This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are three NHL games Wednesday, including a TNT doubleheader. Fingers crossed all three games do end up happening. It's hard to feel too sure about that these days. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for Wednesday's DFS hockey contests.
GOALIE
Linus Ullmark, BOS vs. MON ($34): Until Tuukka Rask is fully up to speed, Ullmark will likely be relied upon for the Bruins. That's fair, given that he has a 2.57 GAA and .917 save percentage. The Canadiens haven't played since January 1, and they are currently lasts in goals per game at 2.12.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Karel Vejmelka, ARI vs. TOR ($20): Just because the Maple Leafs are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, don't get cute. Toronto is in the top eight in both goals and shots on net per target. Vejmelka, meanwhile, has a .904 save percentage in his rookie campaign. He also has all of three wins all season, and even in this relatively-favorable situation, I don't expect a fourth.
CENTER
Roope Hintz, DAL vs. SEA ($18): Hintz is pretty much ensconced as the top center for the Stars now. He's notched 23 points in 30 games and is getting a lot of time with the extra man. Over the last 14 games he's averaged 2:46 on the power play and tallied six power-play points. The Kraken have a 3.68 GAA, and also the league's lowest team save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jared McCann, SEA at DAL ($18): McCann already has 14 goals, his total in each of his last two seasons, though a career-high 17.7 shooting percentage plays a part in that. Though Braden Holtby just hit the COVID-19 protocols list, the Stars should be just fine. Jake Oettinger has a 2.22 GAA and .923 save percentage.
WING
Taylor Hall, BOS vs. MON ($18): Hall has gotten hot, with a six-game point streak to his name. That includes two assists in each of his last two outings. Prior to their pause, the Canadiens were one of the worst teams in the NHL on the defensive end of things. They rank in the bottom five in GAA, shots on net allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage.
Phil Kessel, ARI vs. TOR ($17): This is a place where I think facing the Maple Leafs on the second night of a back-to-back could benefit the Coyotes. No, this isn't about a revenge game for Kessel. It's about the fact Jack Campbell started Tuesday, and his backup Petr Mrazek has a 4.13 GAA and .880 save percentage. Kessell has had some rough luck given his 6.7 shooting percentage, but he still has 12 points in his last 11 games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jordan Eberle, SEA at DAL ($15): Regression has come for Eberle. He has 12 goals in 32 games with a 17.4 shooting percentage. However, that shooting percentage is still elevated even though he hasn't lit the lamp in his last nine contests. I don't expect that drought to end against the Stars, given Oettinger's .923 save percentage.
Jonathan Drouin, MON at BOS ($13): Drouin has been solid this season, as he has 17 points in 27 games. He also is one of the only Canadiens currently definitively healthy and available. That's not enough for me against a team with 2.58 GAA that has only allowed 29.3 shots on net per contest.
DEFENSE
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. SEA ($17): I've been waiting for Heiskanen to pick things up, and it's finally happened. A four-game point streak gives him 21 points in 31 games, and he has 79 shots on net to boot. The Kraken may have only allowed 29.2 shots on goal per contest, but they still have a 3.68 GAA because of the poor goaltending.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI vs. TOR ($16): Gostisbehere has tallied six points in his last five games. He's also been getting a ton of power-play time with Jakob Chychrun out. Over the last 10 contests he's averaged 3:26 per game with the extra man. The Maple Leafs have an excellent penalty kill, but it won't be at full capacity on the second leg of a back-to-back with Mrazek in net.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Mark Giordano, SEA at DAL ($16): Giordano has had one notable game since returning to the lineup, and that was against his old team the Flames. If you don't include that matchup, he has one point in eight games since returning to action. Being on the road against the Stars is not a likely place for him to pick things up. As I noted, Oettinger has a 2.22 GAA.
Vince Dunn, SEA at DAL ($13): As you can tell, there are two matchups I am avoiding Wednesday: Seattle in Dallas and Montreal in Boston. The Canadiens don't have any defenseman you might consider, though, with Jeff Petry's collapse this season. Thus, I am doubling down on Kraken. Dunn has 13 pointsin 29 games, but he's also only put 38 shots on net. While he has one of the better career shooting percentages among defensemen (6.5), I don't like him in this matchup.
