NHL Grind Down: Thursday, January 19th

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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.

Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

Ottawa Senators at Columbus Blue Jackets

Ottawa Senators Columbus Blue Jackets
Article Image Mike Condon Article Image Sergei Bobrovsky
Record Record
23-15-4 30-9-4
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 2.57 2.62 17.60% 82.20% Team Stats 3.33 2.21 25.20% 83.30%

Ottawa kicked off a three game road-trip with an impressive victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night. They’ve now won three of their last four games and are currently holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the very competitive Eastern Conference. They’ll face a very stiff test this evening as they travel to Columbus to face the division leading Columbus Blue Jackets who also happen to own a very impressive 17-4-1 home record this season. I’m not all that high on Ottawa this evening for two main reasons; 1) Columbus has allowed just 2.21 goals against per game this season and Sergei Bobrovsky has been a beast at home (16-3-0 record to go along with a 1.71 GAA and .940 SV%), and 2) Guy Boucher continues to insist on spreading his top offensive weapons across three different forward lines. Despite the tough matchup, Erik Karlsson unique offensive skill-set still makes him one of the premier options on the blue-line. He’s now dished out at least one assist in three straight games and is a dynamic scoring threat from the point of the Senators top power-play unit. On that topic, Boucher’s fantasy unfriendly line combinations having me looking towards the forwards down low on the top power-play unit as my preferred targets here. The trio of Mike Hoffman, Kyle Turris and Mark Stone all join forces with the man-advantage and all three have been rolling on offense lately; combining for 11 goals and eight assists in just six games during the month of January.

The Blue Jackets will play host to the Ottawa Senators this evening sitting tied with the surging Washington Capitals for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. They rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, but have actually failed to post consecutive victories since their 16-game winning streak came to an end. Offensively, it’s a two-headed attack for John Tortorella as both of his top two forward lines have shown the ability to consistently put the puck in the net all season. With that said, one of the keys to Columbus’ success this season has been their NHL best power-play (25.2%) and that’s where I’ll be focusing my attention tonight as they attack Ottawa’s middling penalty kill. Cam Atkinson leads the Blue Jackets with 43 points in 43 games, has been an absolute beast on home-ice and headlines the top power-play unit alongside fellow forwards Nick Foligno, Sam Gagner and Alexander Wennberg. Those four have combined for a ridiculous 25 goals and 43 assists on the power-play already this season and Ottawa happens to be the 9th most penalized team in the NHL. Alternatively, Scott Hartnell, Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner and Brandon Saad run the show with the second power-play unit and all four have plenty of offensive upside. On defense, both Zach Werenski and Seth Jones soak up nearly all of the available time on the blue-line of the power-play and deserve your attention tonight.

Ottawa Senators

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 47.87 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential -4, 113.25 CP60

Elite Options

Erik Karlsson ($7,400 FD, $6,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.35 CF60, 2.49 xGF60, 100.19 PDO

Secondary Options

Mike Hoffman ($6,700 FD, $5,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.97 CF60, 2.4 xGF60, 102.85 PDO
Kyle Turris ($6,000 FD, $5,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 53.21 CF60, 2.39 xGF60, 101.2 PDO
Mark Stone ($6,600 FD, $5,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 61.03 CF60, 2.74 xGF60, 100.14 PDO
Zack Smith ($4,700 FD, $4,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 56.82 CF60, 2.45 xGF60, 100.61 PDO

Expected Netminder

Mike Condon – My Ratings (out of 10): 5 Cash, 6 GPP

Columbus Blue Jackets

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 50.18 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 28, 112.67 CP60

Elite Options

Cam Atkinson ($7,300 FD, $7,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 59.8 CF60, 2.59 xGF60, 101.91 PDO
Brandon Saad ($6,400 FD, $5,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 63.23 CF60, 2.93 xGF60, 104.21 PDO
Zach Werenski ($5,500 FD, $5,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.64 CF60, 2.29 xGF60, 101.27 PDO

