NHL Grind Down: Thursday, November 3rd
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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 DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Buffalo Sabres | ||||||||
 | Frederik Andersen |  | Robin Lehner | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 3-4-3 | 4-3-2 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.90 | 3.60 | 24.10% | 81.30% | Team Stats | 2.44 | 2.33 | 24.20% | 83.90% |
In a battle between two of the brightest rising stars in the NHL, Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs escaped with two points against Connor McDavid Edmonton team on Tuesday night. The win gives them just a 3-4-3 record through ten games, but was important as it proved this team is headed in the right direction. They’ll make the very short trip across Lake Ontario for tonight’s very winnable game against the Buffalo Sabres. Now the Maple Leafs probably won’t win any defensive awards this season and are longshots for the playoffs, but they do offer plenty of fantasy goodness as they lead the entire NHL by averaging 34.3 Shots/GP and their 126.99 CP60 easily makes them the fastest paced team in the NHL thus far this season. While their forward depth makes their frantic pace possible, it also muddies the waters just a bit when trying to pinpoint where the scoring is going to come from. Rookies Auston Matthews and William Nylander look to be here to stay and have joined forces on the top forward line (Zach Hyman joins them) to combine for ten goals and 11 assists in ten games this season. Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri leads the team with 45 points last season and is fresh off of a two goal performance on Tuesday night. He’s capable of a solid fantasy outing based on shot volume alone (260 SOG in 76 games last season) and is showing that his career low 6.5% shooting percentage last season was the outlier. On defense, Jake Gardiner has at least temporarily grabbed the reigns as the point man on the Maple Leaf’s #1 power-play unit which makes him a fine value option on the blue-line as he’s already tallied a goal and five assists in ten games this season. Morgan Rielly is very talented offensively but Mike Babcock looks to be being very careful with the 22 year-old. He’s already dished out five assists this season, but his sporadic power-play time probably makes him better suited for GPP use at this point.
With key injuries to Jack Eichel and Evander Kane leaving the Sabres a bit short-handed early on this season, Dan Bylsma is just asking his team to hold strong until reinforcements arrive. The team hit some rough patches out of the gates but look to have stabilized things and have now picked up three straight victories as they set their sites on the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Buffalo may be averaging just 2.43 goals per game on the young season, but with Toronto looking to push the pace offensively and having surrendered 2.93 goals against per game this season, there’s some intriguing options in this Buffalo lineup tonight. With Eichel and Kane watching from the press box, the duo of Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo will be counted on to lead the charge offensively. O’Reilly leads the team with eight points through nine games (four goals and four assists) with Okposo trailing just a point behind (three goals and four assists). They’re joined by Matt Moulson both on the top forward line and #1 power-play unit but his inconsistencies make him tough to trust in cash games. Also in play tonight is former second overall draft pick Sam Reinhart as he sees plenty of run as the center on that #1 power-play unit. On defense, Rasmus Ristolainen is the guy that requires your attention. The 22 year-old posted 41 points last year and is off to a hot start this season with seven assists in eight games and his shot blocking ability gives him the high-floor you should be targeting in cash games.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 52.01 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential -5, 126.99 CP60
Elite Options
Auston Matthews ($6,100 FD, $7,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 70.33 CF60, 3.21 xGF60, 95.93 PDO
Secondary Options
William Nylander ($5,100 FD, $5,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 75.85 CF60, 3.56 xGF60, 97.79 PDO
Nazem Kadri ($6,200 FD, $5,000 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 66.36 CF60, 2.39 xGF60, 98.6 PDO
Mitchell Marner ($4,300 FD, $4,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 68 CF60, 3.53 xGF60, 99.56 PDO
Jake Gardiner ($4,300 FD, $3,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 72.71 CF60, 3.77 xGF60, 95.2 PDO
