This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT and features nine games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
This large slate is expected to be quite competitive, with the Lightning (at Columbus) and Sharks (vs. Anaheim) standing out as the only heavy favorites, though the Devils (vs. Buffalo), Hurricanes (vs. Florida) and Predators (in Detroit) all have a clear edge in the odds as well. It's also supposed to be a rather low-scoring slate, with Panthers-Hurricanes and Penguins-Rangers both boasting over/unders of 6.0 goals and the rest of the games at 5.5. With plenty of bottom-feeders in action, there's no shortage of enticing opportunities to choose from, even with the lack of lopsided matchups at first glance.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at CLS ($8,500): There are some slightly cheaper goalies in this slate who have played well lately and stand to benefit from favorable matchups, but Vasilevskiy remains a solid default option almost every time he plays. Against a bottom-five Blue Jackets offense that's averaging only 2.40 goals per game, Vasilevskiy has a nice opportunity to further improve his stellar 23-5-1 record, 1.96 GAA and .932 save percentage.
Martin Jones, SJ vs. ANH ($7,900): Jones was named the NHL's second star last week, winning all four of his starts to go with a 1.71 GAA, .942 save percentage and a shutout. That strong week was preceded by a 3-1-1 stretch in what's looking increasingly like a true return to form rather than an isolated hot streak. The red-hot Jones should keep rolling against a bottom-three Ducks offense that's averaging just 2.21 goals per game.
Juuse Saros, NSH at DET ($8,100): Saros is a splendid 5-1-0 in his last six starts, having allowed just seven goals. He has already beaten the Red Wings twice during this strong stretch while stopping 51 of 52 shots, so Saros should be a strong play in this clash with Detroit's 30th-ranked offense (2.20 goals per game).
MacKenzie Blackwood, NJ vs. BUF ($8,000): Blackwood's inconsistent play this season gives him a lower floor than the options above, but he also has a tremendous ceiling here against Buffalo's league-worst offense (2.14 goals per game). His 2.92 GAA and .909 save percentage overall are nothing to write home about, though Blackwood should have an easier time against the Sabres after facing 40-plus shots in three of his last four outings, including a 40-save shutout of the Bruins, which showcased his tantalizing upside.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Evander Kane, SJ vs. ANH ($7,300): Kane leads the Sharks in both goals (16) and points (33) through 37 games, and he's been hot for the better part of a month now. Over the last 15 games, the veteran power forward has delivered an 8-6-14 line and 55 shots. He also has at least one point in all five meetings with the Ducks this season for a 3-4-7 line in all, and Anaheim's unlikely to fare any better at slowing him down this time, either.
Sidney Crosby, PIT at NYR ($7,200): Crosby's still going strong in his 16th NHL season, with a 15-28-43 line through 37 games. That production includes an 8-14-22 line over his last 15 games, so Crosby's rolling heading into what's expected to be one of the night's highest-scoring games.
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. WAS ($6,700): Barzal was unstoppable in the last meeting between these teams last Thursday, leading New York to an 8-4 win with a hat trick and two assists. That standout effort is part of an active four-game point streak, during which the speedy center has carved up defenses to the tune of a 4-5-9 line.
Jesper Bratt, NJ vs. BUF ($4,700): Bratt's been a consistent fixture on the scoresheet recently, failing to log a point just twice in his last 11 games. The 22-year-old Swede is playing on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit, so he's primed to keep adding to his recent success at home against the last-place Sabres, who are giving up 3.41 goals per game.
