With the regular season fast approaching, fantasy hockey leagues are getting ready for their drafts. With scoring up in the NHL, there are many players who will see a rise in their stats. But to be on the safe side, here are the fantasy do’s, don’ts and dark horses from each team as well as the rookie and goalie dark horses.

Anaheim Ducks
Forward Do: Corey Perry – Came on strong and will continue to get better.
Forward Don’t: Chris Kunitz – Only good at home.
Defense Do: Scott Niedermayer – Will get more open ice thanks to Chris Pronger.
Defense Don’t: Francois Beauchemin – Won’t see as much power-play time.
Dark Horse: Dustin Penner – Strong showing in playoffs; has size and skill.

Atlanta Thrashers
Forward Do: Ilya Kovalchuk – More skill than Marian Hossa and more playing time.
Forward Don’t: Slava Kozlov – No Marc Savard, no one to pass him the puck.
Defense Do: Greg de Vries – Career high in points last season; improving each year.
Defense Don’t: Garnett Exelby – Defensive defenseman with little skill.
Dark Horse: Niko Kapanen – Might end up centering top line.

Boston Bruins
Forward Do: Patrice Bergeron – Took over as offensive leader.
Forward Don’t: Shean Donovan – One hit wonder won’t see top two lines like in Calgary.
Defense Do: Brad Stuart – Like Niedermayer, ice will open up with big Zdeno Chara around.
Defense Don’t: Zdeno Chara – Won’t benefit as much from all-around team skill; foot problems will hamper his play.
Dark Horse: Marco Sturm – Quietly had career year and good on special teams.

Buffalo Sabers
Forward Do: Chris Drury – Rarely injured and quietly consistent.
Forward Don’t: Jochen Hecht – Consistently injured, overrated skill.
Defense Do: Brian Campbell – Coming into his own and great on the power-play.
Defense Don’t: Teppo Numminen – Age and acquisition of Jaroslav Spacek will hurt his numbers.
Dark Horse: Derek Roy – New rules benefit his size, great vision.

Calgary Flames
Forward Do: Jarome Iginla – Will have monster year with arrival of Alex Tanguay.
Forward Don’t: Jeff Friesen – Offensive skill has disappeared since Stanley Cup run with Jersey.
Defense Do: Dion Phaneuf – Great rookie year and will only get better; excellent on the power-play.
Defense Don’t: Robyn Regehr – Defensive defenseman won’t lead many rushes.
Dark Horse: Chuck Kobasew – Will play with better skilled players; good for goals.

Carolina Hurricanes
Forward Do: Eric Staal – Coming off Stanley Cup win, his numbers will only get better.
Forward Don’t: Scott Walker – Often injured and not enough room on top lines for him.
Defense Do: David Tanabe – Back with original team; should have career year.
Defense Don’t: Bret Hedican – Good skater, but has injury problems; overrated entire career.
Dark Horse: Andrew Ladd – Sophomore should see regular ice-time on top two lines.

Chicago Blackhawks
Forward Do: Martin Havlat – If healthy, will be offensive leader with injury to Tuomo Ruutu.
Forward Don’t: Bryan Smolinski – Not as offensive as he used to be; focuses too much on defense.
Defense Do: Brent Seabrook – Good offensive skill and vision.
Defense Don’t: Jim Vandermeer – Aucoin’s return will reduce his playing time.
Dark Horse: Patrick Sharpe – Proved he could produce if given the chance.

Colorado Avalanche
Forward Do: Joe Sakic – Always consistent playing five-on-five and special teams.
Forward Don’t: Pierre Turgeon – New rules won’t revive his skill.
Defense Do: John-Michael Liles – Awesome sophomore year; becomes number one offensive threat from the back with departure of Rob Blake.
Defense Don’t: Patrice Brisebois – Not good when given bigger role.
Dark Horse: Andrew Brunette – Coming off a career high in goals and could play alongside Sakic.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Forward Do: Rick Nash – Should bounce back after injury riddled season.
Forward Don’t: Fredrik Modin – Doesn’t have the same supporting cast as in Tampa.
Defense Do: Bryan Berard – When healthy, he can lead the rush with the best of them.
Defense Don’t: Adam Foote – Fantasy and Foote just don’t go together.
Dark Horse: Gilbert Brule – Should center top line and could have breakout campaign.

