This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate features nine games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are numerous heavy favorites to build around Tuesday, including the Lightning vs. Anaheim, Devils vs. Montreal, Hurricanes vs. St. Louis, Oilers vs. Philadelphia and Golden Knights in Chicago, with Vegas being the lone road team in that group. Edmonton's game has a slate-high over/under of 7.0 goals, while all the other matchups listed above come in at 6.5.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. ANH ($8,500): Vasilevskiy's in the midst of another strong season, as he's 26-14-1 with a 2.56 GAA and .918 save percentage. He should improve those already impressive stats at home against a Ducks team that's averaging just 2.47 goals per game.
Vitek Vanecek, NJ vs. MON ($8,400): Vanecek's currently on a 12-0-1 during which he's allowed two or fewer goals nine times. A Montreal team that's mustering just 2.63 goals per game is unlikely to break up Vanecek's momentum.
Filip Gustavsson, MIN vs. LA ($7,800): Gustavsson is 3-0-1 in his last four starts with just seven goals against. The surging Swede is poised to stay hot in one of only two games tied for a slate-low over/under of 6.0 goals, along with Red Wings-Capitals.
Ville Husso, DET at WAS ($7,400): Husso's a sneaky value play here for the surging Red Wings against the struggling and shorthanded Capitals. Detroit's knocking on the door of a playoff spot after going 5-1-0 over its last six games. The Capitals are also in the mix but fading fast with Alex Ovechkin (personal) away from the team. Washington's dropped four straight in regulation while getting outscored 17-7 in those games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jack Hughes, NJ vs. MON ($8,800): Hughes should be worth paying up for against the Canadiens, who are allowing 3.66 goals per game. The budding superstar has five multi-goal performances in his last 14 appearances, and Hughes has been held without a point only twice over that stretch.
Kevin Fiala, LAK at MIN ($6,900): Fiala's hot heading into this clash with his former team. The Swiss winger has a 3-3-6 line in his last two games and five multi-point outings in his last nine, pushing Fiala up to a 21-40-61 line through 57 games with the Kings. He didn't always see eye to eye with Minnesota's management while he was there from 2019-22, so Fiala should be extra motivated to keep rolling against the Wild.
Patrick Kane, CHI vs. VGK ($5,600): Kane's Blackhawks tenure could be coming to a close with the trade deadline nearing, and the franchise icon has fueled his performance with emotion recently, notching five goals and an assist over his last two games. Look for another strong performance from the prolific winger against a Golden Knights team that has a stout defense but will be backstopped by Laurent Brossoit ($7,900), who's making his season debut at the NHL level.
Michael Bunting, TOR at BUF ($4,900): Bunting's a nice value given his top-line deployment in what should be a high-scoring game against a Sabres team that's allowing 3.44 goals per game. He's been hot-or-miss recently en route to a 4-2-6 line over the past seven games, but Bunting has a high ceiling relative to his sub-$5,000 valuation.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, CAR vs. STL ($3,000): Carolina's affordable second-line center has quietly heated up with a goal in three of his last four games and a 3-4-7 line over the past six. At just $3,000, Kotkaniemi's a strong value play against a defensively challenged Blues team that's been trading away veteran pieces and is giving up 3.64 goals per game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Ducks
Brayden Point (C - $7,000), Nikita Kucherov (W - $7,700), Brandon Hagel (W - $5,700)
This has been one of the league's most fearsome lines throughout the season, and the sky's the limit against a Ducks team that's surrendering a league-high 4.16 goals per game. Kucherov's 21-58-79 line is good for third league-wide in points, but both of his linemates have more goals. Point boasts a 32-28-60 line through 55 games while Hagel's at 22-24-46.
Oilers vs. Flyers
Connor McDavid (C - $9,700), Warren Foegele (W - $3,200), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $3,000)
This one could get ugly for struggling Flyers netminder Carter Hart ($7,200), who has stopped just 32 of 40 shots over his last two starts, getting the hook in one and losing both. McDavid has often been worth building around, and this favorable matchup should be no exception, while locking in one or both of his affordable linemates can help you clear the cap space to afford the league's leading scorer. Through 57 games, McDavid leads the NHL in both goals (42) and points (102). Foegele's coming off a two-goal game, while Puljujarvi's on a modest two-game point streak.
Golden Knights at Blackhawks
William Karlsson (C - $4,000), Reilly Smith (W - $5,500), Michael Amadio (W - $2,900)
Kane may be rolling right now, but the reason he may be traded in the first place is because of just how putrid the team around him has become. Chicago's tied with Anaheim and Columbus for the fewest standings points in the NHL, and the Blackhawks are getting outscored 3.62 to 2.47 on average. A Vegas team that's outscored the opposition 24-9 en route to a perfect 5-0-0 record since the All-Star break should add to Chicago's struggles, and you won't have to break the bank to afford this second line. Smith has six points in the five games since the break, while Amadio has chipped in a 2-1-3 line over that span and three-plus shots in four of the five games. Karlsson's dished out three helpers in his last three games and has at least one point in nine of the past 14.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi, NSH vs. VAN ($8,600): There's no shortage of expensive stars in action Tuesday, and Josi's another one that should be worth building around. He's topped 30 fantasy points in consecutive games thanks to a 2-3-5 line, 10 shots and five blocks. Josi should keep rolling right along against a Canucks team that's allowing 4.02 goals per game.
Brent Burns, CAR vs. STL ($6,700): Burns has been held without a point just once in his last 11 games. He has a 5-7-12 line over that span and continues to contribute on both ends by sprinkling in steady shot and block totals. The veteran blueliner's a key component of a Carolina offense that should find plenty of success against the porous Blues defense.
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. PHI ($4,500): Edmonton's best source of offense from the blue line is a bargain at $4,500. Barrie has lit the lamp in each of the last two games, bringing his season line up to 9-29-38 through 57 games. He's on pace to top 50 points for the fourth time.
Owen Power, BUF vs. TOR ($3,800): Power just scored his fourth goal in the past nine games, as the first overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has started to flash offense on a more consistent basis. He's a low-risk, high-reward play against a Toronto team that's been far more beatable on the road, with a 12-9-4 record compared to a 22-6-4 home mark.
