This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We know all the playoff teams for this year's postseason, and those games begin Saturday. However, there are regular-season games left to be played, and there are ways to stay excited about them. Like, for example, playing daily fantasy hockey. There are technically five games Wednesday, but one of them starts at 5:00 p.m. EDT. That one isn't included in the main slate of contests. So, given that, I am just looking at the four games starting at 8:00 p.m.
GOALIE
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. LOS ($30): The teams that had the worst offenses in the NHL are all done playing this year – much to the relief of their fans I am sure – but the Kings are still in action. Los Angeles has only scored 2.61 goals per game and put 28.6 shots on net per contest. Grubauer is getting revved up for the playoffs after a lengthy absence, and since returning he has a 2.01 GAA and .926 save percentage in five starts.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Cal Petersen, LOS at COL ($23): Petersen impressed in limited action in his first two NHL seasons, and he got off to a hot start to this year. However, while he still has a .914 save percentage, his performance has definitely dropped off. Over his last 14 games he has a 3.26 GAA and .895 save percentage, and the Avalanche are second in goals per contest.
CENTER
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at SAN ($19): Stephenson just saw a five-game point streak end against the Avalanche, but that still leaves him with 35 points in 50 games. He's benefited from the fact that eventually he moved up to being Vegas' first-line center, which has meant skating with the likes of Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault. The Sharks ended up one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL once again, as they have a 3.45 GAA.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS at COL ($20): Kopitar picked up his 1,000th-career point in May and has 50 points in 54 games, but Philipp Grubauer has a 2.00 GAA and .921 save percentage on the season. On top of that, the Avalanche have allowed a league-low 25.6 shots on net per game. Kopitar has also slowed down as the season has gone on. Twenty-three of the Slovenian's 50 points have come with the extra man, but he only has one power-play point in his last 17 games.
WING
Kevin Fiala, MIN at STL ($20): Fiala has been one of the hottest players in the NHL, with 14 points in his last 10 games. He's also averaged 3:05 with the extra man and notched 14 power-play points in 49 contests. Swapping out Alex Pietrangelo for Torey Krug did not seem to help the Blues on the penalty kill. St. Louis is in the bottom five in penalty-kill percentage.
Joe Thornton, TOR at OTT ($12): With the playoffs on the horizon, many of us are wondering if this is the year Thornton finally wins the Stanley Cup. For now, though, let's focus on his upside in for your DFS lineup. Jumbo Joe has skated on the top line for the Leafs alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. He's also started 65.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the team. Thornton seems primed for a postseason run, as he just had a seven-game point streak end. Meanwhile, the Senators have a 3.38 GAA.
WINGS TO AVOID
Evander Kane, SAN vs. VGK ($26): Let's move to Thornton's old team. Kane has averaged more than 20 minutes a game in ice time, rare for a forward, but that likely won't matter much in this matchup. The Golden Knights have the league's lowest GAA (2.22) and the league's best penalty kill. There's not much upside here given that.
Brayden Schenn, STL vs. MIN ($14): Schenn has seen his numbers drop from last season. His shooting percentage went from a career-high 18.1 to a more-reasonable 12.7, and his power-play points have dropped from 21 to only seven. Cam Talbot has not been at his best recently, but on the season he has a 2.59 GAA and .916 save percentage, and last season in Calgary he had a 2.63 GAA and .919 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Jared Spurgeon, MIN at STL ($18): Spurgeon has notched nine points in his last nine games, giving him 25 points on the season. More importantly to me in this matchup, he's averaged 2:49 on the power play with nine power-play points. The Blues have the fifth worst penalty kill, and one-time rookie sensation Jordan Binnington has a .911 save percentage.
Nicolas Hague, VGK at SAN ($12): Given this matchup against a team with a 3.45 GAA, third highest in the NHL, I thought I would go down the list of candidates a bit for a player whose salary is quite manageable. Hague has been more active offensively recently, with three points and 16 shots on goal in his last seven games. He's also started 59.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Vegas defensemen, and second highest on the squad.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Brent Burns, SAN vs. VGK ($17): The 36-year-old Burns definitely suffered a drop off this year. That was clear on the power play, where he had a mere six points with the extra man. Against the Golden Knights' top-ranked penalty kill, that's not likely to change. Vegas has had a true goalie rotation going on, which would mean Marc-Andre Fleury starting Wednesday. He has a 2.04 GAA and .927 save percentage.
Drew Doughty, LOS at COL ($13): Doughty has an 8.4 shooting percentage, but even that has been a result of regression toward the mean. While he has eight goals, he hasn't lit the lamp in his last 17 outings. With the Avalanche having a 2.43 GAA, fifth best in the NHL, I don't think he will add to his goal total to wrap up the season.