Dallas Stars
Forward Do: Mike Modano – Lockout helped him find his game again.
Forward Don’t: Jeff Halpern – Ice-time will be significantly diminished; will play strictly defensive role.
Defense Do: Sergei Zubov – Had Norris type year; always dangerous on the power-play.
Defense Don’t: Jaroslav Modry – With addition of Darryl Sydor, Modry will not get as much power-play time or relied on to carry the load.
Dark Horse: Eric Lindros – Proved with Toronto that if healthy, he can produce; behind Modano, he won’t have as much pressure.

Detroit Red Wings
Forward Do: Pavel Datsyuk – Dangerous every time he touches the puck.
Forward Don’t: Mikael Samuelsson – Fluke year based on playing time with players now gone.
Defense Do: Nicklas Lidstrom – What other choice is there? He always produces, especially on the power-play.
Defense Don’t: Andres Lilja – Production will not increase due to arrival of Danny Markov.
Dark Horse: Niklas Kronwall – If he’s healthy, he will benefit from playing alongside veterans.

Edmonton Oilers
Forward Do: Ales Hemsky – One of the best playmakers in the league who will shoot more for goals.
Forward Don’t: Marty Reasoner – Too little too late; he’s now a checking line center at best.
Defense Do: Marc-Andre Bergeron – Born for power-plays; with Pronger and Spacek gone, he will carry offensive load.
Defense Don’t: Jason Smith – Won’t join the rush as much as he did when Pronger was backing him up.
Dark Horse: Petr Sykora – Once one of the most dangerous players in the league, he may find his confidence again in Edmonton’s run and gun style.

Florida Panthers
Forward Do: Olli Jokinen – Has proved that he can be consistent and dominant.
Forward Don’t: Jozef Stumpel – Skills are in decline as he finds himself on checking line.
Defense Do: Jay Bouwmeester – Doubled offensive output in 2005 and is the blue line leader.
Defense Don’t: Bryan Allen – Takes too many penalties; not a very good passer.
Dark Horse: Rostislav Olesz – If he can put it together and stick with the top two lines, he could break out.

Los Angeles Kings
Forward Do: Craig Conroy – Returned to form after lockout and has developed a scoring touch; dangerous on the penalty kill as well.
Forward Don’t: Derek Armstrong – Lack of supporting cast will hurt his numbers.
Defense Do: Rob Blake – Return to L.A. will spark his play; power-play will be dynamite with him and Lubomir Visnovsky.
Defense Don’t: Brent Sopel – Minutes will decrease as well as power-play time.
Dark Horse: Michael Cammalleri – Busted out in 2005 and the new rules and possible place on the top line will increase his value.

Minnesota Wild
Forward Do: Marian Gaborik – No longer a one man wrecking crew; should score plenty alongside Pavol Demitra.
Forward Don’t: Todd White – Plays on checking line and doesn’t shoot enough.
Defense Do: Kurtis Foster – Wasn’t given much of a chance in Atlanta; big surprise last year with ten goals.
Defense Don’t: Keith Carney – Will fit perfectly in defensive system; not much offensive skill.
Dark Horse: Mikko Koivu – More fire power on his wings will increase his numbers.

Montreal Canadians
Forward Do: Alexei Kovalev – Great hands will make for some spectacular plays alongside fellow Russian Sergei Samsonov.
Forward Don’t: Radek Bonk – Once a decent offensive talent, is now a third or fourth line checking center.
Defense Do: Andrei Markov – Injuries halted part of his career year; should put up big numbers on the power-play.
Defense Don’t: Mathieu Dandenault – When he touches the puck, he doesn’t know if he wants to be a defenseman or a forward.
Dark Horse: Christopher Higgins – Had solid rookie campaign and is a perfect fit for the new style of play.

