This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
You've got three weeks until Christmas, so shopping time is still available to you. If you want to pull out all the stops, gift wise, then having some NHL DFS winnings to throw into the mix would be nice. Monday features six NHL games with the first pucks dropping at 7 p.m. ET. Here are my lineup recommendations. Good luck with the DFS action (and the shopping)!
SLATE PREVIEW
No team is on the second leg of a back-to-back, which makes things straightforward. There are a few dicey defenses in the mix, but at least a couple of those are prime candidates to improve. For now, though, that information is pertinent.
GOALIES
Adin Hill, VGK vs. STL ($8,400): Hill, who is day-to-day, could return for this one. That's the expectation, at least. Hill has a .935 save percentage, but if he can't go, Logan Thompson has a .918 save percentage himself. Either way, the Blues have averaged 2.91 goals and 29.5 shots on net per game, so the Knights' netminder should be good to go.
Connor Ingram, ARI vs. WAS ($7,900): Early in the year, the Coyotes were swapping starts between Ingram and Karel Vejmelka. However, recently Ingram has taken over, and with good reason. He has a 2.40 GAA and .926 save percentage. The Capitals have struggled to find any footing offensively, as only the Sharks have averaged fewer goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nick Suzuki, MON vs. SEA ($5,500): Suzuki ended a goal drought in his last game, but he was racking up assists in the interim. He now has 20 points in 24 games and has put 56 shots on net. The goaltending for the Kraken has been an issue once again, and Philipp Grubauer is on pace to have a save percentage below .900 for the third season in a row i.e. every season he has spent with Seattle.
Tyler Seguin, DAL at TAM ($4,500): Last year, Jamie Benn had a flashback season and produced big time for the Stars like in days of yore. This year, it's Seguin's turn. He has eight goals and nine assists and has a three-game point streak. Tampa has a 3.72 GAA, and you might be thinking, "Sure, but Andrei Vasilevskiy is back now!" Yes, Vasilevskiy is back, but he's not in form. Over four starts he has a 3.87 GAA and .859 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Kraken at Canadiens
Yanni Gourde (C - $4,300), Eeli Tolvanen (W - $4,800), Oliver Bjorkstrand (W - $4,700)
The Kraken have iffy goaltending, but the Canadiens struggle defensively in a variety of ways. Montreal has a 3.54 GAA, but also has allowed 33.9 shots on net per contest. The Habs also have a bottom-eight penalty kill for good measure. This line has become the second line for Seattle after some injuries, and Tolvanen and Bjorkstrand do get power-play time as well.
Gourde has 11 points, but an 8.3 shooting percentage that should improve. It will be more likely that he improves if he stays active, as he's tallied seven shots on net over his last two games. Seattle has given Tolvanen the role Nashville never did, and it's paid off. He has 14 points over his last 17 games, and he's averaged 2:47 per contest with the extra man. Bjorkstrand shoots in the way Gourde does not. He's put 28 shots on target over his last seven outings. The former Blue Jacket has eight points with the extra man as well. Seattle has given Tolvanen the role Nashville never did, and it's paid off. He has 14 points over his last 17 games, and he's averaged 2:47 per contest with the extra man.
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. CAR ($6,300): Morrissey has proven last year was no fluke. He has 20 points in 23 games, but has also put 57 shots on net. Now, the Hurricanes are first in the NHL in shots on goal allowed per game, but the goaltending has been an issue. Pyotr Kochetkov has taken over in net but has a .881 save percentage, and Carolina has a below-average penalty kill as well.
Ben Hutton, VGK vs. STL ($3,000): Hutton has found himself in an unexpected role with Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez both out. He's playing alongside Alex Pietrangelo on the top pairing and is on the second power-play unit. Over his last five games, he has two points and 12 shots on net. Jordan Binnington started the season well, but over his last six outings he has a 4.56 GAA and .872 save percentage.
