.

Carolina has sent Brett Carson to the minors.

Simon Gagne remains out with a stiff neck.

Johan Hedberg got the start for the Devils… so MacLean actually intended for both Kovalchuk and Brodeur to not play. Hedberg was pulled halfway through.

What a statement by John MacLean – making his $100 million man a healthy scratch. Too bad the team got hammered, it would have been a nice message. Exhibit A as to why fantasy hockey is so unpredictable. You would think that drafting a player like Kovalchuk would exempt you from healthy scratches from that roster spot.

Not that he could be blamed for Edmonton’s losing streak, but the fact of the matter is – Nikolai Khabibulin has lost four in a row and has allowed 17 goals in that span. Devan Dubnyk or Jeff Deslauriers are bound to see a start soon, and a victory could mean a second consecutive start. In one of my leagues, I’m desperate for goaltending and have been sitting on Dubnyk on the bench for a week now. I’ll wait another month if I have to, but I can’t see Bulin holding the fort all season.

According to philly.com, Michael Leighton is “still in pain”, but it is getting better. My guess is he’s still another month away. Who am I? Why, I’m Dr. Dobbs – what I say really matters. Seriously. Or not. The good news for Leighton owners is – neither Bobrovsky nor Boucher have stepped up to steal the job, so he hasn’t lost it yet. As a Leighton owner in two of my leagues, I have been afraid of him losing the role if one of them truly stands on his head. In which case he’d return only to sit on the bench as a backup. But as it stands now, if/when he returns he starts.

With two goals last night, Andrei Kostitsyn has six points in his last six games. I’d say that this will be a career year for him, but his fragility holds my tongue. I mean, fingers. In the last two seasons he has hit a hot streak like this one, generally lasting 10-15 games, but is then knocked aside with an injury ranging from a week to a month. When he returns he takes weeks to get back to that groove. Anyway, I like Kostitsyn for 68 points if he plays 80 games. But he won’t. He’ll play 70, so you’re looking at 60 points.

PK Subban was second on the team in ice time and notched an assist. He has three points and is a plus-5 in his last four games. I had several panicky people emailing me about him last week.

Since giving up two early goals to the Leafs in Game 1, Carey Price has been nothing short of stellar. Fourteen goals in six-and-a-half games since. My worries have been eased quite a bit, as a Price owner in two leagues.

Kyle Turris tallied his first point of the season. And his second. And his third. After a performance like that, in just 13 minutes of ice time, and ZERO power-play time, perhaps he’ll get more trust and responsibility. Absolutely a great sign.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson tallied his first career NHL point, as assist on Turris’ second goal. He was also a stellar plus-3. He’s a future stud defenseman, but it’s looking like 45 points as a rookie is not in the cards. Look for 35 to 40, as he gets settled in.

Milan Hejduk had to have read my ramblings last week, saying he was done. He has six points in his las three games. Welcome back.

Andrei Loktionov is still seeing top power-play time. He has two points in his last three games.

Brad Richardson may have tallied a hat trick last night, but he didn’t see any PP time. He’s been hot before, he has a streaky side. I don’t expect more than 35 to 40 points. Definitely a career high, but nothing too spectacular.

Nikita Filatov has two points in seven games and was down to just six minutes on the fourth line last night. I don’t know why he’s so snake-bitten. All the talent in the world. But he was given six games on a good line…and blew it.

Marian Hossa – 11 points in seven games, and a point in each game… followed by zero points in three games. Welcome to Earth!

With five points in seven games now, give Cal O’Reilly second spot in Nashville’s scoring race.

Pekka Rinne made 30 saves for the shutout last night. With the injury behind him, he’ll surge forward with Top 5 goaltending numbers. I love this guy for one year pools.

Alex Steen has now gone four games without a point. He’s still logging the ice and PP time though

John Tavares has had a point in all four games since returning from a concussion, including his hat trick Saturday.

Blake Comeau had an assist, and it was his first point since JT returned to the lineup.

Meanwhile, Isles leading scorer PA Parenteau continues to roll, notching another two points. All these AHL stars need is a chance. The Islanders are proving that.

With another assist last night, Michael Frolik has points in his last two games, showing signs of emerging from his funk. I still have him pegged for a career year.

Jiri Hudler continues to struggle. I’ve already put him on my bench. I won’t drop him, no way – not until after Christmas at least. I do think he’ll turn things around… but until I see it, he’s taking up a bench spot.

With three points Saturday, Nick Lidstrom has 54 in his last 64 games, dating back to last year and including playoffs.

Anaheim forward Matt Beleskey has seen more ice time in the last two games then any two games prior to that. You could see him start putting points on the board soon

My over-acheiver – Matt Perreault – picked up two assists Saturday in his season debut. Once again, he’ll make it hard to get sent back down. The Perreault bashers in the comments section below will be strangely silent today, methinks…

Andrew Ladd has quietly put up eight points in eight games. He should be good for a career high 55 or even 60 when the season ends, but for now ride his hot streak.

Anthony Stewart has five points. Two more and he ties a career high. His best AHL season is 31 points, so I find it hard to believe that he’ll get even 40 this year in the NHL. So pick him up, ride his hot stick for a week or two, and then sell high.

What’s a quick way to vault out of the basement in your roto league? Have both Brent Johnson and Pekka Rinne as the two goalies dressed last night. The Legion of Dobber shot up four spots in the DobberHockey Experts League. The Rinne and Leighton injuries had me sinking like a stone early on, and Niemi hasn’t exactly dominated the San Jose scene either. Hopefully Johnson can buy me enough time for Leighton to get back.

The Devils recalled Alexander Vasyunov yesterday and he played 10 minutes last night in the first NHL game of his career. He replaced Ilya Kovalchuk, who was a healthy scratch!

If I’m wrong about the Oilers being awesome this year, and it’s looking like it so far, then all it is is premature pronostication. As in – if it’s not this year, then it’s next year. But the awesomeness will come. And it will be sudden, and shocking. Like the Avs last year. So don’t laugh.

Perhaps the Oilers need to take a page out of Pittsburgh’s book and run their offense from the back end more. Tom Gilbert and Kurtis Foster have combined for three points. But if you let them run the show, along with Whitney who’s been awesome, the points will come for the forwards. Just a thought.