Nashville Predators
Forward Do: Paul Kariya – The once Mighty Duck is back and will get even better with Jason Arnott providing the room.
Forward Don’t: Martin Erat – Hasn’t improved to level expected of him.
Defense Do: Marek Zidlicky – Pure offensive defenseman with great hands.
Defense Don’t: Ryan Suter – Much is expected of him, but Zidlicky and Kimmo Timonen will carry the offensive load.
Dark Horse: Scott Hartnell – His size and skill are finally coming together and he should have a big year.

New Jersey Devils
Forward Do: Patrik Elias – He should have a monster year with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. A passer and a scorer, he’s determined to be the Devils’ leader.
Forward Don’t: Sergei Brylin – Annual underachiever who only recorded 50 points once in his career.
Defense Do: Brian Rafalski – Power-play quarterback will get big minutes.
Defense Don’t: The rest of New Jersey’s defensive core.
Dark Horse: Zach Parise – Came on strong in the last month of the season and has a big offensive upside.

New York Islanders
Forward Do: Miroslav Satan – Pure goal scorer; great on the power-play.
Forward Don’t: Mike Sillinger – Career season with 32 goals was nothing but a mirage; he won’t be playing on the top two lines either.
Defense Do: Alexei Zhitnik – Missed a lot of time, but produced well, mainly on the power-play.
Defense Don’t: Tom Poti – Confidence rattled with Rangers, change of scenery won’t help.
Dark Horse: Trent Hunter – Numbers were down after successful rookie season but he has good size, skill and vision to bounce back.

New York Rangers
Forward Do: Jaromir Jagr – Cleared to practice and the addition of Brendan Shanahan will only make Jagr more dangerous, especially on the power-play.
Forward Don’t: Matt Cullen – Won’t have as much freedom to skate around with the puck under Renney’s system.
Defense Do: Fedor Tyutin – More than tripled his stats from his rookie campaign and has a cannon from the point.
Defense Don’t: Marek Malik – One highlight reel shootout goal doesn’t prove he’s an offensive threat.
Dark Horse: Petr Prucha – A season ending injury stopped Prucha from being a Calder candidate after scoring 30 goals in 68 games. Prucha is a pure goal scorer and should benefit from the arrival of Shanahan.

Ottawa Senators
Forward Do: Dany Heatley – He can do it all and will keep doing it with the emergence of Jason Spezza as a superstar center.
Forward Don’t: Chris Neil – Won’t see as much “prime-time” play with the big guns due to the increased time they’ll get with Smolinski and Havlat gone.
Defense Do: Wade Redden – With Chara gone, Redden is the number-one defenseman; not afraid to join the rush and does so while unnoticed.
Defense Don’t: Chris Phillips – Takes over Chara’s role as big man covering front of the net; never had much offensive skill.
Dark Horse: Patrick Eaves – Showed promise with limited time on the big line; has the tools to put together solid year.

Philadelphia Flyers
Forward Do: Simon Gagne – Peter Forsberg’s ankle injury will limit his play, but Gagne will have to carry the team after receiving big contract.
Forward Don’t: Sami Kapanen – Once a consistent 20-goal scorer, Kapanen has become too defensive and has lost his scoring touch.
Defense Do: Joni Pitkanen – Had all-star year with 46 points in only 58 games; excellent on the rush and on the power-play.
Defense Don’t: Derian Hatcher – Too big, too slow and no skill.
Dark Horse: Kyle Calder – Change of scenery and better young talent should result in another career year for Calder.

Phoenix Coyotes
Forward Do: Shane Doan – Rarely misses a game and consistently produces; one of the best power-play guys in the league.
Forward Don’t: Oleg Saprykin – Another underachiever who continues to falter when given the opportunity to shine; doesn’t shoot much more than a d-man.
Defense Do: Ed Jovanovski – Played only half the year in Vancouver, but was primed for Norris type year.
Defense Don’t: Nick Boynton – Showed offensive upside in Boston; Phoenix already has enough guys to lead the rush and carry the power-play.
Dark Horse: Steven Reinprecht – Excelled after trade from Calgary; if Ladislav Nagy stays healthy, he should have another solid year.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Forward Do: Sidney Crosby – Is there really another choice? He will make everyone around him better, which will in turn, make him that more dangerous.
Forward Don’t: John LeClair – His skills are diminishing with each year and the younger Penguins players are passing him by.
Defense Do: Sergei Gonchar – Looks rejuvenated in preseason and will be looked heavily upon for more production.
Defense Don’t: Mark Eaton – Little to no offensive skill, hardly takes penalties, below average passer and overall, he’s soft.
Dark Horse: Colby Armstrong – He will most likely play with Crosby, and will be the new Kevin Stevens.

