This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Welp. That is the word I used at the beginning of my DFS recommendations article for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. At the time, it was akin to a shrug of resignation. The Panthers were up three games to none on the Oilers. From a plausibility standpoint, the best I was hoping for was an Oilers win in Game 4 so the Panthers could clinch the Stanley Cup at home in Game 5 and so we wouldn't have a sweep in the finals for the first time since 1998. This time around, though, "welp" represents the fact that in sports, even seasoned fans can be surprised. Monday night we have a Game 7.
Will the Oilers make like the Toronto Maple Leafs of 1942 and come from behind 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final? Or, will the Panthers avoid the ignominy of that, which those same Maple Leafs did in 1945, winning Game 7 after dropping Games 4 through 6? Also, what in the world should we do about our last NHL DFS contests of the season?
I know this much. The start time is 8 p.m. ET. You get $50,000 in salary for six players. One is your Captain, who will earn you 1.5 times the points, but with an elevated salary. I did not expect to be putting together a lineup I liked for a Game 7 in this series back before Game 4, but I've done it now.
CAPTAIN
Zach Hyman, EDM at FLA ($13,800): Spoiler alert: Connor McDavid is in my lineup. However, to try and balance things out from a talent perspective, I did not want to shell out for his elevated Captain salary. While Kris Knoblauch has shifted players around for the Oilers, one thing has remained largely steadfast: When McDavid is on the ice, Hyman is on the ice. That's true at even strength, and it's true on the power play. Hyman's 16 postseason goals are a record for the salary-cap era of the NHL. He has a goal in each of his last two outings. I can easily see him making that three in a row to end the season.
FLEX
Connor McDavid, EDM at FLA ($11,600): McDavid slacked off and didn't pick up a point in Game 6. That means he has a mere 11 points in this series and a paltry 42 across the postseason. I am being fatuous in a somewhat obvious way because what else is there left to say about the best player to hit the NHL since Mario Lemieux? If he's not in your DFS lineups for Game 7, I don't know what you're doing.
Sam Bennett, FLA vs. EDM ($7,400): Just because the Oilers have won three in a row doesn't mean the Panthers can't turn this around. After all, it wasn't long ago the Panthers won three in a row against the Oilers. A power outage offensively has hit Florida, but I want a couple of its players at home in my lineup. Bennett at least has a point over the last three games. Before that, he was on a six-game point streak.
Vladimir Tarasenko, FLA vs. EDM ($7,000): Much has been made about Tarasenko's veteran presence for the Panthers. He's one of two guys on the team with a Stanley Cup to his name. The other is Carter Verhaeghe, who was a tertiary piece of the puzzle when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in the 2019-20 season. Tarasenko was a leading light for the Blues when they won, and that finals also went to a Game 7. Maybe that's a bit of soft science and squishy logic, but it's something to go off of in a nearly-unprecedented scenario. Plus, he has three points and 15 shots on net over the last five games.
Warren Foegele, EDM at FLA ($5,200): Foegele was not in the lineup when this series began, having sat out the final three games against Dallas. In this series, he's proven vital. Foegele had a point in Game 3, Game 4 and Game 5. That earned him a spot next to Leon Draisaitl on the second line for Game 6. He responded with a huge goal and an assist for good measure. Expect him to keep that role for Game 7.
Adam Henrique, EDM at FLA ($4,800): For my final roster spot I was between Henrique, a veteran third-line center, and Anton Lundell, a young third-line center. Lundell is the better player, but this is the biggest game of his life and he's all of 22. Henrique has been around the block, having been brought in via trade by the Oilers for a run at the Stanley Cup. He has three points in his last four games, but also 12 hits and seven blocked shots. I trust him more and see more upside in him in this massive Game 7.
