The trade deadline looms in the NHL, and it is already wreaking havoc with lineups around the league. Monday brings us five NHL games, and as a typical weekday on the calendar all the games are in the evening. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups. No trades required.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. VGK ($34): It’s not a great day for goalies Monday, but Georgiev at home is the way I am leaning. He’s been hot recently, as he has a 2.33 GAA and .932 save percentage. Not only that, he just held two teams to one goal apiece while playing both ends of a back-to-back! The Golden Knights are 13th in goal per game, but they are on the road, and Mark Stone is hurt as well.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Linus Ullmark, BOS at EDM ($36): This should be a fun one. The Oilers and Bruins are one and two in goals per game. Edmonton is first at 3.83 goals per contest, and it has Connor McDavid. Ullmark may win the Vezina, but this salary is daunting with such a tough matchup.
CENTER
Trevor Zegras, ANA vs. CHI ($17): Zegras has taken over the mantle from Ryan Getzlaf as the top center for the Ducks. He’s averaged 19:19 in ice time and has 19 goals and 31 assists through 60 games. The Blackhawks have a 3.57 GAA and also allowed 33.9 shots on net per contest, and top goalie Alex Stalock has been out for a while, making the situation even direr.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Pettersson, VAN at DAL ($30): Pettersson was on fire until he had to face the Bruins. Well, facing the Stars in Dallas is almost as tough. The Stars have a 2.56 GAA, second lowest in the NHL. Jake Oettinger has been a key piece of that, as he’s posted a 2.23 GAA and .926 save percentage.
WING
Jamie Benn, DAL vs. VAN ($17): A big part of Benn’s resurgent season? The power play. He has 10 goals and nine assists with the extra man this year. The Canucks have the league’s worst penalty kill, putting this game right up Benn’s alley.
Taylor Raddysh, CHI at ANA ($10): With Patrick Kane out waiting for the trade deadline, Raddysh proved to be the top beneficiary in game one of this new reality. The winger played 19:00 minutes, including 3:42 on the power play. Raddysh also has 25 points in 58 games, including 10 with the extra man. You don’t get a better matchup than this. The Ducks have a 4.12 GAA and have allowed 39.8 shots on net per contest, both highest in the NHL.
WINGS TO AVOID
Zach Hyman, EDM vs. BOS ($29): This is a classic game for both avoiding a goalie and also avoiding some players facing him. Ullmark has an 1.86 GAA and .938 save percentage, and the Bruins have the league’s best penalty kill. It’s one thing to be McDavid, but Hyman isn’t on that level. Plus, 21 of his 69 points have come with the extra man.
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK at COL ($21): Marchessault has an assist in each of his last two games, but his goal scoring has been an issue. He only has two goals in his last 17 outings, both in the same contest for good measure. Georgiev has a .919 save percentage on the season, but has a .932 save percentage over his last 11 starts.
DEFENSE
Hampus Lindholm, BOS at EDM ($19): Lindholm has continued to produce even with Charlie McAvoy the lead defenseman for the Bruins, especially on the power play. The Swedish defenseman has 10 points over his last 13 games, and he actually has two power-play points in his last five outings. Edmonton is elite offensively, but it has a 3.28 GAA and the 26th-ranked penalty kill.
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. CHI ($17): Fowler isn’t sitting for a potential trade, and maybe the Ducks aren’t looking to deal him, but that’s good for the team as the veteran defenseman has been hot. He has eight points over his last six games. The Blackhawks have a 3.57 GAA, and with the team being on the first night of a back-to-back, we might get either dodgy journeyman Petr Mrazek or unproven rookie Jaxson Stauber.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at COL ($22): The Avalanche have the 19th-ranked penalty kill, though with Georgiev playing so well right now that changes the landscape a bit. Also, while Pietrangelo has 11 power-play points, a whopping zero of them have come in his last 22 games. Now, he’s not even on the top unit anymore, having been replaced by Shea Theodore on that front.
Quinn Hughes, VAN at DAL ($19): Power-play specialist Hughes has tallied 27 of his 54 points with the extra man. The Stars bring the fourth-ranked penalty kill to the table, though. They also bring Oettinger, who has a 2.23 GAA and .926 save percentage.
