This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Monday's games had no shortage of scoring. There were four hat tricks (three from the Canucks-Wild contest), 15 players with at least three points and two who recorded six points each (Minnesota teammates Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek). Of the 20 goaltenders who started Monday, just three allowed two or fewer goals, including Logan Thompson's 29-save shutout victory over San Jose.
Will tonight's slate be similarly action-packed? I have some recommendations below for who I think will have standout nights offensively as well as which netminders I believe have the best chance of having a strong start.
SLATE PREVIEW
Ottawa, Dallas, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Vegas all played Monday, so fatigue might be a factor for those squads. Additionally, Columbus is in the first half of a back-to-back set, so the Blue Jackets lineup decisions tonight might be influenced by their upcoming schedule.
GOALIES
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. OTT ($8,500): Bobrovsky is having a solid season with a 27-10-2 record, 2.41 GAA and .914 save percentage through 40 contests, and he's looked even better recently, winning his last six appearances while posting a 1.65 GAA and a .946 save percentage. Ottawa is solid offensively, providing 3.37 goals per game, but the Senators also have floundered on the road with an 8-14-0 record.
David Rittich, LAK vs. CLM ($8,400): The Blue Jackets are among the league's worst teams with a 17-26-10 record, and they're particularly bad on offense, ranking 22nd with 2.92 goals per game. On the other side of this mismatch is Rittich, who has an 8-2-3 record, 2.25 GAA and .919 save percentage through 15 outings. The price is a little high, but so are the chances of this night working out for the Kings and their goaltending.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at PIT ($7,300): If you're looking for an inexpensive goaltender, Sorokin is an interesting option. He's underperformed this campaign with a 16-12-11 record, 3.12 GAA and .910 save percentage in 39 contests, but his adversary Tuesday is vulnerable. Pittsburgh has dropped four of its last five games while scoring just 10 goals in that span, and the Penguins are missing one of their key offensive threats in Jake Guentzel (upper body), making this a favorable matchup for Sorokin.
VALUE PLAYS
Sean Monahan, WPG vs. MIN ($4,900): Although this will be the Jets' second game in as many days, the same is true for Minnesota, which used both its goaltenders Monday, so that factor is a wash. More importantly, Monahan has finally settled into his role with the Jets, scoring four goals over his past two contests. That brings him up to 17 goals and 39 points across 55 appearances between Montreal and Winnipeg this season.
Quinton Byfield, LAK vs. CLM ($4,400): Byfield has 17 goals and 40 points in 51 contests this season, making him a strong contributor for his price. He's also done particularly well recently, collecting three goals and six points over six games since returning from an illness.
Thomas Novak, NAS at VGK ($3,600): Novak's having a hot-and-cold season and right now he's doing well, contributing three goals and six points over his past six outings. The Golden Knights are playing for the third time in four days and are in the second half of a back-to-back, so Novak will be facing a tired defense.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Kings vs. Blue Jackets
Anze Kopitar (C - $5,300), Adrian Kempe (W - $6,400), Kevin Fiala (W - $5,400)
This hasn't been the most productive line in the league, but it's certainly a talented one, and they're up against the Blue Jackets, who rank 31st defensively with 3.70 goals allowed per game, which means you might get really good value from this relatively affordable trio.
All three players are roughly equal with Kempe, Kopitar and Fiala providing 47, 45 and 43 points, respectively, this season. Kopitar is entering tonight's action on a three-game scoring streak (two goals, one assist) while Kempe has supplied four markers and seven points across his last nine appearances. Fiala hasn't recorded a point in his last five games, though. He's cheap enough that you could still roll the dice on him, but if you're looking for an alternative, consider Viktor Arvidsson ($5,600), who made his season debut Thursday after recovering from a back injury and has supplied an assist in each of his past two games.
Wild at Jets
Joel Eriksson Ek (C – $7,600), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $8,100), Matt Boldy (W - $6,000)
If you're looking for the hottest unit in hockey, right now that's Minnesota's top line.
Kaprizov headlines the group with 10 goals and 21 points over his last 11 contests, which gives him 23 tallies and 57 points through 48 contests. However, even if he is the Wild's biggest star, he certainly isn't leading the offense alone. Eriksson Ek has contributed a phenomenal 13 goals and 23 points over his past 13 appearances, bringing him up to 28 goals and 51 points through 55 outings.
Boldy is having a strong campaign too with 20 goals and 44 points through 48 games, and he's been especially good lately, collecting four goals and 11 points over his last five contests.
As noted above, Minnesota did play Monday, but the same is true of Winnipeg, so both teams are pretty much in the same boat.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi, NAS at VGK ($7,300): Josi is one of the hottest defensemen in the league, providing three goals and 19 points over his past 15 contests. Of course, he's also been great overall in 2023-24 with 11 goals and 50 points across 55 games, which justifies that high price.
Noah Dobson, NYI at PIT ($7,000): Like Josi, Dobson is red hot entering tonight's action. He's supplied a goal and 20 points across his past 14 games, bringing him up to seven goals and 58 points through 54 contests this campaign.
Bowen Byram, COL vs. VAN ($3,000): If you're looking for a discount defensive option, you should consider gambling on Byram while he's hot. The blueliner has two goals and six points over his past three games and will be facing the Canucks, who are entering their second road game in as many days.
