Nick Schmaltz Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

The Chicago Blackhawks have re-jigged their lines over the last game or two, and the new top line on Chicago is in a fantastic spot. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Nick Schmaltz are going to be facing the Los Angeles Kings and Peter Budaj — the Kings third-string goaltender. The Kings lost both Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell to injury, so they are in a tough spot. Patrick Kane has 12 goals and 23 points in 18 games along with 77 shots on goal. The trio is also on the top power play unit together giving them full-game correlation and furthering their elite upside.

As usual, Patrick Kane leads the Chicago Blackhawks in goals (12), points (21) and shots (71). After Joel Quenneville was fired, new head coach Jeremy Colliton didn't hesitate to switch up the second line by putting Kane with Nick Schmaltz and Artem Anisimov. However, this morning Jonthan Toews was centering Kane and Schmaltz which gives this line stack even more upside. The trio are an elite stack as they all play on the same power play unit (Kane, Toews, Schmaltz) and have full-game correlation.

Joel Quenneville is out as head coach of the Blackhawks, and Jeremy Colliton wasted no time in shuffling the lines for the Hawks. The second line for Chicago (really line 1b) now consists of Artem Anisimov, Nick Schmaltz, and Patrick Kane. This trio has had success in the past, so it makes sense to reunite them in an effort to spark the team. Schmaltz has seen his ice time dip lately, with 14 minutes or less in three of his last four, but I expect him to return to a heavy workload under the new regime. As for the power play, Schmaltz joins Toews, Kane, Seabrook, and Debrincat to form a threatening first unit.

After storming out to 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 45 games before the All-Star break, Nick Schmaltz maintained a pedestrian pace in the second half, recording only 17 points in 33 games. However, there is reason to be optimistic, especially while skating alongside Patrick Kane and bounce-back candidate Brandon Saad. Although Schmaltz is more of a distributor, his linemates love to shoot. Patrick Kane took the seventh-most shots on goal (285) last season, and Brandon Saad had 237 shots on goal, only four behind well-known commodities like Patrick Laine and Jamie Benn. Unfortunately, Saad suffered from a career-low shooting percentage (7.6%) despite setting a career-best in shots on goal. If things start bouncing Saad's way, and Kane's way for that matter too, Schmaltz could see his assist totals skyrocket. In any case, Schmaltz is a solid option to save salary at center and should be utilized in stacks with Saad and Kane as they take on what looks to be the worst team in the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators.

Two seasons removed from becoming the the first American born player to earn the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP, Patrick Kane continues to be a force offensively for a disappointing Blackhawks team. Aside from his unparalleled playmaking abilities, a major component of Kane's strong offensive output is the fact that he leads all Chicago forwards in ice time despite not factoring into the team's penalty kill. Tonight "Kaner" will have a great opportunity to keep his fantastic overall season going in a game that should feature plenty of scoring between two poor defensive teams. Skating alongside playmakers Schmaltz and Saad on Chicago's top line and top power play unit, look for this trio to breakout on the man advantage against a Vancouver penalty kill that ranks 23rd in the NHL this season.

If you're looking for value in a line stack tonight, consider taking the second line of Chicago which features talented young playmakers Schmaltz, Hinostroza, and Debrincat. Fresh off a two goal performance in Sunday's loss to Anaheim, this trio of forwards has generated among the most shot attempts and scoring chances as a whole among road skaters on home ice this season. With home ice advantage on their side, look for head coach Joel Quenneville to get this trio in prime offensive zone faceoffs and matched up against one of the weaker defensive lines of Colorado to easily pay off their very attractive price tags in a game that should feature plenty of scoring.

Nick Schmaltz has quietly collected 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 56 games, and his numbers have been especially impressive on home ice where he has 24 points (8 goals, 16 assists) in 28 games. Although the Chicago Blackhawks have struggled, they should have no problem finding the back of the net against an Ottawa team that has dropped seven of their last eight contests on the road. Although the results have not been there for the Blackhawks, they sport the National Hockey League's second-most Scoring Chances For, and in the lone meeting against Ottawa earlier this season, Nick Schmaltz went off for two goals and an assist in just 17 minutes. Patrick Kane and Nick Schmaltz make for a powerful one-two punch in cash games and tournaments tonight.

Two seasons removed from becoming the the first American born player to earn the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP, Patrick Kane continues to be a force offensively for an inconsistent Blackhawks team. Aside from his unparalleled playmaking abilities, a major component of Kane's strong start to this season is the fact that he leads all Chicago forwards in ice time despite not factoring into the team's penalty kill. Tonight "Kaner" will have a great opportunity to keep his fantastic overall season going in a game that should feature plenty of scoring between two fast paced teams. Skating alongside playmakers Nick Schmaltz and Artem Anisimov on Chicago's second line and top power play unit, look for this trio to breakout on the man advantage against a Calgary penalty kill that ranks 17tth in the NHL this year and has allowed three power play goals in as many games.

Two seasons removed from becoming the the first American born player to earn the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP, Patrick Kane continues to be a force offensively for an inconsistent Blackhawks team. Aside from his unparalleled playmaking abilities, a major component of Kane's strong start to this season is the fact that he leads all Chicago forwards in ice time despite not factoring into the team's penalty kill. Tonight "Kaner" will have a great opportunity to keep his fantastic overall season going against a weak Vancouver squad that allows the most scoring chances on tonight's slate. Skating alongside playmakers Nick Schmaltz and Brandon Saad on Chicago's second line and top power play unit, look for this trio to breakout on the man advantage against a Vancouver penalty kill that ranks 25th in the NHL this season.

Two seasons removed from becoming the the first American born player to earn the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP, Patrick Kane continues to be a force offensively for an inconsistent Blackhawks team. Aside from his unparalleled playmaking abilities, a major component of Kane's strong start to this season is the fact that he leads all Chicago forwards in ice time despite not factoring into the team's penalty kill. Tonight "Kaner" will have a great opportunity to keep his fantastic overall season going against a banged up Tampa Bay team that will be without their top defenseman in Hedman and their best defensive forward in Palat. Skating alongside playmakers Nick Schmaltz and Patrick Sharp on Chicago's second line and top power play unit, look for this trio to breakout on the man advantage against a Lightning penalty kill that ranks 21st in the NHL this year and has allowed four power play goals in as many games.