After just four games were held on Monday, ten matchups and 20 teams will round out Tuesday’s slate in the NHL. Columbus, Boston, and Toronto will be playing consecutive nights, so expect tired legs and a vulnerable defense to weave through for their opponents come Tuesday night. Oddsmakers expect many closely contested games, as only Buffalo has +200 odds on the Moneyline as the underdog at home against Carolina. Several games also possess high over/under lines for total goals, notably Toronto at Florida. The Panthers are -175 on the Moneyline, but the total goals are 7.0, a rarity. Other matchups that project as high-scoring affairs include Columbus at Philadelphia, Colorado at Pittsburgh, and Edmonton at San Jose.
Saturday’s recommended prospects delivered in a big way for the second consecutive NHL DFS Primer. The goaltenders stole the spotlight, as Marc-Andre Fleury (G – MIN) and Ville Husso (G – STL) earned wins, facing at least 38 shots on goal to inflate their production by the end of the night. Brayden Point (C – TB) took five shots and scored a goal for Tampa Bay, while Charlie McAvoy (D – BOS) and Taylor Hall (LW – BOS) combined for three assists and four blocked shots during their 5-2 rout of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ilya Mikheyev (LW – TOR), Tomas Hertl (C – SJ), and Mikhail Sergachev (D – TB) were among the underperformers on Saturday’s slate, with none of these three prospects finding the point column. Overall, it was a thriving pool of players, especially the goaltenders, as five prospects managed to deliver enough production to win in most DFS contests.
I’ve focused on eight players who possess enough value to be considered assets in DFS lineups ahead of Tuesday’s puck drops. So let’s get to it!
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Sebastian Aho (C – CAR): $7,000
24-year old Sebastian Aho leads Carolina’s first-line attack, and he’s been productive with the opportunities, scoring 31 goals and 38 assists to lead the Hurricanes in both statistical categories. Aho earns additional minutes on the top powerplay unit, where he’s racked up 13 goals and 13 assists during plus-man advantages. He is a finesse player who can fly and spray shots with tremendous accuracy. As a result, Aho has a seven-game point streak entering Tuesday’s road contest in Buffalo. He attempts anywhere from two to five shots on goal per game, but his consistent ability to finish at the net or find an open teammate is Aho’s appeal. He’s a bit expensive in terms of salary, but Buffalo is a juicy matchup with veteran goaltender Craig Anderson (G – BUF) defending the crease. Since late March, Aho has been a point machine, so deploy him as an ace prospect equipped with a high floor and high ceiling.
Evander Kane (LW – EDM): $6,700
As tempting as it is to roll with Connor McDavid (C – EDM) or Leon Draisaitl (C – EDM) against San Jose on Tuesday night, they are too expensive. However, you can add first-line winger Evander Kane into lineups at a fraction of the cost, below $7,000 on DraftKings. Kane was traded earlier in the season from San Jose, and he’s been a solid asset for the Oilers thus far, scoring 16 goals and dishing 12 assists. Kane attempts at least a couple of shots on goal per game and has recently burst with production in the offensive zone, stacking five points across his previous two games. San Jose is a plus matchup for most opponents this year, and Kane should have no problem generating points in DFS lineups against Sharks goaltender James Reimer (G – SJ). Reimer did not start against Edmonton in their recent 5-2 win over San Jose; however, he did surrender three goals to the Oilers back on February 14th. Kane attempted four shots but did not find the point column. Expect this to change tonight in favor of Kane, making him a quality player to add into DFS lineups during Tuesday’s latest puck drop.
Charlie McAvoy (D – BOS): $5,500
Charlie McAvoy has been feasting on assists in his last five games. The 24-year old first-line defenseman for the Boston Bruins has seen his production soar, finishing with two assists in four of his previous five games. McAvoy enters Tuesday’s road contest against Detroit with tired legs after a 3-2 overtime win in Columbus on Monday night. However, he possesses too much upside and talent to ignore against a leaky goaltender. That’s right, Detroit’s netminder Alex Nedeljkovic (G – DET), has been a massive liability in the net all season, surrendering 16 goals across his last three starts. There isn’t much more that needs to be said to justify adding McAvoy into DFS lineups ahead of Tuesday’s puck drop in the Motor City. McAvoy also racks up blocked shots, which raises his floor considerably. Available at under $6,000, he’s an immense value and one of the best defensemen to roster on Tuesday’s slate.