Expected Netminder
Frederik Andersen – My Ratings (out of 10): 6.5 Cash, 7.5 GPP
Buffalo Sabres
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 45.75 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 0, 100.79 CP60
Elite Options
Ryan O’Reilly ($5,900 FD, $6,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 49.89 CF60, 2.62 xGF60, 101.42 PDO
Rasmus Ristolainen ($4,800 FD, $5,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 44.77 CF60, 2.4 xGF60, 98.89 PDO
Secondary Options
Kyle Okposo ($6,100 FD, $5,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 53.49 CF60, 2.82 xGF60, 106.31 PDO
Sam Reinhart ($4,800 FD, $4,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.29 CF60, 2.59 xGF60, 100.43 PDO
Expected Netminder
Robin Lehner – My Ratings (out of 10): 6.5 Cash, 8 GPP
Winnipeg Jets at Washington Capitals
| Winnipeg Jets | Washington Capitals | ||||||||
 | Connor Hellebuyck |  | Braden Holtby | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 4-6-0 | 6-2-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.40 | 2.90 | 11.40% | 80.50% | Team Stats | 2.78 | 2.00 | 15.40% | 81.50% |
Despite outshooting the Capitals by a 45-27 margin on Tuesday, Winnipeg ultimately dropped a 3-2 decision in the opener of this home-and-home series. Tonight, the scene shifts to our nation’s Capital and it’s fairly tough to be too excited about Winnipeg this evening on a 12-game slate. Washington not only has the reigning Vezina Trophy winner between the pipes, but they’ve also allowed just 2.00 goals against per game this season and do happen to be one of the better shot suppression teams in the league (27.2 SA/G). While I’m not really looking this direction in cash games, ignoring Winnipeg’s very dangerous top forward line entirely does look like it could be a mistake this evening in tournaments. Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler continue to both score at nearly a point-per-game pace and headline the top forward line where they now look like they’ll be joined once again by Nikolaj Ehlers. Ehlers is a former first round pick who has flashed plenty of offensive potential when given the chance and looked energized back on the top line as he fired eight shots on goal at Braden Holtby on Tuesday. This line shake-up is certainly not great news for Patrik Laine, but the 18 year-old still sees a healthy dose of playing time alongside Wheeler and Scheifele on the #1 power-play unit. On the blue-line, Dustin Byfuglien is easily the top option. Big Buff leads the entire NHL in average ice-time per game this season and is well known for his offensively aggressive style of play. He flirts with 20 goals on a yearly basis and it’s only a matter of time until his 0.0% shooting percentage starts ascending towards his career mark of 7.7%
After winning the President’s Trophy last season, the Capitals show no signs of slowing down and will enter tonight’s rematch with the Winnipeg Jets on a three game winning streak. This looks like a great spot for Washington and they’re definitely worth digging into a bit deeper today. Barry Trotz recently shook up his forward lines in an attempt to balance out their scoring, and while I’m not sure that’s really going to happen, the early results will likely keep the new lines together for at least a few more games. Obviously Alex Ovechkin is the headliner on this team as he’s topped the 50 goal mark in each of the last three seasons. Despite the rather slow start to the season, he’s an elite play in all formats this evening and we’ve even seen his asking price dip just a bit on several sites. He’s now slated to be joined by Nicklas Backstrom and Justin Williams on the top forward line which gives them both a significant boost as Ovechkin’s presence should give them a bit more space to work with and also figures to result in an up tick in their point production. Meanwhile, Marcus Johansson actually leads the team with six goals and five assists in nine games this season and will now skate alongside the very talented Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson on the second line. This whole shuffle leaves T.J. Oshie on the third line and definitely hurts his fantasy appeal although he still does grab some exposure to Ovechkin on the #1 power-play unit which keeps him in the GPP mix. John Carlson has been ice-cold to start the season, but finally snapped his point-less streak with an assist in the first game between these two teams. When healthy, he’s a threat for 60 points in a season and has a secure grip on the reigns as the point-man on the Capital’s lethal #1 power-play unit making him a fine target in all formats this evening.
