Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy hockey on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some NHL player props bets that look appealing via the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note that betting lines and numberFire's projections may change throughout the day after this article is published.

NHL Prop Bets

Mathew Barzal To Score a Goal (+175)

The New York Islanders continue to move toward the playoffs and have an easy matchup versus the Montreal Canadiens tonight.

With a 3.22 implied goal total, the Islanders should be able to push the offense and help secure their playoff spot. Over the last two weeks, the Canadiens have allowed 2.84 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 10th-worst rate in the NHL.

This is a matchup any team would want to see at this point in the season and it brings me to Mathew Barzal for a goal.

He skates on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, which has allowed him to rack up 20 shots on goal over his last six games, but no goals. He's in the midst of a career-high 23 goals this season, so it's a bit unusual to see him go this long without a goal.

The Islanders need to win and this is a good matchup for Barzal to break the goal drought and find the back of the net.

Vincent Trocheck Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-128)

A solid role and a strong matchup put Vincent Trocheck in a good spot to rack up some shots.

When it comes to defense, the Philadelphia Flyers haven't been playing a shred of it in recent games. Over the last two weeks, the Flyers have allowed a staggering 5.07 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the worst in the league by over a full goal.

They're also allowing 60.38 Total Shot Attempts in the same situations, which is the 14th-worst in the league. Add this all together and they find themselves on an eight-game losing streak.

It's a great matchup for the New York Rangers to jump on, as they are generating 67.25 Total Shot Attempts in the same situations over the last two weeks, which is the eighth-highest in the league.

We turn to Trocheck, who averages 3.0 shots on goal in home games this season, compared to 2.2 in road games. As such, he's been over this 2.5 mark in three of his last five home games, a mark he can certainly reach tonight given the matchup.

Vladimir Tarasenko Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+116)

Finally, the Florida Panthers -- with a slate-high 4.20 implied goal total -- are in the driver's seat against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

These two teams are at the opposite ends of the league when it comes to shot creation and shot prevention. Over the last two weeks, the Blue Jackets have allowed the fourth-most (67.70) Total Shot Attempts, while the Panthers have generated the seventh-most (68.0) Total Shot Attempts, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

This is about as straightforward of a matchup as you can imagine so we keep things simple with Vladimir Tarasenko, who skates on the first forward line and the first power-play unit.

He's been over this mark in three of his last five games and with the Panthers still having motivation to win, we should see normal roles for their players tonight, putting Tarasenko in a clear plus matchup.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.