This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We have a busy night ahead of us with 11 games on the docket. The action is well spread out with four 7:00 p.m. ET starts, one at 7:30, two at 8:00, one at 9:00, one at 9:30 and two at 10:00. Here are my FanDuel lineup recommendations for tonight.
SLATE PREVIEW
None of the 22 teams playing tonight are on the first or second half of a back-to-back, so fatigue and situational lineup considerations shouldn't be a factor. Some teams have been particularly hot or cold, though. Most notably, L.A. has won five straight games while allowing just seven goals in that span, which puts the Kings in a great position against the Islanders, who are tied for 25th in goals per game (2.59). At the other end of the spectrum, Nashville is 0-4-3 across its past seven games and has failed to score more than two goals in any of those contests. The Predators will be hosting the Flames, who are tied for 11th in goals allowed per game with 2.96.
GOALIES
Filip Gustavsson, MIN at UTA ($8,100): Gustavsson has been nothing short of incredible with a 13-4-3 record, 1.99 GAA and .931 save percentage through 20 appearances this season. Rather than slow down, Gustavsson has won his past four starts while allowing just five goals on 125 shots (.960 save percentage). Utah is a decent adversary but nothing special – the squad ranks 20th in goals per game with 2.93.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at WPG ($7,900): Earlier in the campaign, picking Swayman against the Jets would have been a losing proposition. However, Boston has turned a corner under new head coach Joe Sacco, winning seven of their last nine games. Swayman has stabilized with a 4-2-0 record, 2.01 GAA and .918 save percentage across his past six outings. Meanwhile, Winnipeg has dropped five of its last seven. The Jets have averaged just 2.31 goals per game over their past 13 outings, so they've hit an extended rough patch following that amazing 15-1-0 start.
David Rittich, LAK at NYI ($7,600): As noted above, the Kings' defense has been solid recently while the Islanders' overall scoring has left plenty to be desired. As for Rittich specifically, he's 7-3-0 with a 2.06 GAA and a .905 save percentage across his past 11 appearances. He's allowed more than two goals just once over that stretch.
Elvis Merzlikins, CBJ vs. PHI ($6,700): If you want a cheap option, Merzlikins is a decent roll of the dice. He's 9-7-2 with a 2.5 GAA and a .893 save percentage in 18 outings in 2024-25, so his performance has been nothing special. Still, he's gotten ample goal support, and the Flyers are a middling team that has dropped three straight and is tied for 22nd in goals per game with 2.86. The tilt being in Columbus is an important factor: The Blue Jackets are 4-9-2 on the road this campaign but 8-3-1 at home.
VALUE PLAYS
Trent Frederic, BOS at WPG ($4,000): Swayman stabilizing has been part of Boston's recent success, but the Bruins have also been getting some secondary scoring. Frederic is a good example of that. He's provided two goals and five points across his past two outings, including two points with the man advantage.
Shane Wright, SEA vs. FLA ($3,900): Wright spent three straight games in the press box from November 17-23. It seems that time off did him some good because he has six goals and nine points across eight outings since returning. The 20-year-old Wright will enter Tuesday's action on a three-game goal-scoring streak.
Michael Bunting, PIT vs. COL ($3,900): Bunting is going through a hot patch with two goals and five points over his past four outings. He averaged over 3:00 of ice time on the power play in three of those four appearances, and that's played a big role in his recent success. Three of those five points were recorded with the man advantage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Panthers at Kraken
Sam Bennett (C - $6,800), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $7,400), Jesper Boqvist (C - $3,900)
Tkachuk is one of the hottest players in the league. Not only is he on a six-game scoring streak, but he's provided an unreal 13 points (five goals) over his past four appearances. That great run has pushed Tkachuk up to 10 goals and 30 points across 23 outings in 2024-25.
Meanwhile, Bennett is on track to enjoy the best campaign of his career to date. The 28-year-old has finished with 40-49 points in each of the previous three seasons, but he already has 13 goals and 26 points in 27 outings this year. He's entering Tuesday's action on a seven-game scoring streak in which he's recorded four goals and eight points.
The downside of this line is that Boqvist is listed as a center, which might complicate your lineup construction. Boqvist also isn't a major offensive threat with four goals and nine points in 28 appearances this season. If you have the budget for it, swap Boqvist out for Sam Reinhart (W - $8,600), who has 19 goals and 38 points in 28 outings. Reinhart and Tkachuk are projected to share the ice on the power play.
Lightning at Oilers
Brayden Point (C - $8,500), Nikita Kucherov (W – $9,000), Jake Guentzel (W - $7,200)
This is an expensive trio, but very much worth it. Point is the hottest member of this unit after supplying back-to-back four-point games (a combined two goals and six assists). He has 18 goals and 29 points across 21 outings in 2024-25. Guentzel is rolling, too. He's found the back of the net in each of his past three games and is up to seven goals and 12 points across his last 11 outings.
Kucherov missed two games due to an undisclosed injury, but he returned Sunday and looked good, scoring a goal and three points. He has 13 markers and 37 points in 23 outings this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. STL ($7,100): Hughes is on a seven-game scoring streak in which he's collected three goals and 13 points. That brings him up to seven goals and 32 points in 26 appearances this campaign, which is just three points behind Cale Makar for the league lead. If you go back to November 23, Makar had an 11-point edge over Hughes, so the Canucks defenseman has reshaped the defensemen scoring race significantly over the past few weeks.
Victor Hedman, TBL at EDM ($6,700): Hedman has supplied seven assists across his active five-game scoring streak, including four points with the man advantage. He's been held off the scoresheet just three times over his past 16 outings.
Shayne Gostisbehere, CAR vs. SJS ($5,800): Gostisbehere has been a fantastic offensive force recently, contributing a goal and 15 points over his past 13 outings. The power play has always been his bread and butter, and his current hot run is no exception. Of his last 15 points, 12 of them have been recorded with the man advantage.
