This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Monday is a light night for the NHL. There are only two games on the schedule, but that doesn't mean you can't play some NHL DFS contests! So let's get to my recommendations!
SLATE PREVIEW
There are no teams on the second leg of a back-to-back Monday. We do get a matchup of two disappointing teams, though, as the Oilers host the Islanders. If it was the 1980s, that would be quite the game. This year? Not so much. In fact, just this past weekend Edmonton went ahead and fired Jay Woodcroft.
GOALIE
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. NYI ($7,900): I can't muster any true enthusiasm for any goalie Monday. However, you need a goalie for your lineup. The Islanders are on the road and have managed only 2.46 goals per game. Surprisingly, they have a 3.08 GAA and have allowed 34.6 shots on net per contest. Even though the Oilers have really disappointed, I think the wins will start to arrive. This is a night where I don't think any team allows fewer than three goals, and I think the Oilers probably win, so I'll go with Skinner.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Evander Kane, EDM vs. NYI ($5,100): Kane, like many Oilers, started the season slow. However, he has nine points over his last eight games. He still has an 8.3 shooting percentage, so there could still be an uptick coming. We know Kane tends to shoot a lot, and he has 36 shots on net in 13 contests this year, and as I noted the Islanders have given up 34.6 shots on goal per game.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Kraken vs. Avalanche
Yanni Gourde (C - $3,400), Oliver Bjorkstrand (W - $4,300), Eeli Tolvanen (W - $4,100)
Injuries to the Avalanche have garnered more attention, but the goaltending has been a real problem for the team as well. Alexandar Georgiev started hot, but he's been absolutely brutal. Over his last seven starts he has a 4.73 GAA and .842 save percentage. Unproven backup Ivan Prosvetov has a career .876 save percentage. Seattle's top couple of lines aren't doing great right now, but the third line has been impressive at a reasonable collection of salaries.
Gourde has tallied seven points in 15 games. That's with a 6.9 shooting percentage that should improve. Bjorkstrand has six goals and six assists. He's also found nice production on the power play, having tallied five points with the extra man. Tolvanen is the one of these three with an active point streak. He's had a point in four-straight games, and in six of his last seven.
DEFENSEMAN
Bowen Byram, COL at SEA ($3,400): Who is the defenseman providing the scoring beyond Cale Makar? This year, the answer is kind of "nobody," but Byram has done the most on that front, especially recently. He has three goals and an assist this season, but all four of those points have come over his last nine games. Byram has also put 20 shots on net in that time, including three games with three shots on goal or more. The Kraken aren't suppressing shots like last year, which is part of the reason why they have a 3.40 GAA.