Secondary Options

Nick Foligno ($6,500 FD, $6,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 58.82 CF60, 2.65 xGF60, 102.9 PDO
Alex Wennberg ( FD, DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.53 CF60, 2.42 xGF60, 102.16 PDO
Sam Gagner ($4,900 FD, $4,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.78 CF60, 2.74 xGF60, 102.59 PDO
Scott Hartnell ($5,000 FD, $4,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.03 CF60, 2.78 xGF60, 104.61 PDO
Seth Jones ($5,200 FD, $5,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 58.03 CF60, 2.31 xGF60, 100.94 PDO

Expected Netminder

Sergei Bobrovsky – My Ratings (out of 10): 7 Cash, 7.5 GPP

Dallas Stars at New York Islanders

Dallas Stars New York Islanders
Article Image Kari Lehtonen Article Image Thomas Greiss
Record Record
19-19-8 17-17-8
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 2.74 3.13 17.40% 74.00% Team Stats 2.83 2.98 13.60% 80.00%

Despite playing one of the worst third periods I’ve seen this season, the Dallas Stars held on to a 7-6 victory at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. That win did snap a two game losing streak, but this team still finds itself as a team that will likely miss the playoffs unless something dramatically changes down the stretch. They’ll make the short trip over the Brooklyn Bridge to battle to face a cellar-dwelling New York Islanders team in a game that they simply can’t afford to leave without two points. Nobody doubts the offensive firepower on this Dallas team, and with New York having surrendered an ugly 2.98 goals per game this season, they’ll likely draw plenty of attention this evening. Tyler Seguin leads the charge offensively and has racked up 44 points in 46 games this season. He’s a top tier option on tonight, but Lindy Ruff’s decision to move his long-time partner-in-crime Jamie Benn down to the FOURTH line is a bit of a red-flag. With that said, both Patrick Eaves and Antoine Roussel appear likely to join Seguin on the top forward line and that makes them both very strong value plays. Meanwhile, Benn is now slated to skate alongside Radek Faksa and Jiri Hudler at even strength, but should still see plenty of playing time alongside Seguin (and Jason Spezza) on their dangerous #1 power-play unit. It’s worth noting that Faksa has picked up points in four straight games (one goal and eight assists in his last seven games) and playing alongside a player of Benn’s caliber is obviously a huge plus to his fantasy outlook. On defense, John Klingberg is the one to target. He quarterback’s that #1 power-play unit and has posted four goals and four assists in eight games this month.

The Islanders played one of their better games of the season in a 4-0 shutout victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday, and Garth Snow reacted by firing head coach Jack Capuano. After topping 100 points in each of the past two seasons, this team is clearly headed in the wrong direction under Snow’s leadership and they simply don’t have much to play for at this point. John Tavares is an elite offensive weapon and has done his best to keep this team respectable. He’s tallied 16 goals and 16 assists in 42 games this season and Dallas’ quick tempo suits his skillset nicely. Anders Lee and Josh Bailey have the luxury of skating alongside Tavares both at even-strength and on the #1 power-play unit and pairing one (or both) of them with Tavares is a fine way to mitigate the total cap hit. Behind the Tavares line, New York has been able to generate very little offense and there’s really no reason to expect things to be different this evening. On defense, both Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk are locked into significant workloads with Travis Hamonic sidelined. Both players see a healthy dose of playing time with the man-advantage which makes them fine options in all formats this evening considering the fact that Dallas owns a Western Conference worst 74.0% penalty kill.

Dallas Stars

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 49.61 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 4, 117.94 CP60

Elite Options

Tyler Seguin ($8,600 FD, $7,300 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.01 CF60, 2.48 xGF60, 98.78 PDO
Jamie Benn ($8,300 FD, $6,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.29 CF60, 2.3 xGF60, 99.02 PDO
John Klingberg – 16-17 Metrics – 57.77 CF60, 2.69 xGF60, 101.76 PDO

Secondary Options

Patrick Eaves ($5,600 FD, $5,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.31 CF60, 2.55 xGF60, 96.19 PDO
Jason Spezza ($6,500 FD, $5,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 62.46 CF60, 2.47 xGF60, 99.42 PDO
Patrick Sharp ($5,700 FD, $4,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.27 CF60, 2.24 xGF60, 98.54 PDO
Radek Faksa ($4,700 FD, $3,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.21 CF60, 2.97 xGF60, 101.68 PDO

