This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Tuesdays are usually busy in the NHL, and there's 10 games on the slate with a few interesting matchups. The Bruins (-310 ) are the biggest favorites against the Sens, who have now lost four straight and seven of their past eight.
Road favorites include the Oilers (-205) at Red Wings, Penguins (-120) at Blackhawks, while the Lightning (-152), Flames (-225), Canucks (-172) and Golden Knights (-140) are favored at home in what seems to be like a potential banner night for Pacific Division teams. Note the Oilers-Wings and Pens-Hawks matchups have the highest over/under at 6.5.
GOALIES
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. ANH ($7,800): The key for the Canucks is to stay out of the box; they own the league's worst PK and the Ducks have a top-five power play. If they can do that, Demko will give the Canucks a very good chance to win. Statistically, Demko's play has fallen off a little bit, but he's given the Canucks a chance to win every night making all the save he should make and more. The Canucks 2-4-0 so far in their homestand but all their losses have been by just one goal and the Ducks are 1-2-2 on the road.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. SJ ($7,900): Markstrom continues to be discounted for unknown reasons, and it's a good matchup considering how many Sharks remain out due to COVID protocol, including top goal scorer Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks have lost two straight and should be fresh coming off two days' rest and playing the first of five straight road games, but the Flames are also unbeaten in regulation at home.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. OTT ($7,900): Maybe we're missing something here, but the Bruins are the biggest favorites among Tuesday's slate but their goalies aren't even among the five most expensive? Sure, Swayman and the Bruins' goaltending has been inconsistent all season, but the Sens are thin on defense and short on quality goaltending. The Bruins should be able to provide enough goal support to win even if Swayman isn't sharp.
Mike Smith, EDM at DET ($8,100): Smith remains on IR but there's a chance he plays against the Wings. It'll be a good matchup for the Oilers considering how their offense has been unstoppable, and the Wings have the sixth-worst goals against per game. Mikko Koskinen will start if Smith is unavailable, and he's generally been very good this season though he doesn't breed as much confidence as Smith.
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. SEA ($8,300): Lehner has allowed only three goals in his past two starts and the Kraken have been horrible away from Puget Sound, going 1-5-1 so far. Despite missing key players, Vegas should still have the advantage in this one with the Kraken's similarly depleted roster, who may not have Jared McCann, who continues to be in COVID protocol, and possibly Marcus Johansson and Ryan Donato.
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA at NJ ($8,600): Bobrovsky did not dress Monday but he may be available against the Devils. He's a strong play if he's healthy, otherwise Spencer Knight on a back-to-back after a subpar performance against the Rangers and untested third-string Christopher Gibson aren't appetizing options.
VALUE PLAYS
Egor Sokolov, OTT at BOS ($3,000): Sokolov is slated to make his NHL debut skating on a line with Nick Paul and Alex Formenton. The Russian winger was a second-round pick and known for scoring goals, and the hope is that he can lessen the pressure off their top line. If he plays well, look for Sokolov to perhaps get time on the power play as well.
Maxim Mamin, FLA at NJ ($3,000): Mamin is slated to skate on a line with Sam Reinhart at center and Frank Vatrano on the left wing, giving the Panthers a potential third scoring line. Mamin has appeared in only three games this season but has managed to register at least a shot on goal in each of those games. The Devils have lost four of their past six with 12 goals surrendered during that span.
Jack Studnicka, BOS vs. OTT ($3,200): Studnicka will play on the right wing where there will be less pressure to play defense and create plays on offense, but taking responsibility away from him might be a good thing. Less is more; Studnicka is a talented offensive player but still not ready for a top-six role and will instead play with Erik Haula and Jake DeBrusk. That the B's are so keen on getting Studnicka in the lineup tells you how desperate they are for a little more offense, and being versatile will also allow Studnicka to move around the lineup, potentially getting more minutes against a bad defensive team.
Nicolas Roy, VGK vs. SEA ($3,600): He's miscast as a first-line center but you can't argue with the results: five points in his past three games, including two points on seven shots against the Red Wings on Sunday.
Vasily Podkolzin, VAN vs. ANH ($3,800): It won't be long before Podkolzin starts earning more minutes. He played a season-high 14 minutes against the Stars and has now scored twice in his past three games. Podkolzin was spotted working with the power play at practice, and that certainly bodes well for his fantasy value.
LINE STACKS
Panthers at Devils
Aleksander Barkov (C - $8,400), Carter Verhaeghe (W - $4,900), Anthony Duclair (W - $6,000)
The Panthers will be playing the second half of a back-to-back but the Devils are a much more favorable matchup than the Rangers. Barkov continues to be an elite center and well worth the price considering how many shots he puts on net, while Verhaeghe and Duclair are more like boom-or-bust options.
Flames vs. Sharks
Elias Lindholm (C - $7,600), Johnny Gaudreau (W - $7,000), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $7,000)
Tkachuk now has a goal in four straight games so he's finally pulling his weight a little after it was all Lindholm and Gaudreau during the first month. The Sharks don't defend particularly well, their roster has multiple key players placed in COVID protocol and their goaltending has definitely become weaker since the start of the season.
Canucks vs. Ducks
Elias Pettersson (C - $6,400), Brock Boeser (W - $6,600), J.T. Miller (W - $7,000)
The Lotto Line is back and Pettersson's three-point game against the Stars seemed like a slump buster. All three players are fixtures on the Canucks' very talented top power play unit. Past history points towards an upset win for the Ducks, but the Canucks offense has picked up and their six-goal outburst on Sunday was their highest of the season.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Burns, SJ at CGY ($5,700): Burns is working on a four-game point streak with a goal and five assists and continues to be a shot-generating machine. His 17.4 fantasy points per game this season is the highest among active defensemen for Tuesday's slate.
Kris Letang, PIT vs. CHI ($6,200): I like the value simply because Letang is going to play an outsized role yet again. He's scored six points in six games while averaging over 25 minutes. When healthy, as he is now, Letang's one of the more underrated defensemen in the league. He has the second-highest fantasy points per game average among defensemen for Tuesday's slate assuming Dougie Hamilton does not play.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. ANH ($6,300): If the Canucks power play gets going, it's probably because of Hughes. He finished with three power-play assists against the Stars and he should get plenty of chances against the Ducks, who have the fifth-most penalties taken in the league.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. SEA ($6,300): Pietrangelo's on a three-game point streak and continues to play a huge role on the Vegas blueline. His offensive production hasn't quite caught up yet, but he remains a reliable source of shots and blocked shots.
