Another huge slate of games are on tap tonight in the NHL. With a total of 28 teams hitting the ice, there are plenty of options to look at. Fortunately, for the most part, we don’t need to look too far back and dissect the matchups. Of the 14 games, 10 are rematches from Tuesday evening and one is a mini-series finale, in Vancouver. I am fully aware most people don’t spend too much time reading the intro and we have a lot to break down, so let’s just dive into it.
Center
Auston Matthews (TOR) $8,400 @ EDM
– Has scored a goal in each of his last three games while recording at least one point in six of the seven games played to start the season
– Averaging 22 minutes of ice-time per game, fourth most in the NHL among forwards
– Logs time on the top forward line and PP1
– Edmonton has allowed 29 goals against through eight games, third most in the league, along with the second highest xGA
– A guy who rocks lip lettuce like that should always be considered
Elias Pettersson (VAN) $5,900 vs. OTT
– Vancouver has scored 12 goals in the last two games against Ottawa
– Pettersson is coming off a two point performance, last night and 19.5 DraftKings points
– The price is far too low for the upside against one of the worst teams in the NHL
– Will log PP1 time and skate on the second forward line
– The slow start is attributed to the low DraftKings price, but expect a huge breakout – last night might have been the first of many to come
Nazem Kadri (COL) $4,600 vs. SJ
– Skates on the second forward line, but top power-play unit
– San Jose allowed seven goals against on Tuesday versus this Avalanche team
– Kadri is the lowest price on DraftKings all season (same as Tuesday) and provides plenty of salary relief, with upside
– Averaging 17 minutes of ice-time per game
Wing
Max Pacioretty (VGK) $7,100 vs. STL
– Scored three goals and recoded eight shots on goal for 46.5 DraftKings points on Tuesday
– Averaging 17.8 FPPG (third most at the position, if you don’t include Laine), yet is priced as the 11th highest winger
– Vegas ranks fourth in xGF in the NHL
– Pacioretty logs time on PP1 and the top forward line
– Recorded a 57.74 CF% against St. Louis on Tuesday evening 5v5
Alexander Radulov (DAL) $6,700 vs. DET
– The Dallas Stars power-play is absolutely scorching right now, producing at a 56.3% rate
– Meanwhile, the Red Wings rank 25th in penalty minutes per game…
– Radulov has not recorded a point in the last two games, which should lower ownership, in a fantastic matchup
– Detroit ranks 25th in the NHL in CF% and 26th in xGF%
Drake Batherson (OTT) $4,600 @ VAN
– Hear me out
– OTT 1 is my favourite, large-field GPP and qualifier stack
– Thatcher Demko has stolen two games from Ottawa, making 77 saves allowing only TWO goals against – looking like prime Braden Holtby…
– Braden Holtby should get the nod tonight and owns a horrific .888 SV% with a 3.70 GAA
– Vancouver have allowed the most goals against in the NHL and own the highest xGA rate, by a wide margin, in both 5v5 and all strengths
– It’s simple, stack Ottawa and win all of the money tonight š
Defense
Alex Pietrangelo (VGK) $6,600 vs. STL
– Logged 28.6 minutes of ice-time last game against St. Louis – will play all special teams and OT
– Averaging 2.5 blocked shots (3 is the bonus on DraftKings) and three shots on goal per game
– Vegas has not shown a lot of confidence in their third defensive pairing. They started the season with just five D-men and had to bring in a sixth to give the top four some rest
– Pietrangelo should be considered every night he plays, especially against his former team
Dougie Hamilton (CAR) $5,700 vs. TB
– Started the season at a $7,000 price tag and is highly regarded as one of the top fantasy players at the position
– Carolina has only played three games, therefore, will be left overlooked and under-owned
– Hamilton fires a ton of shots on goal and averages well over 20 minutes of ice-time per game
– Should be a high-flying affair against a good, Tampa Bay team
Adam Larsson (EDM) $4,000 vs. TOR
– Leads the league in blocked shots, averaging 3.5 per game
– Peripheral stats are often forgotten about in DFS, but that is a floor of 6.9 DraftKings points in blocked shots alone
– Has recorded at least one shot on goal each game
– The ceiling is certainly limited as Larsson will not score very often (despite two already) or even chip in on assists, however he is a cheap option who will give you blocked shots
Goalie
Phillip Grubauer (COL) $8,500 or Hunter Miska (COL) $8,300 vs. SJ
– The San Jose Sharks rank 7th in shots on goal, yet 15th in goals for
– Colorado is clearly one of the best teams in the NHL and should provide plenty of offense for either goalie to record the win
– The Avalanche are a -250 favourite at home
– Always give any Denver home team the advantage, in any sport, due to the higher altitude. They train, practice, and live in the city with lower oxygen levels than any other city (especially sea level cities like San Jose). Athletes who travel to Colorado often need to adjust and are at a disadvantage.
Good luck tonight everyone. It should be another fun slate of games. On big slates like this one, it is imperative to stack lines. It is extremely hard to pick and chose individual players to hit the nuts. Use line stacking and correlation to your advantage. As always, reach me on twitter @j_maw for any additional advice or questions.
Fantasy Marksmen 