This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate features nine games after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
This slate is full of marquee matchups between contenders, but there are still a few more lopsided games to take advantage of. The Panthers are heavy home favorites against the Canadiens, while the Wild (vs. Philadelphia) and Predators (vs. Ottawa) aren't too far behind. The Montreal-Florida and Philadelphia-Minnesota games are tied with the higher-profile Colorado-Calgary clash for Tuesday's highest over/under at 6.5 goals.
GOALIES
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. MON ($8,500): Bobrovsky has won each of his last five starts to improve to 31-6-3, and he's allowed just 11 goals during this winning streak. A Montreal team that's averaging a league-low 2.53 goals per game is unlikely to slow his roll.
Juuse Saros, NSH vs. OTT ($8,300): Saros is tied for second with 32 wins, and he's in the top 10 among goalies who see regular playing time with a .920 save percentage. His 2.58 GAA isn't too shabby, either, and a home date with the bottom-five Ottawa offense (2.60 goals per game) should help Saros build on his excellent season to date.
Darcy Kuemper, COL at CGY ($7,600): The matchup is a tough one, but it's also tough to turn down an opportunity to lock in Kuemper for only $7,600. He's 30-9-3 with a 2.41 GAA and .923 save percentage, and Kuemper's five shutouts include a 46-save masterpiece when these teams faced off just over two weeks ago.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at PIT ($7,300): Similarly to Kuemper, Shesterkin's an elite goalie available at a discount. He's 31-9-3 with a 2.11 GAA and .936 save percentage overall, and Shesterkin's most recent start was a convincing 5-1 win over these very Penguins on March 25.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Evgeni Malkin, PIT vs. NYR ($6,100): Malkin missed Friday's loss to the Rangers, but the red-hot center should be available for this rematch. He returned Sunday with a hat trick and an assist, stretching Malkin's goal streak to four games. With a 6-2-8 line in his last four appearances, Malkin's a bargain at $6,100.
Jason Robertson, DAL at ANH ($5,900): Robertson leads the Stars with 31 goals, and his 60 points in 56 appearances are good for a team-leading rate of 1.07 points per game. The top-line winger's a strong choice at $5,900 against a sinking Ducks team that's allowing 3.18 goals per game.
Matt Duchene, NSH vs. OTT ($5,800): Duchene has five two-goal games in his last 13 and a prolific 11-10-21 line over that span. The one-time Senators center is enjoying a career revival as a first-line winger in Nashville, and Duchene should keep rolling against his former team's bottom-10 defense.
Erik Haula, BOS vs. TOR ($3,200): Haula's second-line role has borne fruit recently, as the affordable pivot has a 1-6-7 line in the past three games. Given the uncertainty over the quality of Toronto's goaltending on any given night, Haula's a low-risk, high-reward play here.
Frank Vatrano, NYR at PIT ($2,700): Vatrano has thrived since being moved to the top line alongside Mika Zibanejad ($6,600) and Chris Kreider ($6,100). The recent trade acquisition has four goals in six games with New York, including three goals on six shots in two games since being moved to this line. One of those goals came against the Penguins, so Vatrano's an appealing value play at just $200 above the minimum valuation.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Wild vs. Flyers
Ryan Hartman (C - $5,700), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $7,700), Mats Zuccarello (W - $5,600)
Minnesota's red-hot top line should keep rolling against a Flyers team that's giving up 3.47 goals per game. Kaprizov has 12 goals in his last 12 games and four in his last three, boosting his season line to 36-45-81 in 63 games. Hartman hasn't been able to keep pace with the star winger, but his 8-5-13 line over his last 13 games is quite impressive on its own. Zuccarello has frequently assisted on his linemates' goals, posting a 2-12-14 line in his last 12 games and a 19-48-67 line over 56 appearances overall.
Panthers vs. Canadiens
Aleksander Barkov (C - $8,600), Claude Giroux (W - $4,900), Carter Verhaeghe (W - $3,900)
Barkov and Giroux have shown instant chemistry since the latter came over from the Flyers via trade. Giroux has acted as a setup man with four assists in three games with Florida, while Barkov has been the finisher with two goals on 11 shots. Verhaeghe has been denied on all nine of his shots over that span, but a visit from a Canadiens team that's allowing 3.71 goals per game — second-most in the league — should allow him to join the rest of Florida's top line in a productive outing.
Islanders at Blue Jackets
Brock Nelson (C - $6,300), Anders Lee (W - $4,400), Anthony Beauvillier (W - $3,400)
This line has provided most of the Islanders' offense recently and should continue to produce against a Blue Jackets team that's surrendering 3.70 goals per game. Nelson is on the best scoring binge of his career, with a 12-5-17 line in his last 13 games and a 4-3-7 output over the last four. Lee has been similarly productive with an 11-7-18 output over the past 12 games, while Beauvillier has held his own with 11 points over that same 12-game span.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi, NSH vs. OTT ($9,200): Josi has been phenomenal during his 13-game point streak, with a 4-24-28 line and 51 shots on goal over that stretch. Even at $9,200, he's a worthy centerpiece to build your lineup around against an Ottawa team that's allowing 3.25 goals per game.
Ben Chiarot, FLA vs. MON ($4,400): Chiarot's Panthers tenure is off to an impressive start, as he's piled up 12 shots and six blocks through three games. He also had an assist against the Canadiens in his Florida debut and will get another opportunity to produce against his former team here.
Noah Hanifin, CGY vs. COL ($4,000): For as good as the Avs have been overall, they have consistently allowed opposing defensemen to produce. Hanifin should help continue that trend, as he comes in hot, having totaled 9.5 or more fantasy points in seven of eight games thanks to a 1-4-5 line and four separate five-shot outings.
Brett Pesce, CAR at TB ($3,900): Pesce has scored double-digit fantasy points in each of his last three games thanks to a 2-1-3 line, 11 shots and three blocked shots. While the Lightning represent a daunting matchup, Tampa Bay has looked vulnerable of late, going 4-6-0 in its last 10 games.
