Roughly five weeks remain until the end of the 2020-21 NHL regular season. All four divisions have the fourth and fifth-ranked teams jockeying within a couple of points for a coveted spot in the top four to earn a postseason bid. Elsewhere, the Vancouver Canucks continue to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak amongst their skaters, so the threat of the virus has not fully receded. However, the number of teams impacted by it has dropped significantly overall compared to earlier in the season.
Targeting skaters on teams that have huge plus-goal differentials is a great way to construct your lineup for Tuesday’s nine-game slate, as this statistic usually translates to elite offense or a combination of effective offense and goaltending. You can also opt to look at teams that are at the bottom of a division to find undervalued skaters on the first line that have their salary reduced due to the collective record of the team. Let’s take a look at a few skaters that bring strong value into an action-packed Tuesday slate.
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Center
Evgeny Kuznetsov (WAS): $6,600 at NYI
Kuznetsov is limited with his ATOI, and he has averaged under 15 minutes per game across his last four outings. This is to be expected with a third-line skater, as they do not spend nearly as much time on the ice as the top two lines. Kuznetsov is coming off a two-point game against the New Jersey Devils (goal/assist), but his salary remains relatively low due to a previous three-game point drought. The 28-year old is capable of getting pucks on net while centering the third line between Richard Panik and Daniel Sprong, totaling 20 points (seven goals/13 assists) with 59 shots on goal and 15 blocks across 29 games for the Capitals this season. He is a solid addition to lineups ahead of Tuesday night’s contest against Islanders reserve goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
Wing
Brad Marchand (BOS): $7,700 at PHI
Marchand cooled off considerably against the Flyers on Monday night against Brian Elliott. He managed just one shot on goal and failed to generate a point for the first time in three games. The small-but-talented winger racked up seven points (five goals/two assists) across his previous three games against the Devils and the Penguins, pouring in three goals on six shots in a 7-5 win against the Penguins on Saturday. Marchand will get a great opportunity to avenge his poor outing from Monday night against new Philadelphia Flyers netminder Carter Hart, who has an atrocious 3.92 GAA and .871 save percentage in 21 starts this season. This is exactly the type of favorable matchup to target when constructing your lineups, as Marchand could be in store for another multi-point performance.
Defense
Adam Fox (NYR): $5,900 at PIT
The 23-year old defenseman for the New York Rangers is an absolute juggernaut from an offensive perspective. Fox has 10-straight games with a point, four of which have been multi-point outings to elevate his production into an elite tier. The Penguins’ goaltenders have been inconsistent with their play in between the pipes and may struggle to defend the top two lines deployed by the Rangers. Fox anchors the back of the offensive zone from the blue line and has instincts that cannot be taught, allowing him to always get in position for an assist or shot on goal while maintaining pressure on opposing skaters. He also has 67 blocked shots on the season, five fewer than his 74 shots on goal. These are incredible numbers to back up his consistent all-around play, and Fox should be rostered in as many lineups as possible.
Goalie
Petr Mrazek (CAR): $8,500 vs. FLA
Petr Mrazek has been a stud goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes this season, albeit across only five starts in relief of Alex Nedeljkovic. Mrazek has recorded three shutouts, and his most recent one came against the Dallas Stars in a 1-0 victory on Sunday. Though The Florida Panthers have won six consecutive games and have talented skaters such as Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, Mrazek posted a shutout against Tampa Bay’s hyper-offensive scheme back in January. That performance suggests Mrazek isn’t afraid of competition and has strong mental fortitude when in the net. Although he is a bit more expensive than the typical value goaltender, Mrazek will look to earn his fourth shutout of the season and build off the momentum from his previous success against the Stars.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
