This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There's no hockey Tuesday or Thursday this week, so make sure to make the most of your Monday. There are seven games on the slate for the NHL. Here are my DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are no teams on the second leg of a back-to-back, and also by dint of no games happening Tuesday no teams on the first leg either. Plenty of rest and clearer goaltending situations!
GOALIES
Cam Talbot, LOS at ARI ($8,100): Talbot has been crushing it in his first season with the Kings, as he has a 2.11 GAA and .927 save percentage. He hasn't needed the help, but Los Angeles has only given up 27.9 shots on goal per game. The Coyotes have averaged 3.24 goals per contest, but only 27.6 shots on net per contest, so they likely won't keep scoring at this rate.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at SEA ($7,400): Markstrom has a 2.66 GAA, in part because the Flames have only allowed 29.1 shots on net per contest. Meanwhile, the Kraken have put 29.5 shots on goal per game and have scored 2.63 goals per game as well. Markstrom may not be terribly busy Monday.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Andrei Kuzmenko, VAN vs. SAN ($4,700): Kuzmenko has 14 points in 17 games, even though he's only scored three goals. He scored 39 goals last season, so that number should see an uptick. It might be the day for him to get to that, as the Sharks have a 4.24 GAA, which is highest in the NHL.
Anton Lundell, FLA vs. EDM ($3,100): We know Aleksander Barkov will miss this game, and we know the expectation is Lundell will center the top line as a result. That is to his benefit, and also his 3.1 shooting percentage should improve in time. The Oilers have issues in net, a big reason why they have a 3.81 GAA.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Flames at Kraken
Nazem Kadri (C - $5,600), Connor Zary (W - $3,900), Martin Pospisil (W - $3,600)
The Flames have called up a couple young players from the AHL, and they now each play next to Kadri, and this new line is looking good. Seattle has a 3.47 GAA and has a bottom-six penalty kill. Once again, Philipp Grubauer has a sub-.900 save percentage for the Kraken. The second line for Calgary will hopefully continue to click.
Kadri started the season slowly, but he has eight points over his last eight games. He still has a 5.9 shooting percentage, so more improvement could be on the way, especially since he's on the first power-play unit. Zary is also on the top power-play unit now. He has three goals and three assists through seven games in the NHL. Pospisil, meanwhile, has two goals and two assists through six games. His 13.3 shooting percentage is also potentially sustainable.
DEFENSEMEN
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at TAM ($6,500): A four-game suspension did not slow McAvoy down. He has four points in three outings since returning, giving him 11 points in 11 contests. Andrei Vasilevskiy could return in the next couple of weeks, but he's not ready yet. That presumably means Jonas Johansson and his 3.36 GAA and .895 save percentage in net.
Filip Hronek, VAN vs. SAN ($4,900): Hronek has been dishing out helpers like he's Adam Oates. While the defenseman only has one goal, he's tallied 16 assists. The Sharks, as I noted, have a 4.24 GAA, and the high-flying Canucks should pick up a few goals in this one.
