This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Even with a short three-game slate on this Sunday, there are still some nice value options to build into your lineups, especially for one underpriced team in general. Here are some of my top bargain plays.
GoalieTuukka Rask, BOS vs EDM ($7,800): Rask has been a disaster thus far while backup Anton Khudobin has been great for the Bruins. This is a great spot for the Finn to turn things around, however, similar to what Carey Price did last night and make everyone realize that there is no goalie controversy to see here. Rask, who's listed at an extreme discount, is facing an Edmonton club that's just 4-6-2 on the road and averages a modest 2.61 goals per game, good for the fourth-lowest mark in the league.
Center
Ryan Johansen, NSH at CAR ($5,600): Johansen and his line mates have been cooking lately. With Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg by his side, the Predators' top line center has points in four of his last five games posting three goals and five assists over that span. His salary has only jumped $500 over this recent hot stretch keeping him a great value option in a solid matchup.
Derek Ryan, CAR vs NSH ($3,700): On the other side of this contest, Ryan comes in as a supreme value play. He's skating on the Hurricanes' third line and second power-play unit, skating on a line with sniper Jeff Skinner, a machine for getting pucks to the net. Ryan's strength is making plays for his teammates on the ice, and pairing Ryan and Skinner ($5,900) in a lineup makes for a good value combination with solid upside.
Wing
Chris Kreider, NYR vs VAN ($5,400): With three goals in his last two games, Kreider is heating up. By now, we should know the book on him. He's a streaky skater who's always in play when he's going well. Earlier in the season, he had a stretch in which he scored five goals in eight games and followed that up by going goal-less in five straight. The effort is always a worry with Kreider, but his skill is undeniable, and at this salary, he should easily exceed this value.
Elias Lindholm, CAR vs NSH ($4,500): Carolina seems to be littered with underpriced options on most days lately. With three goals in his last five games, he's skating on the second line with Victor Rask and Brock McGinn while also seeing time on the top power-play unit. He has six goals and five assists while averaging two shots on goal per game. At this cost, it won't take much for him to return value.
Sven Baertschi, VAN at NYR ($4,300): With Baertschi seeing top line minutes with the future of the Canucks in Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser, he finds himself in a great spot to produce, and that's just what he's done of late. He has points in four of his last six games, with three goals and two assists over that span. He doesn't boast high shot volume, but he makes the most of his opportunities and sees time on the power play.
Defense
Justin Faulk, CAR at NSH ($4,600): Adding to the Carolina value train is Faulk, who has finally come around with at least a point in three straight games. Faulk has just one goal and six assists on the season, but based on his shot volume (3.14 shots on goal per game) and ice time (over 22 minutes per game), he's been due to come out of his funk for a while now. His salary is the lowest it's been all season, and it comes just as he looks to be getting hot.
Mattias Ekholm, NSH vs CAR ($4,300): After an un-sustainable stretch in which Ekholm scored goals in four straight games, he's gone scoreless in his last two contests. While most will look to Roman Josi or P.K. Subban on Nashville's blue line, Ekholm is a much cheaper option who sees comparable ice time in similar situations. He skates with Josi on the first pairing while also seeing time on the power play, where he has three goals and three assists this season.
