This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday is fairly light on the NHL front, with four games on the docket. A couple teams are playing their first games of the season, and obviously taking much from this year in terms of data is presumptuous to some degree. Maybe you can take a couple hints from this year, add in some stats from prior campaigns, and also consider these recommendations for players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, CAR at SAN ($38): Last season Andersen had a 2.17 GAA and .922 save percentage playing for the team that had the best penalty kill and allowed the fewest shots on net per game. The Sharks, back from Prague, finished 30th in goals per contest last year. Even on the road, I'm high on Andersen.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ville Husso, DET vs. MON ($30): I don't want to get too excited about Husso in goalie for the Red Wings just yet. Detroit had the second-highest GAA in the NHL last season, and that wasn't all the goaltending. The Canadiens finished 27th in goals per game, but I think their offense will be a little better. I just don't want to take a shot on Husso in his first start as a Wing in their first game of the season. I'm in "wait and see" mode.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET vs. MON ($21): Here's somewhere where I do like a Red Wing! Larkin got back into the swing of things last season with 31 goals and 38 assists. He's got Tyler Bertuzzi and Lucas Raymond on his wings, making this a legitimate NHL first line. Since joining the Canadiens, Jake Allen has a 3.01 GAA and .906 save percentage across 65 games played.
CENTER TO AVOID
Vincent Trocheck, NYR at WPG ($17): We still don't know how Trocheck is going to fit into the landscape with the Rangers, though I trust he'll be fine. However, the Rangers are the lone NHL team on the second leg of a back-to-back, and they are on the road as well. Connor Hellebuyck's numbers weren't great last year, but it may have been because of wear and tear, as he shouldered as large of a load as any goalie. The American netminder has a career .916 save percentage, and starting the season he is totally fresh.
WING
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG vs. NYR ($23): Last season Ehlers was incredibly prolific. He put 245 shots on net in a mere 62 games. That yielded 28 goals. As I noted, the Rangers are on a back-to-back, and that likely means new backup Jaroslav Halak in goal. The 37-year-old has a .904 save percentage over the last two seasons.
Alex Killorn, TAM at CLM ($12): Killorn picked up 25 goals last season, as well as 14 points with the extra man. Now, it was partially due to opportunity, but Killorn played 7:03 on the power play in the first game of this season. The Blue Jackets need to shape up defensively, as they allowed 35.2 shots on net per game. Elvis Merzlikins also had a .907 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Johnny Gaudreau, CLM vs. TAM ($32): Columbus' new top line is already in flux, as Patrik Laine is dealing with an arm injury. It also doesn't help to have to face the Lightning so early into the campaign. Andrei Vasilevskiy has a career 2.50 GAA and .919 save percentage, so I can easily see Gaudreau not yet notching his first point as a Blue Jacket.
Timo Meier, SAN vs. CAR ($23): Meier got a chance to get a couple games under his belt in Europe, and he remained active offensively, putting 11 shots on net in total. However, trying to put pucks on goal against the Hurricanes is a different scenario. Carolina only allowed 28.2 shots on net per contest last season, and it has been among the top teams on that front for a few seasons now.
DEFENSE
Brent Burns, CAR at SAN ($19): It did not take Burns long to get a chance to return to San Jose. He's still got it, as he played 22:33 in his first game with the Hurricanes and put six shots on goal. There were a couple seasons in the middle of his career where James Reimer looked quite good, but over the last six seasons he has a 2.89 GAA and .909 save percentage.
Ben Chiarot, DET vs. MON ($14): Chiarot is also getting a chance to face his former team. The new Red Wing has already been plunked down on Detroit's top pairing with Moritz Seider, which is a good place to be. Montreal finished last in GAA and 30th in shots on net allowed per game last season, so getting a lot of minutes in this matchup could pay off.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. TAM ($21): Starting the season with games against the Hurricanes and Lightning is a rough draw for Werenski. Vasilevskiy has his career .919 save percentage, of course, but the Lightning also had the 11th-ranked penalty kill last season.
Jacob Trouba, NYR at WPG ($21): Hey, here is a defenseman facing his former team I am not up on. Trouba's numbers will likely dip this year, as he is unlikely to replicate his 5.4 shooting percentage, given his career 4.8 numbers (a slight difference, but a difference). I noted that Hellebuyck may have seen his numbers dip due to his workload last season, and indeed across the first two months of last year he had a .918 save percentage.
