Holy smokes everybody it is time for NHL to start back up. If you didn’t already know, the DFS Army is changing the fantasy preparation game in a big way this year. Here at the Army we have a plethora of new/returning coaches, a more effective version of our cheat sheets, and our IT experts have tweaked our domination station to be even more accurate and user friendly. Come gain access to our discord, communicate with the top coaches in the game, and make fun of me whenever you want! Now, onto opening night!
Slate Overview:
There are a lot of juicy spots on this slate. My advice; pick a spot and attack hard on each line. I love Boston catching Chicago on the second game of a back to back. I always love McDavid and Draisaitl in a plus matchup. The other games will be close and I don’t have any strong preferences. People will play a lot of Hurricanes at home vs Ottawa, but I am waiting to see how good Ottawa is defensively first. Sanderson, Chychrun, and Chabot, are 3 elite defensemen, and Ottawa’s goalie situation is not bad either with Joonas Korpisalo probably starting. Ilya Samsonov is my favorite cash game goalie, and Connor Hellebuyck and his new contract is my favorite goalie for tournament lineups. Snipe time!
Snipe #1 – Elias Pettersson – Quinn Hughes
We have a high totaled game in Vancouver with Edmonton in town, and I actually like Vancouver to make it competitive. Quinn Hughes is one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, and has looked to be in splendid form coming into the season. Elias Pettersson sneakily put up 102 points last season, and can be one of the highest scoring players in the league on any given night. Everyone will have shares of McDavid and/or Draisaitl, which for me, makes the Canucks’ big boys interesting. The Oilers’ blueline is below average at best, and neither Stuart Skinner or Jack Campbell impress me. You can always add Pettersson’s line-mates in as well (probably Kuzmenko and Garland), but a Pettersson/Hughes twosome may be enough to get the Canucks’ offensive upside in your lineup. The play is driven by these two. They also may be sneaky with the Oilers, Leafs, Bruins, and Hurricanes, all in good spots.
Snipe #2 – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
The Leafs open up the season at home against the Montreal Canadiens. A dream scenario for the Leafs, who are one of the top teams in the league, and are up against a young team trying to prove themselves. Montreal has question marks on their blueline, as well as in net, which is a major reason why I like the Leafs. Matthews and Marner are two top 10 players in the world, and correlate beautifully on the top PP unit as well as the first line. Stacking with Tyler Bertuzzi makes sense; however, I don’t think he sees the first PP unit. Morgan Rielly always makes sense in Toronto stacks if he head-mans the top PP unit. Just a simple and chalky spot to not over-complicate. We know what we are getting into here, and we should be comfortable with it.
Apr 26, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) celebrates after scoring his 60th goal of the season during the third period against the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Grinder #1 – Jonathan Drouin – reunited with Nathan Mackinnon after all of these years. Drouin and Mackinnon have been great friends forever, and were teammates in their Junior hockey days.
Grinder #2 – Ryan Johansen – Avalanche’s number 2 center and is a PP specialist. He gets slotted on that PP1 with Mackinnon, Rantanen, and Makar, which may sneak him into some high scoring games.
Grinder #3 – Gabriel Vilardi – Potentially top line and top PP unit for Winnipeg. The Jets have a sneaky good offensive team, and Vilardi could have some value here against a team with shaky goaltending
Grinder #4 – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Holy DK salary, Batman
Grinder #5 – Alex Iafallo – DK has him at min-price. Good middle 6 volume shooter. Potentially on the PP1 for the Jets.
Grinder #6 – Cole Caufield – DK forgot who Cole Caufield is
Bankroll Grinder – I can get a 3 leg parlay of Leafs -1.5, CBJ moneyline, and Bruins moneyline, for +330. I don’t love CBJ, but at home vs the Flyers should be a win, and those odds seem very nice.
