This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's a unique Sunday in the NHL with Day 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and a meaningless regular-season bout between Calgary and Vancouver. Yahoo has featured contests consisting of all three games on the schedule. The noted Flames-Canucks and Lightning-Panthers contests enter with tight odds while the Golden Knights are a reasonable favorite against the visiting Wild. Here's picks and pans for each position ahead of Sunday's action.
All statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.
GOALIE
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. TB ($27): Being a home underdog could prove to be a sneaky spot for Bobrovsky to return value on his position-low salary. He saved 28 of 29 shots to win in his most recent start against the Lightning on May 8, and the Panthers also won the season series 5-3. Obviously, there's plenty of risk loading up Bobrovsky against the reigning Stanley Cup champs, but he could fly under the radar as a No. 2 goalie selection.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at FLA ($35): The Panthers took the season series 5-3 and also came out on top the past two meetings by a combined 9-1 score with Vasilevskiy in net for both losses. He also posted an underwhelming 2-4 record, .898 save percentage and 3.36 GAA against Florida for the campaign. It's reasonable to consider fading Vasilevskiy at his contest-high salary.
CENTER
William Karlsson, VGK vs. MIN ($20): With nine shots and three individual high-danger scoring chances over the past two games without scoring a goal, Karlsson's eyeing some positive scoring regression. He's only found the back of the net once and sports an unsustainably low 5.9 shooting percentage over the past eight contests, so the recent uptick in shot volume is encouraging.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brayden Point, TB at FLA ($23): The numbers for Point against Florida this season don't jump off the page as he was held to just four goals, two assists, 14 shots and a minus-3 rating through the eight regular-season meetings, and the Panthers allowed the fifth fewest high-danger scoring chances and eighth fewest goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five this year.
WING
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY at VAN ($24): It's a meaningless game with the Canucks playing their second game in consecutive days - sounds like an ideal setup for Gaudreau. The 27-year-old winger turned it on down the stretch with six tallies, 11 assists and 25 shots through 13 games and has clicked playing with Elias Lindholm ($19) and Matthew Tkachuk ($20) most of the time. The trio has also combined for a high-end 3.95 goals per 60 minutes during the noted 13-game stretch.
Anthony Cirelli, TB at FLA ($10): This is a bargain. The return of Steven Stamkos ($28) and Nikita Kucherov ($30) projects to slot Cirelli back into a supporting role after he only registered a single assist through the final 23 games of the season. With a contest-minimum salary, gambling on statistical correction for the 23-year-old center could pay off considering he recorded 21 points through the first 27 contests of the campaign.
WINGS TO AVOID
Max Pacioretty, VGK vs. MIN ($34): A game-time decision with an undisclosed injury, Pacioretty didn't practice Saturday. He could draw into the lineup and play his usual role, he could dress and play at what's likely less than 100 percent, or he could watch from the press box. Minnesota also allowed the fewest high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five during the regular season, so there's a lot of things going against Pacioretty.
Nikita Kucherov, TB at FLA ($30): After missing the entire regular season, there's obvious risk in spending up for Kucherov. He's probably 100 percent healthy, but as noted the Panthers aren't a defensively porous club. It probably won't backfire to take a wait-and-see approach.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, CGY at VAN ($21): As noted, this should prove to be a soft matchup spot for Calgary and Giordano is padding his fantasy point totals through the secondary statistics with 35 shots, 21 blocks and a plus-8 rating across the past 10 games. It's a nice production floor and the Calgary captain has also logged a hefty 25:21 of ice time per game during the noted stretch, including 2:51 quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play unit.
Nicolas Hague, VGK vs. MIN ($13): The 22-year-old defenseman enters in solid form and offers cap relief. With Vegas the largest favorites on the docket, there's a low to modest fantasy floor to target as Hague has picked up three helpers, nine shots and five blocks through the past four games. He's also been receiving some power-play time recently, but that could evaporate if Alec Martinez ($21) returns from a foot injury.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Matt Dumba, MIN at VGK ($18): Not only has Dumba recorded an underwhelming four assists, 17 shots, 16 blocks and a minus-3 rating from his last 12 games, he was also limited to just a single helper and a minus-2 rating through eight regular-season matchups against Vegas. It's just a puzzling salary considering Dumba's current form and poor past performance against the Golden Knights.
MacKenzie Weegar, FLA vs. TB ($18): Coming off a sterling stretch run consisting of 11 points, 20 shots, 21 blocks and a plus-11 rating through the final eight contests, Weegar's production should catch your attention. However, he's likely to play tough minutes against Tampa Bay's top weapons and negative offensive regression seems inevitable.
