This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Neither Kansas City nor San Francisco have an NHL team, so fans there can celebrate and lament in peace. Of course, you don't need an NHL team in town to play DFS. There are four games on the schedule. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your lineups.
GOALIE
Vitek Vanecek, NJD vs. SEA ($23): Vanecek's had a tough season, but he has a 2.72 GAA and .915 save percentage over his last seven outings. Not great, but a step up. This is more about the matchup, though. The Kraken are far from home, and have averaged 2.76 goals per game, lowest of the eight teams in action Monday.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. CGY ($34): In the past, Shesterkin at home against the Flames would be a worthy option. This is not a typical season for the Rangers goalie, though. He has an .899 save percentage, and that's now through 33 appearances. Calgary is 16th in goals per game and 12th in shots on net per contest. Neither wows you, but both are enough to give me pause at this salary.
CENTER
Chandler Stephenson, VGK vs. MIN ($16): With Jack Eichel out, Stephenson is centering the first line and on the top power-play unit. He has 10 points in his last 10 games, and on the year he has eight power-play points in 48 contests. The Wild have a bottom-five penalty kill, and since returning from injury Filip Gustavsson has an .883 save percentage in eight appearances.
CENTER TO AVOID
Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN at VGK ($24): Eriksson Ek already has his third 20-goal season in a row, but unfortunately for him Adin Hill is back, and his extended time off has not diminished his Vezina form. In four starts he has an 1.75 GAA and .947 save percentage. Even after missing so much action, Hill is still a goalie you want to avoid for a high-salary center who isn't on the elite level.
WING
Travis Konecny, PHI vs. ARI ($23): Konecny has averaged 3:02 per game with the extra man, and somehow only has four power-play points. And yet, he's been quite productive. He has 46 points in 53 games and is on a three-game point streak. In 2023, Connor Ingram was an above-average goalie. However, in 2024 he has a 3.24 GAA and .898 save percentage in 12 outings.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, SEA at NJD ($19): The Kraken's offense, overall, is lackluster, and several guys are cold right now. Bjorkstrand isn't one of them. He has 11 points in his last 12 games, even with a 7.1 shooting percentage in that time. Vanecek has played better recently, but the Devils still has a 3.52 GAA all in all.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jesper Bratt, NJD vs. SEA ($26): Bratt has plenty of points in his last 16 games, but nobody none of them have come on the power play. That's a bit of a concern heading into a tricky matchup, if Joey Daccord starts for the Kraken at least. Seattle has held opponents to 29.7 shots on net per contest, and Daccord has a 2.34 GAA and .921 save percentage.
Clayton Keller, ARI at PHI ($22): Keller has tallied 21 of his 48 points with the extra man. In this matchup, that's not a good thing. Samuel Ersson has a 2.47 GAA, and for that he can thank his Flyers teammates for only allowing 28.0 shots on net per game, and also the fact the Flyers have the second-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE
Noah Hanifin, CGY at NYR ($23): Hanifin has a three-game point streak. He also has 100 shots on net in 52 games this season. As I noted, Shesterkin has an .899 save percentage this year. The Rangers still have the fifth-ranked penalty kill, but Hanifin has only averaged 1:39 per game with the extra man, so that doesn't change the picture a ton.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. MIN ($22): Pietrangelo has an 1.8 shooting percentage, indicative of poor puck luck. Even so, he has 23 points in 47 games, including eight in his last 13 outings. With Gustavsson having posted an .883 save percentage in eight games since returning from injury, perhaps this is a chance for Pietrangelo to turn his luck around.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Adam Fox, NYR vs. CGY ($24): Fox is one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, but even he will have an issue sustaining his 11.8 shooting percentage. Plus, 20 of his 39 points have come with the extra man, and the Flames have the third-ranked penalty kill.
Brock Faber, Min at VGK ($23): Faber's massive minutes load is impressive, and it has helped him stack to contribute offensively en route to becoming the Calder favorite until we see what Connor Bedard does the rest of the year. Still, this game is tough with Hill back. He has an 1.89 GAA and .937 save percentage, and his .947 save percentage in four starts since returning from injury.