Expected Netminder

Kari Lehtonen – My Ratings (out of 10): 5.5 Cash, 5.5 GPP

New York Islanders

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 46.34 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 8, 119.18 CP60

Elite Options

John Tavares ($8,200 FD, $6,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 59.8 CF60, 2.77 xGF60, 101.62 PDO
Nick Leddy ($5,100 FD, $4,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 51.26 CF60, 2.2 xGF60, 101.22 PDO

Secondary Options

Josh Bailey ($5,200 FD, $4,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.48 CF60, 2.65 xGF60, 101.43 PDO
Anders Lee ($4,800 FD, $4,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.23 CF60, 2.71 xGF60, 102.99 PDO
Johnny Boychuk ($5,000 FD, $4,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 58.87 CF60, 2.58 xGF60, 99.75 PDO

Expected Netminder

Thomas Greiss – My Ratings (out of 10): 4.5 Cash, 5 GPP

New York Rangers at Toronto Maple Leafs

New York Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs
Article Image Magnus Hellberg Article Image Frederik Andersen
Record Record
28-16-1 21-13-8
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 3.47 2.71 22.80% 81.60% Team Stats 3.12 2.81 24.40% 84.50%

Tuesday was a game that Henrik Lundqvist will be anxious to forget, and while it’s very tough to draw anything positive out of a 7-6 home loss, the Rangers did show plenty of heart in their spirited third period comeback. We saw the offense generated when this skilled team played an up-tempo team like Dallas, and we could see much of the same this evening as they’ll face a Toronto Maple Leafs team that happens to be rated as the fastest pace team in the NHL by corsi standards. New York’s offensive outburst on Tuesday is nothing new as this team trails only the Pittsburgh Penguins in scoring with an average of 3.47 goals per game on the young season. WIth that said, the fact that they sport one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the NHL does take away just a little bit of their fantasy appeal at times but this game does sport the very rare 6.5 over/under by Vegas standards. Their top scoring line consisting of Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello has been sensational all season and all three members have already sailed past the 30-point plateau. Behind them are two other very dangerous scoring lines (and you could make the argument that all four lines are playable). The trio of Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller tend to draw the least attention from fantasy players, but they’ve combined for nine goals and nine assists in just six games this month. On defense, Ryan McDonagh is the clear #1 option. He’s locked into a very heavy workload and quarterback’s their top power-play unit. Alternatively, Adam Clendening is priced near the minimum on several sites and has seen his role with this team expand over the past several weeks. He’s picked up a goal and three assists in his last four games and is now seeing a healthy dose of playing time on the point of the #2 power-play unit.

Mike Babcock took over the duties behind the Toronto bench knowing full well that this team was in the midst of a rebuild. Well, fast forward 1.5 years later, and this team suddenly looks ready to be real contenders in the Eastern Conference well ahead of schedule. Toronto picked up their third straight win on Tuesday over the Buffalo Sabres and have climbed their way all the way into third place in the Atlantic Division. Much like their counterparts this evening, Toronto is loaded with offensive weapons up-front and their deep scoring attack has resulted in a very impressive 4.14 goals per game thus far during the month of January. Auston Matthews has certainly hit the ground running at the NHL level, as the 19 year old leads the team with 22 goals and 16 assists in 42 games and looks destined to win the Calder Trophy this offseason (especially with Patrick Laine sidelined). Matthews has picked up points in each of the last three games and is really elevating the fantasy impact of his linemates Connor Brown and Zach Hyman. Meanwhile, Mitch Marner has been overshadowed a bit by Matthews this season, but the former fifth overall pick has racked up 10 goals and 26 assists in 42 games. He’s racked up six assists in the last four games and has feasted on home ice all season as he’s racked up 23 points in just 20 games at the Air Canada Centre. Joining Marner on the top line is the dangerous veteran tandem of James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. On the blue-line, Toronto will be without Morgan Reilly tonight, which opens the door for both Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev to see very heavy workloads. Gardiner has shown a bit more offensive upside, but Zaitsev remains very reasonably priced across the industry.