Winnipeg Jets
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 50 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential -7, 108.26 CP60
Elite Options
Dustin Byfuglien – 16-17 Metrics – 58.52 CF60, 2.45 xGF60, 98.76 PDO
Secondary Options
Blake Wheeler – 16-17 Metrics – 64.84 CF60, 2.46 xGF60, 93.81 PDO
Mark Scheifele – 16-17 Metrics – 57.13 CF60, 2.04 xGF60, 100 PDO
Patrik Laine – 16-17 Metrics – 55.67 CF60, 2.04 xGF60, 100.03 PDO
Nikolaj Ehlers – 16-17 Metrics – 61.42 CF60, 2.12 xGF60, 98.48 PDO
Expected Netminder
Connor Hellebuyck – My Ratings (out of 10): 5 Cash, 6 GPP
Washington Capitals
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 53.14 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 8, 106.72 CP60
Elite Options
Alex Ovechkin ($8,100 FD, $8,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 64.77 CF60, 2.83 xGF60, 97.28 PDO
John Carlson ($5,900 FD, $5,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 59.73 CF60, 2.55 xGF60, 97.87 PDO
Secondary Options
Evgeny Kuznetsov ($6,100 FD, $6,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.37 CF60, 2.43 xGF60, 106.84 PDO
Nicklas Backstrom ($6,100 FD, $5,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 60.8 CF60, 2.73 xGF60, 96.69 PDO
Marcus Johansson ($5,400 FD, $4,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 53.27 CF60, 2.27 xGF60, 104.48 PDO
Justin Williams ($4,400 FD, $4,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 62 CF60, 3.48 xGF60, 98.52 PDO
Expected Netminder
Braden Holtby – My Ratings (out of 10): 9 Cash, 8 GPP
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders
| Philadelphia Flyers | New York Islanders | ||||||||
 | Steve Mason |  | Jaroslav Halak | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 5-5-1 | 4-6-0 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.50 | 3.80 | 26.80% | 76.50% | Team Stats | 2.80 | 3.10 | 10.30% | 81.60% |
Philadelphia stormed back from a 2-0 hole to sneak by the Detroit Red Wings in overtime last night. They won’t have much time to enjoy the victory, however, as they’ll head to Brooklyn to prepare for tonight’s battle with the New York Islanders. The Flyers will likely be somewhat inconsistent this season, but at least breaking them down and predicting where their scoring is going to come from has been rather straight forward. Claude Giroux is the headliner here and sits tied for NHL lead with 13 points this season (two goals and 11 assists). He’s now slated to skate alongside Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn on the top line, and with Frans Nielsen no longer in the picture, they’ll be matchup problem for Jack Capuano all evening. That leaves Giroux’s former partner-in-crime Jakub Voracek to skate alongside both Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier on the second line and they’ve proven to be more than capable of putting the puck in the net if the Islanders pay too much attention to the Giroux line. On defense, Shayne Gostisbehere remains the top play as he quarterback’s the #1 power-play unit and is averaging over 21 minutes of ice-time per game. He’s scored a pair of goals and dished out five assists already this season and still sports a moderate price-tag on most sites.
It hasn’t been a great start for the Islanders this season, and the next three games look to be very important as after that their schedule takes a pretty ugly turn for the rest of the month of November. They were embarrassed in a 6-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night and Jack Capuano will be expecting an inspired effort from his hockey club this evening. John Tavares is easily the most dangerous offensive weapon on the Islanders, and with Philadelphia having allowed an Eastern Conference worst 3.73 goals against per game this season, he should be a popular selection in all game formats this evening. Tavares has tallied four goals and four assists in ten games this season and will be joined by Shane Prince and Josh Bailey on the top forward line. Meanwhile, Brock Nelson actually leads the team with nine points (three goals and six assists) on the young season and centers Ryan Strome and Anders Lee on a very capable secondary scoring line. Nick Leddy holds the reigns as the point-man on that #1 power-play unit and looks to be the strongest option on the blue-line, but both Johnny Boychuk and Travis Hamonic are also playing heavy minutes and producing fairly well offensively early on this season.
Philadelphia Flyers
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 52.35 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential -3, 114.29 CP60
Elite Options
Claude Giroux ($7,200 FD, $6,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 66.03 CF60, 2.52 xGF60, 97.01 PDO
Shayne Gostisbehere ($5,700 FD, $6,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 59.01 CF60, 2.6 xGF60, 96.82 PDO
Secondary Options
Jakub Voracek ($6,700 FD, $6,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 61.95 CF60, 2.71 xGF60, 94.46 PDO
Wayne Simmonds ($7,100 FD, $6,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 69.22 CF60, 2.75 xGF60, 98.84 PDO
Sean Couturier ($4,500 FD, $4,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 67.2 CF60, 3.1 xGF60, 97.71 PDO
Expected Netminder
Steve Mason – My Ratings (out of 10): 4.5 Cash, 6 GPP
New York Islanders
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 46.62 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 1, 120.47 CP60
Elite Options
John Tavares ($7,400 FD, $7,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 59.7 CF60, 2.73 xGF60, 98.43 PDO
Secondary Options
