The NHL is back with a fresh nine-game slate to tap into during Tuesday night. Only Carolina will be with tired legs and minimal rest after routing Washington in a 6-1 win on Monday, so exercise caution before rostering any member of the Hurricanes’ roster. Most of the games expect to hit over six goals, as five of the nine matchups have the total goal count set at 6.5 or odds favor over 5.5 goals to hit. This is good news for the number of prospects available to roster during Tuesday’s slate. As far as underdogs go, only Montreal and Philadelphia exceed +200 odds on the Moneyline, so most games should be closely contested with lots of scoring.
Saturday’s recommended prospects ended up generating solid production across the board. Headlined by Steven Stamkos (C – TB) with a multi-point performance, including a goal, Damon Severson (D – NJ) also netted his 10th goal of the season against Washington. Mats Zuccarello (RW – MIN), Nico Hischier (C – NJ), and Noah Hanifin (D – CGY) all yielded at least one assist of their own to appease their value, while Kailer Yamamoto (RW – EDM) somehow managed to be held without a shot on goal or a point despite being on the winning team in a 9-5 victory over Calgary. The goaltenders were OK, as Linus Ullmark (G – BOS) surrendered three goals on 27 shots in a 6-3 win over the Islanders, while Jake Oettinger (G – DAL) started strong but collapsed in a 4-1 loss to Vancouver. Overall, the slate had more production than it lacked, which is always the goal.
After much deliberation, here are Tuesday’s top eight value prospects on another busy slate. Good luck!
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Ryan Hartman (C – MIN): $5,700
First-line center Ryan Hartman is only one of four Minnesota Wild players with at least 50 points this season. The 27-year old earns additional minutes on the top powerplay unit, but he’s most potent in full-strength five-on-five scenarios. Hartman just produced a two-point outing, including his 27th goal of the season, against Columbus on Sunday and has at least one point in four of his previous five games. The Wild will host the Philadelphia Flyers, losers of two in a row, who will deploy Carter Hart (G – PHI) to defend the crease. Hart is streaky and unpredictable, surrendering six goals on an absurdly high 51 shots to Colorado in his last start on Friday. Hart has allowed at least four goals in four of his past five starts, making Hartman an incredibly high-value prospect on Tuesday’s slate. Plug him into lineups with confidence in a plus-matchup.
Joe Pavelski (RW – DAL): $5,700
It’s not often that you find a team’s best scorer available to roster in DFS at under $6,000. However, this is the case for Joe Pavelski. The 37-year old veteran continues to lead Dallas in a push for a playoff seed in the tightly contested Central Division, netting five assists in a recent three-game stretch against quality opponents like Carolina, Edmonton, and Washington. Pavelski has only scored one goal in his last five games, which could be why his salary is so low on DraftKings. He attempts anywhere from three to five shots on goal in most games and frequently adds a blocked shot or two to raise his floor. When you roster Pavelski, you’re expecting points. Hopefully, the goose egg he laid in his last game against Vancouver is out of his system. Pavelski only underperforms in rare spots, so against a struggling Anaheim team, expect him to produce in a big way. The Ducks have dropped nine in a row, and goaltender John Gibson (G – ANA) has surrendered four goals in back-to-back starts. As a result, Pavelski is of considerable value, so add him into as many lineups as possible.
Noah Hanifin (D – CGY): $4,000
Noah Hanifin is surging back into the point column as of late, piling three assists in his last two games. The 25-year old defenseman earns minutes on the top defensive line and second powerplay unit for Calgary, where he’s compiled nine powerplay assists out of the 25 he’s accrued throughout the season. Hanifin is not an aggressive defensive zone player, but he does manage to get one or two blocked shots in most games. Overall, he’s much more of an offensive asset, deployed in the offensive zone to anchor the back-line defense and scan for open shooters near the net. He’s not a big goal scorer, but Hanifin did score his sixth goal of the season last weekend against Vancouver. His shot volume hovers between two to five shots on goal, which is more than enough opportunity needed to return good value. At just $4,000 on DraftKings, Hanifin is a massive value to roster despite a tough matchup against Darcy Kuemper (G – COL) and the Colorado Avalanche.
