NHL Daily Plays: Saturday, February 7th
Happy Saturday Grinders! We have a packed nine-game schedule as part of the evening slate. There are some juicy matchups to target throughout the league, which means we should see plenty of goals as we’ve come to expect on Saturdays this season. With plenty of value scattered throughout the league as well, it shouldn’t be too difficult to make lineups tonight, which is why it will be important to target the games with the most scoring potential. That may seem like an obvious statement, but I expect some high scores throughout the industry tonight so let’s take a peek at some of the players I’ll be targeting.
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Devan Dubnyk – Minnesota Wild – After struggling early in his career playing on terrible teams, Dubnyk has finally found a comfortable home in Minnesota, where he has been lights out in his brief tenure with the Wild. In his eight starts with Minnesota, Dubnyk has posted a 6-1 record to go along with a 1.48 GAA, and a sparkling .948 SV%. The Wild are fighting for their playoff lives heading down the stretch and will have a great chance to improve upon their record tonight against an Avalanche team that has not scored a goal against them in two previous meetings and remain one of the worst puck possession teams in the NHL. Dubnyk’s price is starting to creep up a bit, but I believe he’s worth the price tonight in a game that Minnesota should dominate from start to finish.
Anders Lindback – Dallas Stars – After a brief stint in the AHL, the Stars have recalled the much maligned Lindback for tonight’s game in Buffalo. With a 2-7 record, a 3.79 GAA, and a ghastly .875 SV%, Lindback carries some extreme risk, but he will look to turn his disastrous season around against a Buffalo team that is among the worst teams in NHL history. I would typically avoid taking a low upside goaltender like Lindback in a situation like this tonight, but his near minimum price is hard to pass up in a game where he should receive plenty of goal support to earn a cheap victory.
Defense
Disclaimer: P.K. Subban, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Keith Yandle, Brent Burns, Torey Krug, and Kris Letang are elite fantasy defensemen and are always in play.
Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators – My top defenseman on the board tonight is Karlsson, who has been one of the most productive fantasy defensemen in the NHL since entering the league five years ago. After struggling to find the score sheet earlier in the season, Karlsson has turned things around dramatically with 7 points in his last ten games which includes 5 goals and 42 shots on goal during that span. Tonight he will be taking on a Columbus Blue Jackets team that is on the tail end of back to back games and is among the worst puck possession teams in the league. In a game that should feature plenty of scoring, paying up for a known quantity like Karlsson is wise strategy, making him a great option in both cash games and GPPs tonight.
Cody Franson – Toronto Maple Leafs – If you’re looking to save on defense tonight, look no further than Franson, who has been one of the few productive defensemen for the Leafs this season. His numbers have dwindled recently, but he is still seeing plenty of power play time and has 20 shots on goal over his last ten games. He has a perfect opportunity to turn things around tonight against an Oilers team that is among the worst defensive teams in the NHL. This bodes well for Franson, who has historically been a much better player on home ice and he should have no problem paying off his moderate price tag with an expected uptick in shots tonight.
Top Value Plays: Andrei Markov (MTL), Jason Demers (DAL)
Center
Disclaimer: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Logan Couture, Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Johansen, and John Tavares are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars – Typically a mainstay in my lineups throughout much of his tenure as a Dallas Star, the prolific young superstar Tyler Seguin will find his way into many of my lineups tonight. Currently third in the NHL in both goals and points, Seguin should have no problem improving upon his outstanding season against a Buffalo team that ranks dead last in virtually every statistical category this season. Seguin leads all NHL players with 18 multi-point performances this season, so fade him at your own peril.
Henrik Zetterberg – Detroit Red Wings – One of the most productive centers of his generation, Henrik Zetterberg continues to get it done at age 34 with 47 points in 51 games this season. A large component to the Red Wings tremendous success this season, Zetterberg enters tonight’s game against the Coyotes with 11 points in his last ten games. Unsurprisingly, the veteran playmaker leads the Wings in points and shots, but his price does not match his production around most of the industry. In a game Detroit should dominate from start to finish, look for Zetterberg to be heavily involved in the Red Wings’ offensive onslaught tonight.
Top Value Plays: Tyler Bozak (TOR), Mikko Koivu (MIN)
Wing
Disclaimer: Jamie Benn, Chris Kunitz, Patric Hornqvist, Joe Pavelski, Bobby Ryan, and Gustav Nyquist are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Zach Parise – Minnesota Wild – Arguably the league’s hardest working forward, Parise is one of my favorite players to watch, as he never takes a shift off, which leads to his consistent production night after night. With 9 points in his last ten games, Parise will look to continue his terrific all around play against an Avalanche team that is among the worst in the league defensively; allowing close to 35 shots on goal per game on the road this season. Parise has one of the highest floors of any player in the league because he takes a high volume of shots each game and always seems to find himself involved when the Wild score. He won’t be cheap, but he has 2 goals and 2 assists in his previous two meetings against Colorado, making him a great option to pay up for tonight in both cash games and GPPs.
Max Pacioretty – Montreal Canadiens – With 41 points in 50 games this season, the U.S. born Pacioretty is having another productive campaign for the Canadiens. He boasts some of the most drastic home/road splits this season however; with nearly ¾ of his point totals coming in games he has played at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Because of the high volume of shots he takes each game, Pacioretty is always capable of lighting up the stat sheet and he should have no problems improving upon his production tonight against a Devils team that enters this game surrendering close to 33 shots per game away from home ice this season.
Phil Kessel – Toronto Maple Leafs – Another All-American forward that makes the list for me tonight is Kessel, who is going through a major slump with just 2 goals since the beginning of January. Kessel and the Leafs will look to turn things around tonight against the Oilers in a game that should feature plenty of scoring. His price won’t get any lower than it currently is, so jump all over one of the league’s purest goal scorers while he can be had for so cheap.
David Perron – Pittsburgh Penguins – If you’re looking for value on offense tonight, look no further than David Perron, who now skates with Sidney Crosby even though he’s still priced like he’s skating with Nail Yakupov. Since being acquired from Edmonton 14 games ago Perron has amassed 12 points and 57 shots on goal during that span. He’s also featured on Pittsburgh’s lethal top power play unit, further increasing his potential. Even with a tough matchup against the Canucks, goals will be scored in this game tonight, making Perron the perfect option to get exposure to Sidney Crosby and the Pens’ top line.
*Top Value Plays: Justin Abdelkader (DET), Patrick Eaves (DAL), Matthew Nieto (SJ), Reilly Smith (BOS)