This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Monday still technically has football on the schedule, as Montana State and North Dakota State are vying for the FCS title, but it is a day where showcasing some NHL action is a bit easier. However, there are only four games on the schedule, with the first game starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. Hey, the holiday corridor is behind us. It's time for sporting schedules to get back to business as usual. Here are your NHL DFS lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
No team is on the second leg, or even the first leg, of a back-to-back, so it's all pretty straightforward here. Onto the selections.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, NJD at SEA ($8,400): Markstrom just suffered a couple of losses to the Ducks and Sharks. Before that, he won six games in a row while posting a .953 save percentage and 0.53 GAA. Yes, a sub-1.00 GAA. The Kraken have felt so inert this season, so unremarkable. They are middling defensively but have struggled offensively, managing 2.88 goals and 26.7 shots on net per contest.
Kevin Lankinen, VAN at MTL ($8,200): Thatcher Demko is not just banged up – he's dealing with a back injury, one of the most nebulous injuries to try to assess and predict. While he's on Vancouver's lengthy road trip that starts Monday, Lankinen will likely be in goal. Over his last eight outings, he has a .912 save percentage to go with a 2.26 GAA. That's some strong defense in front of him. Montreal's been riding puck luck all season, and that's a dangerous game. It has managed 2.95 goals per contest but on a mere 25.4 shots on net per game.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Jake DeBrusk, VAN at MTL ($5,300): With Elias Pettersson out, J.T. Miller is the only above-average center the Canucks employ, and DeBrusk is getting to skate on his wing. As he was in Boston, DeBrusk is prone to streaky play, but he has five points in his last six games. The Canadiens have a 3.36 GAA. While Jakub Dobes has impressed in two starts, it's only two starts, and the 23-year-old started his season in the AHL even with a lack of viable options ahead of him. Makes me feel like this could be a fluke.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Capitals at Sabres
Pierre-Luc Dubois (C - $3,800), Tom Wilson (W - $5,400), Aliaksei Protas (W - $3,800)
The Sabres have a 3.40 GAA and a goaltending duo that features James Reimer. No. 1 netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has a .894 save percentage. With the return of Alex Ovechkin the Capitals have two strong lines. For salary's sake, I opted for the second line, but there is plenty to like here.
Dubois has dished out eight helpers over his last eight games. While he only has five goals this season, his 7.9 percent shooting rate should improve. Plus, he's tallied nine shots on net over his last two outings, so clearly he's still trying to light the lamp. After a cold spell, Wilson is back in gear. He has three goals, three assists and 15 shots on net over his last five contests. Protas has been the revelation of the season for the Capitals, as the 23-year-old has broken through with 17 goals and 16 assists through 39 games. Though his 24.3 percent shooting rate is high, he has six goals in his last eight outings, so it's not like he's slowing down.
DEFENSEMEN
Luke Hughes, NJD at SEA ($3,700): Hughes has stepped back a bit this season after impressing last year as a rookie, but he has nine points over his last 10 games. In that time he has a game with five shots on net, and one with six, which is remarkable for a defenseman (thus, I just remarked upon it). Joey Daccord is "progressing" according to head coach Dan Bylsma, but that leaves Philipp Grubauer to tend goal. He's comfortably on track to finish with a sub-.900 save percentage for the fourth season in a row i.e. his entire tenure in Seattle.
Tyler Myers, VAN at MTL ($3,500): There's a hint of a gamble in this, in that if Quinn Hughes returns from the undisclosed injury that has cost him four games, Myers' role will be lessened. While Hughes has been out, though, Myers has averaged 23:34 per game in ice time and has notched over two minutes in power-play time in each of his last two games. That kind of ice time combined with the likely appearance of Sam Montembeault (.900 save percentage) in net for the Canadiens would make Myers quite enticing at his salary. There are multiple dice rolls involved, but the recommendation is worthwhile for me.
