This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate consists of 12 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
The Bruins are massive favorites in Chicago, followed by the Penguins at home against the Canadiens. The Flames in Arizona, Oilers vs. Ottawa and Hurricanes vs. Winnipeg are substantially favored as well. Edmonton's game has a slate-high over/under of 7.0 goals.
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark, BOS at CHI ($8,500): Ullmark has been the best goalie in the league this year, and that trend should continue against the lowly Blackhawks, who are averaging a league-low 2.47 goals per game. Boston's netminder is 33-4-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage.
Jonathan Quick, VGK at PHI ($7,900): Quick has picked up his game since being acquired by the Golden Knights. He shut out the Hurricanes in his last start, improving to 3-0-0 with Vegas. The veteran netminder should keep rolling against a Flyers team that's scoring just 2.55 goals per game.
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. DAL ($7,600): Demko has been excellent since returning from a groin injury, going 4-1-0 in five subsequent starts and allowing no more than two goals in each of his last four outings. He has some against-the-grain appeal at home against the Central Division-leading Stars.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at CAR ($7,300): Hellebuyck's another affordable netminder who can provide value against a division leader. He has found his game over the past two starts, winning both while stopping 77 of 83 shots. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have been shut out in each of their last two games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Tim Stutzle, OTT at EDM ($7,100): Stutzle has been held without a point only once in his last eight games while producing multiple points four times en route to a 6-6-12 line over that span. The third overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft is blossoming into a star and has already surpassed 70 points this season. Stutzle isn't quite in Connor McDavid's tier, but he can help the Senators keep it close by trading goals with Edmonton's McDavid-led offense.
Patrik Laine, CLS at SJ ($6,500): Laine has played well lately despite his team's continued struggles. He has a four-game goal streak going and a 5-4-9 line in his last seven games. The former 44-goal scorer has a nice opportunity to extend his goal streak against a Sharks team that's giving up 3.75 goals per game.
Elias Lindholm, CGY at ARI ($5,300): Lindholm had a goal and an assist against the Senators on Sunday in his best outing since a multi-point performance Feb. 22 in Arizona. The productive center will look to repeat that effort against the Coyotes and build on his 19-36-55 line through 65 games.
Tomas Hertl, SJ vs. CLS ($5,200): In four of his last five games, Hertl has mustered a goal on five shots. He has become San Jose's go-to forward since the team traded away Timo Meier, and a last-place Columbus team that's giving up 3.74 goals per game is unlikely to keep him contained.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR vs. WAS ($3,600): Locking in Lafreniere can help clear cap space for extensive stars elsewhere while still maintaining exposure to the Rangers' top players. The top pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has been brought along slowly, but Lafreniere has seen an uptick in power-play time recently while bouncing around the lineup as the Rangers search for the right spot for Patrick Kane ($6,200), leading to even-strength shifts alongside the likes of Kane or Mika Zibanejad ($7,200) for the talented youngster. Lafreniere has responded with three goals in his last four games, two of which have come on the power play.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Senators
Connor McDavid (C - $10,100), Zach Hyman (W - $7,300), Evander Kane (W - $6,300)
Building around McDavid has paid off far more often than not this year, and that's likely to remain the case against a Senators team that's missing its top two goalies due to injuries. McDavid's historic season consists of a 55-72-127 line through 67 games, and he's showing no signs of slowing down with six multi-goal games and eight multi-point outings in his last 10. Hyman's having a career year on McDavid's wing, with a 29-43-72 line. Kane has been effective when healthy, with a 10-10-20 line and 91 shots in 26 appearances.
Bruins at Blackhawks
David Krejci (C - $4,400), David Pastrnak (W - $9,100), Tyler Bertuzzi (W - $3,300)
If you don't build around McDavid, Pastrnak's the next-best choice. You can grab both, but doing so will require numerous trips to the bargain bin for the remainder of your lineup. Pastrnak ranks second behind McDavid in goals (46), fourth in points (88) and leads the league in shots (307). Krejci and Bertuzzi are both strong value plays on Pastrnak's line against the Blackhawks, who are allowing 3.55 goals per game. The former has 51 points in 60 games, while the latter's a former 30-goal scorer who has dished one helper in four games since being acquired from Detroit via trade.
Penguins vs. Canadiens
Evgeni Malkin (C - $6,400), Jason Zucker (W - $5,000), Alexander Nylander (W - $2,500)
Pittsburgh's second line is poised to deliver excellent value against a Canadiens team that's allowing 3.61 goals per game. Malkin has finally managed to stay healthy again, and he's averaging over a point per game with a 23-47-70 line through 66, including eight points during his current five-game point streak. Zucker has quietly been one of the league's hottest forwards, with nine goals in his last eight games. Nylander's a low-risk, high-reward play at the minimum $2,500 valuation while skating on this line, and William Nylander's brother has chipped in one assist in three games.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, SJ vs. CLS ($7,100): Karlsson should stand out in this battle of bottom-feeders. He continues to pace all defensemen in scoring, as he's the only one to reach the 20-goal mark and is lapping the field with 84 points.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at VAN ($6,000): Despite Demko's recent heroics, the Canucks remain defensively challenged, which will make it tough to cool off the red-hot Heiskanen. Dallas' No. 1 defenseman has a 3-9-12 line during his current seven-game point streak.
Kris Letang, PIT vs. MON ($5,700): Letang has stuffed the stat sheet over the past 10 games, delivering the star-level production we had grown accustomed to seeing over the years. His 4-4-8 line over that span has been accompanied by 31 shots and 17 blocked shots.
Niko Mikkola, NYR vs. WAS ($3,000): Mikkola has been deployed on the top pairing alongside Adam Fox ($6,100) while Ryan Lindgren recovers from an upper-body injury stemming from a dirty T.J. Oshie hit the last time these teams faced off. The additional usage has allowed Mikkola to carve out a high floor by piling up secondary stats. He's scored at least 12.3 fantasy points in three of the last four games thanks to nine shots and 12 blocks over that span.
