Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Goals to flow in Edmonton with Avs in town

March 25, 2017 NHL | theScore Leave a comment

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Saturday, March 25 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

C Connor McDavid (81K) and LW Patrick Maroon (38K), Oilers (vs. Avalanche): Surprisingly, McDavid and Maroon combined for just two assists in Edmonton's 7-4 win in Colorado on Thursday; chances are, they'll do more damage in the second leg of a home-and-home with the NHL's bottom-feeder. McDavid's six-game point streak has padded his Art Ross Trophy lead, while Maroon notched four goals and three assists in that span.

C Nicklas Backstrom (61K) and RW T.J. Oshie (51K), Capitals (vs. Coyotes): A straightforward selection, Backstrom and Oshie have combined for 52 goals and 77 assists as two-thirds of Washington's first line and top power play unit. Reasonably-priced and with a favorable home matchup against Arizona, which allows the most expected goals per 60 minutes, it's hard to look past this productive pairing.

LW Jeff Skinner (47K) and RW Lee Stempniak (36K), Hurricanes (at Devils): Undoubtedly flying under the radar, Skinner has notched nine goals and 13 points in March, getting his name on the score sheet in all but three of 12 games. Stempniak is rarely explosive, but had faithfully recorded an assist in five of six games before a two-goal outburst Thursday.

Goalie Breakdown

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

BARGAIN - Richard Bachman (75K), Canucks (at Wild): For those who feel like gambling with their netminder selection, Bachman has been stellar in a small sample, stopping 63 of the 66 shots he's faced through two starts and stealing a 2-1 road win in Anaheim with a 44-save performance. The Wild are in a slump, having lost nine of their 12 games in March.

TARGET - Braden Holtby (86K), Capitals (vs. Coyotes): Holtby is surprisingly affordable, given that he's won four of his last five starts and has allowed just over two goals per game for the season. With Washington, the NHL's best team, playing host to Arizona, the second-worst, it's hard to imagine Holtby not coming away with his 39th victory of the campaign.

FADE - Thomas Greiss (120K), Islanders (vs. Bruins): Greiss didn't suit up Friday, but his teammates will nevertheless be playing the second of back-to-back games. The Islanders rank second in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes, so even at home, it's doubtful that they'll be able to keep a potent Bruins offense at bay enough to where Greiss can live up to his hefty salary.

CONTRARIAN - Jake Allen (99K), Blues (vs. Flames): Allen's been nearly impenetrable in March, holding a 7-1-0 record in eight starts with a 1.26 GAA. Considering how badly he struggled earlier in the season, this level of performance isn't sustainable, but he's worth rostering while on a roll. Calgary has dropped two straight games, both on the road, after a stretch in which it won 12 of 13 contests.

Bargain Plays

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

LW Ryan Hartman (29K), Blackhawks (at Panthers): Listed at LW in Squad Up, Hartman has recently been centering Chicago's second line of Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin, the team's two leading scorers. The change has energized Hartman, who after going without a point for March's first eight games, has responded with three goals and 13 shots over his last four contests.

C Nick Schmaltz (25K), Blackhawks (at Panthers): Another bargain Blackhawk, Schmaltz formerly held Hartman's role on the Kane-Panarin line, but is now skating with Marian Hossa and Marcus Kruger. Schmaltz has managed a three-game assist streak with some power play time mixed in.

D Andrej Sekera (29K), Oilers (vs. Avalanche): Sekera leads all Edmonton defensemen with 33 points, even if Oscar Klefbom typically plays ahead of him on the first power play unit. Sekera has contributed at least one point in four of the last six games, with a one-goal, two-assist effort in a recent win over Colorado.

Top Fades

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

C Joe Pavelski (73K), Sharks (at Predators): Pavelski isn't the only underperforming Shark, but he's the highest-priced. During a five-game losing spell in which San Jose has scored just five goals, Pavelski has four shots and a lone assist to his name. Perhaps's Friday's 6-1 defeat to Dallas was rock bottom, but banking on an immediate rebound is a risky proposition.

RW Patrick Kane (99K), Blackhawks (at Panthers): Kane's salary is easily the highest of any non-goaltender, and it's over three times as high as linemate Hartman's. He averages just below a point per game on the road, with 13 goals in 35 contests. At his salary, nothing short of a multi-point effort will do, and there are several cheaper alternatives on his team.

LW Max Domi (57K), Coyotes (at Capitals): Domi has been more productive on the road, with 19 of his 33 points coming away from Arizona. Still, it's hard to imagine how his salary is so high given the poor matchup he faces. Domi has failed to record a point in four of his last five games, and led by the aforementioned Holtby, Washington maintains the NHL's lowest goals against average (2.15).

Contrarian Options