We're halfway through December, which of course means we're nearing the holiday season, which scrambles the NHL schedule a bit more than it was already being scrambled to accommodate the Olympic break in February. That's not happening yet, though. This is a straightforward Monday of hockey action. There are five games on the schedule, with the first starting at 7 p.m. EST. And now, onto the NHL DFS lineup recommendations!
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SLATE PREVIEW
No teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and the teams on the first leg of a back-to-back don't concern me too much. That is assuming Lukas Dostal, who is back for the Ducks, starts Monday against the Rangers as opposed to Tuesday against the Blue Jackets.
GOALIES
Juuse Saros, NAS at STL ($7,300): Nashville has an offense that is pretty bad, that is true, but St. Louis has one of the worst offenses in the NHL. The Blues have averaged 2.55 goals and 25.4 shots on net per game. Saros has had a tough year, but he's been more prone to erratic play as opposed to consistently subpar play. Five times in his last 10 outings he's allowed at least three goals, but in four of those 10 games he's allowed a single goal.
Darcy Kuemper, LOS at DAL ($7,200): Kuemper essentially had three iffy starts at the beginning of the season as he was getting his legs under him, and since then he's been as good as any goalie in the NHL. Over his last 19 games he has a 2.04 GAA and .923 save percentage. Now, Dallas is in the top 10 in goals per game, so you might be wondering about this recommendation. Well, the Stars have only managed 25.1 shots on net per game, which is bottom five in the league. That kind of conversion rate is very hard to sustain, and we might see the Stars' luck start to turn around.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. ANA ($5,700): Zibanejad has been in the pocket for a while now, leaving me unconcerned about his slow start to the season. He has 17 points over his last 17 games, including seven points with the extra man. Let's say Dostal is still a bit rusty, or that he doesn't start Monday with a game coming Tuesday. The Ducks have allowed 29.3 shots on net per contest and they are in the bottom six in penalty-kill percentage.
Fedor Svechkov, NAS at STL ($2,600): Steven Stamkos has started to look more like his old self (even if he will never be the same guy he was in his prime), and who might benefit from that? Svechkov is a good guy to point to, at least if he continues to serve as the center next to Stamkos. The 22-year-old, who was a first-round pick in 2021, has seven points in his last 10 games. Additionally, his 2.7 percent shooting on the season is destined to improve, and probably significantly. Both Nashville and St. Louis have 3.52 GAAs, but one key difference is that Jordan Binnington has not been erratic, but just bad. He has a 3.86 GAA and .865 save percentage over his last nine games.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Jets vs. Senators
Mark Scheifele (C - $6,200), Kyle Connor (W - $8,000), Gabriel Vilardi (W - $5,700)
The Senators are in the bottom 10 in GAA, even though they have only allowed 25.6 shots on net per game. What's the problem? Ottawa has the 31st-ranked penalty kill. While Winnipeg's top line isn't exactly a bargain-bin option for a stack, all three of these guys play on the top power-play unit, so I still find this trio well worth it.
Scheifele has been red hot, as he's tallied 19 points in his last 15 games. Only one of those points has been on the power play, which is interesting as he had 25 points with the extra man last season. His power-play production should pick up. Connor is on an eight-game point streak. Notably, while usually viewed as a goal scorer, the Michigander has 25 assists to go with his 15 goals, including eight helpers with the extra man. It's likely not surprising to hear Vilardi is also hot. It's almost like the success of these three is connected. Vilardi has 15 points in his last 12 contests, including four power-play goals.
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. OTT ($5,500): I'll offer up another defenseman with a lower salary after Morrissey, as I am tapping another Jet with a salary that does start to crimp your cap management. Again, though, I think it is worth it, given the Senators' bad penalty kill. Morrissey has been as productive as ever, as he has 28 points and 54 shots on net through 31 games, and he is on a three-game point streak. He has eight power-play points on the year, and he's had over 20 points with the extra man in two of his prior three campaigns.
Nick Blankenburg, NAS at STL ($2,700): Blankenburg has 14 points in 21 games. It's true, and eight of those points have come in his last 10 games. Though four of those points have come on the power play, that's not an issue here. The Blues aren't as bad as the Senators at killing penalties, but they are in the bottom 10.
