The NHL regular season will end with a bang on Saturday with all 30 teams in action and final playoff spots and positions to be solidified. It makes for a challenging day for fantasy lineups and we will offer a diversified Pick Six and Sleeper to take advantage of all of the teams being in action.
LW – Jamie Benn – Dallas
The Stars host the Nashville Predators with a starting time set for 8 p.m. ET. The Stars have finished the season strong with seven wins in their last eight games. The Stars are the second highest scoring team in the NHL. Benn is the Stars leading scorer with 32 goals and 51 assists and is red hot lately with four goals and seven assists in his last five games with a plus-two.
C – Tyler Seguin – Dallas
We expect the offense oriented Stars to play fast and loose in their season finale at home against a Predators team that will likely not have much to play for. Seguin may have won the NHL scoring championship had it not been for a knee injury in March. Seguin has 37 goals and 40 assists on the season with three goals and five assists in his last five games.
RW – Jordan Eberle – Edmonton
The Oilers are at the Vancouver Canucks with puck drop set for 10 p.m. ET. Vancouver is in the playoffs and won’t have much incentive here while the Oilers, much like the Dallas Stars, will probably be fast and loose. Eberle leads the Oilers in scoring with 23 goals and 39 assists but with just one goal and one assist in his last five games. We expect Eberle to go out with a bang in the season finale.
D – Erik Karlsson – Ottawa
The Senators are at the Philadelphia Flyers with puck drop set for 12:30 p.m. ET. Karlsson has been a key component in the Senators resurgence and figures to be a critical figure in what could be a play in game for Ottawa. Karlsson is now the Sens leading scorer with 21 goals and 45 assists to go with a plus-six on the season. Karlsson has been at his best during the pressure packed playoff push for Ottawa with one goal and four assists.
D – Aaron Ekblad – Florida
The Panthers host the New Jersey Devils with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET. With neither team in playoff position we look for the Cats to wrap up a season of promise with a bang. Ekblad is a top shelf candidate for NHL Rookie of the Year and can make a strong closing argument against a Devils team that ranks 28th in the NHL for goal scoring. Ekblad is a big reason why Florida emerged as a playoff contender this year with 12 goals, 25 assists and a plus-11. Ekblad has one goal and one assist in his last five games.
G – Roberto Luongo – Florida
The Panthers owe Luongo a big debt of thanks for his role in re-establishing credibility for the franchise and helping them contend for the playoffs until the final week of the season. Bobby Lou has a .920 save percentage on the season with a 2.35 goals against average and two shutouts. Luongo and the Cats will be a highly popular pick to make the playoffs next season. Going up against the punchless Devils, Luongo stands a solid shot at a season ending shutout.
Sleeper – Phil Kessel – Toronto
Toronto hosts the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. ET. Montreal is staggering to the finish line and will not have much to play for here against a Toronto team that has disgraced the game with their gutless play and lack of effort. Kessel has been the poster boy for all that is wrong with the Leafs, and yet that is what could make him dangerous in a meaningless regular season finale. Kessel actually leads Toronto in scoring with 24 goals and 35 assists to go with a big phat minus-35 which matches his lack of shape at the start of the season. We call for Kessel as the sleeper precisely because this game means nothing. It would be typical of Phil to thrill when it matters least.
