This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
After three NHL games rich in incident Sunday – though only one was competitive – we only have one game Monday. It's an exciting one, though! The Oilers are hosting the Golden Knights at 8:30 p.m. ET. DraftKings' usual single-game rules apply. You have a salary cap of $50,000 for your six players. The Captain earns 1.5 times the points, but at an elevated salary. Looking for a possible lineup? Here's what I landed on.
CAPTAIN
Leon Draisaitl, EDM vs. VGK ($15,600): I knew I would be making Draisaitl my Captain even before I saw his, or anybody else's, salary. Nobody is hotter, and he refuses to slow down. He has 13 goals and four assists in eight playoff games, plus 34 shots on net. The German has had 50 goals in each of the last two seasons, and playing alongside Connor McDavid both at even strength and on the power play helps, of course. Edmonton relies heavily on its two incredible forwards when the playoffs roll around, and they tend to deliver.
FLEX
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. VGK ($8,200): Nugent-Hopkins was one of three Oilers with over 100 points this season, though he was largely successful because of his power-play production. He tallied 53 of his 104 points with the extra man. While Vegas was disciplined in terms of not taking penalties, it had the 19th-ranked penalty kill. The Golden Knights weren't disciplined in Game 2, and RNH picked up two power-play points.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. VGK ($7,600): Speaking of the power play, Bouchard has crushed in with the extra man all playoffs long. The defenseman has had at least one power-play point in every postseason contest. Laurent Brossoit had a surprisingly-good regular season, but in the playoffs he has a 3.13 GAA and .896 save percentage.
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK at EDM ($7,400): Puck luck has eluded Marchessault thus far. He's put 23 shots on net in seven playoff games, but he has zero goals. Marchessault skates on Vegas' top line next to Jack Eichel, and he's started a whopping 70.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's highest on the Golden Knights. Stuart Skinner has an .895 save percentage in the playoffs. Maybe Monday is when Marchessault sees his luck turn around.
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at EDM ($6,600): Stephenson didn't have a point in Game 2, but he had a five-game point streak before that. In fact, he has 19 points over his last 15 games. Stephenson is also on the first power-play unit, and the Oilers had the 20th-ranked penalty kill this season.
Ivan Barbashev, VGK at EDM ($4,600): This is a nice salary got a guy who skates on a top line. Barbashev is not merely set dressing next to Eichel and Marchessault, though. He has six points in the playoffs, and three goals in this series.
