This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are seven games in the NHL on Friday, and interestingly, Dallas is the only team that won't hit the ice again Saturday. Minnesota and Colorado are the largest favorites on the docket with the Golden Knights, Lightning and Capitals all also receiving notable chalk. Here are picks and pans for each position ahead of Friday's action.
All statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.
GOALIE
Philipp Grubauer, COL at LA ($29): This salary appears short. Sure, Grubauer has surrendered seven goals through his past two starts, but he's still sporting a sterling 27-9-1 record, .920 save percentage and 2.03 GAA for the campaign. Additionally, the Kings aren't an intimidating offense with just 2.67 goals per game for the campaign.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. STL ($33): The Blues haven't lost in regulation through their past seven games while scoring 26 goals, so they appear to be peaking heading into the playoffs. Lehner, meanwhile, allowed six goals in his latest start. His .915 save percentage and 2.27 GAA are still strong numbers, but there might be better matchup-salary combos to target Friday.
CENTER
Nathan MacKinnon, COL at LA ($34): it's a weak center pool Friday, and a lot of the best pivots have tougher matchups than MacKinnon. He's found the scoresheet in 17 of his past 19 outings for an impressive 10 goals, 20 assists and 87 shots. With Los Angeles a significant underdog and allowing a healthy 2.94 goals per game, this is a reasonable spot to spend up for MacKinnon.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LA vs. COL ($21): Not only will Kopitar be spending most of his night trying to slow down MacKinnon, the Avalanche are also one of the best possession and defensive teams in the league. MacKinnon boasts a 63.3 Corsi For percentage, and Colorado sports a league-high 59.0 mark while also allowing the fifth fewest goals per game.
WINGS
Tomas Hertl, SJ vs. ARI ($19): Somewhat quietly, Hertl has put together a high-end stretch consisting of six goals and seven assists through the past eight games. His current salary doesn't match the offensive surge, and Arizona isn't a matchup to avoid. The Coyotes have allowed the 10th most goals per game and allowed the 10th most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes, after all.
Mattias Janmark, VGK vs. STL ($10): Occupying a spot on the No. 1 line with Chandler Stephenson ($19) and Mark Stone ($32), Janmark offers huge savings relative to his offensive role. He collected an assist last time out, and Stephenson and Stone have combined for a respectable 4.54 goals and 11.38 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes this season.
WINGS TO AVOID
Mark Stone, VGK vs. STL ($32): Unless you're looking to stack Vegas' No. 1 line, Stone is probably not a priority target at his salary. It's a notable dropoff from injured winger Max Pacioretty ($34) to noted replacement Mattias Janmark ($10), after all. Additionally, a low-salary flier on Janmark still provides exposure to the top line without such a significant investment.
T.J. Oshie, WAS vs. PHI ($22): It was an emotional outing for Oshie last time out, as his current heater has him up to seven goals and a 33.3 shooting percentage through the past seven games following Wednesday's hat trick. Philadelphia is allowing the most goals per game in the league, so this is certainly a soft matchup, but maintaining his current puck luck could be asking a lot.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS vs. PHI ($21): As noted, this is a soft matchup for the Capitals, and Carlson has recorded an assist and six shots through two games since returning from a lower-body injury. This is also a reasonable salary considering Carlson sports a second-ranked 2.45 points per 60 minutes among regular defensemen over the past two years.
Filip Hronek, DET at CLS ($10): With just a single assist through the past 14 games, there's not a lot to be excited about with Hronek. However, he has a contest-minimum salary and projects to quarterback the No. 1 power-play unit. Columbus also checks out as a favorable opponent with the eighth most goals against per game in the league.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Victor Hedman, TB vs. DAL ($24): The Stars have surrendered the eighth fewest goals per game and fourth fewest high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes, so this doesn't project as a target-worthy matchup. Hedman has also only found the scoresheet once through the past eight games.
