This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Last Friday, you were unable to play daily fantasy hockey. This week, the NHL is back, with five games kicking off the weekend. Here are some of the most intriguing players among Friday's options.
GOALIE
Thomas Greiss, NYI at DET ($8,700): The Islanders and the Red Wings are two teams going in separate directions. Led by Greiss, New York has gone 7-2-1 over its last 10 games, including winning three contests. Detroit, on the other hand, is 3-3-4 in its last 10, including five losses in a row. Greiss is a big reason why the Islanders have found success recently, as he's posted a stellar .928 save percentage.
CENTER
Mikael Backlund, CGY at NJD ($5,800): Backlund only has one point in his last five games, but he's taken 17 shots on goal in those contests, so he's still been busy. Overall, he's had a fine season with 34 points in 53 games, including 12 on the power play. The Devils have allowed 2.84 goals and 31.2 shots on goal per game, so Backlund could easily find his scoring touch once again.
Victor Rask, CAR vs. EDM ($5,300): The Oilers are the one team in action Friday that played Thursday, which could mean the unproven Laurent Brossoit in net. Although Rask is in a bit of a slump, he's still averaged an impressive 10.9 fantasy points per game this season. Rask has also skated 2:25 per game on the power play, where he's notched seven points. The Oilers have the 14th-ranked penalty kill, so Rask could find success with the extra man. He's pretty reasonably priced, so it's worth seeing whether Rask can break out of his skid.
WING
Nick Foligno, CLM at PIT ($6,800): The Penguins have allowed 2.90 goals and 32.5 shots on goal per game this year, both of which rank in the bottom 10 of the NHL. That also holds true for their penalty kill, which ranks 24th. Well, Foligno has been outstanding on the power play, notching 18 points with the extra man. He's also got a four-game point streak going, so he enters this game with confidence and a head of steam.
Kyle Palmieri, NJD vs. CGY ($6,100): Brian Elliott is projected to start for the Flames, and while he's been better recently, he still has a 2.80 GAA and .896 save percentage on the season. Meanwhile, Palmieri has 13 goals on 100 shots as well as 12 power-play points. His shots are up recently as well – he's tallied 29 in his last 10 games. Calgary's goalies posted an .887 save percentage in January, so if those struggles continue, Palmieri could easily take advantage.
Jakob Silfverberg, ANA vs. FLA ($5,700): While the Panthers have a solid 2.69 GAA as a team, they've given up 31.7 shots on net per contest, which means their goalies have been quite busy. Silfverberg has had no problems putting pucks on net, as he's tallied 134 shots in 49 games. Though he missed a few games before the All-Star break with an injury, he returned healthy and notched three points in Anaheim's last game.
Anders Lee, NYI at DET ($5,300): Jimmy Howard isn't expected to be back for Friday's matchup with the Islanders, which means either Petr Mrazek or Jared Coreau in net for the Wings. Both of those goalies have GAAs over 3.00, so it looks good for Lee either way. He's been very productive recently, putting 37 shots on goal over his last eight games. Overall, he's tallied 17 goals, including five on the power play, and there should be opportunities for more here.
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski, CLM at PIT ($5,500): As previously mentioned, the Penguins have ceded 32.5 shots on goal per tilt, and their penalty kill ranks 24th. It's the latter fact that makes this a particularly good matchup for Columbus, as they have the league's best power play. Werenski has been a big part of that. He's averaged 2:56 on the man advantage, tallying a whopping 17 power-play points in that time. Overall, Werenski is averaging 11.6 fantasy points per game, and that's not just because of his hot start. Indeed, he's tallied two points in each of his last two games.
Mike Green, DET vs. NYI ($5,100): Although Greiss has solidified the Islanders' goaltending, New York has still allowed 32.8 shots on goal per game. No, Green hasn't been as productive offensively as in years past, he does have 25 shots on goal over 10 games since returning from IR. He's also averaged 3:18 per game with the extra man, while the Islanders are 20th in penalty killing. Some of that stems from the now-concluded Jaroslav Halak era, but it's still worth taking Green at this price thanks to all that power-play time.
