This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's been a long, grueling year for daily fantasy players, but the NHL regular season is drawing to a close with the final games being played Saturday night.
There are a lot of implications for the final week of fantasy. Some teams are fighting for the playoffs, some are on cruise control. Expect some call-ups from teams that are out of the playoffs, particularly those that may have signed players out of the NCAA. I wouldn't think these players have much fantasy relevance, but it could mean a regular taking a break as a healthy scratch. Keep an eye on the RotoWire depth charts for updates.
I would also recommend being near a mobile device as puck drop nears. Coaches will be even more secretive and cautious with injuries as the playoffs approach, so don't be surprised if dinged up players like Tyler Johnson or Ryan Getzlaf get a last-minute night off.
Below are bargain skaters all priced $4000 or less, with a cheap goalie at the end.
Center
Kevin Hayes ($3,800)
The Rangers are one of the few teams that have not only locked up their playoff position, but they've locked up their division as well. There really isn't a lot of reason for them to play their A-lineup every night, so don't be surprised if guys like Martin St. Louis or Derek Stepan get a night off. That would mean more ice time for guys like Hayes.
It's probably safe to say Hayes exceeded a lot of expectations this year: going into Monday game, Hayes was one of two players in the NHL with at least 15 goals and 20 assists while getting fewer than 1,000 minutes of total ice time. In terms of shot attempts for per minute, goals per minute and puck possession, Hayes does better with current line mate Carl Hagelin than almost any other player. With decent matchups like New Jersey and Ottawa, and a likely uptick in ice time in certain games, I like the price of Hayes quite a bit this week.
Left Wing
Nikolai Kulemin ($3,900)
Kulemin is probably one of the most unheralded players of the last four or five years. With that said, he's the type of player that's described in possession terms as a "bus driver:" he generally makes the players around him better, rather than the players around him making him better.
Of course, that's a generality. Now that Kulemin is playing on the top line with John Tavares, it's safe to say he finally has a line mate that can make him better, and he has; the Islanders generate more shot attempts, and more goals, when Kulemin is with Tavares than when Kulemin is without him. The fact is that Tavares doesn't do as well in this regard with Kulemin compared to names like Anders Lee and Kyle Okposo, but that's why Kulemin is the value here.
The Islanders have a back-to-back on the weekend against a sliding Pittsburgh team and a currently overachieving Columbus team. I would be fine with Kulemin in either game so long as he stays with Tavares.
Right Wing
Valeri Nichushkin ($3,400)
It might seem like a lazy comparison because of their shared nationality, but Nichushkin is probably the best comparison to Evgeni Malkin for any hockey player in the world under the age of 21. He's already an imposing 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, and has the hands and vision to take over a game in spurts. He doesn't have the pure offensive upside or consistency that Malkin has (let's be realistic here), but the similar fashion that they can dominate an offensive zone possession is uncanny.
Nichushkin returned from an injury last week that held him out since November, and it is certainly understandable if he's a bit rusty as the regular season winds down. He is being put in a position to succeed though, as most of his five-on-five shifts have come either on the Spezza line or the Seguin line. That gives a good prospect an opportunity to succeed, and he's a great upside option for tournaments this week.
Defense
Alec Martinez ($3,600)
When Andrej Sekera was acquired by Los Angeles, part of the reason was that it would allow defensemen like Brayden McNabb and Alec Martinez to play a smaller but more effective roles. With Sekera out of the lineup, though, Martinez has been playing nearly 18 minutes per game, including time on the power play.
Los Angeles has three games remaining in the season, and they are fighting to get to the playoffs, so expect their best efforts every game. Also, two of those three are against teams that are not going to the postseason, so hopefully they will mail it in. With a more prominent role, a reason to play up to capabilities and a fairly easy schedule down the stretch, Martinez is a very good "punt" option for both cash games and tournaments.
Goaltender
Anton Khudobin ($7,600)
Carolina goes into Detroit on Tuesday, and that would likely be bad news for the Hurricanes, considering it's a back-to-back situation. There are a couple factors at play here, though.
First, in terms of scoring chances allowed per minute at five-on-five, Carolina is a top-10 team over the last two months. Detroit is first in this regard, so it looks likely to be a low-scoring game. These kinds of games are good for tournaments because it maximizes the saves that are made, and can make the game more of a coin-flip than it appears. Second, in terms of unblocked shot attempts allowed per minute while short-handed, Carolina is third in the NHL since Feb. 1 while Detroit is 26th. Again, in a low-scoring game, margins are important, and that means special teams.
I don't have Carolina with a high likelihood of winning, but if they do, it's a safe bet Khudobin will have a very good fantasy night, while also having a low ownership percentage, a perfect combination for a tournament.
*Some stats courtesy of Hockey Reference, Hockey Analysis, and War On Ice.
