We have a relatively light slate tonight with five games on the docket. In addition to that, we might see some players who are trade targets withheld from the lineup tonight. That makes assembling a roster particularly challenging, but these recommendations might help.
SLATE PREVIEW
Vegas and New Jersey also played Tuesday, so fatigue might be a factor working against those squads tonight. Toronto and the Islanders are gearing up for the first half of a back-to-back set, which might influence those teams' lineup decisions Wednesday.
GOALIES
Brandon Bussi, CAR at VAN ($7,800): Bussi has gotten plenty of help from the Hurricanes, leading to him posting a 24-3-1 record, 2.23 GAA and .904 save percentage across 28 appearances this campaign. He's won his past eight outings while stopping 164 of 180 shots (.911 save percentage). Meanwhile, Vancouver has lost six straight games (0-4-2) to drop to 18-35-7.
Joseph Woll, TOR at NJD ($7,600): Toronto has been struggling, and Woll has been impacted, resulting in his 13-9-4 record, 3.05 GAA and .906 save percentage in 27 outings this campaign. That being said, New Jersey is about to play its fifth game in eight days, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Devils are running on fumes at this point. On top of that, New Jersey ranks 30th in goals per game with 2.51 this season, so the Devils are a favorable matchup even under normal circumstances.
VALUE PLAYS
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at SEA ($5,000): Buchnevich is on a five-game scoring streak in which he's collected five goals and eight points. He also has six goals and 13 points across his last 10 outings. The only x-factor is that St. Louis is expected to be a seller at the deadline, so there's a chance Buchnevich will be scratched for roster management issues.
Simon Holmstrom, NYI at ANA ($4,700): Holmstrom is on a roll with two goals and nine points over his past nine appearances. He's also on a three-game scoring streak (one goal, four points) going into tonight's action.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Maple Leafs at Devils
Auston Matthews (C - $7,700), William Nylander (W - $7,300), Bobby McMann (W - $4,800)
As noted above, New Jersey is going through a rough part of its schedule, and the fatigue of it could increase the Maple Leafs' scoring opportunities. In particular, Nylander is likely to take advantage of the situation after scoring a goal in each of his past two outings. He also has three goals and eight points across his past six appearances, bringing him up to 20 goals and 56 points in 44 outings this campaign.
Of course, there's a solid chance Matthews will capitalize as well. He'll fall well below the 60-goal milestone he hit in 2021-22 and 2023-24, but his 26 goals and 51 points in 55 outings are still nothing to sneeze at.
McMann isn't as productive offensively as his linemates, with 19 goals and 32 points in 60 appearances this season, but he's affordable enough to still be worth taking when he's playing on the first line.
DEFENSEMEN
Matthew Schaefer, NYI at ANA ($6,600): Schaefer is having a fantastic rookie campaign with 20 goals and 44 points through 61 appearances this campaign. He's showing no signs of slowing either. If anything, he's getting better as the season progresses, contributing seven goals and nine points over his past eight outings.
Jackson LaCombe, ANA vs. NYI ($6,400): LaCombe has been a consistent contributor recently, collecting 17 assists over his past 18 outings. He has been held off the scoresheet just three times over that span.
