The NHL regular season is winding down and we have a few pivotal matchups on today’s 13-game slate. I’m heading the DFS route to get some skin in the game and I’ve narrowed in on this nine-man roster over at DraftKings. This lineup is playable in their classic $50,000 salary format for the seven games starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. I’ve also listed each player’s price at FanDuel’s $55,000 equivalent competition. Here’s 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: Evgeni Malkin | $5,700 DK, $6,200 FD
The Penguins looked dead in the water not too long ago but they’ve rattled off seven wins over their current nine-game point streak (7-0-2), climbing into a playoff position. Evgeni Malkin has been instrumental over the nine-game run, racking up 10 points (6G, 4A). This is a tough matchup against a stout Boston defense but Pittsburgh is hot and they have home ice. I think Malkin can keep it rolling as they continue to make their playoff push.
C2: Ryan O’Reilly | $5,300 DK, $7,000 FD
The Preds own the top Wild Card spot and they look to collect another pair of points when they take on the lowly Blue Jackets tonight in Columbus. Ryan O’Reilly added an assist in last night’s 5-1 win over the Blackhawks, giving him six points (1G, 5A) over his last five games. Nashville’s offense runs through the Filip Forsberg-O’Reilly-Luke Evangelista/Gustav Nyquist line, so I think O’Reilly should manage to record at least a point against this underwhelming Blue Jackets team.
W1: Matt Boldy | $7,100 DK, $7,600 FD
The Wild will miss the playoffs this season but they look to close out the season on a high note. They take on the Sharks in San Jose tonight, which provides their skaters with an excellent opportunity to accumulate points. I’ll play Matt Boldy, who’s second on the team in scoring (27G, 37A) and third in SOG (215). Boldy’s playing well recently, scoring four points (1G, 3A) over his last three games. Meanwhile, the Sharks are still dead last in overall defense (3.65 GAA) this season.
W2: Lucas Raymond | $3,900 DK, $5,900 FD
Lucas Raymond at $3,900. How much more do I need to say? The winger has been on a tear this season, racking up a team-leading 68 points (29G, 39A) over 79 games. He’s coming off a four-point night (3G, 1A) in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Penguins, which gives him eight points (5G, 3A) in his last five contests. The point production at this price makes Raymond a very valuable option tonight.
W3: Jason Zucker | $3,600 DK, $4,100 FD
Nashville brought in Jason Zucker from Arizona at the deadline. He’s contributed here and there. The winger scored a power-play goal in last night’s 5-1 win over Chicago. Mostly, I like Zucker as a depth winger due to this matchup with Columbus. The Jackets are 30th in overall defense (3.38 GAA) and dead last in 5-on-5 high-danger shots against (213). With Gustav Nyquist potentially missing tonight’s game, Zucker could play an elevated role at the wing.
D1: Moritz Seider | $5,100 DK, $5,500 FD
Mortiz Seider is developing into an excellent NHL defenseman. He has contributed offensively with 41 points (8G, 33A) this season. Seider has three points (3A) in his last five games. He has registered eight SOG over the five-game sample size. Seider should have some opportunities to score tonight against a middle-of-the-pack Toronto defense.
D2: Drew Doughty $5,000 DK, $5,700 FD
I’ll ride with Drew Doughty as my second defenseman tonight. The veteran defenseman has three points (1G, 2A) in his last three games, bringing him to 49 points (15G, 34A) on the year. Doughty’s still logging a team-leading 25:47 of ice time each night. We’ll want him out there as much as possible against Anaheim’s 31st-ranked defense (3.45 GAA).
G: Kevin Lankinen | $8,200 DK, $8,700 FD
The Predators are coming in on the second night of a back-to-back, where they notched a 5-1 road victory over the Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen got the nod between the pipes, making 25 saves on 26 shots (.962 SV%). Nashville rested Juuse Saros, so I’m not 100% sure how they’ll play the goaltending situation tonight. Make sure to keep an eye out in case Lankinen doesn’t start. Whoever is between the pipes will get an easy matchup against a Columbus club ranked 26th in overall offense (2.8 GPG). They’re on a 0-3-0 run where they’re averaging 0.7 goals per game.
UTIL: Patrick Kane | $6,100 DK, $7,200 FD
Well, I didn’t intentionally mean to fade Toronto tonight, but with the way things worked out, Patrick Kane makes our third Detroit skater. Toronto’s defense is vulnerable, ranking 18th in overall defense (2.95 GAA) and 23rd on the penalty kill (76.89%). Kane, who has amassed 44 points (20G, 24A) over 47 games, should be primed to score against a Leafs defense that just conceded six goals to the Devils last time out. Let’s round out our lineup with Kane.
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