This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's a busier Sunday than usual for the NHL, which is nice given that the NBA is off entirely. We get six games starting at 7 p.m. ET or later, so the DFS docket is straightforward. Here are a handful of players I'd recommend for your lineups, in hopes of bringing you DFS success.
SLATE PREVIEW
Saturday was busy as well, though that is more typical, which leaves us with several teams on the second leg of a back-to-back Sunday. Nashville and Montreal, Chicago and Washington, and the Kings and Rangers all face one another. The Kraken face a rested Wild team, but the Kraken also are at home for both games. Vegas is on a back-to-back, but it played at 4 p.m. Saturday and play at 10 p.m. Sunday. Also, it plays San Jose.
GOALIES
Jiri Patera, VGK vs. SAN ($8,300): Patera was called up when Adin Hill was injured, and it seems Sunday he will make his first (and likely only) start of his stint. He's only made two NHL starts, but if he's in goal at home against the Sharks, I'd take a shot. San Jose remains comfortably last in goals (2.15) and shots on net (25.3) per contest.
Filip Gustavsson, MIN at SEA ($7,900): After being one of the stories in goal last season, Gustavsson started this year woefully. Things have started to turn around. Over his last seven outings, the Swede has an 1.86 GAA and .926 save percentage. The Kraken, who as I noted are on the second leg of a back-to-back, are in the bottom six in goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor Bedard, CHI vs. WAS ($7,400): Sure, Bedard plays sheltered minutes, even as a first-line center, but he's an 18-year-old rookie who has notched not only 21 points, but 78 shots on net in 26 games. At least offensively, Bedard is NHL ready. Darcy Kuemper is in line for the road start Sunday, and his struggles have only worsened since last season. He has a 3.23 GAA and .887 save percentage.
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at ANA ($5,100): Ehlers' power-play minutes have dried up, but he's also now on the first line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, and the latter is making up for the former. The Dane is on a three-game point streak. John Gibson's strong start to the season has entirely been forgotten, as over his last eight outings he has a 3.60 GAA and .877 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Wild at Kraken
Joel Eriksson Ek (C - $7,700), Matt Boldy (W - $6,200), Marcus Johansson (W - $2,900)
Minnesota's first line, with the dynamic duo on the wing of Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, gets a lot of the attention, but I'm stacking the second line. Granted, part of that is because two of these guys, Eriksson Ek and Boldy, are on the top power-play unit. You know, with Kaprizov and Zuccarello. The Kraken may be at home, but they are on the second night of a back-to-back, and Joey Daccord has an .898 save percentage.
Eriksson Ek has five goals over his last eight games. You may presume hot shooting being the reason for that, but he's actually put 34 shots on net in that time, so his 14.7 shooting percentage is entirely sustainable. Boldy started the season cold, and was as such moved around the lineup and even benched on occasion. That was under former head coach Dean Evanson, though. Boldy is still not playing a ton of minutes, but he is producing, with seven points over his last six games. Johansson is the guy who could use a turnaround, and he does have three assists in his last three outings, but he's also been quite unlucky. His 2.7 shooting percentage is simply not sustainable over the course of a full NHL season.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. SAN ($6,900): Pietrangelo only has one goal on 56 shots on net through 23 games. His puck luck should improve, and he's tallied 11 helpers this year. San Jose is woeful offensively, but just as bad defensively. The Sharks have a 4.04 GAA and have allowed 37.0 shots on net per contest.
Jacob Trouba, NYR vs. LOS ($)6,400: Trouba has tallied five points over his last seven games without any power-play time. If Cam Talbot was going to be in net I'd avoid any Rangers, but Talbot started Saturday. That means Pheonix Copley will be tending goal, and he has an .873 save percentage this year. He's the one weak link in Los Angeles' defensive resume.
