This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Though Sunday is a huge day for the NFL (and conspiracy theorists who believe the league is bolstering Kansas City), it's not a bad day for the NHL either. Four games are starting at 5:00 p.m. ET or later, giving you several options for your NHL DFS lineups. Here are my recommendations to try and help you end the weekend on a high note.
SLATE PREVIEW
Sunday's typically feature a few teams on the second leg of a back-to-back because Saturdays are busy. This week is no different. Four teams are finishing out a back-to-back Sunday. The Senators get to be at home for both games and host the Hockey Club on Sunday. Minnesota travels to Chicago, which isn't too tough, but the Flames are visiting the Jets and the Panthers are visiting the Golden Knights.
GOALIES
Filip Gustavsson, MIN at CHI ($8,300): I'm a bit surprised the Wild didn't let Marc-Andre Fleury play against his former team, but maybe they want to let Gustavsson get back on track. He's struggled recently, but the Swede also has a 2.63 GAA and .913 save percentage on the campaign. This is a chance for Gustavsson to right the ship because Chicago is in the running for the worst offense in the NHL. They are 31st in goals per game, but last in shots on net per contest.
Karel Vejmelka, UTA at OTT ($7,400): Fresh off his first shutout of the season, Vejmelka now has a 2.45 GAA and .913 save percentage. He may be on the road Sunday, but the Sens are the ones on the second day of a back-to-back. Ottawa is also in the bottom 10 in goals per game for good measure.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Pavel Dorofeyev, VGK vs. FLA ($5,800): Dorofeyev had 13 goals in 47 games last year and has 21 through 49 games this year. Just good puck luck, right? The Russian has been shooting a lot more, and so his shooting percentage has only risen from 13.4 to 14.3 percent. Dorofeyev will be trying to add to that total against a Panthers team on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. They played in San Jose at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Marco Rossi, MIN at CHI ($5,100): Rossi has 43 points in 49 games. With Kirill Kaprizov back, he now has a nice addition to his wing on the top line. He's also facing a Blackhawks team that has plummeted down the GAA rankings after their goalies stopped playing above career norms. Chicago now sits at a 3.44 GAA, bottom five in the NHL.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Jets vs. Flames
Vladislav Namestnikov (C - $3,000), Nikolaj Ehlers (W - $5,900), Cole Perfetti (W - $3,900)
I wasn't going to press myself to pick a Jets line other than the top trip, as that unit puts a pinch on your salary cap (and reasonably so because it's a fantastic line). Fortunately, I think the second line in Winnipeg is sufficiently good, especially in these circumstances. It helps a ton that the Jets miss Dustin Wolf and catch Dan Vladar. That would be the career backup with a career .892 save percentage.
Namestnikov shoots so sparingly, but he does have nine goals to go with 14 assists. He has three assists in three games since returning from injury. That feels more to his skill set and he could add to that Sunday. Ehlers has 18 points in 17 contests since returning from injury. It's not a coincidence he's the one guy of these three on the top power-play unit, as eight of those points have come with the extra man. Perfetti wasn't playing well. Then he picked up a hat trick in his last game. It might just be one game, but maybe it's a good sign, and this matchup is favorable.
DEFENSEMEN
Neal Pionk, WPG vs. CGY ($4,700): Two things here with Pionk. Well, three things, because there is the matchup and the Vladar of it all. One, Pionk has 32 points in 50 games. Two, Josh Morrissey is dealing with an illness and is legit iffy to play Sunday. If he can't go, that will mean more minutes for Pionk, including some power-play time.
Michael Kesselring, UTA at OTT ($3,500): Kesselring has four points in his last seven games. Also, with Mikhail Sergachev out he's been playing on the top power-play unit. Sergachev has missed four games with an upper-body injury, so there's a decent chance he'll miss this one. Either way, the Senators are on the second day of a back-to-back, and the team has a middling penalty kill.