Josh Bailey ($4,200 FD, $4,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 58.79 CF60, 2.27 xGF60, 100.79 PDO
Brock Nelson ($5,200 FD, $4,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 54.53 CF60, 2.86 xGF60, 107.7 PDO
Andrew Ladd ($5,100 FD, $5,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.65 CF60, 2.97 xGF60, 98.02 PDO
Nick Leddy ($4,700 FD, $4,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 53.92 CF60, 2.28 xGF60, 97.7 PDO
Expected Netminder
Jaroslav Halak – My Ratings (out of 10): 7 Cash, 7 GPP
Edmonton Oilers at New York Rangers
| Edmonton Oilers | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 |  | ||||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 7-2-1 | 7-3-0 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 3.10 | 2.20 | 13.80% | 90.00% | Team Stats | 4.00 | 2.20 | 23.70% | 81.50% |
As soon as the Vegas bookmakers showed some faith in this Edmonton team, the Oilers proved that there will certainly still be some growing pains as they continue to strive towards their goal of being a major player in the Western Conference. After a shutout loss in Ottawa on Sunday, they suffered another setback as they dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. With that said, it’s definitely not time to panic as they did outshoot the Maple Leafs and Senators by a combined 86-53 in this two defeats and still sit atop the Pacific Division with a 7-2-1 record though ten games. Breaking down the Oilers from a fantasy perspective simply has to start with Connor McDavid and I’m very excited to see what kind of show he has planned for his Madison Square Garden debut. Things won’t come easy for him as the Rangers own a 6-1 record and have only allowed 2.00 goals against per game on home-ice this season but McDavid has reached “Matchup Proof” territory to some degree as this point. He leads the Oilers with five goals and seven assists through the first ten games this season and headlines the top forward line and #1 power-play unit alongside both Milan Lucic and Jordan Eberle. All three see a small fantasy boost as the Rangers posted an ugly 78.2% penalty kill last season and haven’t shown much improvement in the early going this season, either. Leon Draisaitl has been awfully quiet lately, but the former third overall draft pick also sees plenty of run with McDavid on that #1 power-play unit and has shown plenty of offensive upside with 66 points in 119 career games. On defense, none of the options are overly exciting, but both Andrej Sekera and Oscar Klefbom soak up plenty of minutes on the point of the power-play and Kris Russell continues to rack up blocked shots as quickly as any one in the NHL these days.
The Rangers jumped all over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night and cruised their way to an impressive 5-0 statement victory in front of their home fans. They’ll finish their short two-game home stand tonight looking to push their record to 8-3-0 and grab the lead in the Metropolitan Division by picking up two points against the Edmonton Oilers this evening. With the Rangers playing very well lately and leading all of hockey with 4.00 goals per game on the young season, I’m expecting the Rangers to have some success in the offensive zone this evening. With that said, Alain Vigneault has three very solid forward lines at his disposal, and while that’s one of the main reasons for their early season success, their balanced attack does make things a bit tougher from a DFS perspective. While they do have seven forwards currently sitting with at least seven points through the first team games, Coach Vigneault does figure to look to shadow the McDavid line with the defensively stout trio of Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller which should result in some open ice and scoring opportunities for both of his top two forward lines. Hobey Baker winning Jimmy Vesey was a bit slow out of the gates to start his rookie season, but he’s now poured in six goals and added three assists in his last eight games and looks very comfortable alongside Derek Stepan and Rick Nash both at even strength and on the power-play. On defense, Ryan McDonagh is locked into 20+ minutes of ice-time per game and is easily the #1 option on the Rangers blue line. He’s still looking for his first goal of the season (22 SOG) but has already dished out nine assists through ten games and now has points in each of the last eight games.
Edmonton Oilers
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 49.43 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 5, 113.32 CP60
Elite Options
Connor McDavid ($8,000 FD, $8,400 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 59.75 CF60, 3.04 xGF60, 106.77 PDO
Secondary Options
Jordan Eberle ($6,300 FD, $6,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 62.49 CF60, 3.07 xGF60, 102.44 PDO
Leon Draisaitl ($5,000 FD, $4,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 52.16 CF60, 2.41 xGF60, 98.58 PDO
Milan Lucic ($5,600 FD, $5,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 61.81 CF60, 3.04 xGF60, 102.08 PDO
Andrej Sekera ($3,900 FD, $4,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 47.85 CF60, 2.19 xGF60, 101.71 PDO
Expected Netminder
Cam Talbot – My Ratings (out of 10): 5.5 Cash, 7.5 GPP
New York Rangers
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 49.66 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 9, 112.96 CP60
Elite Options
Jimmy Vesey ($5,100 FD, $4,900 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 58.17 CF60, 3.29 xGF60, 105.54 PDO
Ryan McDonagh ($5,300 FD, $5,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 61.69 CF60, 3.49 xGF60, 100.51 PDO
