This article is part of our Cap Compliance series.
It's a quiet, two-game night in the NHL on Friday. The Avalanche are the largest favorite over the Kraken in Seattle, and the Jets are playing their second road game in consecutive nights in Vancouver.
All statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.
GOALIE
Darcy Kuemper, COL at SEA ($29): The first-year Av has settled in of late winning six of his past eight games with a .928 save percentage and 2.11 GAA. The Kraken haven't been an overly dangerous opponent, either. Seattle has scored just 2.23 goals and generated only 10.23 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes at five-on-five this season.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. COL ($26): With just a single win and poor ratios -- .853 save percentage and 4.78 GAA -- through his past five starts, Demko's current form is worrisome. Additionally, the Avalanche have scored the third most goals per game in the league.
CENTER
Nazem Kadri, COL at SEA ($20): It's safe to bet Kadri's current heater isn't going to last too much longer, but he's definitely in play at this salary for the time being, and especially in a shallow player pool. After all, he's piled up an incredible four goals, nine assists, 21 shots and 36 attempts through his past seven games.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. WPG ($18): While there's oodles of talent and potential here, Pettersson just hasn't made a notable fantasy impact this season, and he's posted a crippling minus-five rating during his current four-game point drought. Additionally, he's registered just five shots and four individual high-danger scoring chances during the skid.
WING
Kyle Connor, WPG at VAN ($30): It's probably safe to label Connor a star at this point. He ranks sixth in goals, 13th in points and third in shots per 60 minutes while also finding the scoresheet in 13 of 16 games this season. Vancouver has been a mess defensively, too. The Canucks have surrendered 3.41 goals per game and rank last in penalty-kill percentage.
Alex Newhook, COL at SEA ($10): If searching for a minimum-salary option, Newhook offers upside. He's found the scoresheet in two of four games this season and projects to be an impact offensive player in the near future. The 20-year-old forward also recorded four goals and seven assists through 10 AHL games this season.
WINGS TO AVOID
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at VAN ($24): Currently producing at a point-per-game pace over his past 12 contests, Ehlers could easily return value on this salary. He's probably more of a floor target, though. The 25-year-old winger only has two multi-point showings during the noted stretch, after all.
Nils Hoglander, VAN vs. WPG ($18): It's been a solid stretch for the second-year Canuck with four goals through his past four games. However, he's also sporting an unsustainably high 26.7 shooting percentage during the stretch, so statistical correction is ahead.
DEFENSE
Cale Makar, COL at SEA ($23): The 23-year-old defenseman paces all defensemen in points per 60 minutes since entering the league and is logging significant minutes: 24:26 per game with 4:08 on the power play. With a reasonable cap hit, and in a shallow defense pool, Makar is a strong option.
Neal Pionk, WPG at VAN ($17): The power-play quarterback lands in the noted soft matchup Friday, and Pionk also has some statistical correction ahead. After collecting eight assists through the first seven games of the season, Pionk has just two goals and no helpers through his latest nine outings. It's also worth noting he's been solid in the supporting categories with 38 shots and 22 blocks.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Josh Morrissey, WPG at VAN ($19): By no means is this a stern fade call. The salary could be viewed as a little steep, but the matchup is soft. Still, Morrissey has missed the scoresheet in eight of his past 12 games and only reached double-digit fantasy points in three times.
