We are into the last week of the regular season in the NHL. Teams have just a few games left before getting playoff ready or dusting off the golf clubs. There are 10 games scheduled this evening on the main slate with plenty of viable DFS options. The center position is especially deep tonight with a lot of implications. With so many games to break down, let’s dive in and find the best players available.
Center
Nathan MacKinnon (COL): $8,700 vs. EDM
After starting the season scorching hot, Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche find themselves holding down the final wild-card spot in the western conference. Just five points shy of 100, MacKinnon will look to lead his team offensively down the stretch. Edmonton will be traveling to Colorado after a game last night in Las Vegas and has nothing to play for. All season the Oilers have struggled defensively and in goal. This is a desperate Avalanche team who should feast on a disappointing Edmonton club.
Tyler Seguin (DAL): $8,200 vs. PHI
The Dallas Stars are looking to solidify their playoff berth with a win tonight at home against the Flyers. Tyler Seguin is one of the league’s top centers who does not get enough credit. While he is having a “down” season, Seguin is still scoring at nearly a point-per-game rate and has recorded 10 points in his last seven games. Seguin will skate on the top forward line while also logging power-play time on the top unit. Philadelphia has allowed the fourth-most goals against on the season and is now officially eliminated from the playoff race.
Wing
Alexander Radulov (DAL): $7,100 vs. PHI
The dynamic winger is currently on a three-game goal streak and five-game point streak, which has led to a 66-point season. Missing time to injury hurt the chemistry of this Stars team for a stretch, however, the offense seems good to go against the Flyers tonight. The big-bodied forward has a mix of size, speed, and skill which is hard to contain for defenders. While Philidelphia has strong defensive forwards, the lack of experience on the blueline leaves them weak in their own end.
Alexander Kerfoot (COL): $4,300 vs. EDM
At the near minimum price, the Avalanche winger is a fantastic DFS option on DraftKings. Skating alongside Nathan MacKinnon both on the top forward line and the power-play unit will allow Kerfoot a lot of chances to produce. Edmonton has allowed a league-worst 61 goals against during the man-advantage and is clearly checked out. Colorado should be able to score at will against a team playing their second game of a back-to-back.
Viktor Arvidsson (NSH): $7,600 @ BUF
Nashville heads to Buffalo tonight to take on the Sabres in one of their last games. Viktor Arvidsson is one of the league’s true goal scorers, finding the back of the net 33 times in only 55 games. Nashville has dealt with injuries all season long, however, they will look to make a long playoff run starting next week. Buffalo, like so many other teams, is just looking to play out the remainder of their games. The Predators should win this game with ease and produce a lot of offense.
Defense
Justin Schultz (PIT): $4,400 @ DET
Defenseman Justin Schultz rounds out a Penguins’ stack in Detroit tonight. Teammate Kris Letang has not played since March 23rd and is close to making a return. Although with just three games left, it would be wise to rest the star d-man giving Schultz all of the opportunities. Without Letang, Schultz slots in as the top offensive defenseman on the team and possibly on the entire slate.
P.K. Subban (NSH): $5,400 @ BUF
A major strength of the Nashville Predators is the defensive depth. They have a great mix of offensive and defensive defensemen who can log plenty of ice time any given night. P.K. Subban is an elite player on the back-end who has a thunderous shot. Set to play on the top power-play unit, expect Subban to take plenty of shots throughout the game. With so much ice time, he will also have opportunities for additional fantasy points through blocked shots and chipping in on assists.
Goalie
Darcy Kuemper (ARI): $8,200 vs. LA
Possibly one of the bigger surprises of the season has been the success of the Arizona Coyotes. Especially after losing starting goalie Anti Raanta to injury, a lot of experts counted this team out. Well, with three games left, the Yotes are just one point out of the final wild-card spot and are in a “must-win” situation against the struggling Kings. The play of Darcy Kuemper has been a huge reason for the success of Arizona and he will look to lock down a win tonight. With a remarkable 2.34 GAA and .924 SV% on the year, Kuemper has been the team’s most valuable player thus far and will be leaned on for the remainder of the season.
Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.
