NHL Building Blocks – January 20
Five games on the main slate on this national holiday. Let’s dive in!
The premise of each article in this series is to feature starting spots (building blocks) for your lines. These are plays that are cash-viable as well as GPP-worthy and can be considered in all contest formats.
Starting Lineup – January 20
The Goalie: Pyotr Kochetkov
Should be a popular goalie on the slate as he has the best matchup on the slate: Chicago’s offense is just not good and Carolina’s defense is. Kochetkov (17-9-2 / 2.52 / .902) has had a very nice season, and I think that should continue tonight even on the road.
The Center: Auston Matthews
Five goals in his last five games (and eight in the nine since coming back from injury). Upside is as high as anyone.
The Wing: Nikita Kucherov
The marquee matchup tonight, Kuch has four goals and 10 helpers during his eight-game point streak and is third in the league in scoring. Toronto’s defense is quite good, but he’s matchup-proof.
The Defenseman: Zach Werenski
Becoming a must-play on every slate as his floor and ceiling are both super high; 51 points in 46 games while playing over 26 minutes a night and ranking third in the league in shots on goal.
The Value: Jordan Staal
Four goals and two helpers in his last five games and is in a great matchup.
The Stack: LAK (Kopitar-Kempe-Fiala)
Good spot for some leverage without getting too crazy: Pittsburgh allows more goals than any team in the league, and they travel three time zones west for this matchup. This trio has combined for 49 goals; mix in Laferriere (13 goals) and Foegele (12) as solid secondary pieces.
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Oct 26, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) celebrates with teammates on the bench after his goal tied the game against the Boston Bruins late in the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images