NHL Grind Down: Friday, October 6th


The RotoGrinders NHL Grind Down article will give you an in-depth analysis into the NHL schedule. This article will break down the numbers for every single game and give you analysis on which trends you can exploit. While matchups are a major factor in daily fantasy hockey there are plenty of other factors to consider such as injuries, salaries, and more.

The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. Hockey is an extremely high variance sport. The best choice is not always the right choice but following the trends will win you money over time.

Remember, these writeups are done prior to lineups being released, so make sure to check our Starting Lineups page to ensure the recommended options are playing.

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Stackability Rating System (Offense):

Green : Friendly matchup at 5v5 and/or on the power play; multiple lines worth stacking
Yellow : Line specific matchup at 5v5 and/or friendly power play matchup
Orange: Stacking is best left for GPPs, secondary scoring units and/or power play in tough matchup
Red : Difficult 5v5 and/or power play matchup, stacking not advisable

Stackability Rating System (Goalies):

Green : Goalie has a plus draw and is playable in all formats
Yellow : There is risk at 5v5 or the penalty kill; iffy for cash games and better for GPPs
Orange : Realistic risk at 5v5 and the penalty kill; not advisable in cash games but viable in GPPs
Red : Elevated risk in all situations and not a recommend crease to chase

New York Islanders at Columbus Blue Jackets

New York Islanders Columbus Blue Jackets
Article Image Thomas Greiss Article Image Sergei Bobrovsky
Record Record
40-29-12 49-24-8
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 14.90% 81.70% Team Stats 20.10% 82.20%

Islanders Offensive Outlook

2016-17 5v5 (adj): 54.91 CF/60 (15) | 59.34 CA/60 (2) | 2.37 xGF/60 (4) | 2.45 xGA/60 (3)

We should see some offense in Ohio tonight. New York was a high-event team last year, and their offensive numbers could have perhaps looked better if that had called up Josh Ho-Sang sooner (and if they actually play him). The Blue Jackets

John Tavares returns healthy and the team swapped Ryan Strome for Jordan Eberle. Eberle is a strong goal scorer, even if the pundits in the Edmonton media say otherwise. He and Tavares are going to get along quite well.

Tavares has long been an excellent influence on his teammates. Ask Anders Lee: Lee’s on-ice CF% and HDCF/60 were tops on the team. Tavares was such a positive influence on Lee that he even gave up swearing.

Columbus has some issues up the middle of the ice and certainly on their blueline. They had the sixth highest xGA/60 at 5v5 last year, and several of their defensemen were averaging nearly a shot attempt allowed per minute at 5v5. Conveniently, that’s about the rate that Lee and Tavares posted in shot attempts for. Columbus also figures to attempt to match the top line with Brandon Dubinsky, whose defensive skills are a touch overrated (59.88 CA/60). The only player worth fretting about in this matchup is Seth Jones, who is a strong defender. He figures to be on the ice quite a bit against Tavares. Nevertheless, with Eberle in the mix this is a top line to stack.

New York’s secondary scoring options include some talented young forwards, albeit ones with low NHL experience (for what it’s worth). Mathew Barzal looks like he’ll break camp as the starting second center between Josh Bailey and Andrew Ladd. Bailey always looks to be on the edge of breaking out, but never does (or will). Ladd, meanwhile, started slow in his first season as an Islander last year before picking up the pace. This line is a bit low floor, but they will certainly have favorable on-ice matchups at 5v5. On a short slate, this is exactly the type of line to come through.

This paragraph was an ode to Josh Ho-Sang and how well he matched up with a shallow Columbus roster tonight. But no, we can’t have nice things. He’s being scratched for… Jason Chimera. The kid is clearly pigeonholed as a malcontent or something, and the politics of it all are ruining the Islanders’ lineup and his development.

The third line has a nice matchup against the middle/bottom six of Columbus and the bottom defenders. This would be a great spot for Ho-Sang to be in the lineup. As it stands, Brock Nelson and Anthony Beaulivier will get a nice on-ice matchup. Nelson is an underrated goal scorer and on a super short slate, these are the kinds of lines that can be difference makers.

New York’s fourth line always seems to pop on short slate nights, for some reason. There are enough options going that you don’t need to roll out Nikolay Kulemin, Casey Cizikas, and Cal Clutterbuck despite the plus matchup. The floor just isn’t there.

Nick Leddy’s career has taken off with New York, and given his exposure to the Isles’ strong top six, that should continue this year. Leddy doesn’t shoot a ton, but he plays heavy minutes and skates on New York’s top power play unit. He’s not the best 5v5 skater and he doesn’t always skate with the Tavares line. The Islanders aren’t overflowing with strong defenders, however, so Leddy offers the most upside despite the shaky floor. Johnny Boychuck is also back in the fold this year, and he tends to find a way to produce in the system. He’s not a must play but he’s viable in tournaments. Calvin de Haan saw a ton of ice time with the Tavares line last year, making him an interesting short slate punt play. He doesn’t have huge upside, but in a good matchup with good exposure and a low price, he’s there if you need him.

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About the Author

benwell311
Ben (benwell311)

Ben has been playing fantasy hockey since the turn of the century, focusing on NHL DFS over the past three seasons. He has previously written hockey content for eDraft and The Fake Hockey. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, and memes on Twitter @Benwell_B.