This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Monday is a big day for the Eastern Conference playoff picture. That's exciting, but don't forget about your DFS lineups. There are eight NHL games on the slate, with the usual 7 p.m. ET start time to the evening. Here are my Monday DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
No team is on the second leg of a back-to-back Monday, though a few are on the first leg of a back-to-back, which will impact goaltending decisions. Those, in turn, will impact DFS decisions, but all the pertinent information on that front isn't in yet, especially since some teams like to wait pretty close to game time to announce the starter.
GOALIES
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. SAN ($8,500): This one is straightforward. Skinner has a 2.58 GAA in part due to the fact the Oilers have only allowed 28.3 shots on net per game. The Sharks, meanwhile, have averaged a mere 25.4 shots on net per contest, lowest in the NHL. This could be one of those days where Skinner doesn't even see 20 shots.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. BUF ($8,200): He's struggled for much of the year, but it feels very Tampa Bay that Vasilevskiy is maybe rounding into form as the playoffs loom. Over his last 13 outings he has a 2.41 GAA and .919 save percentage. The Sabres have averaged 2.96 goals per game, making them one of the likely 11 teams that will finish under 3.00 goals per contest.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Viktor Arvidsson, LOS vs. MIN ($5,900): Since returning from an extended injury absence, Arvidsson has hit the ground running. In 12 games he has 10 points and 40 shots on net. The Swede has also averaged 3:35 per game on the power play, which I like Monday, as the Wild have the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
Evander Kane, EDM vs. SAN ($4,800): The offensive upside of the Oilers in this matchup will depend on whether or not Connor McDavid draws back in to pick up his 100th assist of the season. Of course, the Sharks are last in GAA (3.90) and shots on net allowed per game (35.1), so this matchup is favorable with or without the NHL's best player. Kane, a former Shark, has tallied 24 goals on 220 shots in 77 games this season.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Red Wings vs. Canadiens
J.T. Compher (C - $3,400), Patrick Kane (W - $6,100), David Perron (W - $3,600)
It's do-or-die time for the Red Wings. They end the year with a home-and-home against the Canadiens, and they basically need to win both games to have any chance at the playoffs. At least the Habs aren't a terribly tricky opponent for the occasion. With nothing left to play for, the Canadiens offer up a defense that has ceded 3.40 goals and 33.3 shots on net per game. Detroit's second line has played well recently, and if it isn't locked in for this one, what's the point of even taking the ice?
After making a splash with 52 points with the Avalanche last year, Compher has proven that not to be a fluke with 46 points in 75 outings. Three times in his last nine games he's picked up two points as well. Kane didn't sign with the Red Wings to miss the playoffs, and he's played like a guy who is making that clear. He's tallied 15 points and 45 shots on net over his last 15 outings. Perron has at least one point in six of his last seven games. I will also note Perron and Kane play on the first power-play unit for the Wings, and the Canadiens have the 24th-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSEMEN
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. SAN ($5,200): Nurse was not quite as productive as last season, but he has 10 goals on 178 shots on net and 19 assists on the campaign, and that's while not playing with the extra man pretty much at all. He also has a point in four of his last five games. With this matchup, Nurse is worth bringing into your lineup looking for some DFS value. The Sharks have a 3.90 GAA, after all. For perspective, Columbus ranks 31st in GAA at 3.64.
Luke Hughes, NJD vs. NYI ($4,200): Finishing third in the Calder voting is probably the ceiling for Hughes, but his 14 points over his last 13 games is indicative of a nice push for votes. His sheltered minutes and heavy reliance on the power play for production may cost him some support, but it doesn't matter from a DFS perspective. Luke has done a nice impression of his brother Quinn with 25 power-play points on the season. The Islanders brought in Patrick Roy as head coach during the season, and I suppose since they are probably going to finish third in the Metro that paid off, but the team still ranks last in penalty-kill percentage.
