With the NHL divisions being realigned some rivalries will dissipate while many others will be renewed.  Old Patrick Division foes Washington and Philadelphia get to know each other all over again. The old I-95 matchup will hopefully bring back some of the best and worst between these two franchises.

At the center (or the wing) of the two teams are their iconic captains, Alexander Ovechkin for the Capitals and Claude Giroux for the Flyers. These two don’t play the same position, but each are fantasy hockey options in the first round. Ovechkin is the reigning Hart Trophy winner as the NHL MVP while Giroux is hoping to recapture some of the magic for himself and his club.

The two players could not be more different from a fantasy standpoint. Ovechkin is a human wrecking ball, shooting from everywhere and crashing into everyone and everything. Giroux is a silky-smooth center who is every bit the sniper, but is equal parts playmaker. The physical part of the game isn’t where Giroux excels, but he can give and take with the best.

Ovechkin still has something to prove. I know that sounds silly, particularly since he is coming off an MVP year, but as quickly as he took over the NHL last March and April, he disappeared again in May. Two points in a seven game first round playoff loss to the New York Rangers leave me feeling nervous about the Russian winger.

Before his two month scoring binge Ovechkin was practically becoming an afterthought. Past his prime at age 27? Granted, he set the bar pretty high for himself scoring 52 goals as a 19-year old rookie. Four seasons topping the 50 goals and 100-point mark are lofty standards for anyone, but Ovechkin’s statistical free fall was startling. Before last season’s flurry, Ovechkin’s numbers had declined for five consecutive seasons including consecutive 20-point drops between 2010 and 2012.

Claude Giroux’s rise in Philadelphia was certainly less meteoric. With a 2010 Stanley Cup Final appearance during his first full season in the NHL, Giroux had a much stronger supporting cast. The following year Giroux seemed to find his groove at almost a point-per-game clip. 2012 was the breakout year as the Flyers became his team. Offseason trades of captain Mike Richards and sniper Jeff Carter thrust Giroux into the spotlight and he absolutely embraced the challenge.

A 93-point season and a playoff beat down of the rival Pittsburgh Penguins put Giroux on the map of Philadelphia sports heroes. The 2013 season brought the captain’s “C” to Giroux’s sweater and the weight of that responsibility seemed overwhelming to him at times. The Flyers missed the playoffs and Giroux struggled with inconsistency with 48 points in as many games.

So with question marks over both players, who is it that can lead your fantasy hockey squad to the promised land? In spite of the horrific golfing injury that may or may not have been self-inflicted by Giroux, I’m willing to give him the nod. The Flyers will be back with a vengeance this year and their captain is out to prove that he deserves to be in the discussion of the NHL’s elite. He is only two years younger than Ovechkin, but he seems to be hitting his stride while his Russian rival is on the down swing of his career. Either guy is going to be productive, but I like Giroux to have a much bigger year, both for the Flyers, and much more importantly, for your fantasy hockey team.