The All-Star break is officially behind us and we are now entering the home stretch. Some teams have hit their scheduled bye weeks, so the volume of games is a bit lighter this week. Everyone’s eyes should be focused on the battle of Alberta tonight, where Zack Kassian will make his return to the lineup to meet Matthew Tkachuk yet again. Let’s take a look at the rare busy Wednesday slate in NHL DFS.
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Center
Bo Horvat (VAN): $5,900 @ SJ
Quite simply, Horvat is one of the hottest players in the league right now, and the Canucks are heading into San Jose to play a Sharks team that gives up over three goals per game. Horvat has 15 points in his previous 11 games, and he has hit the five-shot mark three times over those games. He is firmly situated on a line with Tanner Pearson and Loui Eriksson, and he is centering the top power-play unit. Vancouver is sitting on top of the Pacific Divison, so they’ll look to keep rolling. If the Sharks haven’t packed it in just yet, the Canucks can deliver a knockout punch to their playoff chances tonight.
Wing
Matthew Tkachuk (CGY): $6,000 @ EDM
Most players would be cautiously looking over their shoulder after hearing what Zack Kassian had to say last week. Tkachuk is not one of those players. As a matter of fact, I think the heightened intensity and spectacle around the game will only enhance his performance. You can consider this a gut call. Tkachuk didn’t head into the break playing his best hockey from a point production standpoint, but he chipped in with a goal and an assist last night. Perhaps the All-Star game break came at a perfect time. I expect Tkachuk to have a big home stretch for the Flames.
Nikita Kucherov (TB): $8,300 @ LA
Oddly enough, this may be the first time this season that Kucherov has been featured in this article. Why does it feel like he is having a down season despite having 56 points in 48 games? I suppose it’s because he finds himself outside the top ten in scoring, which we’re not used to seeing from him. It looks like Tampa is ready to take off. After a slow start, they’ve caught fire and shot up the Atlantic standings, now just seven points behind Boston with two games in hand. Kucherov has led the charge with 15 points in the 11 games Tampa has played in the New Year. Additionally, he has reached the five-shot mark in five of his previous seven games. The Lightning will visit the last-place Kings, who have surrendered about 3 goals a game this season.
Defense
Rasmus Sandin (TOR): $3,700 @ DAL
The only plus side for the Maple Leafs in losing Morgan Rielly for an extended period is the opportunity to see their top defensive prospect Rasmus Sandin flourish. The 19-year-old first-round pick has picked up four points in his four games since being called up, and he’s looked good while doing it. He is not going to play a lot of minutes paired up with Cody Ceci on the third pairing, likely to be around 15. However, he has had an opportunity to jump on the second power-play unit, and at this point, he looks dangerous passing the puck out of his own zone at all times. He is a Maple Leaf, so he will get an ownership bump there, but I think he’s still worth the price.
Goalie
Braden Holtby (WSH): $8,100 vs NSH
The Washington Capitals are poised to make another deep playoff run. However, for Braden Holtby, this home stretch feels like more of a try out than anything else. The impending unrestricted free agent is starting to lose more work to the young Ilya Samsonov. It’s becoming quite clear that Holtby will not be between the pipes for the Capitals next season. Holtby is still a very capable goalie, but it has not been his best season, currently posting a 3.05 GAA and .899 SV%. However, tonight the Capitals host the reeling Nashville Predators. They’re installed as a -160 favorite on the betting line. I expect the Capitals to pick up a win, which is paramount when trying to find goalies in DFS.
Chris Genova is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyOneTimer.