New York Rangers

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 47.9 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 8, 110.22 CP60

Elite Options

Derek Stepan ($6,800 FD, $6,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 54.35 CF60, 2.6 xGF60, 101.51 PDO
Chris Kreider ($6,900 FD, $6,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 62.91 CF60, 2.86 xGF60, 97.11 PDO
Mats Zuccarello ($6,700 FD, $6,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 58.05 CF60, 2.76 xGF60, 99.26 PDO
Ryan McDonagh ($5,900 FD, $5,300 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 52.86 CF60, 2.71 xGF60, 100.13 PDO

Secondary Options

Kevin Hayes ($5,400 FD, $5,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 46.54 CF60, 2.52 xGF60, 105.32 PDO
Rick Nash ($6,800 FD, $6,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 51.62 CF60, 2.83 xGF60, 101.02 PDO
J.T. Miller ($5,700 FD, $5,300 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 49.56 CF60, 2.45 xGF60, 103.76 PDO
Michael Grabner ($4,800 FD, $5,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 48.68 CF60, 2.65 xGF60, 106.97 PDO
Adam Clendening ($3,900 FD, $3,300 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.09 CF60, 2.77 xGF60, 99.17 PDO

Expected Netminder

Henrik Lundqvist – My Ratings (out of 10): 4.5 Cash, 6.0 GPP

Toronto Maple Leafs

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 50.05 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 5, 121.59 CP60

Elite Options

Auston Matthews ($7,800 FD, $7,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 64.11 CF60, 3.23 xGF60, 100.02 PDO
Mitchell Marner ($6,500 FD, $5,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.97 CF60, 2.99 xGF60, 101.59 PDO
James van Riemsdyk ($7,500 FD, $6,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 62.65 CF60, 3.08 xGF60, 100.81 PDO

Secondary Options

Tyler Bozak ($5,500 FD, $4,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 62.4 CF60, 3.19 xGF60, 101.55 PDO
Nazem Kadri ($6,700 FD, $5,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 62.58 CF60, 2.76 xGF60, 97.96 PDO
Connor Brown ($5,400 FD, $4,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 61.97 CF60, 3.01 xGF60, 101.94 PDO
Jake Gardiner ($4,700 FD, $4,300 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 65.9 CF60, 3.32 xGF60, 101.12 PDO
Nikita Zaitsev ($4,400 FD, $3,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 58.76 CF60, 2.67 xGF60, 100.62 PDO

Expected Netminder

Frederik Andersen – My Ratings (out of 10): 4.5 Cash, 6.5 GPP

Washington Capitals at St. Louis Blues

Washington Capitals St. Louis Blues
Article Image Braden Holtby Article Image Jake Allen
Record Record
29-9-6 23-17-5
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 3.11 2.05 18.60% 86.00% Team Stats 2.82 2.98 22.20% 84.80%

In one of the craziest games of the season, the Capitals saw their nine game winning streak snapped in Pittsburgh on Monday night. Their recent play has vaulted them into first place in the Metropolitan Division and their offense has clicked for an NHL best 4.56 goals per game in nine games this month. With Jake Allen really fighting things between the pipes for St. Louis, he could be in for a long (well, short) evening at the Scottrade Center. Obviously, it’s Alex Ovechkin that requires immediate attention when analyzing the Capitals offensive attack. With 21 goals, 18 assists and 170 SOG over the first 44 games, it’s kind of crazy to think that he’s actually having a bit of a down season by his standards. Ovie has racked up three goals and six assists during his current five game point streak and his presence opens some free space for his linemates Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. With that said, Backstrom actually holds the team lead with 43 points and Oshie should have some added motivation as he takes on the team who traded him away after he spent the first seven years of his career in St. Louis (he’s also scored three goals and added six assists over the last five games). Behind them, Evgeny Kuznetsov looks to be coming on strong after a slow start to his sophomore season. He’s racked up two goals and nine assist already this month and looks to be growing a nice rapport with Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams. With the Ovechkin line drawing the eye of Ken Hitchcock (and likely Alex Steen), they should see plenty of favorable matchups. On defense, John Carlson looks doubtful for tonight’s game once again. While that’s a significant blow for Washington, it does add plenty of fantasy appeal to Matt Niskanen as he’ll slide alongside Ovechkin on the point of the #1 power-play unit.