Jesper Fast, CAR vs. FLA ($2,800): This could be a good time to stack Jespers, as both Bratt and Fast are appealing value options. The latter's currently being entrusted with a top-line role alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. While Fast's calling card is his defensively responsible play, he's averaging a respectable 0.5 points per game with a 5-11-16 line, so he has the skills to capitalize on this favorable deployment and outperform his modest $2,800 valuation in what's expected to be a fast-paced matchup with the Panthers.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins at Flyers
Patrice Bergeron (C - $7,700), Brad Marchand (W - $7,900), Craig Smith (W - $3,900)
Boston has broken up the perfection line for the time being, swapping Smith into the spot usually occupied by David Pastrnak. Marchand and Bergeron haven't seemed to mind, as the former has a 5-2-7 line in his last four games and the latter has a point in each of his last four games to go with 20 shots over that span. Meanwhile, Smith's making the most of his promotion with five helpers in the last four games, and a Flyers team that's allowing the second-most goals per game (3.54) is unlikely to slow these guys down.
Predators at Red Wings
Ryan Johansen (C - $3,400), Eeli Tolvanen (W - $4,600), Viktor Arvidsson (W - $5,500)
Nashville's top line doesn't cost much, making all three of its members strong value plays against a Red Wings team that's won only 13 of 40 games. Tolvanen is the crown jewel of this line. The rookie has a 4-6-10 line over his last eight games, and his 10 goals in 30 games overall have him just one back of the team lead shared by Calle Jarnkrok and the injured Filip Forsberg (upper body). Johansen and Arvidsson are both having down years but are capable of much more than they've shown this season and will be relied upon to produce more with Forsberg sidelined. Arvidsson has scored at least 29 goals three times and has been showing signs of life with a 1-3-4 line in his last five games, while Johansen's a five-time 60-point scorer.
Panthers at Hurricanes
Alexander Wennberg (C - $3,300), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $6,700), Patric Hornqvist (W - $7,400)
Florida's as hot as any team in the league, and we're not talking about the temperature outside the arena. The Panthers come into this one having won six consecutive games while outscoring the opposition 23-9 during that blistering stretch. Most lineups will likely overlook them in a tough matchup with the Hurricanes, but this line could prove to be a nice against-the-grain stack if the Panthers continue to build on their recent success. Huberdeau leads the team in points with a 14-28-42 line in 39 games, while Hornqvist has a solid 12-15-27 line in 35 appearances, including a team-high seven power-play goals. Wennberg has added an 11-8-19 line, which includes four goals in his last three games.
DEFENSEMEN
Adam Fox, NYR vs. PIT ($6,800): Fox is the league's hottest defenseman, as he comes into this one riding a 10-game point streak which has included two goals and 16 assists. If the Penguins fail to tighten up defensively after allowing seven goals to Boston in their last game, expect Fox to make them pay.
Ryan Murray, NJ vs. BUF ($3,000): Murray has suddenly built up a hot streak out of nowhere, dishing out six assists in his last three games after totaling just four helpers through his first 25 games with the Devils. He'll likely fade back into obscurity before long, but it's hard to blame anyone who wants to roll the dice with Murray while he's hot, especially at home against a Sabres team that's won only twice in its last 21 games.
Mikhail Sergachev, TB at CLS ($5,300): Sergachev has been mired in a rut when it comes to points, but he's still contributing regularly elsewhere, having mustered 19 shots to go with 12 blocks in his last six games while adding only one assist over that span. With 22 points in 38 games, it's likely only a matter of time until Sergachev breaks out again offensively, and this matchup with a Columbus team that's been generous to opposing defensemen could provide the ideal setting for such a performance.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at CHI ($5,500): Heiskanen's 5-15-20 line through 36 games has to be viewed as disappointing on the heels of last year's phenomenal postseason performance, but he's starting to look like the dominant force from the playoffs again, with a 1-3-4 line and 14 shots over his last five games. This matchup with a reeling Blackhawks team that's 3-8-0 in its last 11 games offers a nice opportunity for Heiskanen to keep building on his recent success.
MacKenzie Weegar, FLA at CAR ($4,000): Weegar's coming off back-to-back multi-point performances, which have raised his season point total to 23 through 39 games. He has passed both Aaron Ekblad (leg) and Keith Yandle for the team points lead among defensemen, and Weegar should continue to contribute offensively on a regular basis to help fill the void left by Ekblad's season-ending injury.
