This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
All eyes will be on the Battle of Alberta with the Flames visiting the Oilers in the first meeting since Zack Kassian's suspension. The Flames are on the second half of a back-to-back after playing the Blues last night. Perhaps scoring will take a backseat in what is expected to be a physical affair.
The Stars will attempt to hold off an elite offense against the Maple Leafs after defeating Tampa Bay in overtime having allowed just two goals. The Stars have allowed three goals or more just nine times at home this season.
The Lightning offense should have an easier time against the Kings, who are surprisingly average on defense, but don't have a good enough offense to win games. The Predators and Capitals should be a much tighter game, and Alex Ovechkin will make his return from suspension. He has 12 goals in 20 career games against Nashville.
The remaining four Pacific Division teams are also in action, with the Coyotes visiting the Ducks in Anaheim and the Canucks looking to dominate the Sharks again, this time in San Jose.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9,000) was good in an overtime loss against Dallas and against a much weaker opponent he'll be a popular and worthwhile pick. He is well worth the premium if Ben Bishop ($8,900), who is also very good, comes $100 cheaper but faces a far more formidable opponent in Toronto. Frederik Andersen ($8,500) has not been particularly good lately but his latest performance was encouraging.
Braden Holtby ($8,100) will get his second straight start after a win against Montreal just when Ilya Samsonov looked like he was going to steal the job. It's a good matchup for the Caps who are at home and with Ovechkin back in the lineup. Neither Pekka Rinne ($7,300) nor Juuse Saros ($7,500) have been good this season.
Antti Raanta ($8,100) is less digestible at this price even if the Ducks offense is non-existent. Early-season John Gibson ($7,500) might be able to steal this game but since the season opener has allowed seven goals in two games against the Coyotes.
David Rittich ($7,600) and Mikko Koskinen ($7,400) smell like a disaster to me in an already emotionally-charged game. The Flames scored four against the Blues and the Oilers have McDavid.
That means Jacob Markstrom ($7,600) is probably the best value play of the night. The Canucks are coming off an impressive 3-1 win against St. Louis and their top line continues to dominate, and in their last meeting against the Sharks turned them into chum, winning 4-1.
VALUE PLAYS
Anthony Cirelli ($5,200) and Lars Eller ($4,600) are versatile centers who get plenty of ice time even though their stats don't show it. However, against weaker opponents – the Kings for Cirelli and Preds for Eller – the probability of them scoring points is better than usual.
William Nylander ($6,500) has a goal in four straight games and continues to be one of the better value plays on the wing. The same geos for J.T. Miller ($6,000), who scored two against the Blues on Monday and driving much of the top line's offense. Tom Wilson ($5,000) has two goals and eight points in his past seven games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Vancouver Canucks (TOTAL: $17,100)
C – Elias Pettersson ($7,200)
W – J.T. Miller ($6,000)
W – Jake Virtanen ($3,900)
Virtanen brings down the price of this line stack that continues to be potent without Brock Boeser. Virtanen's speed matches better with Pettersson and Miller, and the trio are dangerous off the rush. Team speed has been a problem for the Sharks this season.
Washington Capitals (TOTAL: $20,900)
C – Nicklas Backstrom ($6,700)
W – Tom Wilson ($5,000)
W – Alex Ovechkin ($9,200)
Ovechkin returns and boasts pretty good numbers against the Preds despite their limited history. Wilson has been no slouch in the points department, either. The Preds have not been any better defensively under John Hynes, who's 3-4-0 so far.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson ($7,000) and Roman Josi ($6,600) remain the elite options as the Sharks continue to struggle. Mark Giordano ($5,900) is a close second with his point production, especially in a game that might feature plenty of power plays, and Victor Hedman ($5,800) round out the top four.
Tyson Barrie ($5,200) has four assists in his past three games and continues to flourish under Sheldon Keefe. He has 16 points in his past 22 games.
Quinn Hughes ($4,000) remains an elite power-play quarterback, logging plenty of big minutes for the Canucks. He has four points in his past six games, and there was some bad blood between the two teams in their last meeting, resulting in five misconducts.
