NHL Daily Plays: Tuesday, December 9th
What’s up Grinders! It’s Tuesday, which typically features a big schedule and some decent sized tournaments throughout the industry. This Tuesday is no different, as we have 10 games on the slate with excellent matchups to exploit. As we move through the early part of December, it’s still too early to write many teams off, especially as many of the under-performing teams that have been ravaged with injuries are getting healthier. With that said, there shouldn’t be too many matchups that surprise tonight, so let’s take a look at some of the players I’ll be targeting tonight for Tuesday, December 9th:
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings – The Kings embark on a long road trip back east tonight but will have the luxury of facing the lowly. The month of November was good to the Sabres (by their standards) but they still finished with a sub. 500 record and still rank dead last in the league in scoring. As such, Jonathan Quick will be my top goalie of the night, entering tonight’s game with an 11-6-4 record to go along with a 2.14 GAA and a stellar .931 SV%. Quick’s .906 SV% away from home ice is a bit concerning, but L.A. has been without several key players at various times this season due to injuries and suspensions. The Kings welcome back Marian Gaborik tonight which should immediately provide a spark to their offense as they will no longer be a one-line team. I expect Quick to face a decent amount of low percentage shots and receive plenty of goal support to cruise to an easy victory tonight.
Scott Darling – Chicago Blackhawks – If you’re looking for value in net tonight, Scott Darling is the guy for me as the ‘Hawks look to extend a 6 game winning streak. Darling has had quite an interesting career path after being kicked off his college team and struggled with substance abuse, but he has persevered and has made the most of his second chance with a 3-1 record to go along with a 1.73 GAA and a .943 SV% in his first NHL season. Checking in at 6’6, Darling is a massive presence in net and will be taking on a New Jersey Devils team that has been decimated with injuries this season. If Darling is able to keep the rebounds to a minimum tonight, he should have no problems securing a victory as the ‘Hawks will look to keep rolling.
Defense
Disclaimer: Shea Weber, Mark Giordano, Duncan Keith, P.K. Subban, Brent Burns, and Victor Hedman are elite defensemen and are always in play.
Jacob Trouba – Winnipeg Jets – Entering tonight’s game with 9 points in his last 10 games, Trouba has been one of the hottest defensemen in the league. The young defenseman has stepped up big time in absence of Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian; earning power play minutes and logging heavy ice time for the Jets. The Jets will look to continue their strong play on the road where they are 8-4-3 and will be taking on the inconsistent Dallas Stars. His price has risen due to his recent production, but he should have plenty of high-quality scoring opportunities to pay off his price tonight in a potential shootout.
Cody Franson – Toronto Maple Leafs – If you’re looking to save on defense tonight, Cody Franson is my guy, who has been one of the few productive defensemen for the Leafs this season. He has seen his power play minutes dwindle of late, but he continues to produce with 7 points in his last 10 games. Aside from his recent production, another reason why I like Franson tonight is Calgary’s defensive game plan is focused around forcing shots from the point, especially when Jonas Hiller is in net. 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 Punt Plays: Seth Jones (COL), Matt Irwin (SJ)
Center
Disclaimer:Tyler Seguin, Steven Stamkos, Claude Giroux, John Tavares, Logan Couture, Jonathan Toews, Ryan Johansen, and Matt Duchene are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Jeff Carter – Los Angeles Kings – Back to centering “That 70’s Line” between two prolific young scoring threats in Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, Jeff Carter will be finding his way into several of my lineups tonight. He draws a cupcake matchup against the Sabres who allow the most shots per game in the league. Carter is also featured on LA’s top power play unit, and should be heavily involved in the Kings’ scoring tonight in a game they aim to start an East-Coast road trip off the right way.
Nazem Kadri – Toronto Maple Leafs – Another Leaf that makes the list for me tonight is Kadri, who has been playing great hockey of late for the Leafs, entering tonight’s game with 8 points in his last 10 games. He also has a +5 rating during that span, which is an indication that head coach Randy Carlyle is using Kadri and the second line more effectively in matchups this season after Kadri finished with a -11 rating last season. As a result of his strong play, Kadri has worked his way onto Toronto’s top power play unit and will be taking on a Calgary Flames team that ranks 24th in the league entering tonight. His price is starting to creep up, but he still won’t break the bank and should be heavily involved in Toronto’s scoring tonight.
Top Punt Plays: Scott Laughton (PHI), Trevor Lewis (LA)
Wing
Disclaimer: Alex Ovechkin, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Sharp, Phil Kessel, Rick Nash, Max Pacioretty, Jakub Voracek, and James Neal are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks – Arguably the biggest factor leading to Chicago’s current six game winning streak has been the emergence of Chicago’s second line. No longer forced to skate with bums like Andrew Shaw and Brian Bickell, it finally looks like “Kaner” is having fun playing hockey again, which should keep opposing goalies up at night. He has 15 points and a +13 rating in his last 10 games and is also featured on Chicago’s top power play unit. Unquestionably the best stick-handling forward in the NHL, Kaner should have no problems dancing through the slow, unathletic defensive corps of New Jersey tonight; creating prime scoring opportunities for both he and his teammates.
Zach Parise – Minnesota Wild – Another “American Hero” that makes the list for me tonight is Parise, who has been one of the most productive forwards this season with 21 points in 20 games this season. He also takes a high volume of shots each game and should be heavily involved in Minnesota’s scoring in tonight’s matchup against the Islanders, who are dealing with several key injuries throughout their defense. Parise is arguably the hardest worker in the league and never takes a shift off, which contributes to his consistent production and makes a high-floor guy with tremendous upside tonight.
Patrick Marleau – San Jose Sharks – In case you haven’t already figured it out, my strategy tonight will be focused around paying up for production at forward. With just 11 home games on the season, the schedule hasn’t been nice to the Sharks, but Marleau does have 11 points at home this year. Marleau and the Sharks will get another crack at Edmonton in the second game of a home and home, who just snapped an 11 game losing streak and have been atrocious on the road this season. Marleau’s price has come down across most of the industry, presenting owners with a great opportunity to capitalize on one of the most productive players of his generation at a discounted price.
Filip Forsberg – Nashville Predators – Another young forward who I will be targeting heavily tonight is Forsberg, who has parlayed his opportunity on Nashville’s top line into 25 points and a remarkable +21 rating to this point in the season. A solid all-around player with no real deficiencies in his game, the Swede will be a guy to keep an eye on moving forward as a potential breakout candidate skating alongside the consistent Mike Ribeiro and goal-scorer James Neal. He has a great matchup tonight against the Avalanche, who remain among the worst puck possession teams in the league and allow the 4th most shots per game in the NHL.
Top Punt Plays: Nikolai Kulemin (NYI), Michael Raffl (PHI), Brett Connolly (TB), Tom Wilson (WSH)