6 Fantasy Hockey Situations to Watch This Weekend
Has Devan Dubnyk Earned More Time?
For the past four years, Mike Smith has been the unquestioned starting goalie for the Arizona Coyotes (-0.28 nERD), and while that isn't about to change, Devan Dubnyk has started to make a case for more playing time. This year, Smith has been struggling; both his goals against average and save percentage are not near his career numbers.
| Stats | Wins/Start | GAA | Save % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 0.469 | 2.61 | .913 |
| 2014-15 | 0.267 | 3.30 | .890 |
Smith racked up his fifth straight loss on Thursday night, allowing 3 goals on 27 shots (a .889 save percentage) in Dallas to the Stars (-0.08).
Into the picture comes Dubnyk. Last year, Dubnyk struggled for the Edmonton Oilers, posting a 3.36 goals against average and .894 save percentage in 32 games before being traded to the Nashville Predators. He only played two games for Nashville before being traded again - this time to the Montreal Canadiens and assigned to their American Hockey League affiliate, Hamilton Bulldogs. In the offseason, Dubnyk signed a one-year, $800,000 contract to try to get his career back on track in the desert playing for the Coyotes.
In his limited playing time, Dubnyk has quietly put up impressive numbers and has outplayed Smith.
| Player | Games | Wins | Goals Against Average | Saves | Save % | Shutouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Smith | 14 | 4 | 3.31 | 375 | 0.890 | 0 |
| Devan Dubnyk | 6 | 4 | 2.25 | 148 | 0.925 | 1 |
The Coyotes have a busy weekend coming up. After the loss in Dallas, the team hits the road again to face the San Jose Sharks (0.32) on Saturday and the Anaheim Ducks (0.46) on Sunday, both of which are top-eight teams in our power rankings.
It is probable that Dubnyk gets one of the back-to-back starts on the weekend; if you are looking for a spot starter for your fantasy team Sunday, Dubnyk may become a viable option.
