The NHL season is finally upon us, and the league’s rolling out a three-game slate to get the action started. There’s a myriad of different ways to get some skin in the game, including heading the DFS route. Below, I’ve listed the nine-man roster that I’m playing in one of DraftKings’ $50,000 classic salary competitions. I’ve also listed each player’s price for FanDuel’s $55,000 salary equivalent.

Here’s who I believe is primed to have a big opening night on the ice.

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Tuesday’s NHL DFS Picks & Analysis

(The lineup below is based on DraftKings, but FanDuel salaries are also listed)

C1: Connor Bedard (CHI) | $7,300 DK, $7,800 FD

Connor Bedard is fresh off of a Calder Trophy performance in his rookie year, where he amassed 61 points (22G, 39A) with a pretty ugly supporting cast. I can’t wait to see how the second-year man looks tonight as they take on Utah in the franchise’s first-ever game. Bedard will play alongside talented wingers, Ilya Mikheyev and Teuvo Teravainen. Utah, formerly Arizona, finished 25th in overall defense last year, giving up 3.11 goals per game.

C2: Shane Wright (SEA) | $4,300 DK, $3,900 FD

I have a couple of Seattle Kraken in my lineup this afternoon as they host the Blues in their 2024-2025 season opener. First up is Shane Wright, who’s slotting in as the third-line center, playing alongside LW Eeli Tolvanen and RW Oliver Bjorkstrand. The 20-year-old was the fourth-overall pick in the 2022 draft, and he scored five points (4G, 1A) in eight games with the NHL club last season. I think Wright’s a solid value play since he’ll be playing next to the crafty Bjorkstrand, who was second on the team in scoring last year with 59 points (20G, 39A).

W1: Lawson Crouse (UTA) | $4,900 DK, $5,900 FD

Utah should be an exciting team this year. They have a ton of up-and-coming skaters who continue to progress as they mature into their NHL roles. One of those players is Lawson Crouse, who played in 81 games and scored 42 points (23G, 19A) last year. He’ll be playing with a talented third line in Utah, consisting of C Josh Doan and LW Matias Maccelli. Maccelli’s becoming one of the best passers in the NHL, which should benefit us since we have his linemate on our roster. The Hockey Club gets an excellent matchup against a Blackhawks team that finished 29th in overall defense last season (3.34 GAA).

W2: Evan Rodrigues (FLA) | $4,100 DK, $4,400 FD

Florida’s Evan Rodrigues was clutch in last year’s Stanley Cup run, registering 15 points on seven goals and eight helpers over 24 games. As for the regular season, he went for 12 goals and 27 assists while playing a middle-six role. Goals may be tough to come by in tonight’s game against Boston, but the B’s will be leaning on Joonas Korpisalo rather than the recently signed Jeremy Swayman. Korpisalo should take a leap forward this year since he’s in a better organization, but I have to see it first. The 30-year-old went 21-26-4 last season with a 3.27 GAA (44th) and .890 SV% (45th). Rodrigues should have some opportunities to score tonight.

W3: Teuvo Teravainen (CHI) | $3,900 DK, $6,300 FD

At this price, locking in Chicago’s Teuvo Teravainen feels like a steal. The winger will be playing on the top line with Bedard, giving us a chance to double up on first-line points with the duo. Teravainen will also serve as the team’s main shooter on the power play, so he’ll have plenty of chances to score and get shots on-net. Utah (formerly Arizona) finished 25th on the PK last season, killing off only 76.32% of their penalties.

D1: Seth Jones (CHI) | $5,800 DK, $6,100 FD

I believe Seth Jones is one of the best defensive options available tonight due to his offensive-minded approach. The d-man secured 31 points last season courtesy of eight goals and 23 assists. However, the veteran should take a big step forward this season with a revamped forwards group in Chicago. Simply playing with more talented skaters up front will help Jones accumulate more secondary assists. Jones is also still running the blue line on Chicago’s top power play unit.

D2: Mikhail Sergachev (UTA) | $4,300 DK, $6,400 FD

One of the big moves that Utah made this past offseason was to bring in Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay. The veteran d-man played in only 34 games with the Bolts last year but scored a modest 19 points on two goals and 17 assists. Now that Victor Hedman is out of the picture, Sergachev will have an opportunity to rack up the points as the lead defenseman on a power play unit. This point production should increase on that alone, and I expect Sergachev to have his hand in a goal tonight against the lowly Blackhawks.

G: Joey Daccord (SEA) | $7,800 DK $7,300 FD

The other Seattle player that I have on my roster is goaltender Joey Daccord. Make sure to check back this afternoon to see who’s confirmed in-net, as it’ll be either Daccord or Phillip Grubauer. Daccord is coming off of a big-time season where he finally got a chance at significant playing time in-net. The 28-year-old went 19-18-11, posting a 2.46 GAA (sixth) and .916 SV% (fifth). He also added three shutouts, which was the 11th-most in the NHL. Daccord gets a decent matchup against a banged-up St. Louis club that finished 24th in scoring last season (2.9 GPG).

UTIL: Sam Reinhart (FLA) | $7,500 DK, $8,100 FD

I’ll round out my lineup with Florida’s Sam Reinhart, who just inked an eight-year, $69-million deal this past offseason. The winger had a monster 2023-2024 season, leading the team in both points (94 points) and goals scored (57). Reinhart’s still the triggerman on the Cats’ top power-play unit, where he racked up 27 of his 57 goals last year. Once again, I’m not 100% convinced that Korpisalo will step into the crease and turn into Tim Thomas overnight. There may be some growing pains in Boston’s net, and Reinhart is a player who can make them pay.