This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Oh, Canada. The Great White North is front and center Wednesday. Four teams are playing, and three of them are Canadian squads. Here are my DFS lineup recommendations…
GOALIE
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. MON ($31): Demko has been solid, posting a 2.63 GAA and .917 save percentage. Wednesday he's at home against a Canadiens team that has managed a mere 2.41 goals per game. Also, which he Canucks have the league's worst penalty kill, the Canadiens have the 31st-ranked power play. That may not be an issue.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Mikko Koskinen, EDM vs. WAS ($30): I mean would you use a goalie for any of these teams other than Demko? Washington is on the second leg of a back-to-back. Montreal has the league's highest GAA. Koskinen has been good over his last six games (2.60 GAA, .919 save percentage), but on the season he has a .904 save percentage and the Caps rank 11th in goals per contest.
CENTER
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. MON ($20): Pettersson has notched 15 points in his last 11 games. They've come in bunches too, as he has four multi-point games in that time. The Canadiens have a 3.79 GAA, and they've also allowed 34.0 shots on net per contest.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nick Suzuki, MON at VAN ($9): The pickings are slim in terms of players to avoid, which is good for DFS players. Suzuki is the only center you might consider from the Canadiens. Demko with his 2.63 GAA and .917 save percentage will be the best goalie playing Wednesday. It's not a strong declaration for avoidance, but it's not ideal.
WING
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. MON ($18): As he heads toward potentially being traded, Boeser has picked up his play. Over his last 15 games he has 14 points, including seven with the extra man. The Canadiens have the league's highest GAA, so unsurprisingly they also have the 29th-ranked penalty kill.
T.J. Oshie, WAS at EDM ($16): With only four teams playing, you may not be able to avoid a player on the second leg of a back-to-back. Plus, the Oilers have a 3.21 GAA and have allowed 31.8 shots on net per contest. Oshie has missed most of the season so maybe he will have fresh legs. He also sees a good chunk of his minutes on the power play. Oshie has two points in six games since returning, and they have both come with the extra man.
WINGS TO AVOID
Zach Hyman, EDM vs. WAS ($19): Hyman's stock rose when he went on a goal-scoring jag, but he hasn't lit the lamp in his last six games. The Capitals are on a back-to-back, but they also are in the top five in shots on net allowed per contest. Generally, they can keep an offense in check. This Wednesday I am splitting hairs on this front.
Josh Anderson, MON at VAN ($15): Anderson has 15 goals in 45 games, but he also only has two power-play points all year. Last season, his first with Montreal, he also only had two power-play points. Given that, Anderson isn't likely to take advantage of Vancouver's penalty-killing woes.
DEFENSE
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. MON ($20): When a defenseman has four multi-point games in eight outings, it's going to draw attention. Hughes is an elite playmaking defenseman. He has 40 assists, 21 of which have come with the extra man. The Canadiens, meanwhile, have a 3.79 GAA.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, VAN vs. MON ($16): Want to save salary but still take advantage of this matchup? Ekman-Larsson is a salary-saving option. He's averaged 22:28 in ice time, and he's put 122 shots on goal in 54 games. His offense has also picked up. Since the start of February the Swede has nine points in 12 games.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. WAS ($20): Nurse is not a power-play guy. He's averaged 1:37 per game with the extra man. Nurse generates a lot of value from shooting, having put 163 shots on net in 50 contests. However, the Capitals have only allowed 28.9 shots on goal per game. They may keep Nurse in check.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS at EDM ($15): Even on a back-to-back, John Carlson is so good I don't know if I would avoid him in this matchup. Orlov is having a good season with nine goals and 17 assists in 54 games, but he isn't Carlson. On the road for the second leg of a back-to-back I'm more skeptical about the Russian defenseman.
