This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The NHL schedule is keeping things simple Monday. There are five games, and they all start at 7 p.m. ET. You'll know how your DFS rosters did at a pretty clear point in the evening, but let's make sure those lineups are as robust as possible. Here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
All four teams that played Sunday were on the second leg of a back-to-back, so in turn that is not the case for any team playing Monday. The Coyotes and Capitals are only playing their second games, while the Blackhawks are already playing their fourth.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. ARI ($8,300): Shesterkin had a rough go of it against the Blue Jackets, but prior to that he shut down the Sabres, so I'm not going to sweat one bad game. It happens, even to guys who have won the Vezina. Plus, this is the Russian goalies first start at home. While the Coyotes roster is looking a bit better, last season they averaged 2.75 goals and a mere 25.9 shots on net per contest.
Joseph Woll, TOR vs. CHI ($8,300): This is also a case of, "It takes time to rebuild a roster from the ground up." Connor Bedard's arrival coincides with the lost of a few key veteran offensive contributors, and right now Taylor Hall is day-to-day for good measure. Even with a nice start to the season, Chicago is last in goals per game since the beginning of last year. Woll is getting the chance to serve as the backup in Toronto this season, and he seems primed to push for playing time. He's getting this start, and he has a career .924 save percentage in the NHL, though admittedly only over 11 appearances.
VALUE PLAYS
Kaapo Kakko, NYR vs. ARI ($3,800): Kakko did somewhat break through last year with 18 goals and 22 assists, and let's not forget that the one-time second-overall pick is only 22. He just happens to be in his fifth season already. The Rangers, though, seem intent on him legitimizing himself as a top-six forward, as he's getting to skate on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Krieder, and seeing power-play time for the first year since his rookie campaign. Kakko doesn't have a point, but he does have three shots on net in both of his contests. The Coyotes allowed 35.1 shots on goal last year and did not make roster changes primed to diminish that number significantly. I expect the Finn will have his opportunities Monday.
Calle Jarnkrok, TOR vs. CHI ($3,600): Jarnkrok picked up a goal, an assist, and four shots on net in Toronto's last outing. He was evidently impressive enough he got to skate on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. That would be a fortuitous spot to be for the veteran wing. It's also fortuitous to face a porous defense that has left Petr Mrazek to face 77 shots in his first two starts. Given his career .907 save percentage, that is not a sustainable plan.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Red Wings at Blue Jackets
Dylan Larkin (C - $6,700), Alex DeBrincat (W - $6,800), Lucas Raymond (W - $3,900)
Since the start of last season the Blue Jackets are 31st in GAA and shots on net allowed per game. Elvis Merzlikins has started the year standing on his head, but he posted an .897 OPS over the prior two seasons. I don't think that continues, and he's also dealing with an illness that caused him to leave his last start. The Wings' first line may get to see Spencer Martin, who has a career .885 save percentage.
Larkin has been everything the Wings hoped for when they drafted the local boy, and he's tallied over 30 goals in each of his last two seasons. While he doesn't have a goal yet this year, he has an assist in both of Detroit's games, and has also put 13 shots on net. Speaking of local boys made good, DeBrincat has three goals and an assist in his first season with the Red Wings. With two 40-goal campaigns to his name, "The Cat" is a prolific goal scorer, but he's also a prolific shooter. He put 263 pucks on net last season. After Raymond struggled a bit in Detroit's opener, the team effectively said, "loljk how about you play on the top line? The Swede responded with a goal and five shots on net, so expect the winger who scored 23 goals as a teenaged rookie to stay in this spot, and to thrive there.
DEFENSEMEN
Dougie Hamilton, NJD vs. FLA ($6,600): Luke Hughes is exciting and all that, but make no mistake, the New Jersey blue line still belongs to Hamilton. He has three points and seven shots on net already, and he's coming off a season wherein he tallied 22 goals and put 275 shots on net. Defensemen who can do that are rare. Any enthusiasm about Sergei Bobrovsky after a good playoff run should be gone, as he's allowed seven goals on 55 shots through two games. Let's not forget that since joining the Panthers he has a 2.97 GAA and .904 save percentage.
Ivan Provorov, CLM vs. DET ($4,000): The Flyers parted ways with Provorov after a season wherein his role was majorly diminished. Now a Blue Jacket, he has averaged 24:02 in ice time, but also 2:33 on the power play, giving him a role with the extra man once again. With Zach Werenski out, the Russian's role will likely remain stout, and he's coming off a game where he picked up two assists. The Red Wings have had no trouble scoring goals so far, but stopping them has been another story. Detroit has given up four in both of its games.
