This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Happy Halloween. If you're planning on watching hockey and building a DFS lineup tonight, there are plenty of options with seven games on the docket. Six of those clashes will start at 8:00 p.m. ET or earlier, so this is a pretty friendly night for those on the East Coast who want a good idea of how their team is doing before bed. Here are my lineup recommendations for FanDuel.
SLATE PREVIEW
No team playing tonight had matches Wednesday, so everyone is well-rested going into this evening's action. One game in particular to watch tonight will be Edmonton vs. Nashville. Those two were highly regarded going into the season, but the Oilers are 4-5-1 while the Predators are 3-5-1, so both have left plenty to be desired. In the case of the Oilers, they'll now have to get by without superstar Connor McDavid, who will miss the next 2-3 weeks due to an ankle injury.
GOALIES
Lukas Dostal, ANA at PIT ($7,400): It feels weird to take Anaheim over Pittsburgh given how long the Ducks have been rebuilding while the Penguins have been contenders. However, age has been catching up to Pittsburgh. After two years where the Penguins narrowly missed the playoffs, they're now in danger of being a bottom dweller after starting 3-7-1. Meanwhile, Anaheim is trending in the right direction. The Ducks aren't great yet, but Dostal has made them interesting, posting a 4-2-1 record, 2.00 GAA and .943 save percentage through seven appearances. It might not last, but if nothing else, the 24-year-old netminder is a nice discount option while he's hot.
Juuse Saros, NAS vs. EDM ($7,200): Saros hasn't played like the superstar he's capable of being – he has a 2-4-1 record, 2.75 GAA and .905 save percentage across seven appearances in 2024-25 – but his price is low enough to compensate for that. More importantly, he's up against the Oilers, who have struggled to get much going offensively in the early part of the campaign. Edmonton ranks 31st with just 2.20 goals per game, and now they are missing McDavid on top of that. Meanwhile, Saros might have turned a corner, saving 84 out of 89 shots (.944 save percentage) across his past three starts.
VALUE PLAYS
Dylan Holloway, STL at PHI ($4,300): Holloway was one of the two players St. Louis lured from Edmonton over the summer via an offer sheet. Although Holloway had just six goals and nine points in 38 regular-season appearances with the Oilers in 2023-24, he was averaging just 11:22 of ice time with almost no power-play usage. However, the No. 14 overall pick from the 2020 NHL Draft is getting an opportunity to serve in a middle-six capacity with St. Louis and has a role with the man advantage. He still started the campaign slowly, but Holloway has four goals, two on the power play, across his past five outings.
Aliaksei Protas, WAS vs. MON ($4,200): Protas is coming off a three-point game Tuesday, but he's also recorded at least a point in five of his past seven appearances, bringing him up to two goals and seven points over that stretch. Although a lack of power-play use is a serious knock against him, he's seeing time on the first line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome.
Alexander Wennberg, SJS vs. CHI ($4,000): Wennberg isn't a major offensive threat, but he is worthy of consideration while he's red hot. The 30-year-old has a goal and five points across his past four appearances, including three points with the man advantage. San Jose has won its past two games and will try to extend that winning streak against a fellow rebuilding squad in the Blackhawks.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Predators vs. Oilers
Thomas Novak (C - $4,800), Steven Stamkos (W - $6,700), Gustav Nyquist (W - $5,300)
If you're looking for an affordable line, Nashville offers an interesting option. Stamkos is cheap relative to what he's capable of, but the 34-year-old forward has underperformed with just three points (one goal) through nine appearances in 2024-25. Still, he showed signs of life against his old team, registering two assists in Nashville's 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Monday, so perhaps he's turning a corner. Nyquist is also heating up – he recorded zero points across Nashville's opening four games, but he's accumulated three goals and five points over his past five outings. If they start to gel then it might help Novak, who has had a quiet start with three goals and four points in nine appearances.
Stamkos and Nyquist's recent signs of life are part of the reason I'm picking this line. The other is Edmonton, which has struggled defensively, ranking 26th with 3.50 goals allowed per game.
Ducks at Penguins
Leo Carlsson (C - $6,000), Troy Terry (W - $6,800), Robby Fabbri (W - $4,500)
As bad as the Oilers' defensive situation has been, Pittsburgh's has been worse – the Penguins rank last with 4.27 goals allowed per game. That presents Terry with a great opportunity for him to extend his eight-game scoring streak in which he's supplied five goals and three assists. The 19-year-old Carlsson has seen success recently, too, providing four goals and six points across his past seven games.
Fabbri is the downside of this line. The 28-year-old isn't much of an offensive threat and has just one point (a goal) through nine appearances this season. You can also consider Frank Vatrano (W - $5,900) instead. He hasn't been great either with a goal and four points through eight outings, but he's got more potential for the 2024-25 campaign after recording 37 goals and 60 points last year. Vatrano is also slated to play on the top power-play unit alongside Carlsson and Terry whereas Fabbri might not get any ice time with the man advantage Thursday.
DEFENSEMEN
Mike Matheson, MON at WAS ($6,700): Matheson's season thus far can be summarized in a word: Steady. He hasn't had a single standout performance, but he has recorded at least a point in seven of his past eight appearances, bringing him up to nine assists over that span. Being a member of the first power-play unit is a key part of his production – five of his nine helpers have come during the man advantage.
Brandon Montour, SEA at TOR ($6,400): Montour is coming off a fantastic game in which he scored a hat trick and added an assist to help the Kraken earn an 8-2 victory over Montreal on Tuesday. That's elevated him to four goals and nine points through 10 appearances in 2024-25. After recording 73 points in 80 regular-season outings in 2022-23, Montour dipped to 33 points last season with Florida, but he seems to be rebounding nicely with his new squad. His recent four-point game is a big part of that, but he's also been held off the scoresheet just twice across Seattle's past seven games.
