There was a natural progression for fantasy hockey writers taking in Auston Matthews NHL debut on Wednesday:Goal No. 1 [with heavy sarcasm]: Of course he scores in his first game. That should help the hype train slow down.Goal No. 2: Wow. I mean. ... Just wow. He made Erik Karlsson look like a goof. Maybe he was underrated a touch coming into this season. After all, no one has ever followed his development path before. Having a skilled player forego junior hockey and play in the professional ranks in Europe for his draft year is a path forged by Matthews. This is technically all new. Perhaps we should reassess his value.Goal No. 3: Sweet. Now we get to make a nice Fabian Brunnstrom reference in reminding owners not to overreact too much. Matthews is most definitely in need of a value boost for fantasy purposes, but the kid cant score 246 goals in a season, so the pace will slow down. Ill just a write a little bit about Brunnstrom, boost Matthews in the rankings next week and everything will go back to normal soon.Goal No. 4: Matthews will score 300 goals this season. He is a fantasy hockey titan and has caused my brain to forget how Connor McSomethings name ends. This is entirely unreasonable. Why does the NHL not stock Matthews jerseys in their online shop yet?There has been nothing like this for fantasy hockey purposes before. The player tabbed as the next best thing stepped onto the ice and blew everyones most optimistic expectations out of the water. Of course, we do have to be reasonable in a few ways:1. This Toronto Maple Leafs-Ottawa Senators game was a fast and loose affair and it didnt look like anyone for Ottawa was playing defense. In 2,460 NHL games last season, only 23 times did a team have a game with more shot attempts than the Maple Leafs had against the Senators on Wednesday.2. Matthews wont catch anyone else off guard. Who was on the Leafs top line coming into this game? Of course we knew the projected lines, but which one was the top one? It could have been any of the top three, as coach Mike Babcock has taken a balanced approach to his deployment this season. Now everyone knows the top line to defend against is whichever one Matthews is on.3. Does this really change everyones overall projections? Does one four-goal game change the opinion that Matthews is going to score 25 goals and 50-some-odd points? A little, but not a lot. Does it feel more natural to say 30 goals and 60-plus points after watching him play in an NHL game? Yes. But if thats true, his remaining 26 goals and 56 points will be spread out over the next 81 games. There will be valleys to counter this ultimate peak.Of course, all of this caution goes out the window when Matthews scores four more on Saturday.Fantasy Forecaster: Oct. 17-23As youre already aware by the title, the Fantasy Forecaster is back for another season of NHL action.We apologize for being a week late, but from here on out this will be your one-stop shop for planning your transactions based on the coming slate of games. Teams can range from the rare white whale of the NHL schedule -- when a team plays five games in a week -- to the equally rare (but despicable) one-game week. It happens as the schedule for NHL teams ebbs and flows with travel and days off, and its something that can be a major factor in your league.While the most obvious use for the Fantasy Forecaster is for those owners playing in weekly leagues of some kind, whether that is weekly roster deadlines or weekly waiver periods. But dont overlook the usefulness of a quick capsule review of the schedule for more active fantasy leagues, too. Those in daily lineup leagues or DFS can still take a glimpse at the forecaster grid and our recommendations to help decide on moves.The annual reminder for the start of the season still applies: Take the ratings with a grain of salt until there is enough data for the Fantasy Forecaster to really start chewing on it. The offensive and defensive game ratings are based on goals, shots, special teams and shot attempts for each team, weighted with a home and road split for each club. Obviously, until some statistics from the current season start accumulating, these numbers will largely be based on last season. And as we know, a lot has changed since then.Access the downloadable forecaster chart PDF hereTeam notesArizona Coyotes: While we know very little about how NHL defenses will fare this season, we know the Senators didnt look very solid in that department on Wednesday. The Coyotes have four road games next week, but including the Sens on that docket helps us -- at least for now -- view this as a favorable road trip. The early part of the season leaves you with many question marks for how players might contribute in new roles, but Radim Vrbata is, technically speaking, returning to an old role. It appears as though Vrbata will open the campaign on the top line with his former linemate Martin Hanzal as well as dynamic sophomore Max Domi. Owned in only eight percent of ESPN leagues, Vrbata is worth a look here. His 35-goal season in 2011-12 came while skating on a line with Hanzal and Ray Whitney.Calgary Flames: The Flames get to hang around in Calgary to play three home games next week, and none of them are back-to-back couplets. It should be a nice week to get to know each other, especially since two of the players on the top line on Wednesday didnt skate an inch together in training camp. Johnny Gaudreaus late re-signing and Kris Versteegs last-minute addition to the team showed clearly on Wednesday, as the Oilers thumped the Flames 7-4. Even though he snuck in to steal the top-line role, Versteeg isnt the only name of interest. Troy Brouwer still joined Gaudreau and Sean Monahan for the Flames first power-play unit, and is getting time on the second line at even strength. Hell be worth keeping a close eye on. Also of note for the Flames is that T.J. Brodie was not paired with Mark Giordano at even strength, as new coach Glen Gulutzan appears to favor balance. Without the role next to Giordano, Brodies chances of value as a No. 4 fantasy defenseman are greatly reduced.Anaheim Ducks: Despite some indications otherwise, coach Randy Carlyle isnt going to mess with what works -- at least to start the season. