This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There's plenty of action ahead of us with nine games on the docket. I've combed through the options from tonight's games to provide you with my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Florida is the only team in the second half of a back-to-back, and it's also the squad's third contest in four days and their fourth game in six days – all on the road – so the Panthers are likely fatigued at this point. None of the squads playing tonight are scheduled to have a contest Wednesday, though, except Florida, which used Sergei Bobrovsky on Monday. Every team is well-positioned to deploy its top goaltender, health permitting.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. SJS ($8,600): Oettinger posted a 34-save shutout in his last game, improving to 2-0-0 with a 1.51 GAA and a .957 save percentage in two starts this season. The Sharks should help him continue that winning streak – Anaheim shut out the Sharks in San Jose's last contest Saturday, and the Sharks' offense doesn't look impressive, especially with Macklin Celebrini (lower body) on the shelf.
Juuse Saros, NSH vs. SEA ($8,100): Saros lost his first start of the campaign – a 3-0 defeat to Detroit in which he stopped 19 out of 21 shots with the final tally being an empty netter. Seattle figures to be a fairly middling team this year after posting a 34-35-13 record in 2023-24, so Nashville has an opportunity to come through for Saros tonight. Seattle is off to a 1-2-0 start, managing just 2.00 goals per game this year.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL vs. VAN ($7,800): This one is a gamble. Vasilevskiy is coming off an uncharacteristically rough campaign in which he posted a 30-20-2 record, 2.90 GAA and .900 save percentage in 52 regular-season contests, but he missed the first month and a half of that campaign, which might have prevented him from getting into a good rhythm. He's healthy this time around, stopping 20 out of 21 shots against Carolina in Tampa Bay's opener en route to a 4-1 win. Vancouver is a strong offensive team – the Canucks ranked sixth offensively in 2023-24 with 3.40 goals per game and have averaged 3.50 through two contests this season–- which is the other reason Vasilevskiy is a risky proposition tonight, but he's cheap enough to make that gamble enticing.
VALUE PLAYS
Connor Zary, CAL vs. CHI ($4,900): Zary's sophomore campaign has gotten off to a great start, recording two goals and four points through three appearances. He was limited to 34 points across 63 games as a rookie, but so far this campaign he's seen a major uptick in playing time – an average of 19:03 compared to 15:16 in 2023-24 – so it wouldn't be surprising if the 23-year-old did significantly better this season if he continues to see that high level of usage.
Anthony Mantha, CAL vs. CHI ($4,800): Mantha's another Flames player gelling out of the gate, providing two goals and four points across three games. He's not getting the same high workload as Zary – an average of just 14:24 of ice time for Mantha this season – but the veteran winger is still worth taking a chance on while hot and up against the rebuilding Blackhawks.
Kent Johnson, CBJ vs. FLA ($4,500): Like Zary, Johnson is another youngster seeing a major uptick in use this campaign – he's averaged 19:48 of ice time through two contests this year compared to 13:33 in 2023-24 – and is taking advantage with two goals and three points across Columbus' opening two games. Florida is a tough matchup, but as noted above, the Panthers will be fighting against fatigue and used No. 1 goaltending option Sergei Bobrovsky on Monday, so Johnson has an opportunity here to extend his season-opening scoring streak.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights at Capitals
Jack Eichel (C - $8,900), Mark Stone (W - $7,700), Ivan Barbashev (W - $6,300)
Vegas has gotten off to an unreal start, not just winning its first three games but also outscoring the competition 16-8. The Golden Knights' top line has been a major factor in that early success. Eichel has a goal and seven points, Stone has two goals and six points and Barbashev has three goals and six points across that three-game span.
That trio is in a good place to keep the good times going. Washington figures to be a fairly middling team this year, although it is difficult to read too much into the Capitals because this will be just their second contest of 2024-25 after suffering a 5-3 loss to New Jersey on Saturday.
Oilers vs. Flyers
Connor McDavid (C - $9,100), Zach Hyman (W - $7,600), Jeff Skinner (W - $5,900)
I'm taking a chance here. Like 2023-24, Edmonton has gotten off to a rough start. This time the Oilers have lost their first three games while scoring just three goals. McDavid specifically has been underwhelming by his high standards, registering two assists over that three-game stretch. Still, it's hard to keep McDavid or the Oilers contained. Where McDavid leads, the rest of this unit will likely follow.
I think we're going to see Edmonton have a strong showing to salvage something out of its season-opening four-game homestand. However, if you don't share my optimism with the Oilers, then an alternative play would be Dallas' second unit of Matt Duchene (C - $6,400), Mason Marchment (W - $6,400) and Tyler Seguin (W - $5,400) versus San Jose. That trio has gotten off to a strong start led by Marchment, who has two goals and four points across three games. The Sharks are still in the early stages of a rebuild, making them an ideal adversary for Dallas.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TBL vs. VAN ($7,200): Hedman had 13 goals and 76 points in 78 regular-season contests in 2023-24. He has gotten off to a strong start this season, registering three assists, including two with the man advantage, in Tampa Bay's 4-1 victory over Carolina on Friday. Vancouver is still missing Thatcher Demko (knee), so the Lightning won't have to face the Canucks' top goaltending option tonight.
Zach Werenski, CBJ vs. FLA ($6,300): Werenski has found the back of the net in each of Columbus' first two contests. While he's not expected to be a major goal-scorer this year – he's surpassed the 15-goal mark just twice, and not since 2019-20 – Werenski is a great offensive defenseman. It wouldn't be surprising to see him contribute something offensively against a tired Panthers squad.
Thomas Harley, DAL vs. SJS ($5,500): Harley established himself as a high-end defenseman last campaign, scoring 15 goals and 47 points across 79 regular-season outings. The 23-year-old might do even better in 2024-25 and is off to a solid start with two assists through three contests. He's also recommended in part because Dallas faces the rebuilding Sharks.
