This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
There are five NHL games Friday, including the second half of a home-and-home between the Capitals and Hurricanes. Here are some interesting fantasy options for your daily hockey lineups that stand out to me.
GOALIE
Columbus Blue Jackets, CLM vs. BUF ($17,800): The Blue Jackets will be on the second night of a back-to-back, but they are getting a Vancouver team that is 1-7-2 in their last 10 games, and the Canucks have lost five in a row. Vancouver has also only scored 2.58 goals per game. There aren't a lot of great goalie options Friday, so it's worth betting on what is at least a very favorable matchup.
CENTER
Vincent Trocheck, FLA vs. CGY ($13,200): The Flames are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back, and they will likely be starting untested 25-year-old David Rittich in net. Trocheck has 40 points in 42 games, and in his last eight contests, he's notched 40 shots on net. Calgary also has the 23rd-ranked penalty kill, and Trocheck has 11 points with the extra man.
Derek Stepan, ARI vs. EDM ($8,900): Stepan has a four-game point streak, and he eight points in his last 10 contests. He's also averaged 2:55 per game with the extra man, and he has 10 power-play points. The Oilers are dead last on the penalty kill, so Stepan could easily have more power-play success in this one.
WING
Jeff Skinner, CAR vs. WAS ($10,800): Here's something interesting about the Capitals; on the road this year they have a 3.45 team GAA and have given up 33.1 shots on net per contest. Skinner has started 69.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most on the Hurricanes. The winger has put a whopping 150 shots on net, and he's tallied over 30 goals three times in his career, including last season.
Patrick Maroon, EDM at ARI ($9,200): Maroon's shooting percentage has dropped considerably from when he tallied 27 goals last year, but he has 101 shots on net in 42 games this year. He's also currently on the top line on the Oilers depth chart, which means getting to play alongside Connor McDavid. This could be a great opportunity for Maroon to boost his scoring. The Coyotes have a 3.44 team GAA, third worst in the NHL.
Jakub Vrana, WAS at CAR ($6,700): The Hurricanes are going to be on the second night of a back-to-back, and they will be starting their "better" goalie Cam Ward, who still only has a 2.78 GAA and a .907 save percentage. Ward has struggled in January, as in this month he has a 3.89 GAA and a .855 save percentage. Vrana hasn't scored in a little while, but the 21-year-old has 10 goals on 88 shots in 43 games. At this price, he's worth a gamble.
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. VAN ($11,400): Werenski has 11 goals on 118 shots, and he's averaged over three minutes per game on the power play. The Canucks have the 27th-ranked penalty kill, which bodes well for Werenski. Vancouver also has a team GAA of 3.26, and they've given up 32.2 shots on net per contest. On top of that, in his last 11 games, Jacob Markstrom has a 3.48 GAA and a .890 save percentage.
Oscar Klefbom, EDM at ARI ($10,400): Klefbom's scoring is down, but that can be attributed to his 2.5 shooting percentage. He's put 121 shots on net in 40 games, so clearly he's still been involved in the offense. Perhaps puck luck will be on his side Friday. The Coyotes have a 3.44 team GAA, and they've also given up 32.0 shots on net per tilt.
