This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There were originally supposed to be 12 NHL games scheduled Tuesday, but with Sabres-Blue Jackets postponed, the league will return from its holiday break with 11 matchups after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Hurricanes are overwhelming home favorites against the Blackhawks, but the Avalanche (in Arizona), Bruins (in Ottawa) and Maple Leafs (in St. Louis) could all be worth building around on the road. Boston's game is tied for the highest over/under at 6.5 goals, along with Oilers-Flames and Sharks-Canucks.
GOALIES
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR vs. CHI ($8,500): Kochetkov was the league's hottest goalie heading into the break, going 8-0-1 in his last nine outings and giving up only five goals during his current five-game winning streak. He'll have a nice opportunity to pick up where he left off against a Blackhawks team that's 2-8-0 in its last 10 games and averaging 2.34 goals per game overall – second-fewest in the NHL.
Alexandar Georgiev, COL at ARI ($8,200): Georgiev has returned to form after a rough patch, allowing only four goals during his four-game winning streak. The Coyotes can be a challenging fantasy opponent for goalies due to a lack of volume, but if Georgiev gets a shutout or close to it against the league's 27th-ranked scoring offense, he should be worth paying up for.
Tristan Jarry, PIT at NYI ($8,000): Jarry hasn't lost in regulation since Nov. 5, going 11-0-3 in his past 14 outings. Meanwhile, the Islanders are just 4-6-2 in their last 12 games. Look for Jarry to keep rolling as Pittsburgh tries to earn some breathing room in the bunched up Metropolitan Division.
Pheonix Copley, LA vs. VGK ($7,400): Copley has provided a spark in net for the Kings, winning each of his last four starts. He's an appealing bargain option against a banged up Vegas team that's been inconsistent offensively of late, scoring two or fewer goals in five of its last nine games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mikko Rantanen, COL at ARI ($8,000): Rantanen has put the Colorado offense on his back while Nathan MacKinnon works his way back from an upper-body injury. The Finnish winger has unleashed a whopping 31 shots in his last three games, and Rantanen has averaged a goal per game across the last eight. With Colorado likely to dominate possession against the Coyotes, Rantanen's positioned for another high-volume shooting night.
William Nylander, TOR at STL ($7,300): Nylander has been excellent while flanking Auston Matthews ($9,100) recently. The winger has a 3-3-6 line and 18 shots during his three-game goal streak, which has raised Nylander's season output to 20-19-39 through 34 games. A Blues team that's giving up 3.63 goals per game – fifth-most in the league – is unlikely to slow him down.
Tomas Hertl, SJ at VAN ($5,900): Hertl has served his two-game suspension and will be looking to pick up where he left off prior to taking a seat. He has three multi-point performances in his last five games and five in the last nine, producing a 6-5-11 line over the longer span. A multi-point performance here would bump Hertl up to a point per game on the season, and he has a nice opportunity to get it against a Canucks team that's allowing 3.88 goals per game, which is the most among teams in action Tuesday and third-most in the NHL.
Reilly Smith, VGk at LA ($5,300): Smith put forth an underwhelming performance in his last game before the break, snapping a string of five consecutive games with 13 or more fantasy points. Still, he boasts a 5-3-8 line and 22 shots over his last six games, and Smith's on pace to push for 40 goals with 17 through 36 games. Another productive performance could be on its way against a Kings team that's allowing the 10th-most goals per game (3.43).
Kaapo Kakko, NYR vs. WAS ($2,900): Kakko has developed into a solid all-around player, but up until recently, he hasn't displayed the scoring ability expected of a player drafted No. 2 overall. Things could be starting to click for the 21-year-old winger, though, as Kakko went into the break with a 4-2-6 line over his last six games. At just $2,900, he's a low-risk, high-reward option in this clash of Metropolitan Division rivals.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Hurricanes vs. Blackhawks
Sebastian Aho (C - $6,600), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $3,700), Seth Jarvis (W - $3,200)
Carolina's top line should provide strong bang for the buck against a visiting Blackhawks team that's likely to be completely overmatched by the Hurricanes' relentless pressure. Aho's on his customary point per game pace with an 11-16-27 output through 27 appearances. He has averaged at least a point per game in four of the last five seasons, with the exception being a 38-28-66 output over 68 appearances in 2019-20. Teravainen's off to a slow start after topping 60 points in four of the previous five campaigns, but even after a 2-2-4 line in his last five games, the 28-year-old winger's career-low 3.6 shooting percentage is still due for a substantial upward correction. Jarvis has been unable to bunch his points up, but he's been a consistent presence on the scoresheet recently, notching a point in 10 of the last 14 games.
Bruins at Senators
David Krejci (C - $5,300), David Pastrnak (W - $9,300), Pavel Zacha (W - $3,000)
If you pay up for Pastrnak, you may as well add in his relatively affordable linemates to dilute your cost per player while raising your ceiling. The star winger ranks third in goals (24), sixth in points (47) and first in shots (168) across the NHL. Krejci has quietly been quite productive over his last 15 appearances, notching an 8-9-17 line. Zacha has had trouble finding consistency while bouncing around the lineup, but he's on a 50-point pace and has plenty of upside as long as he's being deployed alongside Pastrnak.
Flames vs. Oilers
Elias Lindholm (C - $6,000), Tyler Toffoli (W - $5,600), Dillon Dube (W - $3,900)
Sparks tend to fly when these rivals meet for the Battle of Alberta, as these teams have combined to score 38 goals in five regular-season meetings during the 2022 calendar year (7.6 per game). Calgary's top line has been productive lately and figures to take advantage of a shoddy Oilers defense that's giving up 3.46 goals per game. Lindholm has a 2-7-9 line in his last five games, while Toffoli has a 4-3-7 line during his current four-game point streak. Dube has kept pace with his higher-profile linemates, contributing a 3-5-8 output over the past six games.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, SJ at VAN ($7,800): Karlsson leads the Sharks in both points (46) and power-play points (13). He's poised to add to both robust totals against a Canucks team that has struggled in all facets defensively, but especially on the penalty kill, where Vancouver brings up the rear league-wide at 68.4 percent.
Brent Burns, CAR vs. CHI ($6,500): Burns' stat-stuffing style gives him a high floor, while facing a Blackhawks team that's surrendering 3.75 goals per game pushes up his ceiling. The veteran blueliner has multiple shots in four of his last five games, and he's also blocked multiple shots four times in that stretch. Overall, Burns ranks fourth on the Hurricanes in points (23) and second on the team in shots (108) through 34 games.
Erik Gustafsson, WAS at NYR ($4,000): Gustafsson has stepped up for a Washington team that's missing top blueliner John Carlson (face). During his current four-game point streak, Gustafsson has a 4-3-7 line, as he's found the form he maintained during a 60-point season in 2018-19.
Evan Bouchard, EDM at CGY ($3,900): Bouchard has dished an assist in every other game over the past six, and if that pattern holds, he's due for a helper in this one. More broadly, the 2018 first-round pick has some nice offensive capabilities for a sub-$4,000 blueliner. Since the start of last season, Bouchard has a 15-42-57 line in 116 appearances, and his 282 shots over that span are 10th-most among NHL defensemen.
