This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
Saturday is the last day of NHL action before the three-day Christmas break. As such, there are 13 games on the slate for daily fantasy purposes. Your options are plentiful. Recommends are below.
GOALIE
Pittsburgh Penguins, PIT vs. ANA ($16,100):Matt Murray has had a rough season, but in his four games since returning from injury he has a 2.24 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He also has a strong track record, as he has never had a save percentage lower than .923 before this season. The Ducks, meanwhile, have only scored 2.57 goals per game. Anaheim has also only put 29.1 shots on net per game, and that number is down to 27.5 on the road.
CENTER
Nathan MacKinnon, COL at ARI ($14,000): MacKinnon has tallied 40 points and 108 shots in 34 games. He's also been quite hot recently, tallying 12 points and 39 shots on goal in his last 10 contests. The Coyotes will be on the second night of a back-to-back, and before Friday's game they had a 3.44 GAA.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. MON ($10,500): Nugent-Hopkins is tied for second in scoring on the Oilers with 14 goals and 12 assists in 35 games. In his last five games, he's posted five points and 15 shots on goal. Montreal is on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. That could mean Carey Price in net for his second game in as many days, or Antti Niemi (5.20 GAA, .856 save percentage) will be tending goal.
WING
Josh Anderson, CLM vs. PHI ($11,800): Not to beat a dead horse, but guess what team will be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back? That would be the Flyers, who will either need to start Brian Elliott after starting him Friday or turn to the 25-year-old rookie Alex Lyon, who hasn't played in the NHL yet. Anderson, for his part, leads Columbus in goals (13) and shots (108) in 34 games.
Jeff Skinner, CAR vs. BUF ($11,700): You might be sensing a theme here, but the Sabres are also on the second night of a back-to-back. On zero days of rest, Buffalo has a 3.50 GAA and a team save percentage of .886. Skinner has started 69.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most on the Hurricanes, and he's been a prolific shot producer for year. Through 34 games, he's tallied 129 shots on goal.
Mike Hoffman, OTT at FLA ($10,900): Hoffman only has nine goals, but he has 116 shots on net in 33 games. That means he has a 7.8 shooting percentage, which is well below his career average. His puck luck likely will improve. This could be the night. The Panthers also are on the second night of a back-to-back. Before Friday, Florida had a 3.38 GAA, allowing 35.4 shots per game. There's also a good chance James Reimer will have to mind the net once more with Roberto Luongo hurt.
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson, OTT at FLA ($12,200): It seems odd to get Karlsson, the best offensive defenseman of his generation, at this price. The Swede has 23 points in 28 games, and although he only has three goals, that's with a 3.6 shooting percentage. His numbers are going to get even better. As noted, the Panthers had a 3.38 GAA and allowed 35.4 shots per game heading into Friday. Don't be surprised if some regression toward the mean happens for Karlsson in this one.
Mikhail Sergchev, TAM vs. MIN ($10,000): The Wild have only played a handful of games on zero nights rest, but in those contests they have a 3.00 GAA and have allowed a whopping 41.0 shots on net per game. If that sample size is too small, just on the road they had a 3.50 GAA and had given up 34.3 shots per game before playing the Panthers on Friday night. Sergachev has started 69.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most on the Lightning, and he's tallied eight goals and 15 assists in 34 games.