Secondary Options
Mika Zibanejad ($5,800 FD, $6,300 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 68.83 CF60, 3.57 xGF60, 92.61 PDO
Rick Nash ($6,700 FD, $6,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 57.56 CF60, 3.24 xGF60, 92.76 PDO
Chris Kreider ($6,600 FD, $6,700 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 77.2 CF60, 4.34 xGF60, 83.49 PDO
Mats Zuccarello ($5,900 FD, $6,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 59.71 CF60, 3.38 xGF60, 101.83 PDO
Expected Netminder
Henrik Lundqvist – My Ratings (out of 10): 7.5 Cash, 8 GPP
New Jersey Devils at Florida Panthers
| New Jersey Devils | Florida Panthers | ||||||||
 |  | ||||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 4-2-2 | 4-5-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.25 | 2.00 | 23.10% | 86.20% | Team Stats | 2.60 | 2.40 | 12.50% | 78.60% |
If you’re a fan of defensive hockey and the chess-match between two coaches, then you this game is for you. However, if you’re looking for fantasy points (and I think you are), then look elsewhere. These two teams were amongst the slowest paced teams in the NHL last season and it’s unlikely that things will be any different this time around. Florida escaped with a 2-1 overtime victory when these teams squared off on opening night and similar outcome wouldn’t be at all surprising this evening. For New Jersey, Taylor Hall was brought in during the offseason to spark their offense and, while he’s off to a fine start with five goals and a pair of assists in eight games. He’ll be joined by Michael Cammalleri and Travis Zajac on the top forward line and will also log heavy minutes as the sniper on the wing of their top power-play unit. Facing Florida is definitely not an advantageous spot, but at least Gerard Gallant simply chose to fight firepower with firepower in their first matchup as he predominately shadowed Hall with his #1 scoring line (Jonathan Marchessault, Aleksander Barkov and Jagr) rather than trying to “lock him down”. With that in mind, Hall is really the only Devils on my cash game radar this evening as his price-tag is still somewhat suppressed on several sites. On defense, the absence of Adam Larsson this season has added some responsibilities to the plate of 22 year-old Damon Severson. He’s not only logging right at 20 minutes of ice-time per game this season, but has also secured the job as the quarterback of the #1 power-play unit. He’s not the most exciting option on this big slate, but with a goal and five assists in his last six games, he’s a fine play if you’re searching for some salary relief on the blue-line.
Shifting our attention to the other locker room, the Florida Panthers have really struggled out of the gates and desperately need to get things turned around if they plan on repeating as the Atlantic Division Champions. They’ve been decimated by key injuries to the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen and have really struggled to find any consistent secondary scoring in their absence (2.60 goals per game). With those three forwards out of action for the foreseeable future, the scoring weight falls heavily on the top line of Jonathan Marchessault, Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. Marchessault has quickly integrated well with his new team and linemates and has stormed out of the gates with a team high six goals and five assists (and 33 SOG) in the first ten games this season. Alternatively, Colton Sceviour showed off his upside with a hat trick (and an assist) against Detroit over the weekend and has an opportunity to be fantasy relevant playing alongside Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith both on the second forward line and #2 power-play unit. On defense, both Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad are fine fantasy options in general, but are off to very cold starts to the season. After 36 points in 78 games last season, Ekblad has scored just one goal and somehow been held without an assists through the first ten games. Yandle hasn’t been much better himself, but has racked up three assists in the last three games (four assists on the season) but is still looking for his first goal of the season despite already unloading 33 SOG.
New Jersey Devils
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 47.11 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 0, 100.67 CP60
Elite Options
Taylor Hall ($6,500 FD, $6,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 52 CF60, 2.45 xGF60, 98.2 PDO
Secondary Options
Travis Zajac ($4,200 FD, $4,200 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 51.8 CF60, 2.44 xGF60, 96.68 PDO
Adam Henrique ($4,900 FD, $4,100 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 52.48 CF60, 2.31 xGF60, 103.16 PDO
Expected Netminder
Cory Schneider – My Ratings (out of 10): 6 Cash, 7 GPP
Florida Panthers
Team Metrics – 2016-17 – 53.43 CF%, 5×5 Goal Differential 2, 105.36 CP60
Elite Options
Aleksander Barkov ($5,800 FD, $6,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 56.77 CF60, 2.21 xGF60, 101.28 PDO
Secondary Options
Jonathan Marchessault ($5,200 FD, $5,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 61.24 CF60, 2.69 xGF60, 106.03 PDO
Jaromir Jagr ($5,300 FD, $4,800 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 61.99 CF60, 2.8 xGF60, 100.53 PDO
Keith Yandle ($5,100 FD, $4,600 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 56.35 CF60, 2.18 xGF60, 99.96 PDO
Aaron Ekblad ($4,700 FD, $4,500 DK) – 16-17 Metrics – 55.67 CF60, 2.16 xGF60, 94.79 PDO
Expected Netminder
Roberto Luongo – My Ratings (out of 10): 8 Cash, 7.5 GPP