This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Tuesdays are typically packed, but this will be a busy night even by those standards with 12 games on the docket. That lineup includes eight of the league's top-10 teams by record (the Rangers and the Bruins being the exceptions), so it won't surprise you to hear that a sizable majority of the league's top talent will be on display. With so many choices to sift through, here are my recommendations for the night.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Maple Leafs are the hottest team in hockey after claiming their past seven games. They'll try to make it eight in a home matchup against the Golden Knights, which they already beat 7-3 in Vegas on Thursday. That was one defeat in five out of the Golden Knights' last six games, so while Toronto is trending in the right direction, Vegas needs a bounce-back performance. That will certainly be difficult without Jack Eichel (knee) and Mark Stone (upper body), though the Golden Knights are still talented enough to manufacture a victory even without their top two forwards.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. STL ($8,900): Expensive, but very much worth it, Hellebuyck has a 28-11-3 record, 2.21 GAA and .925 save percentage across 42 contests this season. He's earned five victories over his past six starts while allowing just 13 goals on 190 shots (.932 save percentage).
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. BUF ($8,600): Like Hellebuyck, Bobrovsky has lived up to his high price point, posting a 28-11-2 record, 2.36 GAA and .916 save percentage through 42 games. He's been even better lately, winning seven of his last eight contests while stopping 230 of 243 shots (.947 save percentage).
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL at PHI ($7,500): Vasilevskiy is having a hot-and-cold season, so perhaps he kicked off another good stretch by saving 32 of 34 shots in a 4-2 victory over the Islanders on Saturday. The Flyers aren't a particularly strong squad offensively, ranking 22nd with 2.93 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS
Bobby McMann, TOR vs. VGK ($5,300): McMann's teetering out of the value plays range, but the 27-year-old is still worthy of selection given how drastically he's exceeded expectations. Across his past seven appearances, he's supplied seven goals and 10 points. Vegas has dropped five of its last six games, so he'll be up against a struggling squad.
Connor McMichael, WAS at DET ($4,300): McMichael has been one of the Capitals' most effective forwards lately, providing four goals and six points over his last four contests as well as five tallies and nine points across his past nine appearances. The 23-year-old has gotten ample ice time over that span, averaging 16:17, including 1:44 with the man advantage.
Drew O'Connor, PIT at VAN ($3,800): I'm not optimistic about the Penguins' chances versus Vancouver, but if you're going to take a Pittsburgh player, O'Connor is a solid option. He's recorded three goals and six points over his past six contests and is skating alongside Evgeni Malkin on the second line. His workload has also increased with Jake Guentzel (upper body) shelved, going from an average of 14:47 of ice time before the injury to 16:46 since.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Golden Knights
Auston Matthews (C - $10,500), Mitchell Marner (W - $8,900), Matthew Knies (W - $4,200)
Matthews will enter Tuesday's action on a six-game scoring streak in which he's recorded an incredible 10 goals and 14 points. He's leading the league with 52 tallies and has also contributed 25 assists.
Marner doesn't have Matthews' goal-scoring prowess, but he's been just as hot, recording at least a point in each of his last 10 appearances, totaling three markers and 21 points in that span. Knies has been solid too, relative to his price point, collecting two goals and seven points over his past nine outings.
Avalanche vs. Stars
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,700), Mikko Rantanen (W - $9,200), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $5,300)
MacKinnon was held off the scoresheet from Feb. 6-10, but after that rare three-game slump, he's back on track with two goals and 11 points over his last six contests, bringing him up to 34 tallies and 96 points across 59 appearances this year. Rantanen has been a fantastic linemate for him, providing 30 goals and 74 points in 59 outings, including two goals and seven points over his last six games.
The Avalanche have experimented with different wingers to round out the top line. Presently, Lehkonen is occupying that position, and the 28-year-old has done well lately with five goals and eight points over his last six appearances.
Jets vs. Blues
Mark Scheifele (C - $7,300), Kyle Connor (W - $8,600), Gabriel Vilardi (W - $6,500)
Connor is red hot with a superb four goals and 10 points over his past five games, elevating him to 23 goals and 40 points through 40 contests this year. Scheifele hasn't enjoyed the same kind of recent run, but he is coming off a great showing against Arizona on Sunday in which he provided a goal and three assists. That gives him 17 goals and 51 points in 50 outings in 2023-24.
Vilardi chipped in a goal and an assist in that contest against the Coyotes, making it his fourth multi-point effort in the span of five games. He's collected 16 goals and 30 points in 36 appearances this year.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TBL at PHI ($7,200): Not only is Hedman one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, ranking fourth with 59 points (10 goals), but he's also one of the hottest. The 33-year-old has supplied a goal and five points over his past two appearances.
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. STL ($6,500): Morrissey has enjoyed back-to-back three-assist games and has provided nine assists over his past four outings. He's up to seven goals and 44 points through 56 contests overall.
Brandon Montour, FLA vs. BUF ($5,900): After setting a career high with 73 points last season, Montour has taken a major step back in 2023-24 with four goals and 19 points through 42 outings. However, he seems to be heating up as we enter the final stretch of the campaign, contributing two goals and seven points over his last four contests.
Dylan DeMelo, WPG vs. STL ($3,800): If you need a really cheap option, DeMelo has collected four assists over his last four games. He's also been a solid source of blocked shots, getting 14 in his past five outings, and the 30-year-old has recorded at least a shot in eight consecutive contests, so he should contribute at least a bit even if he doesn't produce offensively.
