It should be a fun night in the NHL with several interesting games to note. For the first time, we’ll see the revamped rivalry between the Devils and Rangers, as Hughes takes on Kakko. Tampa Bay will visit Boston in a premier matchup. Ottawa will head down to Vegas to visit some familiar faces. Let’s see if we can play off some of these scenarios and find some viable DFS options.
Center
Jack Hughes (NJ): $4,100 vs. NYR
This may be a popular choice for the evening, as Jack Hughes facing Kaapo Kakko for the first time is the story of the night. There is more to it than that, though. Nico Hischier’s status for this game is up in the air. Should he sit, Hughes will find himself between Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri on the top line, as well as centering the top power-play unit. In a “measuring stick” game, Hughes will have every opportunity to excel.
Wing
David Pastrnak (BOS): $7,500 vs TB
Pastrnak is red-hot coming off a four-goal game Sunday against Anaheim. In his last four games, he has posted six goals and four assists for ten points. In three games against the Lightning last season, Pastrnak posted six points. I don’t see any reason to expect him to slow down in a marquee matchup against Tampa. The ownership bump driven by his recent four-goal outing should be offset by concerns about facing an elite Lightning team.
Brady Tkachuk (OTT): $5,200 @ VGK
You can call this one a gut feeling. The Tkachuk boys always seem to show up when the game revs up. That is what I expect to happen when the Senators visit Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone in Las Vegas. With Karlsson being the former captain and Stone the would-have-been next choice, I expect Brady Tkachuk to show some pride in the jersey he’s wearing — it will have a “C” on it one day soon.
Defense
Shea Theodore (VGK): $5,800 vs. OTT
Shea Theodore has recorded five points in seven games played. He is running the point on a power play that is scoring at almost 30%. Coming into town are the Ottawa Senators, one of the more penalized teams in the NHL. To make things a little sweeter, Ottawa will turn to Anders Nilsson in net, who has a career 3.06 goals-against average. Even if Theodore isn’t on the score sheet, you can count on a few shots and blocks. Although I do think Ottawa will hang in this game, I expect plenty of goals to be scored regardless.
Goalie
David Rittich (CGY): $8,100 vs DET
My philosophy in finding DFS goalie targets is to try and pair the best price with the biggest favorite. Rittich is priced in a tier below Fleury, Price, and Binnington, but his Vegas odds of winning the game are -230, the second biggest choice on the betting board. Finding wins when picking a goalie is paramount, so I’m riding Big Save Dave against a Detroit team that is coming down to earth.
Chris Genova is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyOneTimer.
