This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT and features seven games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Most lineups will likely feature no shortage of Florida-based players, as the Lightning (vs. Columbus) and Panthers (vs. Detroit) are both heavy home favorites. After that, the Bruins (vs. New Jersey) and Hurricanes (in Chicago) are both clear-cut favorites as well. Only two games in this slate have an over/under above 5.5 goals; Montreal at home against an Oilers team playing its second game in as many nights leads the way at 6.5, while Capitals-Rangers comes in at 6.0. A Stars-Predators matchup that's expected to be even and low-scoring rounds out Tuesday's schedule.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. CLS ($8,500): Vasilevskiy has hit a small rough patch lately, giving up four goals in each of his last two starts. He lost both to drop his record to a still-stellar 21-5-1, and given his 1.99 GAA and .930 save percentage, Vasilevskiy's likely to get back on track before long. This home tilt against a bottom-five Blue Jackets offense that's scoring only 2.47 goals per game offers a nice opportunity for him to do just that.
Juuse Saros, NSH vs. DAL ($7,600): Saros has been lights out since returning from an upper-body injury, going 4-0-1 while allowing just four goals on 171 shots for an eye-popping .977 save percentage. Assuming he recovers from his newly developed undisclosed injury in time to suit up, the red-hot netminder would get a nice opportunity to keep rolling at home against a Stars team that's won just 11 of 32 games and one of its last five.
MacKenzie Blackwood, NJ at BOS ($7,400): Blackwood has some major sleeper appeal in this slate. He has had the Bruins' number all season, going 3-0-1 with a 1.20 GAA and .964 save percentage against them this season. Most recently, he posted a 40-save shutout Sunday in Boston, which included a save of the year candidate to preserve the 1-0 victory late.
Alex Nedeljkovic, CAR at CHI ($8,000): Nedeljkovic is establishing himself as the go-to option in Carolina's net, with an 8-2-2 record, 2.05 GAA and .929 save percentage. He'll look to continue his excellent play against a fading Blackhawks team that's 3-8-0 in its last 11 games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor McDavid, EDM at MON ($9,200): McDavid's gargantuan salary is eminently fittable with plenty of enticing value options available in this slate. Whether you want to spring for him is a different story, though McDavid's league-high point total (21-42-63 in 36 games) gives him tremendous upside against a Canadiens team that could come out rusty after a 10-day layoff.
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. WAS ($7,600): Zibanejad has an 8-8-16 line in his last seven games, and he had a puck cleared off the goal line in Sunday's matinee meeting between these teams. Some better puck luck could lead to another standout performance from the two-time 70-point scorer, who's quickly making up for a slow start with his terrific recent stretch.
Roope Hintz, DAL at NSH ($5,300): Hintz has been tremendous when available, with a 10-12-22 line in 22 appearances, including a 6-6-12 line in his last nine. A nagging lower-body injury has periodically forced him to miss games, so check Hintz's status before puck drop; if he plays, Hintz has a great chance to outperform his $5,300 valuation, especially if Saros isn't ready to return for Nashville.
Yanni Gourde, TB vs. CLS ($4,900): Gourde has been a wonderful source of depth scoring recently, posting a 5-2-7 line in his last six games. Rather than paying up for the stars in a Lightning offense that's been spreading the wealth lately, it could be prudent to lock in the relatively affordable Gourde and target top skaters from other games.
Nick Ritchie, BOS vs. NJ ($4,000): If Blackwood's dominance against the Bruins finally ends here, look for Ritchie to take advantage. He's tied for second behind Brad Marchand (COVID-19 protocol) in power-play points with nine, and the big-bodied winger's five power-play goals are second only to David Pastrnak's six among Bruins. Ritchie's productivity on Boston's top power-play unit makes him an appealing value option against New Jersey's bottom-five, 73.2 percent penalty kill.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Capitals at Rangers
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $5,200), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,400), Daniel Sprong (W - $3,100)
All three members of this line have been on fire recently. Ovechkin has unsurprisingly led the way for a surging Capitals team that has won 10 of its last 11 games, averaging a goal per game in that stretch and lighting the lamp 10 times in the last nine games. Kuznetsov has rediscovered his form after a slow start, notching a 4-8-12 line in his last 10 games. The affordable Sprong hasn't kept pace with his linemates, but his 3-3-6 line over the past 10 games represents a hot streak by his standards.
Panthers vs. Red Wings
Noel Acciari (C - $4,800), Carter Verhaeghe (W - $5,800), Anthony Duclair (W - $4,400)
This trio has excelled with Aleksander Barkov (lower body) sidelined for the last four games, though Barkov — who leads the team with 1.19 points per game — would also be a strong choice if he's cleared to return against a Red Wings team that's getting outscored 3.19 to 2.19 in the average game. Acciari has dished out four helpers in four games while filling Barkov's spot on this line, Verhaeghe had a hat trick and an assist against the Stars on Saturday, and Duclair had a goal on five shots in his last game but is still shooting only 5.5 percent compared to a career 12.1 percent mark.
Canadiens vs. Oilers
Nick Suzuki (C - $4,600), Jonathan Drouin (W - $3,200), Josh Anderson (W - $4,900)
The Canadiens will be rearing to go in their first action since March 20, and the team's top scorers should be able to flex their muscles in a fast-paced affair against an Oilers team with tired legs. With Tyler Toffoli (lower body) sidelined, Drouin leads all healthy Canadiens forwards with 21 points in 31 games. Suzuki's right on his heels with a 7-13-20 line, while Anderson's 11 goals in 28 games trail only Brendan Gallagher's 12 among healthy Canadiens forwards.
DEFENSEMEN
Keith Yandle, FLA vs. DET ($4,200): Detroit's 72.3 percent penalty kill is the worst in the league, and Yandle has the power play skills to capitalize on this favorable matchup, especially with fellow Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad sidelined by a lower-body injury. Only Jonathan Huberdeau (17) has scored more points with the extra man among Panthers than Yandle's 15.
Jeff Petry, MON vs. EDM ($5,700): Petry has cooled down lately, but he still sports an 11-16-27 line in 31 games overall. Perhaps he'll heat back up after some time off to refuel the tank, in which case Montreal's leading point scorer would offer strong bang for the buck as only this slate's ninth-priciest blueliner.
Matt Grzelcyk, BOS vs. NJ ($5,300): Grzelcyk's appeal stems from his spot on Boston's top power-play unit against the Devils' bottom-five penalty kill. His 10 points are actually quite solid when you consider Grzelcyk has dressed for only 18 games, and half of that production has come with the extra man.
Brett Pesce, CAR at CHI ($3,900): Pesce has dished out a helper in three of his last four games and now sits above a point per game overall with 17 in 33 games. Look for the affordable blueliner to build on his strong recent play against the struggling Blackhawks, who allow the sixth-most fantasy points to defensemen.
