This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a light three-game schedule with the Rangers (-126 at Kraken), Lightning (-150 vs. Caps) and Blackhawks (-126 vs. Sens) as the favourites. The Hawks are still looking for their first win after an 0-7-2 start and the Oilers can re-take the division lead with a win against the Kraken, who will likely be without Jared McCann (COVID protocol) and Mason Appleton (lower body).
GOALIES
Ilya Samsonov, WSH at TB ($8,400): Samsonov won his last start via shutout, though it was against the Coyotes so take it with a boulder of salt. Nonetheless, either Samsonov or Vitek Vanecek should be good contrarian plays against the favoured Lightning, who are still without key players although they have won two straight games outscoring their opponents 10-2… albeit against the Crosby-less Penguins and the Coyotes, so take that with a grain of salt, too. The Caps have won four of their past five meetings, with the most recent loss coming via overtime.
Filip Gustavsson, OTT at CHI ($6,500): Gustavsson comes at a slight discount to Anton Forsberg ($6,900), who was tasked with holding down the starting job with Matt Murray injured but thus far has been unreliable. Gustavsson, meanwhile, stopped 38 of 39 shots against the Stars on the road, and he may get his second straight start. The Blackhawks are in shambles at the moment, ranking 30th in GF/GP and second-worst in GA/GP.
Mikko Koskinen, EDM vs. SEA ($8,000): Koskinen came second away from a shutout win against the Canucks and will likely be in net if Mike Smith is still unavailable. Except for his start against the Flyers, Koskinen has actually been surprisingly reliable this season, and he will be facing an offense that ranks 20th in GF/GP and playing the second half of a back-to-back.
VALUE PLAYS
Connor McMichael, WSH at TB ($3,600): McMichael's playing time remains limited but remains the second-line center between snipers Anthony Mantha and Daniel Sprong. McMichael has yet to really display his playmaking ability, but playing in the top six with good finishers should create some offensive opportunities against a team that has the sixth-highest GA/GP.
Mathieu Joseph, TB vs. WSH ($3,100): Joseph has been elevated into a top-six role since Nikita Kucherov's injury and has averaged 16 minutes per game over his past four games. He's scored three points during that span and will likely stay on a line with Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat.
LINE STACKS
Senators at Blackhawks
Josh Norris (C - $5,700), Brady Tkachuk (W - $7,400), Drake Batherson (W - $5,700)
Only the Coyotes have a worst GA/GP than the Blackhawks, whose top-four defensemen are a combined minus-37 and neither Marc-Andre Fleury nor Kevin Lankinen seem interested in stopping pucks. There's plenty of talent on the Sens and their top line has certainly been their most productive with a combined 17 points.
Oilers vs. Kraken
Connor McDavid (C - $9,800), Zach Hyman (W - $6,900), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $5,600)
McDavid had just one assist against the Canucks but he was (as always) their most dangerous player, finishing with nine shots for the second straight game. The Kraken have been very good at limiting shots, allowing 28.3 per game, which is second-best in the league, but their poor goaltending means they have the 12th-highest GA/GP.
DEFENSEMEN
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. SEA ($5,700): Nurse can fill any category, which makes a pretty safe option since Victor Hedman and John Carlson are facing each other in what may be a low-scoring game, and Seth Jones is just not an option at the moment. Tyson Barrie ($5,600) also presents questionable value against the Kraken PK, which ranks fifth in the league.
Thomas Chabot, OTT at CHI ($5,300): The logic is the same for Chabot, who plays in all situations for the talented Sens. He's got an easier matchup even if it's on the road, and even with three assists on the season he should possess more offensive upside than Nurse.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. SEA ($4,000): Bouchard has averaged more than 23 minutes in his past three games, perhaps finally securing a top-four spot after a couple season of up-and-down play. He's paired with Nurse on the top pairing and see plenty of action on the power play, making him one of the strongest value plays of the night.