Frustrations are building among the St. Louis fanbase, and after dropping a 6-4 decision to the Ottawa Senators in the opener of their quick two-game homestand, some pressure is starting to pile up on Ken Hitchcock’s hockey club. Despite a roster loaded with plenty of talent, St. Louis is quickly falling towards the possibility of missing the playoffs altogether. While it does look like they miss the grit players like David Backes and Troy Brouwer provided last season, most of their inconsistencies can be tied to Jake Allen shaky goaltending and I expect them to right-the-ship sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, tonight’s matchup doesn’t get much tougher as the Capitals have been red-hot lately and have surrendered an NHL low 2.05 goals against per game this season. Vladimir Tarasenko is the clear leader of this offense, but the experiment of playing him alongside the bust of Nail Yakupov simply isn’t helping anybody. Monitor the news following their morning skate to see if things shake up there at all because a guy like Robby Fabbri or David Perron seems like a much better fit. Alternatively, the duo of Alex Steen and Jaden Schwartz (centered by Paul Stastny) are going to really be needed as we head toward the spring. Steen scored a goal and added an assist on Tuesday night and is heating up as evidenced by three goals and six assists in just eight games this month. On defense, it’s the same story just a different day. Kevin Shattenkirk has shown the most offensive upside, but both Colton Parayko and Alex Pietrangelo have been pretty solid performers all season as well. However, none of them are cheap and Washington’s very solid 86.0% penalty kill is a bit of a buzz-kill.

Washington Capitals

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 51.87 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 44, 110.89 CP60

Elite Options

Alex Ovechkin ($8,900 FD, $8,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.42 CF60, 2.73 xGF60, 103.64 PDO
Nicklas Backstrom ($7,000 FD, $6,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.08 CF60, 2.67 xGF60, 103.82 PDO

Secondary Options

T.J. Oshie ($6,800 FD, $5,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.65 CF60, 2.92 xGF60, 106.57 PDO
Evgeny Kuznetsov ($6,500 FD, $5,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 59 CF60, 2.62 xGF60, 104.91 PDO
Marcus Johansson ($5,000 FD, $4,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 54.61 CF60, 2.52 xGF60, 104.05 PDO
Justin Williams ($6,000 FD, $5,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.44 CF60, 3.06 xGF60, 101.48 PDO
Matt Niskanen ($5,000 FD, $4,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.24 CF60, 2.64 xGF60, 102.93 PDO

Expected Netminder

Braden Holtby – My Ratings (out of 10): 7 Cash, 8 GPP

St. Louis Blues

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 51.54 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential -5, 103.93 CP60

Elite Options

Vladimir Tarasenko ($8,400 FD, $7,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.96 CF60, 2.81 xGF60, 101.63 PDO

Secondary Options

Alexander Steen ($6,100 FD, $4,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 46.45 CF60, 1.85 xGF60, 98.08 PDO
Jaden Schwartz ($5,500 FD, $5,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.15 CF60, 2.45 xGF60, 101.06 PDO
Paul Stastny ($5,600 FD, $4,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 50.99 CF60, 2.03 xGF60, 100.08 PDO
Kevin Shattenkirk ($6,400 FD, $4,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 51.97 CF60, 2.33 xGF60, 99.5 PDO
Alex Pietrangelo ($5,600 FD, $5,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.84 CF60, 2.26 xGF60, 101.43 PDO

Expected Netminder

Jake Allen – My Ratings (out of 10): 4.5 Cash, 6 GPP

Arizona Coyotes at Minnesota Wild

Arizona Coyotes Minnesota Wild
Article Image Louis Domingue Article Image Devan Dubnyk
Record Record
13-25-6 28-10-5
Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK% Stats GF/GP GA/GP PP% PK%
Team Stats 2.05 3.23 15.00% 77.70% Team Stats 3.26 2.19 20.50% 84.20%

The Colorado Avalanche may technically be the worst team in the NHL this season, but the Arizona Coyotes aren’t much better. They’re in last place in the Pacific Division, own just a 5-13-4 road record and will head out today to battle a Minnesota Team that owns the Western Conference’s stingiest defense (2.19 GA/G). Throw in the fact that Arizona has posted an atrocious 5-14-4 record over their last 23 games and were smoked by the Wild in their only previous meeting this season, and this is a pretty easy fade for me in all formats.

