This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We're past the NHL trade deadline. Rosters are a bit more locked in, though not entirely, especially in a season like this. How will players like Taylor Hall and Jeff Carter look with their new teams? What will these shakeups mean? We have to wait to find out, but you don't have to wait any longer for my recommendations for your DFS lineup Tuesday.
GOALIE
Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. BUF ($26): There's no reason for the Bruins to rush Tuukka Rask or Jaroslav Halak back right now. First, because Swayman has a 2.35 GAA and .929 save percentage in his three starts this season. Second, the Bruins are at home against the Sabres. Buffalo has scored 2.32 goals per game and has been shipping guys out this deadline, including Taylor Hall.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Juuse Saros, NAS vs. TAM ($36): Saros is having an excellent season, posting a 2.17 GAA and .929 save percentage. However, he's been kind of ducking the Lightning this year. OK, so that may not be literal, but Saros has only started two of the seven games the Preds have played against the Bolts this year. In those games he's allowed 10 goals total. That's not surprising, as the Lightning have scored 3.41 goals per contest.
CENTER
Elias Lindholm, CGY at TOR ($17): With Sean Monahan struggling, Lindholm has largely been serving as the first-line center for the Flames. It's worked out for the Swede, who has 34 points in 41 games, including 14 on the power play. Calgary didn't play Monday, but Toronto did, and they started Jack Campbell in that game. This could mean new Maple Leaf, and former Flame, David Rittich in net. If he can't go for his new team, then it will be ostensible fourth-stringer Michael Hutchinson tending goal.
CENTER TO AVOID
Aleksander Barkov, FLA at DAL ($33): It's likely an encouraging sign for DFS players that I don't see a lot of clearly discouraging matchups for Tuesday. Should be a good day for your roster construction, since there are few opportunities to misstep. That being said, Barkov commands a high salary in what is perhaps the toughest matchup any offense is facing. The Panthers are on the road against a Stars team with a 2.45 GAA and that has allowed only 27.4 shots on net per contest.
WING
Chris Kreider, NYR at NJD ($18): Kreider has been a bit of a power-play specialist this season. He's averaged 3:44 per game with the extra man – a personal high – and nine of his 17 goals have come on the power play. Since the Devils have the league's worst penalty kill, this isn't a bad thing. Plus, MacKenzie Blackwood has really struggled recently, only managing a 3.38 GAA and .892 save percentage in his last eight starts.
Tom Wilson, WAS vs. PHI ($17): When I was first looking at Tuesday's slate, I was thinking Jakub Vrana would be a nice choice for this matchup. Then he was traded to the Red Wings for Anthony Mantha. I don't know if Mantha will be ready to go Tuesday, but Wilson should be just fine. He plays on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, for starters. Secondly, he has 25 points in 33 games, while the Flyers have a 3.51 GAA, second highest in the NHL.
WINGS TO AVOID
Travis Konecny, PHI at WAS ($17): Konecny had a five-game point streak going, but it ended with Philly's last game. It would not surprise me to see him go pointless once again on the road against the Capitals. It seems like Washington has decided to go with Vitek Vanecek as their primary goalie right now and that makes sense. Ilya Samsonov has struggled, while Vanecek has a 1.93 GAA and .935 save percentage in his last nine contests.
Victor Olofsson, BUF at BOS ($13): Jack Eichel is hurt and Taylor Hall is gone, so who is left to support Olofsson? Sure, he has 24 points in 41 games, but this matchup is tricky. Regardless of who will be in net for the Bruins, they've held opponents to 27.7 shots on net per game and have the league's best penalty kill. Twelve of Olofsson's points have come on the power play, and he'll be hard-pressed to have any success on that front Tuesday.
DEFENSE
Adam Fox, NYR at NJD ($27): Frankly, salary didn't matter for me when I saw this matchup for Fox and the Rangers. Like I said, the Devils have the league's worst penalty kill. Fox has been absolutely crushing it on the power play. The 23-year-old has averaged a hefty 4:00 per game with the extra man and has 20 power-play points. There's a ton of upside here for Fox.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. CGY ($21): I don't mind going with a player of Rielly's caliber on the second leg of a back-to-back. He's bounced back from a tough 2019-20 campaign with 29 points in 42 games, including 11 on the power play. Rielly and company are at home for this one, but the thing I like most is that Jacob Markstrom has struggled quite a bit recently. Over his last 10 starts he has a 3.36 GAA and .879 save percentage.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Roman Josi, NAS vs. TAM ($22): I would have had a Predators forward in my avoidance recommendations save for the fact there aren't really any Predators forwards you are considering most days anyway, at least with Filip Forsberg hurt. That being said, Josi is a reliable contributor offensively from the blue line, but I don't like this matchup at all. When Tampa plays on back-to-back days there is always the potential of not having to face Andrei Vasilevskiy but that isn't the case here, so the Russian netminder with the 2.00 GAA and .932 save percentage will likely be in goal.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at WAS ($17): Provorov may not quite be able to replicate his numbers from last season, in part because he's gone from averaging 3:03 on the power play to 2:37, dropping from 16 power-play points last year in 69 games to eight through 41 games this season. Well, Washington has a top-10 penalty kill, so power-play success isn't likely regardless. Then, we add on the fact Vanecek has a .935 save percentage in his last nine outings, as I previously mentioned, and Provorov becomes an unappealing option.
