The National Hockey League has passed the official halfway point of the 2022 season, and it’s shaping up to be a wild race to the finish line. Teams like Colorado, Carolina, Florida, Toronto, and Minnesota are all riding multi-game winning streaks, while good teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins are cooling off after an impressive run earlier in the month. There are still plenty of games left to shift the divisional playoff seeding around, but the intensity is ratcheting up every single week.
My recommendations from Saturday’s slate were on fire, as six of the eight prospects delivered an assist, goal, or a win as a goaltender. Leon Draisaitl (C – EDM) produced a two-goal performance against Montreal, while Andrei Svechnikov (LW – CAR) came through with a clutch goal early to hold off the New Jersey Devils. Only Brayden Point (C – TB) failed to generate any significant production, while Edmonton opted to go with reserve netminder Stuart Skinner (G – EDM) over Mikko Koskinen (G – EDM). If you followed these picks leading up to Saturday’s slate, it’s more than likely that you cashed out by the end of the night.
Let’s run it back one more time to start the month off right! Here are some of my favorite prospects to target when constructing lineups during a busy 11-game slate on Tuesday night.
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Steven Stamkos (C – TB): $6,800
The defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning appears to be poised for a third consecutive run at winning Lord Stanley’s Cup this season. Veteran second-line center Steven Stamkos leads the Lightning in points (51) and is the only player on the team with at least 20 goals scored. He is discounted under $7,000 due to his inability to generate a point in their last game against Vegas on Saturday. However, Stamkos still attempted five shots on goal, meaning he is always active in the offensive zone. He only has three games without a point across his last 14 games and will face San Jose goaltender Adin Hill (G – SJ), returning from a lower-body injury. Hill played well before the injury, but the time off could add some rust to his game, which plays right into Stamkos’ hands. Take advantage of his value and confidently plug the talented veteran into your lineups.
Brad Marchand (LW – BOS): $7,200
Boston doesn’t score many goals often, but they still have incredible talent across their roster. Tapping into first-line winger Brad Marchand is a solid investment in most matchups, as the 13th-year veteran leads the Bruins in goals (21) and assists (26) through just 37 games played. Marchand had a four-game point streak broken in his last outing against Dallas on Sunday, so expect him to bounce back in a plus-matchup against Philipp Grubauer (G – SEA) and the Seattle Kraken. Grubauer has strung together some excellent performances this season, but he’s been a disappointment in terms of his 3.20 GAA and sub .900 save percentage through 28 starts. This season is the first of two games between these two franchises, so expect Marchand to find success early. He remains a great value at over $7,000 due to his consistent role as the Bruins’ top point leader.
Neal Pionk (D – WPG): $5,300
26-year old defenseman Neal Pionk skates on Winnipeg’s second-line and second powerplay unit, earning close to 23 minutes average time on ice. Pionk, now in his fifth year in the league and third with the Jets, just ended a seven-game point drought with his 16th assist of the season against St. Louis this past weekend. Pionk adds a couple of blocked shots in most games to counter his lack of shots on goal in the offensive zone, which is always a nice stabilizer. Pionk will face Carter Hart (G – PHI) and the Philadelphia Flyers on the road Tuesday night, where the oddsmakers favor the Jets on the moneyline. Hart has overcome a bad start to the season, but the Flyers are still 1-7-2 in their last ten games, meaning Pionk will have several chances to add his 17th assist of the season. Hart allowed three goals against the Los Angeles Kings over the weekend and is vulnerable on a team that lacks a strong offense. Pionk is an intriguing prospect that could return great value if you opt to add him into lineups at $5,300.
Ilya Sorokin (G – NYI): $8,300
The New York Islanders have leaned on their defense and goaltending all season long, as their offense has been anemic. However, 26-year old Ilya Sorokin has been solid defending the crease, sporting a 2.37 GAA entering Tuesday’s home contest against the Ottawa Senators. During his last start against the Senators on December 7th, Sorokin had a solid performance, saving 30 of 33 shots during a 5-3 win. In his most recent start against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, Sorokin surrendered four goals during the loss, so expect him to be motivated to avenge his poor outing against a lesser team like Ottawa. The Senators have not scored more than three goals in their previous three games, so plug Sorokin into your lineups and watch the saves pile up.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Roope Hintz (C – DAL): $7,500
Dallas is climbing its way up the Central Division race thanks to the play of 25-year old first-line center Roope Hintz. Hintz is now in his fourth year with the Stars and is set to smash all of his previous point finishes, as he already has 37 points through 40 games played. Hintz is third on the team in overall points (37) and has 20 goals. Skating on the top powerplay unit and first-line attack give Hintz all of the opportunities necessary to produce, which is why he is a solid value, even at a $7,500 salary. Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom (G – CGY) is playing the best of his career this season and is coming off of a shutout over Vancouver this past Saturday. However, Markstrom also let St. Louis bury five goals prior to the shutout against the Canucks, so he’s certainly not consistent. In his previous matchup against Dallas back in November, Markstrom allowed four goals in a loss. Hintz took three shots on goal but could not convert a point, so expect him to transfer his momentum from recent performances to sustain solid production against Markstrom on home ice Tuesday night.
Mitch Marner (RW – TOR): $6,800
I recommended Mitch Marner during Saturday’s slate and I’m doing it again. The hyper-talented first-line winger for Toronto has been a difference-maker during the six seasons he’s been there. The 24-year old is one of only five players with double-digit goals (12) for the Maple Leafs this season and he’s on fire at exactly the right time. Marner has a point in each of his last six games, including five multi-point outings, recently burying two assists and scoring a goal during a win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday. Marner is red-hot and Devils netminder Jon Gillies (G – NJ) will struggle to defend the crease on Tuesday during the second game of the doubleheader. Gillies did not play during the 6-4 loss on Monday but did allow Carolina to score twice on just 23 shots in his last start, which led to a 2-1 loss. Marner should dispose of Gillies quickly. Marner’s $6,800 salary is astronomically low, so smash ‘Add’ immediately upon constructing your lineups.
Jacob Trouba (D – NYR): $6,100
27-year old defenseman Jacob Trouba has played a great brand of hockey all season for the New York Rangers. Trouba has 24 points, including 16 assists, while staying busy in the defensive zone with multiple blocked shots and hits per game. He earns additional minutes on the Rangers’ top powerplay unit, where he just notched his 16th assist of the season during a win over Seattle on Sunday. Trouba has three assists across his last two games and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. He will face the Florida Panthers at home on Tuesday night but they will be without starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (G – FLA), as the Panthers are expected to start third-string goaltender Jonas Johansson (G – FLA). Johansson has not started since December 2nd when he allowed Montreal to score only one goal on 20 shots. However, in a previous start against a much better Toronto team, Johansson surrendered an abysmal eight goals. Expect him to be rusty after two months, plus his inexperience against a talented team like the Rangers bodes well for Trouba in DFS lineups.
Robin Lehner (G – VGK): $7,800
Vegas has been a dominant force in the league since their inaugural season and this year isn’t any different. 30-year old goaltender Robin Lehner has performed well in recent spots, recording his first shutout of the season against Washington last week. Lehner has not allowed more than two goals in either game since the shutout, going 2-1 during this mini-stretch. Keep in mind, this has been a brutal schedule, as Lehner has faced teams like Washington, Florida, and Tampa Bay. His opponent on Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres, is the total opposite of these teams. The Sabres are gritty but they have only scored 115 goals this season, which ranks in the bottom half of the league. Lehner could earn his second shutout of the season, or at the very least, his 19th win. He’s available at a discounted rate under $8,000, so take advantage of the value and get him anchored into your lineups.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
