This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We're near the end of October. We had a day where the entire NHL was in action. I figured it's time to start looking more at the numbers for this season on the team front, even if the sample size is not exactly robust. With changes to lineups, coaches, player usage, there are some things to be seen here that last year's numbers can't necessarily tell us. There are five NHL games Friday starting at 7 p.m. ET or later. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. STL ($35): Last season was tough for Demko, and also injury plagued. The two prior seasons, though, he had a .915 save percentage each time. This year he's got a .923 save percentage through four starts. The Blues have started slow offensively, ranking in the bottom 10 in goals and shots on net per game. Plus, the Blues are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Vitek Vanecek, NJD vs. BUF ($27): Last year, Vanecek had a 2.45 GAA, but with a .911 save percentage. The Devils were suppressing shots, but this season has allowed a more middling 30.7 shots on goal per game. Buffalo has only scored 2.71 goals per game thus far, but had a top-five offense last season. Tage Thompson has a 9.4 shooting percentage. This offense will pick up.
CENTER
Dylan Strome, WAS vs. MIN ($17): Washington has had offensive woes, but Strome has two two-goal games in his last three outings. He's also been moved to first-line center, which means skating with Alex Ovechkin. The Wild are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Marc-Andre Fleury will be in net. He's 38, and he has a .907 save percentage over the last three seasons.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brayden Schenn, WAS at VAN ($14): Schenn is the Blues' captain now, but heavy lies the chest that wears the "C," apparently. He has all of one point, and assist, and has only put eight shots on net in six games. As I mentioned, Demko has a .923 save percentage, and also as I mentioned the Blues are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
WING
Nick Schmaltz, ARI vs. LOS ($19): Schmaltz has been close to a point-a-game player the last two seasons. The problem both times is that he only played 63 games. Right now, Schmaltz is healthy, and he has seven points through six contests. Cam Talbot is on his third team in three seasons for a reason. He has a 3.03 GAA and .900 save percentage for the Kings after having an .898 save percentage last year.
Martin Necas, CAR vs. SAN ($18): Necas took a leap last season, going from being a 40-point complementary piece to notching 28 goals and 43 assists. He has nine points through eight games this year. Both of these teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but the Hurricanes were home for both games. Plus, the Sharks are looking primed to be the worst team in the NHL, especially defensively. They are also in shots on net allowed per game and Kaapo Kahkonen has a career .899 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jordan Kyrou, STL at VAN ($20): After two back-to-back 70-point seasons, Kyrou has been unlucky when it comes to puck luck to start this year. In time, that will change, but here he is on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back against a rested Canucks team. It's also worth nothing that this is only Vancouver's second game at home, so Demko's .923 save percentage has been managed even with three of his starts having come on the road.
Tomas Hertl, SAN at MIN ($16): With Logan Couture out with injury, Hertl is doing the "last man standing" thing for a rebuilding squad. While Hertl has been able to produce, the talent around him is certainly lacking. He's on the second leg of a back-to-back, and while Carolina's goaltending has been poor, it remains in the top five in shots on net allowed per game. Antti Raanta posted a 2.34 GAA over the prior two seasons. Eventually, Carolina's netminders should see their GAAs drop.
DEFENSE
John Carlson, WAS vs. MIN ($20): Carlson has been the one consistent performer for the Capitals offensively. That's not ideal given that he's a defenseman, but for DFS players, his five-game point streak still offers encouragement. So does a matchup against a Wild team playing their second game in as many days while starting Fleury, who allowed five goals on 25 shots in his last start.
Filip Hronek, VAN vs. STL ($18): Hronek had 38 points two years ago, and 39 last season in only 64 games. This year he has four points in six contests, but the Canucks have also played him a ton, as he's averaged 25:27 per game in ice time. Yes, Jordan Binnington is off to a hot start, but his numbers have gotten worse every season of his career. Last year he had a 3.31 GAA and .894 save percentage. I need to see more from him, and also the fact his team is on the second leg of a back-to-back is also a point against the goalie.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Drew Doughty, LOS at ARI ($17): Speaking of goalies that need to prove it, Karel Vejmelka's .942 save percentage to start this season. However, the 33-year-old Doughty isn't off to a stellar start himself. He has three points in six games, but only nine shots on net, and his 11.1 shooting percentage is effectively unsustainable for a defenseman. In the past, I would have seen this as a fine opportunity, but this time, I think I will leave Doughty out of any lineups.
Justin Faulk, STL at VAN ($17): Faulk had 50 points last season and came out of the gate with five shots on net in St. Louis' opener. Since then, though, he has only one point, an assist, and only six shots on net. Then, of course, there's the matter of the back-to-back and Demko's stats to start the year. Of the 10 teams in action in this slate, clearly the Blues are the ones I have the most concern about.
