Well, the NHL is not scrimping Tuesday, that’s for sure. Here, on a weekday no less, we have 12 NHL games on the schedule. You may be looking for help navigating through 24 teams worth of players as a result. Look no further! Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Alex Lyon, DET vs. WAS ($28): Detroit’s offense is robust, but Lyon’s play in net has been quite important to its success as well. His .916 save percentage and 2.69 GAA are not incredible, but they are the kind of solid numbers a team with a high-powered offense can get by with. Tuesday’s visit from the Capitals bodes well. Washington is 30th in goals per game, and it is also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Adin Hill, VGK at TOR ($39): In eight games since returning from a lengthy injury, Hill has a .915 save percentage. That is nothing to sneeze at, as they say, but it is certainly a step down from the .935 save percentage he had prior to his injury issues. Toronto is one of a few teams that is vying for the title of best offense in the NHL, and right now it has the strongest case. The Leafs lead the league at 3.68 goals per game and are fifth with 33.1 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Nico Hischier, NJD at SAN ($22): Hischier is in a similar position to John Tavares in Toronto. He’s the team captain and a highly productive offensive player, but due to the presence of an explosive offensive presence at the same position (in Hischier’s case, Jack Hughes), his work is often overlooked. The Swiss center has 39 points in 47 games. San Jose, on the other hand, has a league-high 3.77 GAA.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS at CGY ($24): The Kings are on a tour of Alberta. They played in Edmonton on Monday, and now take the trip to Calgary for Tuesday. Unfortunately, that means Kopitar will be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back, and he’ll also be facing a team on the rise defensively. The Flames are up to fifth in penalty-kill percentage, and Jacob Markstrom has a 2.36 GAA and .927 save percentage in his last 15 appearances.
WING
Gustav Nyquist, NAS vs. OTT ($19): In his first season with Nashville, skating on the first line at that, he has 46 points in 59 games. The Senators are on the second day of a back-to-back. Anton Forsberg, who has been playing better, started Monday. Joonas Korpisalo has not been playing better. He has an .881 save percentage over his last eight outings.
Dylan Guenther, ARI at MON ($16): Guenther, a 20-year-old who was drafted ninth overall in 2021, has jumped into the Coyotes lineup, and gotten a role on the top power-play unit at that. He’s even begun to contribute, with nine points in his last 14 games. Montreal is in the bottom five in GAA, shots on net allowed per contest, and penalty-kill percentage. That makes for an across-the-board favorable matchup for the young wing.
WINGS TO AVOID
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at DET ($32): Ovechkin is going to keep going until he breaks Gretzky’s record, but being a 38-year-old on the road for the second game of a back-to-back is not ideal. Additionally, the Russian has long done a lot of his damage on the power play, and this season has been no different. However, the Red Wings have a top-10 penalty kill. That won’t benefit Ovi at all.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at WPG ($20): Buchnevich has tallied 22 goals and 24 assists in 55 games, but it is a tad concerning that he has been held to a single shot on net in five of his last eight games. The Jets are above average at keeping shots off target, but the best at stopping the shots that do. Winnipeg’s 2.36 GAA is lowest in the league.
DEFENSE
Mike Matheson, MON vs. ARI ($20): Matheson has 11 points in his last 11 games. On the season, he’s averaged 3:49 per contest on the power play with 22 points with the extra man. The Coyotes have a below-average penalty kill, and they are now up to a 3.30 GAA.
Brent Burns, CAR at MIN ($19): Burns doesn’t play as many minutes as he used to, but he’s still tallied 16 points with the extra man through 58 games. The Wild’s penalty kill has been an issue all season, and they are 30th on that front at this point. Burns could be in for a nice game against his former team.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Victor Hedman, TAM at PHI ($20): Hedman has tallied 25 of his 59 points on the power play, but unfortunately for him, the Flyers have the second-ranked penalty kill. On top of that, they’ve only allowed 28.0 shots on net per contest. The Swedish defenseman may have to work through some obstacles Tuesday.
Brock Faber, MIN vs. CAR ($18): Faber’s carrying a massive minutes load for the Wild, keeping him in the battle for the Calder with Connor Bedard back in action. However, the Hurricanes have gotten themselves into the top eight in GAA. A big part of that? Carolina is first in shots on net allowed per game, and third in penalty-kill percentage.