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were back on a line together to lead the Ducks on Thursday. With Rickard Rakell just re-signing on Friday afternoon, youngster Nick Ritchie is getting an extended look on the top line with Getzlaf and Perry. Cory Schneider is always an imposing opponent, but the Ducks also play the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks next week.Goalie notesThe Los Angeles Kings will be turning to Jeff Zatkoff in the short term, and fantasy owners should follow their lead. The success of goaltenders in the L.A. system comes naturally, as the team plays some of the best defense in the NHL. The Kings were first in the NHL for fewest shot attempts allowed last season, and second in the category in 2014-15. The team makes things as easy as possible for its netminder, regardless of the name on the jersey. Jonathan Quicks status is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, so ride Zatkoff while you can. The same logic applies to Peter Budaj if the team ends up looking his way for more starts over the inexperienced Zatkoff.Everyone is expecting Connor Hellebuyck to take the goaltending job for the Winnipeg Jets and run with it. Sure, that seems like the most likely scenario and the one you should plan for in your fantasy hockey strategy. But those who like to hedge their bets a little might want to at least consider the appeal of Michael Hutchinson. Coach Paul Maurice is going to have a short leash on his goalies this season, and any signs of struggle will mean he switches to the other one. Hutchinson, while nothing special last season when this team was a three-headed monster in the crease, had a sterling season in 2014-15 between the pipes. And three of the four goals against Hellebuyck on Thursday could be described as softies.Chicago Blackhawks backup goaltender Scott Darling will likely draw either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Columbus Blue Jackets in a set of back-to-back games for the club later next week. Either is a quality matchup for a backup if you are able to stash him for a single use.It would be easy to dismiss Sergei Bobrovsky after allowing five goals to the Bruins on Thursday, but dont be so hasty. For four of the five goals against him, Bobrovsky had zero chance to save the puck. Those goals are on his teammates, and if the Blue Jackets, who are a very young team, can close some of the gaps in their coverage as the season continues, Bobrovsky will still have plenty of chances to shine. Of course, if they cant make those fixes, its going to be a long season for Bobrovsky.Player notesEvander Kane looks to be joining Jack Eichel and Kyle Okposo on the sidelines for the Buffalo Sabres, and its a horrible case of the team missing arguably their three most dynamic forwards. In the meantime, the Sabres will have to stack their depth chart as best they can, which will leave an opportunity for Zemgus Girgensons to carve out an offensive role. Its been a couple of seasons since he was a meaningful contributor, but there is some history of production there to offer hope while he skates with Ryan OReilly and Sam Reinhart.While it would be more fun to focus here on the Bourque Squared line for the Avalanche -- with Gabriel Bourque and Rene Bourque (unrelated) apparently set to open the campaign on the flanks of the third line -- the sneaky fantasy value more likely rests on the second line with Mikhail Grigorenko. A potential post-hype breakout, Grigorenko looked terrific in the preseason, tying for the league lead with four goals. Hell play with Matt Duchene and Carl Soderberg to open the season Saturday.Remember Devin Setoguchi? He scored 31 goals and 65 points for the San Jose Sharks in 2008-09, but has been a fantasy afterthought since he left the Sharks in 2011. However, the Kings lined him up next to Anze Kopitar to start the season, which earns an eyebrow raise. His last NHL point came in March 2014, but Setoguchi managed 24 points in 30 games playing with HC Davos in the Swiss league last season. Anybody playing with Kopitar should at least be on your radar.Rounding out the Montreal Canadiens top six to start the season is 21-year-old Finnish prospect Artturi Lehkonen. Playing with Alexander Radulov and Tomas Plekanec, Lehkonen fired five shots on goal in his debut on Thursday.For now, David Perron is filling in on the St. Louis Blues top line with Vladimir Tarasenko as Jaden Schwartz misses the first month of the campaign with an elbow injury. But keep an eye on what coach Ken Hitchcock does with Nail Yakupov. The former first-overall draft pick earned two points on Thursday in a third-line role. There are still plenty of games for him to make a move before Schwartz returns.The biggest winner in the Jacob Trouba saga so far has definitely been Josh Morrissey. Opening the regular season as Dustin Byfugliens defensive partner, Morrissey has high-end potential for his offensive game, having scored at a strong pace throughout his junior career. Seth Joyner Jersey . