This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's far from a mundane Monday for the NHL. There are six games on the docket, all of them during the traditional evening slate. Are you in the DFS groove yet? Hopefully, because then you'll be primed to get your lineups in by 7 p.m. EDT, perhaps with some of these recommendations helping you out.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are no teams on the second side of a back-to-back Monday. Also, four Canadians teams are at home. That doesn't mean a lot for DFS purposes. It's just kind of interesting to me. There aren't any of what I would consider the five worst defensive teams in the NHL, though one of them, the Devils, could be in the mix, and are based on their numbers since the start of last season.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL at OTT ($8,000): There are also no offenses I would consider among the league's worst in action Monday. The Senators, at 24th in goals per game since the start of last season, are the worst statistically, but of course they made theoretical improvements this offseason. That being said, that means they had the most improvement to make, and this season Oettinger has an 1.25 GAA and .959 save percentage.
Jordan Binnington, STL at WPG ($7,900): Is Binnington back to being one of the best goalies in the NHL, which was admittedly only true during his rookie campaign? So far he has an 1.65 GAA and .940 save percentage through three starts. The Jets have a new head coach and currently don't have Nikolaj Ehlers. Maybe it's a good time to be catching them for Binnington.
Darcy Kuemper, WAS at NJD ($7,200): Kuemper is not off to a great start for the Capitals, though he has had two strong starts so at least he's been more up-and-down than straight bad. Since the start of last year, the Capitals have only allowed 29.2 shots on net per contest. Also, since the beginning of last season the Devils are below average in goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mason Marchment, DAL at OTT ($5,600): Marchment has made a smooth transition to the Stars' lineup, slotting in on the second line in his first season with the team. He has six points in five games, and though he was just held without a point for the first time, he still put four shots on net. Anton Forsberg is currently holding it down for the Senators in net, and in his career he has a .909 save percentage, with a .904 save percentage this season.
Jordan Kyrou, STL at WPG ($5,300): Last season, Kyrou broke through with 75 points in 74 games. He's been rewarded with an uptick in ice time, from 16:35 last year to 19:27 this year. Connor Hellebuyck has a .915 save percentage, but a 2.75 GAA because he's been quite busy.
Rickard Rakell, PIT at EDM ($4,900): Rakell has been active for the Penguins on Sidney Crosby's wing. He's put 19 shots on net in five games and has two goals as a result. The Oilers have allowed 32.3 shots on net per contest, and new Oilers goalie Jack Campbell has a 3.81 GAA and .889 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Hurricanes at Canucks
Jesperi Kotkaniemi (C - $2,800), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $6,800), Martin Necas (W - $4,400)
This is the one line for the Hurricanes with two members of the first power-play unit. Why does that matter so much? Because since the start of last season the Canucks have the league's worst penalty kill. Not only that, but this year Thatcher Demko has a 4.24 GAA and .858 save percentage. Getting guys with power-play opportunity is quite valuable against Vancouver.
Kotkaniemi has a way larger role with Vincent Trocheck now a Ranger. He's jumped from 12:01 per game in ice time last year to 17:24 this year, and he has two assists in five games. Svechnikov had his first 30-goal season last year, and he put 249 shots on net as well. This year he already has six goals, not to mention two assists. Necas is getting power-play time of any significance for the first time, having averaged 3:04 with the extra man. He has seven points in five games, only one of which has come on the power play.
Capitals at Devils
Dylan Strome (C - $3,500), T.J. Oshie (W - $4,000), Marcus Johansson (W - $2,900)
The Devils, as I noted, could arguably be considered one of the worst defenses in the NHL. They have a 3.63 GAA since the start of last year, fifth highest in the NHL. Mackenzie Blackwood has a 2.03 GAA this season, but a .904 save percentage. He hasn't faced more than 24 shots in a game, and that's almost definitely not going to continue. The Devils have allowed 30.4 shots on net since the start of last year. Maybe the Capitals will finally keep Blackwood busy.
Strome joined the Capitals from the Blackhawks and got slotted on the second line with Nicklas Backstrom out. He's also averaged 3:59 per game on the power play and has three points with the extra man. Oshie is routinely a weapon on the power play, and indeed both his goals have come with the extra man this year. He also has three assists in six games. Johansson is on a three-game point streak, and it coincides with his ice time picking up. Over those games he's averaged 16:31 on the ice, and his performance should keep him out there at the same clip.
DEFENSEMEN
Justin Faulk, STL at WPG ($5,300): Faulk has three goals on seven shots on net, which is obviously a pace that will not continue. However, he had 16 goals on 167 shots on goal last year, and back in his Hurricanes days he had multiple seasons with over 200 pucks on net. I note that because since the start of last season the Jets have allowed 33.1 shots on goal per game, and Hellebuyck has faced 130 shots in his four starts.
Brent Burns, CAR at VAN ($5,200): If I am going to target Vancouver's penalty kill, I can't overlook Burns. The newly-minted Hurricane has averaged 3:16 with the extra man, tallying two points on that front. Getting to go against the Canucks only increases his chances of adding to that.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS at NJD ($3,600): It's easy to go with Orlov after he had a three-assist game, but it's about more than one great outing. Last year he set personal bests with 12 goals, 35 points, and 127 shots on net. This year he's averaged 21:14 in ice time, an increase since last season, and has 13 shots on goal and eight blocked shots. Blackwood has a career .907 save percentage, so once he starts facing more shots his GAA is likely to rise.
