This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
Where I live the weather finally took a turn for the winter. That means it's truly hockey weather now! There are four NHL games Wednesday, and here are some players to target for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Toronto Maple Leafs, TOR vs. CGY ($16,200): It's not a great day for goalies, but don't overlook Frederik Andersen. In his last 10 games, he is 7-2-1 with a 1.78 GAA and a .950 save percentage. The Flames have been middling offensively and have averaged 2.89 goals per game, so you don't have to be too worried about them. Toronto has a plus-15 goal differential, while Calgary's is minus-8, so the odds of the Leafs picking up a win seem good.
CENTER
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. CHI ($13,900): Though Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin have been reunited, Kuznetsov hasn't been slowed down. He has been helped by the fact he's averaged 3:51 per game on the power play, and he's notched 12 points with the extra man. The Blackhawks have allowed 33.7 shots on net per contest, and now they don't have Corey Crawford. Having Anton Forsberg (3.01 GAA, .914 save percentage) in goal will definitely be beneficial for Kuznetsov.
William Nylander, TOR vs. CGY ($10,700): Any worries about the 21-year-old Swede have been ameliorated by the fact he's tallied six points in his last five games. He may only have five goals, but that's on 70 shots, which means Nylander has a 7.1 shooting percentage. That's likely to improve, and it might happen against Calgary. The Flames have a 3.26 team GAA and have allowed 32.4 shots on goal per tilt. Over his last 12 contests, Mike Smith has a 3.44 GAA and a .894 save percentage for Calgary as well.
WING
Mike Hoffman, OTT at ANA ($13,700): The Ducks are the only team on the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday, and Anaheim also has allowed the most shots on net per contest in the league. Hoffman, meanwhile, leads the Oilers with 87 shots on goal through 25 games. He's had at least 26 goals in his last three campaigns, and he already has nine this year. On top of that, he has nine power-play points.
Jakub Voracek, PHI at EDM ($13,600): Who has the worst penalty kill in the NHL? That would be the Edmonton Oilers. Now, with Cam Talbot out, the Oilers are stuck starting Laurent Brossoit (3.80 GAA, .872 save percentage) as well. Voracek has had at least 23 power-play points in his last four seasons, and this year he has 10 through 27 contests.
Milan Lucic, EDM vs. PHI ($11,300): Lucic is skating on Edmonton's top line, and he's notched nine points in his last 10 contests. While he only has two power-play points thus far, he had 25 last season. He should have more success with the extra man in the future and it could begin as soon as Wednesday. The Flyers rank in the bottom five in penalty-kill percentage, and they have a team GAA of 3.00 too.
DEFENSE
John Carlson, WAS vs. CHI ($11,800): Carlson is averaging a personal high in ice time (26:37) and power-play time (3:58), and it's paid off for the Capitals. He has 21 points in 28 games, including 11 with the extra man. As previously noted, the Blackhawks are without Crawford at the moment, and they have allowed 33.7 shots on net per tilt. Carlson has 81 shots in 28 contests, so he should be able to put a few pucks on net.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at EDM ($10,300): The Oilers have a team GAA of 3.37, and Brossoit has been even worse than that. Provorov doesn't score like Shayne Gostisbehere, but he has 13 points and 63 shots on net, and he's played 24:53 per game. While the Russian doesn't play a ton on the power play, getting any time against the league's worst penalty kill can't hurt. Provorov also has 64 blocked shots, so he can add fantasy value there.
