NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 4/10/23
NHL DFS is similar to MLB in terms of how you build lineups, how you view stacking, and how to value players.
Two main points to always focus on in NHL DFS are what lines the players are on and making sure the goalies you are rostering are confirmed as the starters. Two of the best resources for that are LeftWingLock.com and DailyFaceOff.com. That is where you can find updated forward and power-play lines for each team, along with which goalies are confirmed as the starters.
Let's jump in and take a look at today's slate and some players to consider for your lineups.
Goalie to Target
Ilya Sorokin ($7,500): The New York Islanders are solid -176 road favorites tonight against the shorthanded Washington Capitals. We are at the final week of the NHL regular season and this is essentially a must-win game for the Islanders. They are holding down the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but that is far from locked up.
They are turning to Sorokin in net tonight, which should lead to a lower-scoring and slower type of game. This season, Sorokin comes in with 40.5 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx), which is the third-best in the league. He's been a rock in the crease for the Islanders all season and that has shown recently, with them only allowing 2.15 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the eighth-best in the league over the last month.
Over that same time, the Capitals are scoring 2.76 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is 18th in the league and not that threatening versus Sorokin. All of this should put Sorokin to come away with a clean and much-needed win.
High Salaried Skaters
Mark Scheifele ($6,500): The Winnipeg Jets are another team desperate to pick up every single point they can possibly get, and they have a soft matchup against the San Jose Sharks to help that cause. Over the last month, the Sharks are allowing the second-most (3.72) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, putting the Jets' offense in a great spot.
Scheifele is on the first forward line and the first power-play for the Jets, who come in with a slate-high 4.06 implied goal total tonight. The Jets could be without one of Kyle Connor or Nikolaj Ehlers, both of whom are primary shooters for their top offensive units. If they were to be out, this should shift a bit more of the offensive role to Scheifele.
Over the last five games, Scheifele has piled up 4 NHL points, 11 shots on goal, and 3 blocked shots.
Sebastian Aho ($7,100): The Carolina Hurricanes are limping to the end of the season, and it's making every game more important. Have the Canes secured a playoff spot? Yes. Have the Canes secured a playoff seed and home ice? No. Losing five of their last eight games has put the Canes in a bit of a tough spot with the New Jersey Devils just a single point behind them in the standings.
This makes the Canes a high-priority team in terms of motivation, and they have a matchup against the Ottawa Senators, which offers some scoring potential. Over the last month, the Senators are allowing 2.96 goals and a 58.02 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, both of which are in the bottom 11 of the league.
Aho is on the center on the top forward line and the top power-play unit for the Canes, coming in with 7 NHL points and 21 shots on goal over his last 10 games.
Value Skaters
Oliver Bjorkstrand ($4,800): With a 3.84 implied goal total, the Seattle Kraken should be popular in all formats against the Arizona Coyotes tonight. The Kraken have secured a playoff berth but are still fighting for their seeding, making them another clear team to target. Bjorkstrand has a solid offensive role on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, which has allowed him to rack up 5 NHL points and 15 shots on goal over his last 10 games.
The matchup against the Coyotes is a favorable one since the Yotes are allowing the 10th most (3.10) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the last month. On the other side, the Kraken offense is pouring on the offense with 3.55 goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-best in the league over that time.
Tyler Seguin ($5,400): The Dallas Stars are yet another team who still has the motivation to play and win games in the final week of the regular season. With seeding and home ice still up for grabs, this should be a no-nonsense game from the Stars against the Detroit Red Wings.
In the last month, the Red Wings are allowing 3.38 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the sixth-worst in the league. This couldn't be a more straightforward matchup for the Stars, and that means we should look for some consistency with Seguin. Over his last 10 games, he has 5 NHL points, 21 shots on goal, and 2 blocked shots.