Igor Shesterkin (G – NYR): $8,100
Igor Shesterkin should still be in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy at the end of the season. The 26-year old netminder of the New York Rangers has a ridiculously low 2.14 GAA, and a .933 save percentage, which provide a quick overview of the brilliance he’s displayed defending the crease all season. Shesterkin has not allowed more than three goals to be scored on him in four straight starts. However, he’s dropped the last two due to the Rangers’ inability to manufacture offense. It all depends on how the personnel in front of Shesterkin performs during a short road trip across the Hudson River to face the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are the inferior team, but they tend to pop off randomly. Still, I trust Shesterkin to return to the win column after two mediocre performances that have resulted in losses for the Rangers. They don’t want Pittsburgh to leapfrog them in the Metropolitan Division standings, so expect a strong performance and a win from the talented goaltender on Tuesday night.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Tage Thompson (C – BUF): $7,600
24-year old Tage Thompson is the only silver lining in yet another disappointing season for Buffalo. The Sabres’ offense benefits from Thompson’s skill set, as he leads the team in goals (31) along with 23 assists to show his versatility within the offensive zone. The Sabres are not mathematically eliminated yet, but they definitely won’t be making the playoffs, which affords Thompson the advantage of opponents overlooking his talent. The Sabres have been scoring at least three goals in most of their recent matchups, as Thompson has scored three goals across the last two games. Yes, Carolina is one of the best teams in the league. Frederik Andersen (G – CAR) will be defending the crease on Tuesday, where he’s been rock solid for most of his starts. Yet Thompson’s riding a point streak and momentum entering the matchup at home. On Saturday, Andersen did surrender three goals in a 3-1 loss to Minnesota, so he’s proven to be vulnerable at times while playing between the pipes. Thompson will waste little time before lighting up the lamp, so pay up to acquire a vastly underrated player in Tuesday’s DFS lineups.
Cole Caufield (RW – MTL): $5,700
Cole Caufield might only be 21 years old and in his second season in the NHL; however, he’s an exceptionally talented skater and goal scorer. Caufield just ended a two-game point drought with a goal against Tampa Bay on Saturday, where he also attempted four shots on goal. Yes, he’s not a multi-point blue-chip prospect, but Caufield is available at a discount, and he’s better than most other salary-saving options on Tuesday’s slate. Ottawa is slightly favored on the Moneyline at -115, and the total goals (6.0) are expected to hit the over, adding appeal to rostering Caufield in DFS lineups on Tuesday night. Senators’ goaltender Anton Forsberg (G – OTT) is expected to make a start in the net. He’s been playing well lately, surrendering two to three goals maximum per night. However, Ottawa’s porous defense has forced Forsberg to face 30-plus shots in three straight starts. As long as Caufield is on the ice, he’ll generate enough production to return value at his $5,700 salary on FanDuel.
Evan Bouchard (D – EDM): $5,000
In his third year in the league, all with Edmonton, former top-ten draft pick Evan Bouchard continues to return value in heaps. The 22-year old is riding a four-game point drought entering Tuesday’s road contest in San Jose, yet he’s been able to produce points without needing assists or goals. The second-line defenseman earns additional minutes on the Oilers’ second powerplay unit. Still, he’s consistently racking up blocked shots and just took seven shots on goal against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. Bouchard should be ready to return to his usual frantic pace with a full day of rest, stacking points in both the offensive and defensive zones against a Sharks team that has dropped three games in a row. At the very least, you’re saving money for other blue-chip prospects while ensuring that the defenseman will yield a high floor via shots and blocked shots. He’s bound to end his point drought, so a wise investment is plugging him into DFS lineups against a lackluster team and a mediocre goaltender in James Reimer.
Darcy Kuemper (G – COL): $7,900
Darcy Kuemper has stepped his game up defending the net in recent games, including his last start against Pittsburgh on Saturday. The 31-year old goaltender allowed only two goals in a 3-2 win at home. He’ll travel to Pittsburgh for the second game in the series doubleheader, where the crowd will be hostile, but Kuemper should continue stoically between the red pipes. Kuemper has faced at least 40 shots in each of his previous starts, including against the Penguins, so if the Avalanche can score three or four goals on Tristan Jarry (G – PIT) again, Kuemper’s chances of generating high-caliber production in DFS lineups increases. Since mid-February, he hasn’t had a meltdown performance, which I consider five or more goals allowed. As a result, Kuemper should return value against a Pens team that has only scored more than two goals once in their previous three matchups.
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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_.
