This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
A Monday with no football? Sounds like the perfect day for the NHL! There are four games on the slate, although two of them are all-Canadian matchups, so it's not like those teams are fighting for attention against football up north. Regardless, here are my recommendations for who to target, and who to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Jonathan Quick, LOS vs. CLM ($25): You may look at Quick's 3.05 GAA and .894 save percentage and be concerned, but at home he actually has a 2.51 GAA and .912 save percentage. He's helped by the fact the Kings have allowed a mere 28.5 shots on net per contest. The Blue Jackets are bottom five in goals per game, and they've got some injuries up front, so don't be turned off by Quick's overall numbers.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at MON ($37): Hellebuyck has been kept busy this season, and it seems like it's starting to get to him. Over his last 10 games he has a 3.85 GAA and .886 save percentage. There's no rest for the weary Monday, as the Canadiens have averaged 35.4 shots on net per game, highest in the NHL.
CENTER
Max Domi, MON vs. WPG ($18): Domi has a nine-game point streak going, and he's notched at least one point in 10 of his last 11 contests. He's also tallied 10 power-play points in 42 games. Even prior to Connor Hellebuyck's struggles, the Jets were having issues on the penalty kill, and they actually have the worst penalty kill in the league.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. COL ($25): Barzal is carrying the Islanders' offense with 34 points in 40 games thanks to his shooting percentage jumping up to 17.8. However, the power play is having a down year on Long Island, and Barzal only has six points with the extra man. The Avalanche have actually been one of the best defensive teams on the road, as they have a 2.59 GAA in away games.
WING
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at MON ($19): Ehlers has started 65.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Jets. He's also been on fire for quite some time, as he has nine goals and nine assists over his last 23 games. As for the Canadiens, they have a 3.21 GAA and .898 save percentage as a team.
Zach Hyman, TOR vs. EDM ($17): Hyman is back up on Toronto's top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, which is about the perfect place to be. He's also notched eight points in his last seven games. Over his last 10 outings, Mikko Koskinen has a 3.42 GAA and .897 save percentage. The Oilers do have a top-five penalty kill, but Hyman doesn't get time on the power play, so that's not a concern.
WINGS TO AVOID
Gabriel Landeskog, COL at NYI ($24): Landeskog is having a good year, and he's looked sharp since returning from injury, but he's been a step down from Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. That's why I feel most comfortable suggesting you avoid the Swede in this tricky matchup. The Islanders have a 2.60 GAA, which is fourth best in the NHL.
Gustav Nyquist, CLM vs. LOS ($17): I'm not here to rag on Swedish wings, but I'm also down on Nyquist on Monday. He's on Columbus' top line, and he had a nice run in December, but over his last six games he has only two points, both assists. Plus, like I noted earlier the Kings are a different team defensively at home. Jonathan Quick has a 2.51 GAA in LA.
DEFENSE
Shea Weber, MON vs. WPG ($22): Weber has tallied 31 points in 42 games, but the one caveat is that he's not as good on the power play as he's been in the past. He's only playing 2:15 per game with the extra man, and he's got seven power-play points. That being said, the Jets have the league's worst penalty kill. Weber is still getting enough time on the power play to take advantage of that.
Drew Doughty, LOS vs. CLM ($17): Doughty is having another strong campaign, as he has 26 points in 43 games, including 11 on the power play, and he's put 98 shots on net as well. The Blue Jackets have a 2.71 GAA, but a lot of that is Joonas Korpisalo, who is injured. Elviz Merzlikins, who has had to step into the top role, has a 2.94 GAA and .904 save percentage.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Zach Werenski, CLM at LOS ($18): Werenski has been on fire recently, as he has five goals in his last three games. He also has a 14.1 shooting percentage this season, which is likely to regress. With the Kings' ability to suppress shots, and Jonathan Quick's play at home, some of that regression should come Monday.
Darnell Nurse, EDM at TOR ($17): A few of the goalies likely to be in action Monday have been scuffling, but not Frederik Andersen. The Dane has a 2.51 GAA and .921 save percentage over his last 25 games. While the Maple Leafs have a poor penalty kill, Nurse has only averaged 51 seconds per contest on the power play, so that's not likely to help him.
