This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's kind of shocking, but the Leafs (-220) are heavily favored against the unbeaten Sharks. San Jose has admittedly had a relatively easy schedule and will face their first real test. But with solid goaltending and young talent in the top-six, these aren't your usual Sharks. The Leafs are also starting third-string Michael Hutchinson in his season debut.
The Golden Knights (-136) are also favored against the unbeaten Oilers and it's another curious line. They'll be without two-thirds of their top line with Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone sidelined, while Alec Martinez left Wednesday and his status is questionable. Robin Lehner is still a fine goalie, but hasn't looked particularly sharp to start the year with a .909 Sv% through three games.
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark, BOS at BUF ($8,200): Ullmark gets to prove his worth against his former team in his first start for his new club. There's plenty to play for besides the win considering Jeremy Swayman earned the first two starts but allowed five goals against the Flyers to leave the top job up for grabs. The Sabres have been impressive, but they've also logged a favorable schedule so far facing the winless Habs, the hapless Coyotes and a half-asleep Canucks.
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. EDM ($8,100): This has all the makings of a high-scoring game. Lehner has been rather pedestrian so far and will have to face Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl without having the goal support from the team's top two forwards. His saving grace is that the Oilers may start third-string rookie Stuart Skinner, who played one game last year and gave up five goals on 38 shots against the Senators. Lehner's not ideal, but Vegas' experience and more balanced lineup might win out.
Braden Holtby, DAL vs. LA ($7,400): The Stars have not named a starter, but it's likely to be Holtby, who earned a shootout win versus Pittsburgh in their most recent outing and has started three of Dallas's four games. He's been a nice surprise with a .947 Sv%, while the Kings have cooled off considerably since their season opener scoring just three times in consecutive losses. The Stars have also won seven of their last nine meetings.
Adin Hill, SJ at TOR ($6,900): Admittedly, this is a bit of a longshot even though the Sharks are playing well and will be facing the Leafs' No. 3 goalie. But there's potentially too much value to be given up, and $8,600 for Michael Hutchinson (career .906 Sv%) on a team that has only earned five points in four contests seems steep. San Jose has historically dominated this matchup having once taken 10 straight, but have only won once over their past five.
VALUE PLAYS
Tage Thompson, BUF vs. BOS ($4,500): Thompson now has two goals and 12 shots in three games and possibly breaking out as the Sabres' No. 2 center. It helps when the other lines are scoring so opposing defenses can't concentrate on Thompson – though at 6-foot-7 is hard to miss – and is flanked by an excellent shooter in Victor Olofsson. The Bruins allowed six goals in their last outing and haven't been able to get into a groove just yet.
Jonathan Dahlen, SJ at TOR ($3,700): FanDuel keeps giving us decent value and we'll keep taking them up on it. Dahlen only played 13 minutes Thursday against the Sens as Bob Boughner spread out his ice time, but it also included 2:02 on the power play with the first unit. It could be a tight defensive matchup since both teams rank in the top-five in shots allowed per game, but Dahlen's receiving high-quality opportunities on the first line and PP1.
William Eklund, SJ at TOR ($3,600): The gap between Eklund and Dahlen is shrinking, and the former's FanDuel salary is definitely increasing. He notched an assist for the third straight game against the Sens, but still simply refuses to shoot despite his considerable talent. Eklund played 10:30 against the Sens while continuing to see consistent power-play time.
Peyton Krebs, VGK vs. EDM ($3,000): Injuries to key players means Krebs and Nicolas Roy have been bumped to the second line with Chandler Stephenson. Krebs is a minus-3 with no points this season, but his upside is considerable and there are good reasons why the Knights won't part with him in any trade. Perhaps the Oilers' shaky defense and possibly untested goaltending will spur Krebs to his first point.
LINE STACKS
Bruins at Sabres
Patrice Bergeron (C - $7,000), Brad Marchand (W - $8,700), David Pastrnak (W - $8,200)
The Perfection Line feasted on Buffalo last season with a combined 18 points. Bergeron has yet to really get going, but Marchand and Pastrnak continue to be the offensive stars. The Sabres are undefeated, but this is their first real test and both Sabres goalies – Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski – carry sky-high save percentages that scream "regression".
Maple Leafs vs. Sharks
John Tavares (C - $7,400), Michael Bunting (W - $4,300), William Nylander (W - $7,200)
What makes this line more desirable than Auston Matthews is the presence of Michael Bunting, who's racked up three points with 14 shots on goal. He's a speedy forward who has a good nose for the net while offering considerably more upside than Nick Ritchie. The Sharks defense isn't really deep enough to cover the Leafs' top two lines, and much of their focus will likely be on Matthews and Mitch Marner.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. EDM ($6,400): Pietrangelo's going to play plenty of minutes in likely a tough matchup role with Vegas getting last change on home ice. Interestingly enough, this will be Pietrangelo's first time facing McDavid as a Golden Knight.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. LA ($5,900): Still no return date set for John Klingberg, which means Heiskanen shoulders the load yet again. The Stars still play Esa Lindell on the same unit with power-play wizard Joe Pavelski and that's mildly annoying, but Heiskanen's shots per game have significantly increased from barely over two last year to nearly three this campaign.
Erik Karlsson, SJ at TOR ($5,100): Brent Burns also seems like a solid selection. The two vets are off to a great start having scored at least a point in each of their first three games. Karlsson edges Burns with two more points, and the Leafs are a team he's traditionally fared well against with 37 points across 39 contests.
Daniil Miromanov, VGK vs. EDM ($3,500): The KHL veteran signed with the Knights after finishing third in scoring on HK Sochi last season, and was a late cut after an impressive camp. Miromanov profiles as an offensive defenseman whose quickness should fit in well with the Vegas' speed, though his usage on the power play may be very minimal on a pretty deep blueline. If Martinez can't play, look for Miromanov to make his NHL debut after four points in two AHL outings.
