This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a four-game slate for Monday. With the trade deadline at 3 p.m. EST, look for some potential roster moves to be made, especially for the Golden Knights and Wild, who are in the midst of a tight playoff race in the Western Conference. The Oilers-Avalanche and Predators-Ducks will be the two late matchups, with the Ducks at a big disadvantage after shipping out Hampus Lindholm and fearsome checker Nicolas Deslauriers.
GOALIES
Juuse Saros, NSH at ANH ($7,700): Saros' play has been uneven lately but the Ducks shouldn't post much of a challenge. Rickard Rakell is on the trade block and may not dress, and they will be without Lindholm and Deslauriers while veterans Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg remain on injured reserve. Saros is 2-0-0 with just three goals allowed against the Ducks this season and the task should be even easier this time around.
Cam Talbot, MIN vs. VGK ($7,400): There will be a little more jam in the Wild's lineup with Deslauriers, one of the league's most feared hitters. Talbot struggled in late February but has since turned a corner, winning five straight decisions and allowing two goals or less in three of past four starts. The Knights have won two straight but lost five straight on the road prior to that, and also 2-6-0 all-time at the Xcel Energy Center.
VALUE PLAYS
Tomas Nosek, BOS at MON ($3,100): Nosek's ice time remains limited even though he's slated to center the top line again with Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. He's managed to register two helpers in his past four games while averaging over 13 minutes per game, but perhaps facing one of the league's worst teams will help boost his production.
Logan O'Connor, COL vs. EDM ($3,600): O'Connor is a complementary energy forward who doesn't possess a ton of skill with just six goals in 62 games. But he's getting a top-six chance against the Oilers, slated to skate on the second line opposite Andre Burakovsky with Nazem Kadri in the middle. The Oilers' defense and goaltending are unlikely to hold off a very good Avs offense, and note that LOC has not scored a goal in 19 games. Even for a poor finisher like him, he's due for a goal.
Rem Pitlick, MON vs. BOS ($4,400): Pitlick has scored at least a point in five of his past six games and continues to play a huge role for the Habs. He's miscast as a top-six center but they don't really have anyone else. It's a tough matchup against the Bruins but Pitlick remains a strong value play due to the number of opportunities he gets.
LINE STACKS
Predators at Ducks
Ryan Johansen (C - $5,100), Matt Duchene (W - $7,300), Filip Forsberg (W - $8,400)
The Preds' top line should be no match against the Ducks' patchwork lineup, but the best part is that this line shares the ice with Roman Josi a lot. The veteran captain will likely finish the season as the Preds' leading scorer, and even though his production against the Ducks this season – one assist in two games – has been modest, Josi is also riding a four-game multi-point streak. Meanwhile, Duchene has a nine-game point streak and Forsberg a six-game point streak.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. EDM ($7,400): Josi's salary has ballooned to $8,200 and even though Makar's production has paled in comparison, on any given night, Makar could be the best defenseman in the league. Makar has played just two career games against the Oilers (and none so far this season) and he has yet to score a point against them, but as one of two defensemen to average over 18 fantasy points per game and seeing how the Oilers haven't bothered to upgrade their defense or goaltending, it seems unlikely they'll be able to keep Makar off the board for a third straight game.
Corey Schueneman, MON vs. BOS ($4,300): This could be a really sneaky play after Schueneman played 20:43 in a 5-1 win against the Sens, the second highest ice time in his career and just the second time he's eclipsed 20 minutes this season. Part of it was because he replaced Jeff Petry on the top power play unit, and he showed good mobility and skill with the puck. He has a chance to extend his point streak to three games though the matchup against the B's will be tough.
