This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The end of the year is near, and after a busy weekend and with a robust New Year's Eve on the horizon, Monday is a light day of NHL action. There are three games on the docket, with the first puck dropping at 7:00 p.m. ET. Looking for some DFS success as 2024 comes to a close? Hopefully, these NHL DFS recommendations will help.
SLATE PREVIEW
No teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but a few are on the first leg. Utah has already said Karel Vejmelka is starting Monday. Nashville and Winnipeg are in the same circumstance, and both teams have stark differences between starting goalie and backup. The Jets, in particular, are worth monitoring here. Winnipeg may play Eric Comrie against the lowly Nashville offense and save Connor Hellebuyck for the Avalanche on Tuesday.
GOALIE
Karel Vejmelka, UTA at SEA ($7,800): Vejmelka has the green light to go Monday and he also has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign. Maybe it will prove anomalous, but he has a 2.32 GAA and a .918 save percentage through 21 appearances. The Kraken have averaged 2.84 goals per contest, which is well below average, and they have also only managed 26.8 shots on net per game, which is decidedly in the bottom 10.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Jonathan Marchessault, NSH at WPG ($5,900): Marchessault is on an eight-game point streak, including four games with multiple points. He's also continued his proficiency when it comes to putting pucks on net in his first season with Nashville. The former Golden Knight has put 107 shots on net through 36 games. Eric Comrie has a career .894 save percentage, so if he is indeed in net for the Jets this matchup looks great for Marchessault. If it's two-time Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck, well, that's less ideal. However, with only six teams playing, I'm okay rostering the red-hot Marchessault regardless of who ends up in goal for Winnipeg. I just wouldn't get cute and try to stack Predators unless you have gotten confirmation on who is in goal.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Hockey Club at Kraken
Barrett Hayton (C - $3,700), Clayton Keller (W - $6,600), Nick Schmaltz (W - $4,700)
Joey Daccord missed Seattle's last game with an undisclosed injury. If he can't go on Monday, Philipp Grubauer would start. He is primed to finish with a sub-.900 save percentage for the fourth time in as many seasons with the Kraken. Even if Daccord can return, how healthy is he? Also, he allowed three goals in each of his last three starts. Utah's top line makes for a fine stack either way.
Hayton seems unlikely to ever live up to being drafted fifth overall, but he has 16 points in 35 games. Getting to center Utah's first line has helped recently as well, as Hayton has two goals and two helpers over his last five contests. Keller slipped behind his usual pace for a minute, but now he's up to 36 points in 35 games, so all is well. He's gotten there thanks to 20 points over his last 16 games. Over his last 13 outings, he's tallied 39 shots on target. Schmaltz has 11 points in his last 12 games. He still has a 7.4 percent shooting rate on the campaign, though, so his goal tally should see an uptick in 2025 (and also maybe here at the end of 2024).
DEFENSEMAN
Gustav Forsling, FLA vs. NYR ($3,800): For the last three seasons, Forsling has been good for double-digit goals and just under 30 assists. He has five goals and eight assists through 37 games this year, but due to changes to Florida's blue line, he's been more engaged offensively. The Swede has put 93 shots on net, the third-most on the Panthers. New York has given up 31.7 shots on net per contest, which has the team in the bottom five in the NHL. The Rangers still have Igor Shesterkin, but he's had to be busier, and thus the team has a middling 3.09 GAA.
