There are nine games to be played tonight, giving us a deep talent pool to draw from. With that in mind, let’s take a look and see who the top contenders are for your NHL daily fantasy team’s starting six:
C- Joe Thornton, SJS
I’ve touched on this before, but I will reiterate- Joe Thornton’s resurgence has been a major driving force behind the Sharks’ turnaround. The Sharks are on a nine-game point streak, and so is Thornton. Jumbo Joe has two goals and 10 assists in his last nine games, giving him seven goals and 30 assists on the year. He has roared to life since the dawn of 2016, and deserves your attention from a fantasy standpoint. This is especially true given the way he has manhandled Colorado over the course of his career. He has 54 points in 47 career games against the Avalanche. Get him in your starting six tonight.
LW- Carl Hagelin, PIT
Hagelin had been posting fine points/60 minutes numbers in Anaheim but was still receiving a lot of heat for not being able to provide much offense on the whole. Along comes Pittsburgh, giving him a bump in ice time and a line with Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin and what do you know. Three-game point streak in four games with Pittsburgh. Hagelin’s speed and presence of mind on the forecheck has made him invaluable to the Penguins’ battle plan. The 62-71-81 line skates circles around everybody. It’s a blur. Perhaps it’s an east coast thing, perhaps his linemates are making him look better. Whatever the reason, Haggy looks much more comfortable and is generating offense more freely as a Penguin. He might be a nice under-the-radar pick tonight as Pittsburgh takes on the Devils.
RW- Bobby Ryan, OTT
Bobby Ryan might be worthy of a fantasy spot on the sole grounds that he totally won two kids in the Ottawa crowd a puppy by scoring. Those kids made a safe bet given the way that Ryan has been shooting the puck. The American winger has four goals and two assists in his last five games. The Senators will be facing off against the Buffalo Sabres tonight in what should be a winnable game. Winnable but high-scoring as the Sabres’ near-comeback over the Rangers proved. The Sens will need goal support to keep jockeying for a Wild Card Spot in the Eastern Conference. Put Bobby Ryan in your daily fantasy lineup tonight.
D- Mattias Ekholm, NSH
Ekholm has two goals and two assists in his last three games. He has seven goals and 13 assists for the entire season. Ekholm has a lethal shot from the point, and it has been getting through defenses at a pretty high rate. His shooting percentage is 11.1%, three points higher than last year’s total. Even though Ekholm is technically on the Predator’s third pairing he has been putting up points like a top-pair man. He may be another sleeper pick for tonight.
D- Brian Campbell, FLA
The Soup is heating up. Campbell has three points in his last three games and has been consistently getting three shots on net a game. He is a +16 on the year. The 36-year old veteran has been having a pretty standard year points-wise, tallying four goals and 13 assists. Campbell has been very good at evens this season, making him a good candidate for your daily fantasy team tonight. As the Panthers take on the Maple Leafs, look for Campbell notch a point or two.
G- Roberto Luongo, FLA
Luongo is going to be engaging in the goalie duel of the night against James Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Either player would be a good choice for your starting six, so it comes down to whoever is more likely to grab the W. That man is Luongo. Lu has won his last two starts, including a 27-save shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks. In his most recent game, he stopped 38 of 40 shots against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Luongo is posting numbers that rival his career best at age 36. He is going up against one of the weaker offensive teams in the league. Put him between the pipes tonight.
