There is only one NHL game on Halloween, but don't be afraid — that just means there are single-game fantasy contests Wednesday! You will pick three forwards, two defensemen, and a captain who is worth 1.5 times the points. Here are some recommendations…
CAPTAIN
Jonathan Toews, CHI at VAN ($12,500): Toews has cooled down a bit, but he still has six goals and five assists through 12 games. That's despite the fact he doesn't have a single point on the power play yet. He had 12 last year in a down season, so that should change, and perhaps soon. With Anders Nilsson out, the Canucks are pretty much locked into starting Jacob Markstrom, who has a 3.09 GAA and .909 save percentage.
FORWARD
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. CHI ($10,500): You are going to have to play at least one Canuck, and Pettersson is as good as choice as any. The rookie has seven goals, even though he's only played seven games. He's also averaged 4:01 per game on the power play. Corey Crawford has played well since returning from his lengthy concussion absence, but he did give up six goals in his last start.
Brandon Saad, CHI vs. VAN ($8,500): Saad's return to Chicago didn't go great last year, as he only managed 18 goals. However, he also had a 7.6 shooting percentage, well below his career average. He's at 7.7 to start this season, but he has five points. Plus, as previously noted, Jacob Markstrom has a .909 save percentage, and Anders Nilsson is dealing with an injury.
Dominik Kahun, CHI at VAN ($8,000): Kahun has gotten off to a strong start to his rookie year, as he has seven points in 12 games. He's been helped tremendously by the fact he's skating on Chicago's top line alongside Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat. The 23-year-old has also started 66.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, an awfully high number for any player. The Canucks have allowed 32.9 shots on net per game, which is going to make it tricky for their healthy goalies to try and prevent goals.
DEFENSEMEN
Henri Jokiharju, CHI at VAN ($8,000): Speaking of rookies being put into favorable situations, Jokiharju is skating with Duncan Keith on Chicago's top pairing. He's also started 62.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Blackhawks defensemen. The 19-year-old has seven assists, and though he has zero goals he's put 36 shots on net. The young defenseman is quite intriguing.
Troy Stecher, VAN vs. CHI ($7,500): The 24-year-old Stecher hasn't had a breakout season yet, but he does have five points to start the season. He's on Vancouver's top defensive pairing, which means he's getting the minutes to try and make some noise. Corey Crawford has a .919 save percentage, but the Blackhawks have allowed 33.7 shots on net per game, so there's still opportunity there.
