This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We have a fairly light night ahead of us with five games on the docket. The action skews toward the West Coast with three games set to start at 9:00 p.m. ET or later. Here are my DFS recommendations for FanDuel.
SLATE PREVIEW
Toronto is playing in the second half of a back-to-back, so fatigue might be a factor for the Maple Leafs. Elsewhere, the 6-9-2 Penguins will attempt to rebound after an embarrassing 7-1 loss to Dallas on Monday. Pittsburgh followed that loss by trading Lars Eller to Washington on Tuesday in exchange for two draft picks. That's obviously the type of move a team would make with an eye toward the future, but with Sidney Crosby still around, Pittsburgh might be reluctant to commit to a true rebuild despite its record. The Penguins will host the Red Wings on Wednesday.
GOALIES
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR at UTA ($8,400): Carolina takes good care of its goaltenders. Kochetkov's .902 save percentage is suboptimal, but he still boasts an impressive 2.45 GAA and an even better 8-1-0 record. Utah ranks 22nd offensively with 2.73 goals per game and has been shut out twice in its past three games, so the Hurricanes are in a good position tonight.
Cam Talbot, DET at PIT ($7,200): This isn't just about picking on the Penguins, who as I discussed above are having a bad time, this is about the success of Talbot, who has a 4-2-1 record, 2.39 GAA and .926 save percentage in eight appearances in 2024-25. He's also done especially well recently, saving 76 out of 80 shots (.950 save percentage) over his past three starts. For a goaltender doing that well, his low price is extremely appealing.
VALUE PLAYS
Jordan Martinook, CAR at UTA ($4,300): Martinook has never recorded more than 34 points in a single season, so don't expect big numbers from the 32-year-old long term. For now, he's one of the hottest forwards in the NHL. Martinook is on a four-game goal-scoring streak in which he's supplied five markers and six points.
Eric Robinson, CAR at UTA ($3,500): Robinson is a very affordable option who has been paying off nicely recently. He has three goals and five points across his past five appearances as well as four goals and eight points over his last 10 outings. Like Martinook, Robinson's offensive production is expected to slow substantially at some point, but he's a nice grab while he's hot.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Red Wings at Penguins
Dylan Larkin (C - $6,800), Alex DeBrincat (W - $6,900), Lucas Raymond (W - $6,200)
Goaltending has been a significant part of the Penguins' woes (Pittsburgh ranks 31st defensively with 3.88 goals allowed per game), and it wouldn't be surprising if the Red Wings' top line took advantage. The trio produced in their previous meeting against Pittsburgh this season with DeBrincat being the most notable contributor, collecting two goals and an assist. He's up to six goals and 12 points through 14 outings in 2024-25, including four goals and eight points across Detroit's past eight games.
Raymond has a goal and 13 points through 14 appearances in 2024-25 and has supplied nine points over his last eight outings. Larkin rounds out the unit with nine goals and 11 points in 14 games in 2024-25 – five markers and six points across his past five appearances.
It's an overall solid line at a decent price point against a team that's been vulnerable defensively, so there's a fair amount to like here.
Avalanche vs. Kings
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,000), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,800), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $6,700)
That Detroit line is a good situational stack, but if you just want the best of the best, regardless of circumstances, the Avalanche are offering it. After providing 140 points in the 2023-24 regular season, MacKinnon is on course for a similar result this season after supplying an incredible seven goals and 30 points through 16 appearances. Rantanen continues to live in his shadow, but he's a star in his own right, supplying nine goals and 21 points through 16 outings, including five goals and six points across his past four appearances.
Lehkonen missed the start of the season due to a shoulder injury, but he returned on November 5th and has excelled with two goals and four points through four outings. MacKinnon and Rantanen have demonstrated they can thrive with almost anyone serving in the third slot, but it still helps to have someone of Lehkonen's caliber – he combined for 37 goals and 85 points across 109 regular-season games between 2022-23 and 2023-24 – sharing the ice with them.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at TOR ($6,400): Carlson has two goals and 11 points in 14 appearances in 2024-25, which are fairly strong numbers for the 34-year-old. That's despite a rough patch from October 23rd to November 8th in which he was limited to three assists over eight games. Carlson registered two helpers on Saturday, one on the power play, so he seems to have shaken off that cold spell. It also helps that the Maple Leafs might not be at their best after playing Tuesday.
Jaccob Slavin, CAR at UTA ($4,600): Slavin had just three assists across his opening 10 appearances this season, but he's been a solid discount option recently, supplying a goal and four points over his past four outings. Although he's never been a top-tier blueliner from an offensive perspective, he's usually been a decent one, recording at least 30 points in six out of his previous nine seasons heading into 2024-25.
