This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
The NHL is taking it easy Wednesday, with only two games on the slate. That means you don't have a ton of options for your daily fantasy lineup, but here are some of the player values I like best from this limited schedule.
GOALIE
New York Rangers, NYR vs. CHI ($17,500): There are only four teams to choose from, and the Rangers win almost by default, especially with Jeff Glass tending the goal for the Blackhawks. Not that New York is a bad choice in a vacuum, as Henrik Lundqvist has a 2.56 GAA and a .922 save percentage. He's been even better recently, as he had a 2.24 GAA and a .937 save percentage in December.
CENTER
Henrik Zetterberg, DET vs. OTT ($11,000): There's still some life left in the 37-year-old. He has 27 points, but in particular he has 11 points in his last nine contests. The Senators have a team GAA of 3.32, which is third worst in the NHL. This is partially because their goalies have a collective .893 save percentage, and that is the worst in the league.
Derick Brassard, OTT at DET ($8,900): Brassard has started 57.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, which is most among Ottawa's regular forwards. He's also averaged 3:04 per game with the extra man, his most since the 2011-12 season. The Red Wings had a rough December, as they posted a team GAA of 3.25 in that month. They've also allowed 32.1 shots on net per tilt.
WING
Mats Zuccarello, NYR vs. CHI ($12,100): Zuccarello has averaged 12.10 fantasy points per game, which is the best of any Rangers wing. In his last nine games he's put 31 shots on net, and he also has six points in those contests. As previously noted, Glass will be starting for the Blackhawks with Corey Crawford injured. The 32-year-old has only two NHL games to his credit, and he has let in at least three goals in both of those matchups.
Mike Hoffman, OTT at DET ($10,300): Puck luck has not been on Hoffman's side this year. He only has nine goals on 125 shots, which gives him a 7.2 shooting percentage. In his career, he's never had a shooting percentage below 11.6 in a full season. Perhaps his luck will change soon. That could certainly happen against the Wings, who have a 3.11 team GAA.
Gustav Nyquist, DET vs. OTT ($10,300): Nyquist has started 56.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most among Detroit forwards. His playmaking has left a lot to be desired (just eight assists), but he has 12 goals, including four in his last six tilts. Craig Anderson will be in net for Ottawa in this one, and he has a 3.12 GAA and a .896 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Kevin Shattenkirk, NYR vs. CHI ($9,100): Shattenkirk's scoring has slowed a bit, but he's a guy who has routinely excelled offensively since joining the NHL. He's been particularly impressive on the power play. Even in a "down" year, he has 12 points with the extra man through 39 games. The Blackhawks have the 18th ranked penalty kill, but that's with Crawford in net for a lot of the year. Glass is an entirely different story, and it likely bodes well for Shattenkirk.
Brady Skjei, NYR vs. CHI ($5,800): Skjei's minutes are way up this year, as he's gone from averaging 17:28 last season to 20:12 this year. He's also put 82 shots on net through 39 games, including 19 in his last eight tilts. The Blackhawks have allowed 33.0 shots on goal per contest, so Skjei could put a few pucks on net in this one. He's also blocked 59 shots, so he could add a little fantasy value there. At this price, Skjei doesn't have to do much to pay off big time.
