This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
After another eventful few days of college basketball (and also college hockey), Monday is all about the NHL. There are six games on the docket, and here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Stuart Skinner, EDM at ARI ($29): The Oilers might go with Jack Campbell, as they play Vegas on Tuesday. Either way, I'd take an Edmonton goalie in this matchup. The Coyotes are in the bottom five in goals per game, and last in shots on net per contest. Also, they are on the second leg of a back-to-back. It's an iffy day for goalies, so I'm matchup focused Monday.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. NJD ($35): Sorokin's last start was brutal, and while I am sure he'll be fine, this is not the matchup to rebound with. The Devils are in the top five in goals and shots on net per game, and they are healthy and have Timo Meier in the fold now for good measure.
CENTER
Dylan Cozens, BUF vs. MON ($17): The Sabres made major offensive strides this season, and players like Cozens were critical to that. With 28 goals, he has a chance to double his career total prior to this season (17) in one campaign, and he is on a three-game point streak for good measure. The Canadiens, meanwhile, have a 3.67 GAA and have allowed 33.8 shots on net per contest.
CENTER TO AVOID
Matty Beniers, SEA at MIN ($17): Beniers has hit 50 points as a rookie – the Calder is all but his – but his game still needs to grow. He's only put 131 shots on net in 70 games, for example, not ideal for a first-line center. The Central Division is in the sights on the Wild, so I don't expect them to mess around down the stretch. That would mean Filip Gustavsson in net, and he has a 2.01 GAA and .932 save percentage.
WING
Zach Hyman, EDM at ARI ($26): Playing with Connor McDavid helps, but you don't tally 31 goals and 45 assists in 70 games without having skills of your own. He's also put 249 shots on net. The Coyotes have allowed 35.6 shots on goal per game, and they are on the second leg of a back-to-back as well.
Mike Hoffman, MON at BUF ($17): Hoffman is not the 30-goal type anymore, but he's still a contributing NHL player, and he's also on Montreal's first line now due to injuries and trades. He also has three goals and three assists in his last six contests. Buffalo has emerged offensively, but it is going to miss the playoffs because the defense needs to improve. The Sabres have a 3.68 GAA.
WINGS TO AVOID
Dawson Mercer, NJD at NYI ($18): Mercer had been on an absolute tear, but with all due respect doesn't feel like the kind of player who has a 12-game point streak and then just keeps chugging alone. Indeed, the 21-year-old only has two points in his last eight games. More concerning, he has been held to exactly one shots on net in each of his last four outings. Ilya Sorokin may be coming off a bad start, but he still has a 2.41 GAA and .922 save percentage.
Anders Lee, NYI vs. NJD ($17): The addition of Bo Horvat to the Islanders was a boon to Lee for a bit, but he's been held without a point in six of his last seven games. Also, he's been more reliant on quantity this year, having tallied 27 goals but on 195 shots on net. Now, that isn't a bad thing, but the Devils have only allowed 28.2 shots on net per game, which has helped them post a 2.70 GAA even without elite goaltending.
DEFENSE
Devon Toews, COL at ANA ($19): The Avalanche may be on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, but this matchup is just too enticing. Anaheim has a 4.03 GAA and has allowed 39.0 shots on net per contest, both of which are worst in the NHL. Toews maybe in Cale Makar's shadow, but he has 31 points and 145 shots on net in 70 games.
Darnell Nurse, EDM at ARI ($19): As a defenseman who doesn't play on the power play, Nurse doesn't usually have "big" games, but he's a steady producer on the Edmonton blue line. He has a four-game point streak, and he has tallied a point in 12 of his last 17 outings. The Coyotes are in the bottom 10 in GAA and shots on net allowed per contest, so it is easy to see Nurse notching another point to his name Monday.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. NJD ($20): Dobson has generated a lot of shots, putting 189 on target in 70 games. As I noted earlier, though, the Devils have only given up 28.2 shots on net per contest. However, in addition to that, Dobson has notched 18 of his 43 points on the power play, and the Devils have the seventh-ranked penalty kill.
Vince Dunn, SEA at MIN ($19): Dunn has really emerged for the Kraken, though a 9.8 shooting percentage has helped goose his numbers a bit. That being said, Filip Gustavsson looms for the Wild. He has a 2.01 GAA and .932 save percentage, and there are just too many fruitful matchups Monday to risk going with Dunn.
