NHL Daily Plays: Tuesday, March 10th
With just 8 games on the schedule in the NHL tonight, there are fewer options to choose from that we’re used to seeing on Tuesdays. Despite the lighter schedule, there are still several great matchups throughout the league which produce a similar high amount of scoring. It’s becoming crunch time for teams that are on the precipice of playoff contention and every point matters in the standings. Without easy targets like Buffalo, Toronto, and Edmonton to load up against, it won’t be quite as as easy building lineups tonight. With that said, here are some of the players I’ll be targeting tonight to help carry your team to profit:
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. He’s 8-2 with a 1.49 GAA and a sparkling .941 SV% in his last 10 starts entering tonight and will be taking on a New Jersey Devils team that has averaged just 1.5 goals per game on the road since the beginning of February. The only concerning factor with choosing Dubnyk tonight is he likely won’t face many shots, but with home ice advantage and a solid defensive corps around him, he should have no problem securing an easy victory tonight.
Cam Ward – Carolina Hurricanes – If you’re looking for value in net tonight, consider taking veteran netminder Cam Ward. He has been solid at home this season with an 11-7 record to go along with a 1.93 GAA and a respectable .921 SV%. Tonight he’ll be up against a Columbus team that has averaged under 2 goals per game in their last 10 games and has been outscored 35-19 during that span. This bodes well for Ward, who should be the beneficiary of plenty of goal support tonight in a game Carolina will be able to dominate in the puck possession department.
Defense
Disclaimer: Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, P.K. Subban, Alex Pietrangelo, Drew Doughty, Dougie Hamilton, and Ryan McDonagh are elite fantasy defensemen and are always in play.
Justin Faulk – Carolina Hurricanes – Entering tonight’s game with 7 points in his last 10 games, Faulk has been one of the hottest defensemen in the league recently. 5 of his 7 points have come on the power play and he’ll be up against a Blue Jackets team that has taken the second most penalties this season and ranks 24th in penalty kill percentage. Faulk has been productive at even strength as well, averaging over 4 shot attempts per game over the last 30 days, making him a solid option to pay up for tonight in a game Carolina should score heavily in.
Jake Muzzin – Los Angeles Kings – Skating alongside Drew Doughty on the Kings top defensive pairing and power play unit, Muzzin gives you similar fantasy production that Doughty does, albeit at a fraction of the cost. The Kings continue to struggle finding the back of the net, but a matchup against Colorado without Semyon Varlamov in net presents an excellent opportunity for the Kings to breakout of their slump. Expect Muzzin to be very active in the offensive zone tonight, logging heavy ice time and firing shots at will in a game the Kings desperately need to win.
Top Value Plays: Ryan Suter (MIN), Ryan Murphy/Michal Jordan (CAR)
Center
Disclaimer: John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Ryan Johansen, David Backes, and Claude Giroux, Jeff Carter, and Jason Spezza are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars – He’s baaaaaackkkk. After missing the team’s last 10 games, Tyler Seguin returned to the lineup on Saturday and picked up right where he left off; scoring a pair of goals on 4 shots on goal. Paired alongside his best buddy Jamie Benn, the Seguin-Benn duo has been among the most productive forward tandems over the last two seasons. Tonight Seguin will look to keep his incredible season rolling against a Flyers team he torched for 4 points in his previous meeting against them. In a game I expect to be very high scoring, Seguin will be a fixture in the majority of my lineups tonight.
Patrice Bergeron – Boston Bruins – A solid two-way center and analytics darling, Bergeron has stepped his game up in a big way lately with 10 points in as many games for Boston. Several key injuries have forced Bergeron into a more prominent role on offense and he has led the Bruins into playoff contention heading down the final stretch of the season. Tonight Bergeron and the “B’s” will travel to Ottawa in a game that has plenty of scoring potential. Puck possession is Bergeron’s game, and I expect him to be active tonight as he looks to continue his terrific season heading into the playoffs..
Top Value Plays: Jori Lehtera (STL), Mika Zibanejad (OTT)
Wing
Disclaimer: Jamie Benn, Alexander Steen, Jaden Schwartz, Zach Parise, Rick Nash, Max Pacioretty, Eric Staal, and Jakub Voracek are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Vladimir Tarasenko – St. Louis Blues – After scoring a goal and assist in the Blues’ domination over Toronto on Saturday, the young Russian superstar Vladimir Tarasenko continued his remarkable season for St. Louis. He now has 64 points in 65 games this season and there appears to be no end in sight for Tarasenko, who remains a relative bargain in some places throughout the industry. He receives ample power play minutes for St. Louis and should be very active on the team’s power play unit tonight against a Winnipeg Jets team that is the most penalized team in the NHL this season.
Jeff Skinner – Carolina Hurricanes – One of the league’s most lethal snipers over the past few seasons, Skinner hasn’t enjoyed much success offensively this year for the “Canes.” But with 8 points (including 6 goals) in his last 10 games, he’s starting to find his groove as Carolina looks to end a tumultuous season on the right foot. Skinner has averaged 4 shots on goal per game at home this season, and should receive plenty of plus scoring chances tonight against a Columbus team that is among the worst puck possession teams in the league and has been getting torched of late.
Anders Lee – New York Islanders – Currently featured on the Islanders’ top line and top power play unit, Anders Lee is a guy that will prominently be featured in most of my lineups tonight with his cheap price tag. He has 8 points in his last 10 games for the streaking Islanders, and should have no problems finding his way back on the score sheet tonight in a marquee game against the Rangers, who will once again be without star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. It remains to be seen how the return of Kyle Okposo will affect Lee’s status alongside John Tavares, but it appears as though head coach Jack Capuano will keep the team’s top line intact until they cool off, making Lee a solid value option tonight.
Top Value Plays: Reilly Smith (BOS), Alexander Semin (CAR), Josh Bailey (NYI), Dmitri Jaskin (STL)