This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The first NHL game of the day doesn't start until 8 p.m. EDT, so you get an hour longer than usual to get your lineups in. There are six matchups on the slate -- time for my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Here's something rare. No team playing Monday played Sunday, and none of them play Tuesday. That means no back-to-backs are in play, which should simplify things on the goaltending front. There's quite a bit of polarity in terms of the teams involved, though, as we have teams at the top of the league offensively and defensively, and also at the bottom. Of course, the Coyotes are near or at the bottom on all fronts.
GOALIE
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at CHI ($8,200): Markstrom has put up a 2.22 GAA and .923 save percentage, and he's helped by the fact the Flames have only allowed 29.0 shots on net per contest. The Blackhawks have only averaged 28.8 shots on goal per game, so Markstrom may not be too busy Monday.
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. DAL ($7,600): This isn't an ideal matchup, but it isn't bad, and at this salary I think it's worth it. Demko has a 2.49 GAA and .923 save percentage at home this year. The Stars, meanwhile, rank 20th in goals per game. I am concerned about the Canucks' bottom-five penalty kill, but if they stay out of the box, they can shut the Stars down.
Anton Forsberg, OTT at SEA ($7,500): For Monday, I am focused more on Forsberg's .917 save percentage than his 2.78 GAA. His problem is that the Senators have allowed 33.2 shots on net per game. Well the Kraken have averaged 2.57 goals and 28.8 shots on goal per contest. I don't see them shelling Forsberg.
VALUE PLAYS
Tim Stutzle, OTT at SEA ($4,600): Sequestered up in Ottawa, Stutzle's breakout sophomore season has been kept quiet. After an eight-game point streak (still ongoing, for the record) he has 52 points in 72 games. The Kraken's rookie campaign hasn't been ideal. They have a 3.47 GAA.
Tyler Toffoli, CGY at CHI ($4,300): Since joining the Flames, Toffoli has 21 points in 30 games. The latest bit of line juggling in Calgary has him up on the second line now as well. Chicago wasn't doing well defensively with Marc-Andre Fleury, but it is definitely worse off without him. Kevin Lankinen has a 3.68 GAA and .887 save percentage.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Hurricanes vs. Coyotes: Sebastian Aho (C - $7,300), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $6,800), Seth Jarvis (W - $2,700)
Honestly, I would pick this line to stack Monday even without seeing the salaries. It's just too good an opportunity to pass up. The Coyotes haven't merely allowed 3.77 goals and 35.4 shots on net per game with the league's worst penalty kill. They have allowed at least five goals in their last six contests. No team in the NHL is playing this bad right now. Arguably no team has been this bad all season.
And then you get to Aho, who doesn't even really need much help. He's tallied 76 points in 73 games, including 26 on the power play. Svechnikov has racked up 12 points and 36 shots on net in his last 12 games. On the season he has 21 power-play points, and don't forget about the Coyotes' last-ranked penalty kill. Jarvis won't win the Calder, but he's been a fine rookie. He has six multipoint games in his last 16 matchups.
Golden Knights vs. Devils: Chandler Stephenson (C - $3,300), Max Pacioretty (W - $6,700), Mark Stone (W - $4,600)
Pacioretty and Stone are back and reunited with Stephenson. As the Golden Knights fight for a playoff spot, they get to host a Devils team with a 3.64 GAA. This is a matchup Vegas needs to take advantage of, so I expect a team that is going full throttle against a team with nothing to play for.
Stephenson doesn't have a point in his last three games, but before that he had 11 points in seven games. He's also averaged 2:46 per game on the power play in his last 13 outings. Pacioretty has been full throttle since returning. He's put 15 shots on net in four games, and on the season he has 121 shots on goal in 33 contests. Stone doesn't have a point in three games since returning, but he has 28 points in 31 games this season, so I'm not concerned.
DEFENSE
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. NJD ($5,000) Theodore has picked up a nice batch of points recently, with five goals and three assists in his last nine games. On the year he has 45 points, the second most of his career. Like I just noted, the Devils have a 3.64 GAA, bottom five in the NHL.
Noah Hanifin, CGY at CHI ($4,800): It's certainly notable that Hanifin has put up 11 shots on net in his last two games, given that the Blackhawks have allowed 32.9 shots on goal per contest. Just as notable, though, is the fact the Flames defenseman has 16 points in his last 16 outings.
Brady Skjei, CAR at ARI ($3,700): I thought I'd dig a little deeper here, given just how good this matchup is. Skjei doesn't play on the power play, but the Coyotes are so bad defensively it doesn't really matter. Skjei has 33 points in 76 games, including eight goals, and he has four assists over his last four contests.
