There are only three games on the schedule tonight, but there is a very high potential for some big blowouts tonight. The Capitals are hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs who have lost six of their last seven tonight, and the Ducks will be welcoming the Montreal Canadiens into the Honda Center tonight. The Habs are fresh off a 6-2 loss to the Sharks. There will be plenty of goals scored tonight, so let’s take a look at the top contenders for the starting six of your NHL daily fantasy team:
C- Nicklas Backstrom, WAS
The Toronto Maple Leafs are officially a minor-league caliber hockey club. A few days ago, they shut down Joffrey Lupul and James van Riemsdyk for the remainder of the season, and it looks like Lupul’s time in Toronto is up. On trade deadline day, the Leafs swapped Daniel Winnik for Brooks Laich and dealt away their best goaltender in James Reimer. They are objectively an atrocious team, but they were built that way. They are in full-on rebuild. Tonight, they will be taking on the best team in the National Hockey League. The lamp will be lit. The obvious place to look is right on the Caps’ top line at center Nick Backstrom. Backstrom has four assists in his last three games, giving him 41 helpers on the year. He is eighth in the league in that category. Three of those assists came on the man advantage, which is heating back up again after a dry spell in February. Backstrom and the Capitals’ powerplay are heating up. They could erupt tonight against a weak defensive team like the Leafs.
LW- David Perron, ANA
David Perron just keeps getting hotter and the Anaheim Ducks just keep winning. The Ducks are on an eight-game winning streak, scoring 31 goals in that stretch. Perron has four goals and four assists in his last nine, bringing him up to seven goals and nine assists in 18 games with the Ducks. Anaheim will also be trying out newly acquired Jamie McGinn tonight on the second line. The Ducks’ offense has been rolling, and Perron’s resurgence in a black and orange jersey is a major reason why. His linemate, Ryan Getzlaf, is on an 11-game point streak. The connection is real and it’s a fantasy gold mine. Give Perron a start tonight.
RW- Andrew Shaw, CHI
Andrew Shaw is currently filling the void on the Blackhawks’ top line left by the absence of Marian Hossa. He will be centered by Jonathan Toews, but he will also have Andrew Ladd on the wing opposite him. Shaw was not on the Blackhawks the last time Ladd donned a red sweater, but the two could complement each other very well. Shaw is a tough kid with pretty good scoring ability and positive possession numbers. The Shaw-Toews-Ladd unit has already produced a powerplay goal in their first game together, with Ladd picking up an assist. It is a big, tough line with a lot of skill that will surely cause the Red Wings a lot of trouble tonight. While everyone will flock to pick up Ladd on their fantasy team, Shaw is a good under-the-radar pick who will surely benefit from the company he keeps.
D- Matt Niskanen, WAS
Matt Niskanen is another Capitals player who has been a part of the turnaround on the powerplay. After going through a stretch of just one assist in his last eight games, Niskanen has lodged two assists in his last three games, both coming on the man advantage. He has only three goals this year, but is usually good for at least three shots on goal when he is more involved in the offense, which he is sure to be tonight against Toronto. He has 23 assists on the year. Niskanen has a lot of offensive talent, and his stock is on the rise. Be sure to get him in your daily fantasy lineup tonight.
D- Erik Gustafsson, CHI
Erik Gustafsson is quickly earning the trust of Joel Quenneville and the Chicago Blackhawks’ brass. The rookie from Nynashamn, Sweden already has 10 assists in 28 games on the blueline, including two in his last three games. He has started to see a bit more time on the powerplay, usually running the point with Teuvo Teravainen, and sees anywhere from 15-20 minutes of ice time per night. When Gustafsson does produce, he does so in bunches, stringing together three or four good games in a row. He is a nice sleeper pick tonight as Brent Seabrook’s partner as the Hawks visit Detroit.
G- Philipp Grubauer, WAS
Philipp Grubauer has a weak opponent shooting on him tonight in the Toronto Maple Leafs. As a backup, Grubauer is more than serviceable- in fact, it may not be long before we see him in a starting role with another team. The 24-year-old is 6-5-1 this season with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. He has stopped 133 of the last 141 shots on him, which is good enough for a .943 save percentage. Grubauer should be a relatively easy pick tonight, as the Maple Leafs will not have much offense to offer tonight. Put Grubauer between the pipes.
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