This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There is less than one week left in the NHL regular season. The playoffs are tantalizingly close. Don't get ahead of yourself, though. There are three NHL games Monday, giving you an opportunity to play some daily fantasy hockey. If that floats your boat, here are some players to target.
GOALIE
Carey Price, MTL vs. FLA ($8,400): Price may be on the, well, pricier side, but with so few options your pickings are slim. So why not go with arguably the best goalie of the bunch? Price has a stellar 2.20 GAA and a .924 save percentage, and he's been even better recently. In his last 17 games he's 13-4-0 with a 1.57 GAA and a .943 save percentage. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have won four games in a row while the Panthers have lost four in a row. Florida may also be stuck starting Reto Berra, which increases Price's chances of picking up a win.
CENTER
Ryan O'Reilly, BUF vs. TOR ($6,100): O'Reilly has been a power-play force, as he's averaged 2:59 per game with the extra man, tallying 24 points in 67 games in that time. He's also put 183 shots on net, including 38 in his last 14 games. Since the All-Star break, the Maple Leafs have the 19th-ranked penalty kill, and overall they've allowed 32.9 shots on goal, a hefty total.
Kyle Turris, OTT at DET ($5,500): With Jimmy Howard healthy, the Wings aren't as soft of a matchup as they used to be, but with only six teams in action you aren't going to find great matchups across the board. Since the All-Star break, the Red Wings have allowed 30.8 shots on net per contest, and Turris has put 33 shots on goal in his last 10 games. He has also started 35.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, and he's averaged 2:55 minutes per game on the power play. Overall, Turris has tallied 26 goals and 25 assists, and he still looks like a good option even if Howard is in net.
WING
William Nylander, TOR at BUF ($6,300): Nylander has been scorching hot, as he's tallied 19 points in his last 19 games. He's also registered eight power-play points in that time, and overall he has 25 power-play points in 76 games. The Sabres have the 26th-ranked penalty kill, and since they will be on the second night of a back-to-back, Nylander's chances of finding success with the extra man increase a little bit more.
Alexander Radulov, MTL vs. FLA ($5,200): Radulov has started 38.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most on the Canadiens, and he's notched 16 power-play points in 73 games. The Panthers have allowed 31.5 shots on net per game, which is in the bottom 10 of the league, and that's a problem for them given who may be in goal. With both Roberto Luongo and James Reimer likely out of commission, Florida will have to turn to Reto Berra (3.54 GAA, .870 save percentage). That certainly is a big point in Radulov's favor.
Connor Brown, TOR at BUF ($4,100): The Sabres have given up 2.79 goals and a league-high 34.2 shots on net per game, and they will be on the second night of a back-to-back. On zero days of rest, Buffalo has allowed 3.24 goals per game. Brown has seven points in his last nine games, and overall he has 19 goals. It wouldn't be surprising to see him hit the 20-goal mark against Buffalo.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF vs. TOR ($5,700): Ristolainen is a tremendous all-around contributor, and he's probably champing at the bit to get back after just returning from his three-game suspension. He's tallied 180 shots on goal, 25 power-play points, and 156 blocked shots in 75 games. The Maple Leafs, as previously noted, have given up 32.9 shots on net per contest. They have also attempted 60.1 shots per 60 minutes, which is third most in the NHL. Ristolainen should be able to come up big on both ends of the ice and, despite his price, he should be a fine fantasy option.
Jeff Petry, MON at FLA ($3,800): Petry has cooled off a bit, but overall he has notched 162 shots on net while blocking 142 shots in 76 games. He's also averaged 22:03 per game in ice time, which means a lot of action against a team likely starting Berra in net. His price has dropped a bit because he's no longer red hot from the blueline, but with so few options out there, it's worth seeing if he can find that old form against the Panthers.
