Nick Bjugstad Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

With Sidney Crosby being a top priority spend tonight with Connor McDavid not too far behind him, finding cheap wingers is a necessity. Enter Nick Bjugstad who took five shots on goal last time out in the Penguins 3-1 win against the streaking Philadelphia Flyers. While Bjugstad won't benefit from Evgeni Malkin (suspended) distributing on the second line, Edmonton's defensive lapses put all the Pittsburgh Penguins in play. Nick will also center the team's second power play unit that should get their crack at Edmonton's woeful penalty kill, especially if the Oilers are able to stop the Penguins' first wave. Save some salary with Nick.

Offence is up across the league as teams continue to score goals at a much higher pace than recent memory. Sidney Crosby is very quietly on pace for his first 100 point season since 2013-2014, after four straight years in which he did not break 90 points. He has spent most of the season beside Jake Guentzel, and the two will be joined by newly acquired Nick Bjugstad on the top line tonight. This line should be able to have success tonight as the Penguins visit the Florida Panthers who will be rolling with Roberto Luongo in net. Bobby Lu is starting to show his age this season with a pretty brutal 3.17 goals against average and an .895 save percentage which is definitely a good reason to stack Penguins.

Nick Bjugstad was skating on the top line as the right winger with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel at practice yesterday, and while we have yet to receive confirmation that practice line will stick, Bjugstad makes for a strong play against his old team. Bjugstad is averaging over 15 minutes of ice time in three games with the Penguins, and he has taken nine shots on goal. With Evgeni Malkin still out, Pittsburgh figures to look to Bjugstad more in offensive situations. Florida's top line of Barkov and Dadonov has really struggled defensively and they figure to be locked into the matchup against Pittsburgh's top line.

At $2,500 on DraftKings, Keith Yandle is the automatic play of the night in cash games, and even in tournaments it will be tough not having max exposure to the veteran blue liner who sees time on the team's top power play unit. Do not make the mistake of not playing him in your head-to-head lineups.

Besides the obvious play on the pricing error with Yandle, another source of salary relief from Florida is Nick Bjugstad who made his return last time out. After his first game in five weeks, Bjugstad logged just under 13 minutes of ice time, taking three shots on goal and blocking a shot. Nick is a cheap forward to open up salary elsewhere.

**Edit @ 11:15 - Nick Bjugstad will not be on the top line. Instead it will be shot-making Frank Vatrano alongside Aleksander Barkov and Evgeni Dadonov. Vatrano is an interesting tournament option. Remember though, Florida is often juggling their lines**

Nothing about Nick jumps off the page, but with Vincent Trocheck out, someone has to step up. Bjugstad has bounced around the Panthers' lineup for several years running, and it is no different this season. Last season, Bjugstad set a career-high in points (49). While Nick has been mediocre on the road with just three points in 13 games, on home ice he has tallied seven points (3G, 4A) in eight contests. The Devils continue to get pounded on the road (2-9) and have allowed a whopping 4.18 goals per game when not playing at the Prudential Center. Bjugstad is cheap and makes for a worthwhile compliment to Florida stacks or as a lower-owned option from the Panthers.

Due to a devastating injury to Vincent Trocheck, Jared McCann will move into a top 6 role and center a line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad. McCann has shown some flashes in his short career, but hasn't had enough ice time to produce for fantasy purposes. Tonight, the matchup is a tough one against the Lightning, although the loss of Andrei Vasilevskiy makes it much more appealing. At just $2700 on DraftKings, you're just need a few fantasy points to pay off the cheap price tag.

It appears Frank Vatrano will skate on the third line rather than the second line tonight, so he is no longer the slam dunk value on FanDuel ($3,200) that he was earlier. Vatrano is still a skater that can do things on his own, so if looking for a low-owned tournament punt, give him a roll of the dice in your crazy Florida stacks.

Nick Bjugstad, who seems to bounce from the bottom-six to top-six over the course of the season is set to skate with Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau on the second line. Bjugstad is cheap on both DraftKings ($4,600) and FanDuel ($4,700), but should only be utilized in second line stacks.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs continuing to roll, they will be chalky, and rightfully so. If you’re looking for a potentially lower owned stack, the Florida Panthers top line of Aleksander Barkov, Evgenii Dadonov, and Nick Bjugstad are an interesting pivot. They were rolling the other night, despite a disappointing loss to Columbus. This line accounted for three goals, three assists, and ten shots of goal Thursday night at the BB&T Center. Even though the Canucks held the Tampa Bay Lightening in check the other night, this is a team lacking depth that we can pick on. The Panthers top line once again has multi-goal upside here. You can add defenseman Keith Yandle to the stack, as it appears he will be back manning the point on the teams top power play unit.

In his first season back from the KHL, Evgenii Dadonov has been very successful. He has spent the majority of his time on the top line in Florida with Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad. Tonight, the Florida Panthers are -205 favourites as they host the Arizona Coyotes. Dadonov has been having success lately as he has picked up five goals and 11 points over his last 10 games. This is a match that is certainly a great one for the Panthers as they are taking on a bottom three team in the NHL. Over the Panthers last 10 games, they have put up a 65.45 CF/60 which is the fourth best in the NHL. This line stack is absolutely in play tonight and although Bjugstad is relegated to the second power play unit, a full-stack will give you elite upside.

Florida's top-six has been unreal this season, particularly in the second half. Have a look at Nick Bjugstad, for example. Pre All-Star Break, Bjugstad managed a modest 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists) in 47 games. Since then, he has tallied 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 18 games. Bjugstad has already buried four goals and four assists in five games this month. A matchup against the porous New York Ranger defense, who own the National Hockey League's worst xGF/60 (2.76) at 5-on-5, presents a fantastic opportunity for Bjugstad and the Panthers. Bjugstad is averaging over three shots on goal per game which provides him a solid floor, and the upside is certainly there as we saw him record a hat trick in Tampa on Tuesday night.