This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's the final day of the NHL regular season. Well, it was supposed to be. The Kraken and Jets have a makeup game to come, but this is, at least ceremonially, the end of the regular season. There are 15 games taking place. The Hurricanes and Kings get an extra day to prep themselves for the playoffs. Here are my recommendations for players to target and avoid for your DFS lineups. See you in the playoffs!
GOALIE
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. ANA ($30): The Stars have made the playoffs, and Oettinger will presumably be their primary goalie. He has a 2.54 GAA and .915 save percentage. While professional athletes are competitive, the Ducks have definitely had a "we're ready for the season to end" vibe for as long as any team, dating back to the fire sale at the trade deadline. They have nothing to play for, and they are in the bottom 10 in goals and shots on net per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Logan Thompson, VGK at STL ($33): For the first time in their history, the Golden Knights aren't going to the playoffs. You can't blame Thompson, who has a 2.60 GAA and .918 save percentage. It's a tough matchup to end the season on, though, as the Blues have scored 3.77 goals per contest.
CENTER
Nick Schmaltz, ARI vs. NAS ($18): It's Bizarro World to end the regular season! I'm recommending a Coyotes player! Schmaltz hasn't given up, as he has six points in his last five games. The Predators are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and Juuse Saros is being sat until the playoffs. Will we see third-string goalie Connor Ingram in net, who has played in all of two NHL games?
CENTER TO AVOID
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS at NYR ($21): If Alexandar Georgiev is in net instead of the all-but-crowned Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin, this changes. However, things may still be trickier than expected for Kuznetsov. The Capitals are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and Alex Ovechkin has missed Washington's last couple of games. No Ovi really changes the picture for the Capitals, especially his usual center in Kuznetsov.
WING
Rickard Rakell, PIT vs. CLM ($17): Since joining the Penguins, Rakell has 13 points in 18 games. He's also put 45 shots on net. The Blue Jackets have allowed a whopping 35.1 shots on goal per contest, and they are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
Carter Verhaeghe, FLA at MON ($16): The Panthers have nothing to play for, so they could rest some key pieces for the playoffs potentially. Verhaeghe just returned from injury, though, so Florida may want him to get into the swing of things. The winger has 24 goals and 31 assists in 76 games. Montreal, meanwhile, has locked up the worst GAA in the NHL, as they currently stand at having allowed 3.89 goals per game.
WINGS TO AVOID
Matthew Boldy, MIN vs. COL ($18): Both of these teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and both have two goalies they trust, but I think the Avalanche might have the edge there. Pavel Francouz has a 2.52 GAA and .918 save percentage this season, and in his career he has a .922 save percentage. Boldy has had an impressive rookie campaign, but there are so many better options on a day where 30 teams are playing.
Mark Stone, VGK at STL ($16): Stone's return was exciting for a Vegas team on a playoff push, but since getting back in the lineup he has only one point in eight games. Now he ends the season on the road against the Blues, and Ville Husso has a 2.47 GAA and .921 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. VAN ($18): Barrie has long been a power-play specialist, and the Oilers certainly have a special power play. He's notched 21 points with the extra man. The Canucks have the 31st-ranked penalty kill, and with Thatcher Demko banged up, they may be without their top-two goalies from the start of the season, and with nothing to play for why would they risk Demko's health?
Moritz Seider, DET at NJD ($17): Let's see if Seider can make one last argument to win the Calder. While he's slowed down a bit, seven points and 43 shots on net in his last 15 games is nothing to sneeze at. He's also averaged 2:54 per game with the extra man this year. The German catches a Devils team on a back-to-back, and they also have a 3.64 GAA.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at STL ($20): As I noted, Husso has a 2.47 GAA and .921 save percentage for the Blues. St. Louis also has the fourth-ranked penalty kill. Pietrangelo has tallied 12 of his 43 points on the power play, and also the last two points he's notched, which doesn't bode well for him.
Kevin Shattenkirk, ANA at DAL ($15): I would have recommended avoiding Cam Fowler, but the Ducks sat him out their last game so he might not even play. Shattenkirk has been in the lineup, but he's also on the road facing a goalie with a 2.54 GAA. Also, as the Ducks have undergone a bit of a youth movement, Shattenkirk's power-play time has dropped. He's only averaged 1:44 per game with the extra man over his last 14 outings.
