This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The Stars and Predators had two games postponed due to the weather down in Texas, and yesterday I had to shovel out eight inches of snow up here in Detroit. Stay safe out there! Maybe stay inside and play some daily fantasy hockey instead? There are five games Wednesday, but one of them starts at 5:00 p.m. EST. Part of me didn't want to include it for my recommendations, but the Hurricanes and Panthers are playing, and I think there is potential there, especially on the Hurricanes' side. Thus, all teams were included for consideration.
GOALIE
Kevin Lankinen, CHI at DET ($35): Lankinen has managed to keep his overall numbers (2.50 GAA .925 save percentage) for longer than I expected, but over his last five starts he does have a 3.12 GAA and .913 save percentage. That being said, I don't expect any cold splash of reality against the Red Wings. Only the Ducks are propping Detroit up, as the team from the Motor City ranks 30th in both goals and shots on net per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Chris Driedger, FLA at CAR ($30): This is not a good day for goalies, so you might want to take a shot on Driedger, assuming the Panthers don't start Sergei Bobrovsky, who seems destined to be a total flop of a free agent signing. Driedger, on the other hand, has a 2.31 GAA and .926 save percentage. I wouldn't want to mess with Carolina's offense, though. The Canes have scored 3.62 goals per contest.
CENTER
Sean Monahan, CGY vs. VAN ($17): Monahan is struggling on the goal front, as he's only lit the lamp twice. However, that's with a 5.7 shooting percentage that is bound to improve. Plus, he has 10 assists over 15 games, so it's not like he's not contributing. You know who isn't really contributing? Canucks goaltenders, as the team has a 3.74 GAA, bottom five in the NHL.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Pettersson, VAN at CGY ($21): I'm flipping this matchup around because the Flames have the best GAA of any team in action Wednesday. Pettersson has been good, unsurprisingly, but he doesn't have a multi-point game in his last nine outings. A quibble? Perhaps, but with players with this high of a salary those quibbles matter. You know what else matters? Jacob Markstrom has a 2.38 GAA and .924 save percentage.
WING
Zach Hyman, TOR vs. OTT ($20): Hyman is one of those players who is thought of as piggybacking off his excellent teammates, but the fact is that he's tallied 20 goals in each of his last two campaigns. He also has seven points in his last seven contests. Now he's facing a Senators team with a league-worst 4.07 GAA and a bottom-10 penalty kill.
Anthony Mantha, DET vs. CHI ($16): Yes, I recommended Lankinen in net, and I stand by that. Detroit's offense is punchless. However, I also can't help but notice that the Blackhawks have allowed a league-high 34.1 shots on goal per game. A Wing with a penchant for putting the puck on net could still make a mark, and it's not like I'm predicting a Chicago shutout here. Mantha has five goals on 42 shots on net through 16 games. There's potential here.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA at CAR ($21): Huberdeau is a stellar player, but his numbers are striking to me. It's not just that he has 17 points in 13 games. He's only put 16 shots on goal. The 27-year-old has a 31.3 shooting percentage! That's not sustainable. Carolina has held opponents to 27.5 shots on net per contest. With how little Huberdeau is shooting, I'm worried about him in this matchup.
Brady Tkachuk, OTT at TOR ($17): Tkachuk is having some trouble with puck luck so far, as he has a 5.9 shooting percentage. That being said, he had an 8.1 shooting percentage last season, so there may not be that much regression toward the mean. The Maple Leafs have only allowed 27.9 shots on goal per game, and that could mean Frederik Andersen isn't busy Wednesday. While the Dane's last start went poorly, he still has a 2.40 GAA and .921 save percentage in his last five starts.
DEFENSE
Neal Pionk, WPG at EDM ($18): Pionk broke out last season, his first with the Jets, notching 45 points in 71 games, including 25 on the power play. This year he already has 12 points through 15 games, though the power-play production is down a bit. Meanwhile, Mikko Koskinen has a 3.43 GAA and .894 save percentage for the Oilers.
Jake Gardiner, CAR vs. FLA ($11): Gardiner has points in each of his last two games, giving him six points in 13 contests. He's also started 54.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Carolina defensemen (and third most overall). If Sergei Bobrovsky is in net, he has a 3.31 GAA and .884 save percentage.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. WPG ($21): Nurse has six goals through 17 games, which is already tied for the second-best season of his career on that front. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he has a 14.3 shooting percentage, but his previous career high is 5.9. There's going to be regression here. Connor Hellebuyck has been his usual reliable self, as he has a 2.58 GAA and .917 save percentage.
Quinn Hughes, VAN at CGY ($19): I can't argue with Hughes' production, but this is a lofty salary. There are enough other options out there that I don't know about paying that salary in this matchup. Speaking of this matchup, as I noted Markstrom has a 2.38 GAA and .924 save percentage for the Flames, and Calgary is at home as well.
