NHL Daily Plays: Saturday, November 1st
Happy Saturday Grinders! The first month of the 2014-15 Regular Season has flown by, and now that we have a solid sample size of data to draw upon, the matchups will be easier to predict moving forward. As with most Saturdays this season, I expect the scoring trend to continue tonight, especially with some very favorable matchups for high scoring teams. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of my top plays for Saturday, November 1st:
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Marc-Andre Fleury – Pittsburgh Penguins – The most obvious play at the goaltender position tonight has to be Fleury, who has rebounded from a poor outing against Philadelphia to post two shutouts in his last three games, including a brilliant 36 save shutout over the Kings in his last game. Tonight he draws the lowly Buffalo Sabres in a game that will be over before it even starts. Last season, Fleury posted a perfect 3-0 record including a shutout and compiled a .971 SV% against the Sabres. There is always merit to fading Fleury in tournament play since we don’t anticipate him seeing many shots, but he is my clear-cut #1 option in net tonight in cash games.
Cam Ward – Carolina Hurricanes – It’s been a very long time since I recommended starting anyone from Carolina, let alone Cam Ward, but with his rock-bottom price and decent matchup, I actually think he’s in play tonight in tournaments. Ward will be taking on an Arizona Coyotes team that is averaging 1.75 goals per game on the road and has been outscored 14-7 away from home ice this season. Carolina is among the league’s worst all-around teams in the NHL and remains winless this season, but if there’s ever an opportunity to get off the schnide, it’s tonight against the ‘Yotes.
Defense
Disclaimer: Erik Karlsson, Kevin Shattenkirk, Keith Yandle, Duncan Keith, Ryan McDonagh, and Kris Letang, and are elite defensemen and are always in play.
Brent Burns – San Jose Sharks – After spending most of last season at forward, San Jose has moved Brent Burns back to the blue-line this season where he has been among the league leaders in fantasy production. He won’t be cheap, but he has a knack for scoring and leads San Jose with 13 points. Tonight Burns and the Sharks will be taking on the Islanders, who have lost two straight games and have surrendered at least 3 goals in all but one game this season. The Islanders are also dead last in the NHL in penalty kill percentage, which should give Burns plenty of opportunities to light up the box score as the quarterback on San Jose’s lethal top power play unit.
Dougie Hamilton – Boston Bruins – One of my favorite young defensemen in all of hockey, Dougie Hamilton has done a fantastic job filling in for the injured Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug for the Boston Bruins. He doesn’t come as cheap as we’re used to, but he is the only legitimate scoring threat from the B’s blue line and is featured on Boston’s top power play unit. Hamilton has a very favorable matchup against the Senators tonight and should be active on the power play as Ottawa is notoriously one of the most penalized teams in the NHL.
Top Value Plays: Joe Morrow (BOS), David Savard (CLB)
Center
Disclaimer: Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Evgeni Malkin, John Tavares, Claude Giroux, Jonathan Toews, and Logan Couture are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Ryan Johansen – Columbus Blue Jackets – After holding out during contract extension negotiations this pre-season, Johansen is showing the Blue Jackets why he deserves to be paid. Currently riding a 10 game point streak to open the year, Johansen is quickly becoming one of the league’s most dangerous scoring threats. With Columbus dealing with a number of injuries throughout their offense, you can expect Johansen to be heavily involved tonight against a Devils team that is no longer an elite defensive team and is the second-worst team in terms of penalty kill percentage.
Henrik Sedin – Vancouver Canucks – If you’re looking for a solid mid-range option tonight, consider taking Henrik Sedin, who is currently riding a 4 game point streak and has yet to see his salary reflect his production to open the year. After a horrendous season last year in which Henrik suffered multiple injuries, he has returned to form this year skating alongside his twin brother and newly acquired Radim Vrbata. He has a favorable matchup against the Oilers tonight, which makes Henrik Sedin an excellent play in cash games.
Top Value Plays: Brock Nelson (NYI), Jori Lehtera (STL)
Wing
Disclaimer: Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Patrick Marleau, Zach Parise, Patrick Kane, Rick Nash, Alex Ovechkin, Chris Kunitz, Taylor Hall, Joe Pavelski, and Phil Kessel are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Patric Hornqvist – Pittsburgh Penguins – In his inaugural campaign with Penguins, Hornqvist has looked incredible skating on the Pens’ top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. He already has 12 points in his first 9 games and is among the league leaders in shots per game; making Penguins fans quickly forget the loss of James Neal. Hornqvist is featured on the league’s top power play unit and will be taking on a Buffalo Sabres team that is allowing over 36 shots per game and is surrendered over 3 goals per game. Taking Hornqvist is a cost-effective strategy to get exposure to Sidney Crosby and he should be heavily involved in Pittsburgh’s scoring tonight.
Patrick Sharp – Chicago Blackhawks – After a hot start to the season, Sharp has been held scoreless in his last three games but he is still taking plenty of shots and is now skating alongside Patrick Kane on Chicago’s second line at even strength. He has a very favorable matchup against a Maple Leafs team that continues to allow too many shots for their own good. Chicago will look to bounce back after two consecutive mediocre games and I expect Sharp to be heavily involved in the ‘Hawks offensive attack in tonight’s game.
Jeff Skinner – Carolina Hurricanes – The offensive struggles of Alexander Semin has opened the door for Skinner to skate with captain Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty atop Carolina’s top line. Skinner isn’t afraid to shoot the puck and he should be heavily involved in Carolina’s scoring mix as they are still searching for their first win of the season. With points in consecutive games entering tonight’s game, Skinner should have no problem continuing his scoring streak in a favorable matchup against the Arizona Coyotes.
Tommy Wingels – San Jose Sharks – If you’re looking for value on forward tonight, Wingels is my top option throughout the industry. He is 3rd in the NHL in shots with 43 and has 8 points in 12 games to open the year. The only downside to taking Wingels is that he doesn’t receive top power play minutes but he is a hard-nosed player with a rare combination of size and speed and should have no problem paying off his bargain price tonight in a game I expect San Jose to dominate.
Top Value Plays: Tomas Hertl (SJ), Blake Comeau (PIT), Michael Raffl (PHI), Linden Vey (VAN)