This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There's plenty of action with seven games on the slate, including two Finals rematches: the Golden Knights and Capitals, which may see the return of Max Pacioretty, and the Kings and Rangers, two teams featuring some of the most dynamic young talents in the league, including top picks Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield.
GOALIES
Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. CHI ($8,600): The Hawks have lost three straight though two have come in extra time, but the Avs are seriously rolling with only one loss in January. Kuemper has seemingly overcome his early-season jitters and has seen his save percentage improve from .901 in November to .922 in December and .925 so far in January.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. LA ($8,400): Shesterkin is looking to win his seventh straight start while the Kings have lost three of their last four games. The Kings were victorious in their earlier meeting on Jan. 10, but note it was Alexandar Georgiev who drew the start. Discounting the games Shesterkin has missed due to injury, he's been the league's best goalie and his .936 Sv% ranks second in the league in save percentage (min. 10 GS).
Linus Ullmark, BOS vs. ANH ($8,300): The Ducks started off hot but have now lost nine of their past 12 games while the Bruins have lost just twice (!) in 2022, and neither of those games featured Ullmark in net. He really hasn't been as terrible some Bruins fans would have you believe with a .915 Sv% and positive values in GSAA in both hockey-reference.com and naturalstattrick.com's models.
Cam Talbot, MIN vs. MON ($7,800): Talbot is expected to return soon but Kaapo Kahkonen is a great choice too if he gets the start. The Habs are getting healthy and their offense has picked up, but their goaltending is still a huge concern. The Wild are one of the league's best teams at home with only three losses in regulation.
Braden Holtby, DAL at PHI ($7,300): Holtby's last two wins were not pretty with four goals allowed in each game, but expect him to get the start again with Jake Oettinger struggling. It should be an easier matchup than the Sabres and Red Wings, two young teams who have put up a fight this season; meanwhile, the Flyers have looked listless despite a coaching change and look ready for the off-season as they look to avoid their 12th straight game. There is some trepidation because the Stars are on the road, but a healthy top line is a big difference maker and their last two wins provide some hope they are turning it around.
VALUE PLAYS
Taylor Hall, BOS vs. ANH ($6,300): Once in a while, Hall can remind you that he has MVP-level talent. The much-maligned left winger has scored 12 points in 12 games in January, and having David Pastrnak on his line is obviously a big reason for that.
Matt Boldy, MIN vs. MON ($4,00): Dean Evason doesn't seem to be shy about playing Boldy at all, who has skated over 17 minutes in four of his six games after skating just 13 minutes in his NHL debut. The Habs are averaging four goals allowed per game, third-worst in the league.
LINE STACKS
Stars at Flyers
Roope Hintz (C - $7,400), Jason Robertson (W - $8,500), Joe Pavelski (W - $8,000)
Hintz is a steal at that salary because he's a very good No. 1 center when he's healthy, and both Robertson and Pavelski are two of the more underrated wingers in the league. Robertson scored three goals in back-to-back games against Detroit and Buffalo. The Stars are 9-3-1 when Robertson scores a goal, and there's no team worse in the league right now than Philly with 11 straight defeats.
Wild vs. Canadiens
Ryan Hartman (C - $7,000), Mats Zuccarello (W - $7,000), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $9,500)
Both Zuccarello and Kaprizov are working on eight-game point streaks and Hartman will be one of the better value plays among No. 1 centers on Monday's slate. The Wild and Habs have not met very often, but note that in their past seven matchups, the Wild have scored at least six goals three times, and since 2014 have only lost once to the Habs even though they had to face Carey Price numerous times.
DEFENSEMAN
Adam Fox, NYR vs. LA ($7,000): Fox and Cale Makar are separated by just 0.02 P/GP, so the difference is largely marginal, and both players play on the favorites in their respective matchups. Fox is currently the league's leading scorer among defensemen with 45 points and has the chance to extend his point streak to six games.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. MON ($5,200): Spurgeon scored two points in his return to the lineup and immediately stepped back onto the top power play unit with Kaprizov and Boldy. The Habs have the third-worst PK in the league at just 73 percent efficiency.
Matt Grzelcyk, BOS vs. ANH ($5,000): The B's should dominate this matchup and Grzelcyk has scored three assists in his past four games, and continues to have the hot hand after scoring five points against the Caps on Jan. 10. He continues to play on the top pair with Charlie McAvoy and handle PP duties with the second unit.