Bruce Boudreau was disappointed in his teams loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, but unlike their opponent this evening, the Wild have been terrific down the stretch. Minnesota had won four straight games heading into Tuesday’s game and have now posted a 17-2-1 record since early December. With the Arizona Coyotes having coughed up an ugly 3.16 goals against per game this season and owning a subpar 77.2% penalty kill, there’s definitely a lot to like on Minnesota’s bench this evening. Eric Staal has looked rejuvenated with his new team and actually leads the Wild with 39 points in 43 games this season. He centers Minnesota’s top forward line and #1 power-play unit alongside Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle. Staal scored a goal and added an assist in that first meeting against the Coyotes and has racked up four goals and five assists in seven games this month. Alternatively, the trio of Jason Zucker, Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund are providing Coach Boudreau with a quality secondary scoring attack. Koivu has erupted for five goals and nine assists over his last 11 games while Granlund has been just about as hot lately and has thrived at the Xcel Energy Center where he’s posted seven goals and 12 assists in 19 home games. Arizona’s poor penalty kill adds plenty of fantasy appeal to the Minnesota blue-line, and there are plenty of solid options. Ryan Suter leads the way with 26 points in 43 games and scored a goal against the Coyotes in their first meeting. Mathew Dumba joins him on the point of the top power-play unit, while both Marco Scandella and Jared Spurgeon will see some extended playing time with the second unit now that Jonas Brodin is expected to miss several weeks.

Arizona Coyotes

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 46.14 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential -27, 116.66 CP60

Elite Options

None

Secondary Options

Radim Vrbata ($5,300 FD, $5,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.37 CF60, 2.14 xGF60, 97.58 PDO
Martin Hanzal ($5,400 FD, $4,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 54.21 CF60, 2.11 xGF60, 95.59 PDO
Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($5,900 FD, $4,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 52.78 CF60, 2.1 xGF60, 99.09 PDO

Expected Netminder

Mike Smith – My Ratings (out of 10): 3 Cash, 4 GPP

Minnesota Wild

Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 47.92 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 32, 111.53 CP60

Elite Options

Eric Staal ($6,400 FD, $7,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 58.06 CF60, 2.82 xGF60, 101.08 PDO
Zach Parise ($7,200 FD, $6,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.86 CF60, 2.66 xGF60, 99.54 PDO
Charlie Coyle ($6,000 FD, $6,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 53.97 CF60, 2.38 xGF60, 101.64 PDO
Mikael Granlund ($6,500 FD, $5,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 53.74 CF60, 2.61 xGF60, 106.76 PDO
Ryan Suter ($5,700 FD, $5,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 51.91 CF60, 2.51 xGF60, 105.52 PDO

Secondary Options

Mikko Koivu ($6,500 FD, $5,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 54.22 CF60, 2.62 xGF60, 106.17 PDO
Jason Zucker ($5,400 FD, $5,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.85 CF60, 2.69 xGF60, 108.06 PDO
Matt Dumba ($4,800 FD, $4,300 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 53.5 CF60, 2.32 xGF60, 106.37 PDO
Jared Spurgeon ($5,600 FD, $4,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 52.7 CF60, 2.6 xGF60, 105.35 PDO

Expected Netminder

Devan Dubnyk – My Ratings (out of 10): 9.5 Cash, 8.5 GPP

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About the Author

jmbwngfn
John Britt (jmbwngfn)

One of the top baseball and hockey analysts in the DFS industry, John Britt is a family man hailing from St. Louis, Missouri. A proud graduate of the University of Missouri, John’s passion is hockey but he excels at multiple DFS sports. He has been nominated multiple times for awards for his written work in both baseball (best MLB series) and hockey (3x NHL Writer of the Year nominee) and is now the Lead Editor at RotoGrinders. John can be found on Twitter at the username JMBWngFn.