San Jose Sharks
Forward Do: Joe Thornton – The league MVP should have another MVP type year; another good young winger in Mark Bell doesn’t hurt either.
Forward Don’t: Marcel Goc – A soft player who didn’t produce much as a junior.
Defense Do: Christian Ehrhoff – Great shot from the point and a fine passer; he would have led the defense in scoring if not for missing almost 20 games.
Defense Don’t: Scott Hannan – Big time offense will let Hannan focus on defense again.
Dark Horse: Steve Bernier – Looked dangerous in playoff run; Patrick Marleau will make him even better.

St. Louis Blues
Forward Do: Doug Weight – Reunited with Bill Guerin should spark both players.
Forward Don’t: Radek Dvorak – Only had eight goals with an offensive team in Edmonton; only scored 20 or more goals once in ten years.
Defense Do: Eric Brewer – Second chance to anchor a young blue line after playing only 32 games.
Defense Don’t: Barret Jackman – Offensive skills are overrated and too much is expected from him.
Dark Horse: Keith Tkachuk – He’s not fat anymore, and plays with fire; could become dangerous if Weight and Guerin rediscover their talents.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Forward Do: Brad Richards – One of the best playmakers in the league; backbone of the power play; numbers increased in each of his first five years.
Forward Don’t: Dmitry Afanasenkov – Should get regular time on the second line, but he doesn’t seem comfortable in the “new NHL.”
Defense Do: Dan Boyle – Quietly one of the steadiest blue-liners around; his confidence makes him very productive.
Defense Don’t: Cory Sarich – Hard hitter with no offensive upside.
Dark Horse: Filip Kuba – Defensive system in Minnesota kept his production down; superior talent around will benefit his skill.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Forward Do: Mats Sundin – Even less talent around him makes him the lone ranger.
Forward Don’t: Nik Antropov – Consistently inconsistent and injured.
Defense Do: Bryan McCabe – Should rack up the points again with arrival of Pavel Kubina; one of the best point shots in the league.
Defense Don’t: Hal Gill – Big and slow with no offensive upside and he doesn’t like to shoot.
Dark Horse: Jeff O’Neil – Rough season last year due to personal reasons; looks reenergized and could be on top line where he was expected to be last season.

Vancouver Canucks
Forward Do: Markus Naslund - Will carry more of a load with Bertuzzi and Carter gone; consistent scorer and one of the best on the power-play.
Forward Don’t: Ryan Kesler – Why Philadelphia wanted him boggles the mind. He doesn’t go into corners, rarely shoots the puck and won’t get much help around him on the third line.
Defense Do: Mattias Ohlund – Point totals not that high, but he has a scoring touch and will lead the charge with departure of Jovanovski.
Defense Don’t: Lukas Krajicek – Hasn’t lived up to his junior years as a scoring threat.
Dark Horse: Matt Cooke – Becomes the number-one right winger and his gritty play should compliment well on the top line.

Washington Capitals
Forward Do: Alexander Ovechkin – Really no other choice; exciting, driven and super talented.
Forward Don’t: Take your pick.
Defense Do: Steve Eminger – Good passer on his way up.
Defense Don’t: Brian Pothier – Has been practicing with top power-play unit, but Washington is no where near as talented as Ottawa was.
Dark Horse: Richard Zednik – If he sticks with the top line, he should return to his 20-30 goals pace.

Dark Horse Rookie: Phil Kessel, Boston Bruins – Has played great in the preseason and could play alongside Marc Savard. His speed is deadly and made for the “new NHL.”

Dark Horse Goalie: Ed Belfour, Florida Panthers – Yes he’s old, yes he has back problems, but if he’s healthy, Florida has enough fire power and a good young defense that will give him a chance.