This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Welcome back for another week of FanDuel NHL bargain bin options. Time is starting to run out on the season, as the playoffs are about three weeks away, so get into the DFS action while there are still 30 teams playing.
As always, there will be one skater listed at each FanDuel position priced at $4,000 or less. At the end of the article, there will be a couple of bargain-priced goaltenders to use. There will also be certain days to use these players, so I would recommend against just plugging-and-playing them every game.
Centre
Nick Bonino (Pittsburgh) - $4,100
This is cheating a bit, as the cutoff is $4,000. But for a player in his situation, with his track record, an exception had to be made.
Bonino's on-ice shooting percentage at five-on-five, or the rate at which the team scores with him on the ice, is 6.29% (a personal five-year low). He is also shooting at a rate of 5.26% at five-on-five (also a five-year low). Considering his age (27) and his team, there isn't much more to this than a slump, with some bad luck mixed in. That has a reasonable shot of turning itself around, especially with his new role on the team. Since Evgeni Malkin's injury, Bonino has been skating a fair amount on the second line with Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin. He is also on the top power play unit.
Pittsburgh has a home game this Thursday against New Jersey. Without Cory Schneider and Michael Cammalleri, the Devils are missing their two best players, and Schneider is without a doubt their most important one. With Bonino promoted and playing 17-18 minutes a game, he is a very solid option to save some cap space.
Right Wing
Teddy Purcell (Florida) - $4,000
One of Florida's deadline acquisitions has been off to a very good start, managing four points in five games while battling through some injuries. Obviously, Purcell's 25% shooting rate won't sustain itself. But seeing as he's someone who has cracked 30 points in five straight seasons, and 40 in three of those, the fact he's producing shouldn't be a shock.
Purcell should benefit from his linemates. At the time of writing, Purcell has been slotted alongside Nick Bjugstad and Jiri Hudler. Since the lockout season, Bjugstad has managed 0.83 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five. That is tied with Hudler, and both are top-40 marks in the NHL over these last three 82-game seasons. For a frame of reference, that goals mark is higher in that span than Ryan Johansen, Zach Parise, and James van Riemsdyk. In short, Purcell, a player known more for his passing than his shooting, is playing with two guys who have a knack for finishing. Also, Purcell is playing on Florida's second power play unit.
On Thursday, Florida is going into Boston, and something that maybe casual fans don't realize how poor the Bruins are defensively. They are tied with Ottawa in high-danger chances against per 60 minutes. Without Patrice Bergeron on the ice – likely for the Purcell line – the Bruins control under 46% of the high-danger chances. Purcell makes a nice option for this night considering his linemates and matchup.
Left Wing
Calle Jarnkrok (Nashville) - $3,800
Jarnkrok seems to have slotted in nicely on the top line with Ryan Johansen and James Neal. While there is more to it than simply producing points, Jarnkrok has managed 14 points in over 438 minutes played at five-on-five with Neal. That works out to be about 1.91 points per 60 minutes this year, or for a reference, about the same rate as Max Pacioretty and Bryan Little this season. Without Neal, that rate plummets to 0.65.
The possession rates have not been stellar with the three of them as a unit, as they are typically outshot when together. However, playing in the West typically means going up against names like Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Jonathan Toews, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Getzlaf, and Anze Kopitar. This coming Saturday, Nashville are hosting Columbus. While they do have talented players like Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson, they are nowhere near the talent the Predators face on a regular basis in the West, particularly in their own division. That would be a good night to get exposure to the top line for Nashville, and to avoid paying up for Neal or Johansen, Janrkrok should be the target.
Defence
Jordan Oesterle (Edmonton) - $3,200
Oliver Ekman-Larsson hasn't played in two weeks for Arizona, and he may not suit up against tonight for the Coyotes. That is really bad news for them, as with him on the ice, the Coyotes have roughly the same high-danger scoring differential at five-on-five as the Los Angeles Kings. Without him, the Coyotes are somewhere between the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks. In other words, not good.
Oesterle wasn't originally drafted by the Oilers. He was signed out of college two years ago, and has spent most of his time in the AHL. He has 48 points in 107 career AHL games, which isn't mind-blowing, but not pedestrian, either.
In five straight games, Oesterle has played at least 21 minutes for the Oilers, and at least 22 in four of them. He is auditioning right now and that includes playing on the second power play unit. For the balance of the season, there are not many situations where the Oilers skaters would be considered viable for cash games. Playing against an Ekman-Larsson-less Coyotes team is one of them.
Goalies
Jean-Francois Berube (NY Islanders) - $4,700
With the injury to Jaroslav Halak, Bérubé has been recalled to back up Thomas Greiss. In four games this season, he has a .924 save percentage. In his previous two seasons in the AHL, Bérubé wasn't really much more than anything but average.
While Bérubé isn't a known quantity at this point, his price indicates he's an excellent tournament play this week. The Islanders have four games in six days, including a back-to-back on the weekend against Tampa Bay and Carolina. Whichever game Bérubé starts this week for the Islanders, he warrants tournament consideration because of the significant cap relief.
Cam Ward (Carolina) - $6,700
Whether it's Ward or Eddie Lack, this should be a good week for the Carolina goalies. It has really been a tale of two seasons for the Hurricanes goaltending. From October 1 through January 1, the Hurricanes were 29th in five-on-five save percentage. Since January 1, they are a bit more respectable at 22nd overall with a .924 team save percentage. With home games Tuesday against Buffalo and Sunday against New Jersey, I would be fine using either Carolina goalie in either of those games.
