Big game today – all eyes will be on this one. Who do ya got? Penguins or Capitals?

Breaking: Adrian Dater reports that Peter Forsberg will play for Colorado and will sign a contract. Quick – stay away from him!

San Jose goaltending prospect Alex Stalock suffered a season-ending injury yesterday after a player stepped on the back of his leg at the knee. Stalock has a bright future in a city where goaltending is still a big question mark.

Keep an eye on this today: Marc-Andre Bergeron’s debut with Tampa Bay. He’ll be in the lineup and will be used on the power play. He tends to make early impressions with his new team. Happens every time.

Buffalo prospect Mark Mancari was the AHL’s player of the month after tallying 13 goals in 15 games. How does a 6-3, 225-pound point-per-game player in the AHL not get more of a shot in the NHL on a team full of munchkins? This one boggles my mind.  I know the Sabres have a handful of highly talented little players – so trade one of them and get big Mancari up for a real trial on the third line. Now 25, it’s looking as though he will be a career AHLer.

In his first career NHL game, John Moore was pointless and minus-1 for the Jackets, 12 minutes of ice time. A potential PP quarterback, but he’s only 20 years old.

Nashville prospect Blake Geoffrion has found another gear in the AHL. He has 13 points in his last four games and 16 in his last six. That’s a torrid pace, I don’t need to point out. I’ve always considered him a potential third-line energy guy, but he’s certainly showing a little more than that. The trouble with Nashville is, other than Radulov, they haven’t brought up a forward who has really taken charge and shown potential to be that 80-point star. What they have is a handful of 50-65 point players who produce in spurts and I fear that Geoffrion will be one of many like that. For what it’s worth, Kostitsyn is hinting at something a little more. But ask me again in March.

Steve Sullivan played just nine minutes in his return to action for the Preds. Just easing back in, is all.

Here’s somethin’. I actually learned about the Malkin injury from DobberHockey (thank you Angus). Yeah, I went away for the day. Fortunately, in the one pool I own Malkin in, I am in a rebuilding phaze. That pool is funny – I rebuilt a very strong team, was suddenly put in a position to win three years ago, but it was a year or two before I planned on winning…naturally, I went for it and won. Of course, I hurt my team securing the title, and for the last two-plus years have been struggling to maintain a strong team with a semi-rebuild (kinda what Burke has been trying to do with the Leafs – not tear things apart and do a real build long-term, but just a quick fix). Anyway, the half-assing it hasn’t been working so I decided to pull the plug and do a full rebuild back in January. This Malkin injury I guess seals it.

Remember when Sergei Kostitsyn had three points in 19 games to start the year? Weren’t you thinkin KHL? Me too. Anyway, 27 points in 30 games later, what are we thinking now? He’s the star of the Preds forwards. Didn’t see it coming. Actually, when they traded Boyd for him in the summer, I had an inkling that it COULD happen…but had given up on that by October.

Even in short-term leagues, Linus Omark has some value now. five points in his last five games and he’s been steadily seeing 16-17 minutes per contest. Experts have been on the fence with this guy – a Rob Schremp situation: will he, or won’t he? Either a bust and a star in one of the European leagues…or he’ll hit it big and become a star in this league. It’s looking pretty promising for this league. I think putting him with MPS has proven to be a boon – for both of them.

Rookie of the month in the AHL: Teemu Hartikainen, Edmonton prospect. He has 26 points in his last 38 AHL games. He’s a bit of a power forward with modest upside (mid-60s). He could make this team next year, but I’d give him two. And then, as a power guy, another two or three before he does anything at the NHL level.

Jeff Carter has 24 points in his last 21 games. He’s been a little more consistent over the past two or three weeks.

Devin Setoguchi has seven points in his last five games. He’s been playing with Pavelski and Clowe on a line that has been tried plenty of times before, but this time is finally clicking.

In his first ever game for the Islanders, Ty Wishart tallied two assists. Given that the team needs a PP quarterback, I can see him being fairly productive, at least to start. They can’t be serious about rolling Jurcina out there on the top unit.

Jason Spezza was a minus-2 in his return to action. Same ol’, same ol’ eh? Tough player to own, to say the least. Hang in there. Once he gets his timing back things will turn around.

In his last 16 games, Erik Karlsson is a minus-20. Think about that. Back on December 26 he was a minus-3. Today, just five or six weeks later he is a minus-23.

Rene Bourque has six points in his last 26 games. Here is a player who, at times, was considered the next big dominant power forward. He has had 20-game spurts over the last year and a half where he was unstoppable. Where is that guy now? Even for a Windex Wonder like Bourque, this is taking things too far.

With four points last night, RJ Umberger is on pace for a career high 58, which is three more than last season, which in turn was nine more than the season before that. I love his Columbus year-over-year production trend.

…more ramblings will be up at noon. Also, I have a very kick-ass article ready to post: the first of a six-part series on the Trade Deadline. When you read this primer, you’ll throw away the rest of the Internet because you won’t need it anymore.

What’s with the Isles goaltenders this week? Magnets for trouble? Haha – Lehner ‘bumps’ Poulin: