Welcome to April! The NHL is opening the month with gusto. It is a Saturday, after all. There are 11 NHL games in the evening starting at 7 p.m. ET or later, and that’s no joke. Here are some players to target, and some to avoid. Let’s start the month off right!
GOALIE
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. ANA ($29): The Oilers can clinch a playoff spot with a win, so they aren’t going to mess around here is my assumption. Skinner is better than Jack Campbell, and he is coming off a 43-save shutout of the Kings. Hosting the Ducks is an easier matchup, as they have averaged 2.51 goals and 28.4 shots on net per contest. Both are bottom five in the NHL.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at TAM ($36): The Islanders are fighting to lock up a playoff spot, and Sorokin’s play has kept them in the running. He’s got a 2.36 GAA and .924 save percentage on the year, but this matchup is tricky. Sorokin is on the road against a Lightning team that has averaged 3.41 goals per game and is healthy and ready to challenge the Russian goalie
CENTER
Morgan Frost, PHI vs. BUF ($17): The Flyers are looking for bright spots, and Frost has been one of them. He’s also got nine points over his last eight games. The Sabres are in the bottom five in GAA, and they are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nick Suzuki, MON vs. CAR ($21): Suzuki has set a new career high in goals and is one point away from a new high on that front, but he may not get it Saturday. The Hurricanes have a 2.59 GAA, second lowest in the NHL, only bested by Boston’s once-in-a-generation defensive acumen. Carolina does lead the NHL in shots on net allowed per game, though.
WING
Eetu Luostarinen, FLA at CLM ($16): Luostarinen has quietly contributed 16 goals and 26 assists through 76 games. In fact, the Finn is on a three-game point streak. The Jackets could help Luostarinen keep his streak going, as they have a 3.95 GAA, 31st in the NHL and comfortably behind the Sharks in 30th at 3.77.
Jacob Peterson, SAN at ARI ($10): The Sharks are trotting young forwards out to get them some ice time down the stretch (and maybe to improve their odds of drafting Connor Bedard this summer.) San Jose picked Peterson up from the Stars, and in four games with his new squad he’s averaged 16:14 in ice time, including 1:36 on the power play. He also has three assists. The Coyotes have the ninth-highest GAA and rank 31st in shots on net allowed per game, and they are on the second night of a back-to-back for good measure.
WINGS TO AVOID
Joe Pavelski, DAL at COL ($23): Pavelski’s numbers have dipped a bit from last year, though 70 points in 75 games is quite impressive, especially for a guy in his age-38 season. However, he’s on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. The Avalanche and Stars are fighting for the Central Division title, so expect Alexandar Georgiev to be net for the Avalanche. He has a 2.55 GAA and .918 save percentage.
Anders Lee, NYI at TAM ($18): Even though Lee doesn’t do much on the power play for a guy who has averaged over three minutes a night in that circumstance, he’s still a contributor for the Islanders, tallying 27 goals and 22 assists. However, while Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 2.61 GAA and .916 save percentage on the season, he’s been locked in recently. Over his last three starts the Russian has an 1.01 GAA and .969 save percentage, and we know how Vasilevskiy can perform when he’s at his peak. He’s got the rings to prove it.
DEFENSE
Tony DeAngelo, PHI vs. BUF ($20): This matchup is right up DeAngelo’s alley. He’s a power-play maven who has tallied 19 points with the extra man in 67 games. The Sabres are bottom three on the penalty kill, and they are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. ANA ($19): Bouchard was sophomore slumping for a large portion of the season, but he has 13 points over his last 13 games. That includes six points with the extra man in the wake of the Tyson Barrie trade. The Ducks are last in GAA and shots on net allowed per game, and bottom three on the penalty kill as well.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at COL ($22): As I noted, the Stars are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. With Heiskanen’s hefty salary, that is a concern. So is this matchup, as Georgiev has a 2.55 GAA and .918 save percentage.
Victor Hedman, TAM vs. NYI ($19): Hedman has long been a top defenseman in the NHL, but he’s having a down year by his standards. In fact, he only has two points over his last 10 games. Maybe I don’t want to pay for Sorokin’s salary as my goalie in this matchup, but he still has a 2.36 GAA and .924 save percentage, so I wouldn’t take a shot on Hedman either.
