This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The NHL conference finals could end Tuesday. If the Sharks can't beat the Blues, the series is over. Unfortunately for San Jose, a lot of its players head into this game banged up. That's also concerning for us in the daily fantasy hockey realm. I have a hard time getting behind Joe Pavelski, Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl solely because I don't know what kind of shape they'll be in. Here are lineup considerations...
Logan Couture, SAN ($11,400)
Couture hasn't notched a point in his last two games, but that's minor quibbling. He has 14 goals and six assists in 19 playoff contests. On top of that, he's scored 25 goals in each of his last three seasons. Jordan Binnington has played better the last couple of times out, but he still has a .912 save percentage in the playoffs, and he's a rookie goalie facing a ton of pressure, which might mean something.
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL ($11,100)
Frankly, I'm more excited about the Blues than the Sharks, and not just because of injuries. Martin Jones had an .896 save percentage this season, and he's raised that to only .902 in the playoffs. Of course, Tarasenko has played some great hockey in his own right. He has a five-game point streak which encompasses every game in this series.
Jaden Schwartz, STL ($9,100)
Schwartz has scored 12 goals over his last 14 games. That's notable, as he had 11 goals in the entirety of the regular season. Don't consider this a total fluke, though. He's been lucky in the playoffs to be sure, but the 6.0 shooting percentage he had this year was profoundly unlucky. Maybe this is just the hockey universe balancing itself out. All I know is that Schwartz has been on fire and is coming off a hat trick.
Timo Meier, SAN ($8,400)
Meier is healthy at least. Also, he has seven points in the last seven games. He also enjoyed a breakout campaign, scoring 30 goals on 250 shots. The Shark may have to lean on the 22-year-old, and he's shown what he can do when he's on his game.
Kevin Labanc, SAN ($5,300)
Labanc started 58.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Sharks forwards this season. He also averaged 2:19 per game with the extra man and notched 20 power-play points. Due to injuries, Labanc could see more power-play time in Game 6 as well. That would increase his fantasy potential.
Ivan Barbashev, STL ($4,700)
You've got to save some money somewhere, and Barbashev has some potential. He scored 14 goals this season, and he has two goals in this series. The play of Martin Jones, and the issues the Sharks had defensively on the road all year, gives Barbashev the opportunity to provide real bang for your buck.