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Wes Hopkins Jersey . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/Youth-andre-dillard-eagles-jersey/ . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Herman Edwards Womens Jersey . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Harold Carmichael Jersey . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. You can guarantee the move of the Gabba away from its traditional slot at the start of the home summer will cause a ripple of discussion around the Australian dressing room. Losing the chance to meet touring sides in Brisbane for the first Test of the season would equate to handing over a major competitive advantage.Australian Test teams and the Gabba have always seemed to go hand in hand, like England and seam or India and spin. There is the bounce on offer, and the lateral movement when overhead conditions permit. But other, more subtle, elements of playing cricket in Brisbane also come into the equation.I seldom found a greater contrast between the certainty in our group and the uncertainty in the oppositions than in the days and hours before the first ball in Brisbane. Visiting sides would be unsure whether to bat first or not, whether to play four quicks or not, or whether to attack or defend and try to take the game deep.All that uncertainty would help us as we forged on with a simple plan - not dissimilar to that employed by the Queensland Sheffield Shield side. It is generally better to bat first in Brisbane even if the pitch has a bit in it, because its invariably harder to bat on day two, when the surface has quickened up a bit and the nicks carry even further.Similarly the bowlers would know just the right lengths to bowl, a little bit fuller than in the southern states, in search of nicks, and around a fourth- or fifth-stump line so the batsmen were unsure of whether to defend the stumps or leave the moving ball to fly through into my gloves. It shouldnt be forgotten either that spinners could find the ground a very fruitful place to bowl, utilising the bounce and pace - just check the handsome Gabba records of Shane Warne and Nathan Lyon for proof.Often the fast bowlers of visiting sides would tend to pitch too short, affording us plenty of opportunities to leave the ball when it was new, and then to pull and cut as the Kookaburra lost a little bit of its shine and hardness. Matthew Hayden, not only an Australia opener but a Queensland native, was a brilliant exponent of this.It was Haydos who helped fill me with a sense of confidence walking out onto the ground, for he would just get so excited about starting the summer in Brisbane. Years after he retired, the Australian side of 2013-14 strutted onto the ground for the first Test of that Ashes summer knowing we had strong allies in the ground and pitch we were starting on. Thanks largely to Mitchell Johnson, and perhaps a few day-one runs by yours truly, we set tthe tone for the whole summer at the first time of asking.ddddddddddddA lot of that advantage, however, is lost by moving the Gabba away from the start of a summer. Touring teams are less likely to be caught off balance if they have more time in the country behind them, and for the home side, it can be harder to turn momentum back towards them if it has swung away. Two examples from recent years: in awful circumstances the 2014-15 season was turned on its head, and the Gabba was swapped with Adelaide for the first Test, against India. Adelaide was an extraordinary week for all kinds of reasons, but theres no doubt the pitch helped Virat Kohlis men get much closer to a win than might have been possible in Brisbane. This summer, of course, South Africa got the opportunity to start the series in Perth, a place where theyve never lost, and they carried the early break all the way to a deserved series win.I understand that crowds for Brisbane have been disappointing outside of Ashes Tests for some time, and I also think the day-night concept is worth trying at the Gabba. But I do hope that Cricket Australias administrators take into full consideration how much the Australian team values getting a head start on the summer in Queensland when they are thinking about future summer schedules.Pakistan are starting their series in Brisbane, but theyve already been in New Zealand for several weeks before their warm-up match in north Queensland. It will be interesting to see how they adapt, particularly their older batsmen like Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan. Im also eager to see how Yasir Shahs legbreaks fare on the Gabba surface.The most defining thing about this series, though, is likely to be Pakistans catching. We are all aware how dangerous their pace bowlers can be, not least the recalled Mohammad Amir. But the New Zealand series was further evidence that Pakistans bowlers often have an inbuilt disadvantage - the need to take more than 20 wickets a Test due to a steady flow of dropped catches.Alongside the coach, Mickey Arthur, my former state coach and mentor Steve Stumper Rixon has been working as Pakistans fielding coach. Knowing Stumper, he will be giving them plenty of opportunities to work hard on their catching, with an eye on being a more efficient side in the field this series. A Pakistan side that can manage to hold their catches would be a threat to anyone - even Australia on their beloved Gabba. ' ' '