Fantasy buzz: Hornqvist game-time decision; Matthews, Schneider updates

All season long, NHL.com's fantasy hockey staff will have you covered with daily lineup news, production trends and injury notes from around the League. We will identify how these developments affect fantasy owners in year-long (Yahoo) and daily (DraftKings) formats.

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Penguins shuffle lines ahead of Hornqvist's return

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Patric Hornqvist will be a game-time decision against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, FS-CR, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV). He has missed the past eight games with a lower-body injury.
Hornqvist (67 percent owned, 122nd in Yahoo) could be available in shallow formats and is worth adding in leagues that count shots on goal (156 in 49 games), power-play points (15) and either penalty minutes (34) or hits (96). When healthy, he has played anywhere from the first to third line at even strength but has been a fixture on the first power-play unit with forwards Evgeni Malkin (second in Yahoo), Phil Kessel (seventh), Sidney Crosby (10th) and defenseman Kris Letang (80th). The Penguins have the top-ranked power play (26.5 percent) in the NHL.
That said, DFS owners may want to fade Hornqvist ($6,400) on Friday considering he has struggled on the road (13 points in 24 games) and against the Hurricanes (no points, 10 SOG in three games). He's also the eighth most-expensive wing in DraftKings on this five-game slate.

The return of Hornqvist could negatively impact forward Jake Guentzel (C/LW, 60 percent, 185th in Yahoo), who's likely to be moved off the first power-play unit. The Penguins shuffled their lines at practice Thursday; Crosby skated with Bryan Rust (LW/RW, 28 percent, 285th in Yahoo) and Dominik Simon (C/LW, fewer than 1 percent), with Malkin centering Hornqvist and Carl Hagelin (LW, 4 percent) and Kessel on the third line with Guentzel and Riley Sheahan (C/RW, 2 percent). Fantasy streaming options Zach Aston-Reese and Conor Sheary were on the fourth line with Carter Rowney and are worth dropping if they remain there against the Hurricanes on Friday.
Rust was skating primarily with Malkin during Hornqvist's absence but remains a DFS value pick ($4,500 in DraftKings) on Crosby's wing. Since returning from injury Jan. 23, Rust has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) and 26 SOG in 12 games.

Matthews day to day for Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews
is day to day after sustaining a shoulder injury
against the New York Islanders on Thursday. He did not practice Friday and is uncertain for Toronto's game against the Boston Bruins on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, SN, NESN, NHL.TV).
Matthews (67th in Yahoo) has been an elite fantasy performer (50 points, plus-23, 160 shots on goal in 53 games) despite missing 10 games because of injuries earlier in the season. Any extended absence would negatively affect the value of linemates William Nylander (C/RW, 113th in Yahoo) and Zach Hyman (C/LW, 15 percent, 173rd).
It's worth noting Matthews has scored the vast majority of his points at even strength (43 ES points, T-10th in NHL) and has struggled with the man-advantage (seven power-play points) playing on a separate unit from forwards Nazem Kadri (81st), James van Riemsdyk (91st) and Mitchell Marner (116th).

Schneider at optional practice Friday, nearing return for Devils

New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider skated at an optional practice Friday and is nearing a return from a lower-body injury. He has not played since Jan. 23 but is expected to join full practice Monday.
Schneider (77 percent, 261st in Yahoo) is worth adding or trading for in fantasy ahead of his potential return next week with New Jersey in Stanley Cup Playoff position and based on his track record as an elite goaltender (.921 save percentage in NHL career).
Backup Keith Kinkaid will start against the New York Islanders on Saturday (6:15 p.m. ET; MSG+, MSG+ 2, NHL.TV).
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