The Coyotes' Nick Schmaltz has picked up his scoring pace again, Anthony Beauvillier will make his Blackhawks debut on a line with Connor Bedard, and Leo Carlsson's tremendous upside for the Ducks.
Nick Schmaltz, C/RW, ARI vs. STL (27% rostered)
Schmaltz has been a little quieter than usual but remains productive with three points in four games. Blues-Coyotes matchups have been great for fantasy; over their past eight meetings since 2022, at least one team has scored five or more goals seven times.
Leo CarlssonLeo Carlsson, C, ANA vs. COL (9% rostered)
It's never quite clear which games Carlsson will or won't play, but we do know that it's rare for him to just play one game and then sit. After sitting out two games, he played Thursday against the Caps, scoring an assist in 21:26 of ice time. This is a tough matchup but the Ducks are at home where they can dictate the matchups. Given Carlsson's usage (18:08 TOI/GP) when he plays and his production (10 points in 15 games), he's a high-upside option.
Gustav Nyquist, LW, NSH vs. NYR (18% rostered)
The Gus train stopped dead in its tracks with a 6-1 loss to the Wild, but no changes are expected for the Preds' top line with Nyquist, Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly. It has been a great run for that line and Nyquist played just 14:34 in the loss. The Preds will hit the reset button. Look for more minutes and also a more favorable matchup than usual with the Rangers expected to rest Igor Shesterkin.
Matty Beniers, C, SEA at OTT (39% rostered)
Beniers has really fallen out of favor this season, and for good reason. However, his usage continues to be significant, and over the past three games has averaged over 19 minutes per game and scored two points, both against the Hawks. This is a good matchup for the Kraken, who can take advantage of a very inconsistent and underperforming team.
Cole Perfetti, C, WPG vs. CHI (25% rostered)
Gabriel Vilardi, C/RW, WPG vs. CHI (13% rostered)
Vilardi played just 13:02 in his return from an MCL injury, finishing with zero points and a shot on goal. The Jets will ease him back into the lineup after suffering an injury that nearly cost Vilardi the entire season and keep his minutes low. The good news is Vilardi playing on L2 and PP1 with Perfetti, who continues his outstanding season and scored his eighth goal in their previous game, matching last season's total but in 29 fewer games. This is a great matchup against a very poor team that can't defend and has also allowed more goals than it has scored on the power play over the past couple of games.
Anthony Beauvillier, LW/RW, CHI at WPG (5% rostered)
Call it the Connor Bedard effect. If Philipp Kurashev can score at a point-per-game pace playing next to Bedard, why can't Beauvillier? The former Canuck will make his Blackhawks debut after joining the team in Winnipeg, and he was skating on the first line, replacing Lukas Reichel, who drops back down to the second line. Beauvillier struggled offensively with the Canucks with only two goals in 22 games, both of which came in a 10-1 blowout against the Sharks. With top-line deployment, the hope is Beauvillier will get better offensive opportunities and, of course, capitalize.
