Bargain Plays - Don't Reid into New Jersey's Lack of Firepower
Here are the top sleeper picks for Sunday, March 27:
LW Reid Boucher, Devils (at Hurricanes)
Boucher dominated the AHL this season with 17 goals and 29 points in 32 games. Now he's playing a top-six role with the Devils and taking advantage of every minute of it.
Playing alongside veteran two-way center Travis Zajac and breakout player of the year candidate Kyle Palmieri, Boucher has registered seven points and 19 shots in his last nine games. The 22-year-old has been one of the most intriguing prospects in the Devils organization for a few years now, despite being taken in the fourth-round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Boucher's price is very low on most DFS sites. Draft the 5-foot-10, 195-pound winger in hopes he can continue his success against the one of the worst goaltending team's in the NHL.
C Nick Bonino, Penguins (at Rangers)
After totaling 88 points the past two seasons, Bonino is having a bit of a down year as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the 27-year-old has benefited from the absence of Evgeni Malkin. Bonino racked up one goal and four assists on Saturday in a 7-2 blowout win over the Red Wings.
Thanks to Malkin's injury, Bonino is centering the Pens' second line between speedster Carl Hagelin and sniper Phil Kessel, while also seeing time on the team's number one power-play unit.
Bonino's salary is extremely low compared to most second-line centers with his upside. Roster him in GPPs, but not cash games thanks to the presence of Henrik Lundqvist in the Rangers' goal.
G Scott Wedgewood, Devils (at Hurricanes)
Thanks to the injury to Cory Schneider and the lackluster play of Keith Kinkaid, Wedgewood has been given a shot to show what he can do. So far, it's safe to say he's impressed.
In three starts so far, the 23-year-old former third-round pick has compiled a 2-0-1 record with a .978 save percentage and a 0.66 GAA. His opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, rank 26th in the NHL with 182 goals this season.
His name may be ideal for a professional golfer, but Wedgewood is proving game-in and game-out that he has what it takes to be a starting goaltender in the NHL.