Today’s NHL slate sees 28 teams hit the ice before the league shuts down for a brief Christmas hiatus. Action will return on Dec. 27 with another 14 games.
As for today’s schedule, I’m heading the DFS route, where I’ve locked in this nine-man unit in the classic $50,000 Salary contest at DraftKings. This includes the final 12 games of the slate, which get started at 7:00 p.m. ET. I’ve also listed each player’s price at FanDuel.
Let’s dive into who I expect to have a big night on the ice!
Today’s NHL DFS Picks & Analysis
The lineup below is based on DraftKings, but FanDuel prices are also listed.
C1: Elias Pettersson (VAN) | $7,100 DK, $9,000 FD
Anytime the Sharks take the ice, I have to include at least one of their opponents in my lineup. I mean, this San Jose squad is awful. Their defense is currently dead last in defensive scoring, allowing 3.79 goals per game. They’re also 28th on the penalty kill, sitting at just 72.81%. I’ll lock in Elias Pettersson as one of my big guns tonight. The centerman is up to 41 points (13G, 28A) on the year, with 16 (5G, 11A) coming on the power play. I think Pettersson finds the back of the net tonight.
C2: Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH) | $4,100 DK, $4,600 FD
The Capitals come into tonight’s game riding a three-game winning streak, and they’ll host the Lightning. The Bolts still haven’t found their footing defensively, considering they’re 25th in goals against per game (3.26). While the Caps’ offense is far from a juggernaut, I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns into a higher-scoring affair. I’ll take Evgeny Kuznetsov as a depth option tonight. He enters this game with 11 points (5G, 6A) on the year.
W1: William Nylander (TOR) | $8,400 DK, $9,700 FD
I have four players in tonight’s Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets game. The two sides squared off on Dec. 14, and Columbus earned a 6-5 overtime win. William Nylander went for 1-1 while racking up 10 shots on goal (SOG)! He’s Toronto’s team leader in points now with 42 (15G, 27A). Columbus’ defense is one of the worst in the league, allowing 3.32 goals per game (28th).
W2: Trevor Moore (LA) | $5,900 DK, $7,300 FD
We have an interesting Pacific Division showdown tonight as the Kings host the Flames in Los Angeles. Calgary has struggled on the road this year, going just 6-8-4. I think it’s a good time to fade them in some capacity. I’ll take Los Angeles’ leading goalscorer, Trevor Moore. The 28-year-old has 24 points on 15 goals and nine assists and also leads the club with 94 SOG.
W3: Johnny Gaudreau (CBJ) | $4,200 DK, $5,100 FD
Johnny Gaudreau is the second player I’ll lock in for the Leafs/Jackets game. The winger has been a mainstay in my lineup recently, and he’s currently riding a four-game point streak (2G, 3A). He has 21 total points, courtesy of six goals and 15 helpers. “Johnny Hockey” scored in last week’s 6-5 barnburner against Toronto, and I think he can light the lamp again tonight at home.
D1: Morgan Rielly (TOR) | $5,700 DK, $5,000 FD
Next, I’m back to the Leafs, where I’ll take Morgan Reilly as my top defenseman. The d-man is the top-scoring defenseman on Toronto’s roster, amassing 23 points (4G, 19A) so far. Reilly has 71 SOG, which is fourth on the team. I think there’s a great chance that Reilly has his hand in at least one goal tonight.
D2: Erik Gustafsson (CHI) | $3,700 DK, $4,700 FD
I was between Adam Fox and Erik Gustafsson tonight for a defenseman. The duo has very similar statistical outputs, but Fox carries a price of $5,300. I’ll go with the cheaper option, Gustafsson. He’s just two points behind Fox with 19 total points (3G, 16A). New York hosts Buffalo tonight, who is 28th defensively, allowing 3.32 goals per game.
G: Jordan Binnington (STL) | $8,100 DK, $6,800 FD
I’m riding with Jordan Binnington in-net tonight as his Blues host the lowly Blackhawks. This is mainly a fade of Chicago’s offense, which scored just 12 goals in its last six games (2.0 GPG). Surprisingly, that’s not much lower than their season total of 2.3 goals per game (31st). They’ll also be coming in on the second night of a back-to-back after losing 5-2 to the Canadiens last night. Give me Binnington, who seems to play well against bad teams a majority of the time.
UTIL: Max Domi (TOR) | $2,800 DK, $4,300 FD
Max Domi is finally finding his footing in Toronto after a slower start. The centerman has registered seven points (3G, 4A) over nine games this month. He’s up to 18 points (3G, 15A) on the season, which is shockingly sixth on the Maple Leafs. In my opinion, that makes him a bargain at just $2,800 to round out our lineup.
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