Igor Shesterkin (G – NYR): $7,300
One of the league’s best goaltenders, Igor Shesterkin, is available at an excellent discount on DraftKings against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 26-year old netminder has had a couple of rough nights defending the crease recently, but he did stand firm against Pittsburgh in his last start on Friday, surrendering only one goal on 21 shots. Shesterkin has held Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay to one goal apiece in two of his previous three starts while falling apart and allowing the New Jersey Devils to score five goals in two periods between these strong performances. Expect Shesterkin to be ready to replicate his prior performance against Pittsburgh on the road Tuesday night. He’s a great value at $7,300 and should be prioritized against an enigmatic Penguins offense.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Charlie Coyle (C – BOS): $5,100
Rostering a third-line center is certainly not the most attractive selection on Tuesday’s DFS slate, but Charlie Coyle has been heating up for the Boston Bruins in his last five games. The 30-year old earns additional minutes centering the Bruins’ second powerplay unit, where he’s scored three goals and netted six assists. Coyle fluctuates with his shot volume, but he’s outstanding in the offensive zone, earning at least one assist in four of his previous five games played. He’s not super aggressive in the defensive zone either, so relying on him for a few blocked shots isn’t a certainty. However, Coyle’s appeal grows immensely against Toronto’s reserve netminder Erik Kallgren (G – TOR) on Tuesday. Kallgren has surrendered eight goals across his last two starts, resulting in an 0-2 record for the Maple Leafs. Coyle is poised to take advantage of a leaky goaltender, so take the value and save a few bucks.
Brady Tkachuk (LW – OTT): $6,800
Ottawa won’t be making the postseason, but their team continues to fight. The Senators’ top offensive weapon is 22-year old first-line winger Brady Tkachuk, who has largely disappeared over the last five games. Tkachuk did bury a pair of goals on only three shots against Winnipeg last Thursday. Still, since this occurrence, he’s been silent, taking one shot and being held without any other production in a shootout loss to Florida on Saturday. With a couple of days to rest, expect Tkachuk to be fully prepared for Nashville, who presents a much less formidable matchup than on paper. The Predators and goaltender Juuse Saros (G – NAS) have plummeted lately, as Saros has allowed ten goals across his last two games. With only one night of rest for Saros, Tkachuk has the opportunity to revamp his play on the road in Nashville on Tuesday. He’s a bit pricey, but Saros’ vulnerability makes it worth the price of admission to roster Tkachuk.
Kevin Shattenkirk (D – ANA): $5,100
The Anaheim Ducks began the season on fire, but they are now the worst team in the league. Riding a nine-game losing skid, there isn’t much production or momentum to target within the Ducks’ roster. However, if you’re looking for a floor, third-line defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk stays busy in the defensive zone. The 33-year old does earn additional minutes on the second powerplay unit. Still, he makes a living on the boards, collecting five blocked shots across his last two games and attempting a relatively high shot volume in the offensive zone. Between a couple of blocked shots and two to five shots on goal, Shattenkirk has a comfortable floor to rely on at his salary. Yes, he’s only netted two points in his previous five games, but Shattenkirk will face Dallas netminder Jake Oettinger, who has allowed three goals in five of his last six starts in the crease. So take a flier on Shattenkirk, who will provide good production outside of assists and goals.
Jeremy Swayman (G – BOS): $7,600
23-year old goaltender Jeremy Swayman is one of the more underrated netminders in the league this season. The Bruins have Swayman to thank for keeping them in so many games early on before their offense flipped a switch. Swayman continues to impress, allowing just two goals in his previous two starts in the net. He’s had five days to rest up for Tuesday’s home matchup against Toronto, so expect Swayman to be the usual stonewall he is defending the crease. This will be his first start against the Maple Leafs, who have only scored more than three goals once in their past five games. Swayman is a bonafide star and available at a discount, making him the best goaltender value on FanDuel’s NHL DFS slate.
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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_.