This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We have a fairly light night ahead of us with four games scheduled. Anaheim is playing in the second half of a back-to-back, but every other team is rested going into tonight's action.
SLATE PREVIEW
Seattle and Edmonton both made it to the second round of the 2023 playoffs, but neither team has looked good in the early portion of the campaign. In the case of the Oilers, the situation prompted the firing of Jay Woodcroft in favor of Kris Knoblauch. Edmonton earned its first win under Knoblauch on Monday, but with a 4-9-1 record, the Oilers still have a lot of ground to make up as they turn their attention to the 5-8-3 Kraken tonight.
GOALIES
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. NYI ($8,300): Demko has been among the league's top goaltenders this campaign, posting a 7-3-0 record, 1.96 GAA and .935 save percentage through 10 contests. To make matters better, the Islanders are a favorable matchup -- New York is tied for 30th offensively with 2.36 goals per game.
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. SEA ($7,500): This is a recommendation necessitated by a lack of options, but there are reasons why I'm picking Skinner instead of a different goaltender from the limited pool. His 3-5-1 record, 3.26 GAA and .876 save percentage in 10 contests this year leaves a lot to be desired, but he was solid last year with a 2.75 GAA and a .913 save percentage, and the 25-year-old might have turned a corner after stopping 49 of 51 shots (.961 save percentage) over his last two appearances. It also helps that the Oilers will be facing Seattle, which ranks 29th offensively with 2.50 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS
Martin Necas, CAR vs. PHI ($5,000): Necas has five goals and 12 points through 15 contests, which is great for his price point. He's showing no signs of slowing down either, providing a goal and three points over his last three outings.
Jonathan Drouin, COL vs. ANA ($3,900): Drouin got off to a disappointing start to the 2023-24 campaign, registering just an assist over his first 10 contests. The 28-year-old has recorded a point in each of his last two contests, though, so he may have turned a corner. It remains to be seen if Drouin will be a productive middle-six forward for Colorado, but with slim pickings tonight, it's worth taking a chance on him while he's hot.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Kraken
Leon Draisaitl (C - $10,000), Zach Hyman (W - $8,400), Evander Kane ($6,000)
Draisaitl played a huge part in the Oilers' 4-1 victory over the Islanders on Monday, scoring a goal and registering three assists. He's well on his way to another dominant season with six markers and 19 points in 14 contests.
Hyman endured a lukewarm patch from Oct. 21-Nov. 9, providing two goals and four points in eight contests over that stretch, but he's caught fire with four goals over his last two outings, including a hat trick versus Seattle on Saturday. The Kraken seems to be an opponent Hyman likes -- he's up to seven goals and 13 points in seven career outings against them.
Kane isn't quite as hot as his linemates, but he's more than holding his own with a goal and three points over his last two contests. Through 14 appearances this campaign, he's provided four goals and 12 points.
Canucks vs. Islanders
Elias Pettersson (C - $9,700), Ilya Mikheyev (W - $5,800), Andrei Kuzmenko (W - $5,500)
The Islanders are typically seen as a tough team to score against, but that hasn't been the case recently. New York has lost its last five games, surrendering a minimum of four goals in all those contests.
Meanwhile, the Islanders will be up against one of the league's best offenses, led by Pettersson, who has seven goals and 25 points through 15 appearances.
His linemate, Kuzmenko, hasn't been as effective, but he's been a reliable contributor, recording at least a point in eight of his last 11 outings. The 27-year-old is up to three goals and 13 points in 15 contests this campaign.
Mikheyev is on a roll, tallying three goals over his last three contests, giving him six markers and nine points in 11 games this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. ANA ($7,800): Makar is one of the best offensive defensemen out there, so he's a pretty easy blueliner to recommend even at that price. He's a particularly good bet right now, though. Makar is on a four-game scoring streak, providing a goal and seven points in that span, so even by his standards, he's red hot.
Pavel Mintyukov, ANA at COL ($4,900): If you want a cheaper alternative, at the other end of the ice is Mintyukov. The 19-year-old has been remarkably consistent for a rookie, recording at least a point seven of his last 10 contests. That's pushed him up to a goal and 10 points in 15 outings this year. Although Mintyukov has just two points with the man advantage thus far, he is serving on the top power-play unit, so production on special teams should come too as the campaign progresses.
