This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NSH at NYI ($8,200) – Rinne's won seven straight games with two shutouts in his past three games in the midst of arguably the best season of his career at age 35. He's 7-1-0 with a .941 save percentage and just 13 goals allowed in 2018, and the Predators now sit just two points behind the Jets for the Central division lead. The Islanders, meanwhile, have fallen behind in the playoff race, with captain John Tavares registering just eight points in January. They don't have enough quality defensemen and goalies to stop the Predators offense, even with Filip Forsberg sitting out due to a three-game suspension. Don't let the Islanders' recent win against the Blue Jackets fool you – they allowed a shocking 26 shots in the first period alone.
CENTER
Steven Stamkos, TB at EDM ($7,200) – The Lightning's top line has slowed down through the middle grind of the season, but Stamkos continues to produce at an elite pace with a goal and three assists in his past four games. It obviously helps he plays with Hart Trophy candidate Nikita Kucherov, but the Oilers are one of five teams in the league to have a losing record at home, and the Lightning lead the league with 19 wins on the road. The Oilers are inconsistent night to night, so the more experienced and dependable Lightning should have the advantage, and their team speed will be difficult for the Oilers' slower players (i.e. not Connor McDavid) to handle.
Ryan Kesler, ANH at TOR ($4,200) – Kesler's at his best when he gets agitated, and the Leafs have plenty of guys who don't mind poking the bear. He's scored two goals and collected six PIM in his past four games, and the former U.S. Olympian has always fared well against Canada's team the Leafs with 15 points in 18 career games. Kesler will likely be tasked with shutting down Auston Matthews, and he'll have to do that by blocking some shots, but the competition may also elevate Kesler's offensive game and he's never been shy about shooting pucks anyway. He's been held without a shot just twice in his past 10 games.
WING
Alexander Radulov, DAL vs. NYR ($6,900) – He was a beast in a 6-1 win against Minnesota on Saturday, leading all Stars forwards with five shots and chipping in a goal and an assist to bring his season total to 50 points in 53 games. He picked up the pace with 16 points in January, his highest total this season for a single month, and he's facing a Rangers squad that isn't very good on the road. Their 160 goals allowed – 11th-worst in the league – would be a lot uglier if not for Henrik Lundqvist.
Cory Conacher, TB at EDM ($3,200) – He's scored three goals in his past two games and seems to have found a role in the NHL once again after spending most the past three seasons in the AHL and Switzerland. He's a small player, but he meshes well with the Lightning's skill-based game, and Brayden Point is Exhibit A in size doesn't matter. Conacher's gotten more ice time recently, which will certainly boost his production, and the Oilers defense is porous enough that a sneaky-quick player like Conacher can get through for an open scoring chance.
Pontus Aberg, NSH at NYI ($3,000) – It's anybody's guess who will replace Forsberg on Ryan Johansen's line since Peter Laviolette changes them up all the time, but Aberg will likely get the first crack. He sat out Saturday against the Rangers, but when he's in the lineup, he's skated on that line before. He won't get a lot of minutes, but the Islanders are weak defensively and the risk could pay off handsomely if things go right.
DEFENSE
John Klingberg, DAL vs. NYR ($6,000) – For any other defensemen, two assists in five games is a pretty good stretch, but for Klingberg that's nothing. The Stars have outscored their opponents 10-2 over their past two games, and they face a Rangers team that hasn't been very good on defense. Both Klingberg and the Stars' top forwards have started to head up again after their shutout loss against the Kings last Tuesday.
Travis Dermott, TOR vs. ANH ($3,300) – The return of Morgan Rielly didn't seem to have much of an effect on Dermott's ice time, who skated over 18 minutes against the Bruins on Saturday. He's starting to earn more of Mike Babcock's trust, and his emergence takes some pressure off Rielly and Jake Gardiner. Dermott's scored three points in three games, adding nine shots on net, and his offensive ceiling is quite high.
