Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: The Panthers anchor a short slate of options

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, Feb. 24 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

• C Aleksander Barkov (75K) & LW Jonathan Huberdeau (59K), Panthers (vs. Flames): While this tandem is still getting re-acquainted, it's still part of the team's sixth-most common line along with RW Jaromir Jagr. Their stability plus power play exposure against a potentially exhausted traveling Flames squad makes this an ideal duo.

• LW Jamie Benn (86K) & RW Patrick Eaves (51K), Stars (vs. Coyotes): Exploiting road teams as they play back-to-backs is a sound strategy. Benn and Eaves have skated together more often than any other Stars duo, culminating in an expected goals for of 17.88 to date.

• C Elias Lindholm (53K) & RW Sebastian Aho (56K), Hurricanes (vs. Senators): Even if the two don't skate with Jordan Staal, with whom they have combined for a team-best scoring chances per 60 of 15.99, this is the combo to pick from this game. The last few games have not been kind to Carolina, especially since the two have combined for only seven shots on goal in that time. A rebound is incoming, especially since Aho is regularly firing more shots at opposing nets.

Bargain Plays

• C Zack Smith (33K), Senators (at Hurricanes): Smith is quietly having a career year with 29 points in 56 games. While his scoring has understandably dropped following a 20.7 shooting percentage in 2016, he's responded by tallying more assists already, and has almost matched his shot total from last year. He's shooting more, but converting less often.

• D Dion Phaneuf (32K), Senators (at Hurricanes): On a short slate, Phaneuf is a fine supplementary option on the back end. He's still averaging 23 minutes per game and will let a few shots off. If you don't pick his teammate Erik Karlsson at 56K, save salary and take Phaneuf.

• LW Matthew Tkachuk (28K), Flames (at Panthers): Tkachuk is still as good a fringe option as you can ask for relative to his salary. His physicality and increasing shot totals elevate his floor ever so slightly. With Panthers G Roberto Luongo shaky of late, Tkachuk could run into one.

Top Fades

• D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (53K), Coyotes (at Stars): Considered an offensive threat from the blueline, Ekman-Larsson is shooting far less often than he has in years past. He isn't even averaging two shots per game, which has been his routine for the last four seasons. At this salary, even against the Stars' Swiss cheese goaltending, he's best left on the bench.

• G Louis Domingue (105K), Coyotes (at Stars): Nope. Whether it's Domingue or regular starter Mike Smith, in no reality are you spending this much on a Coyotes netminder against the likes of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The Stars haven't been as dominant offensively, but the Coyotes have allowed the fourth-most goals in the NHL.

• C Derick Brassard (60K), Senators (at Hurricanes): Riding a four-game point streak, Brassard seems primed to keep going, especially after logging more than 20 minutes of ice time in two straight contests. Still, he only has three goals in his last 22 games while averaging fewer than three shots per game. He's more likely to tally an assist, but he's too pricey for such a low floor.

Contrarian Options

• LW Johnny Gaudreau (66K), Flames (at Panthers): Gaudreau, as middling as his season has been, has already tallied more road points than he did a year ago. With the shine having dulled on Gaudreau on the whole, he's worth his still-buoyed salary, though it would be nice to see him take a few more shots on goal -- he still only has two goals in 2017.

• RW Jaromir Jagr (60K), Panthers (vs. Flames): Since LW Huberdeau's return, Jagr has seen his production slowly creep forward again. His salary combined with his age is still a bit daunting, especially with cheaper options averaging better daily totals. He took five SOG against the Oilers on Wednesday.

• G Cam Talbot (75K), Oilers (at Capitals): Few teams are as efficient with their scoring as the Capitals, and few Squad Up owners will take the plunge on a visiting Talbot. Talbot, however, has a .925 save percentage in eight February games, five of which have been away from Edmonton.