This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Dallas won convincingly in Game 1 with a 4-1 victory thanks to goals from Joel Hanley, Jamie Oleksiak, Joel Kiviranta and Jason Dickinson. Not exactly the team's stars, it was the type of depth scoring performance an organization needs to lift Lord Stanley's Cup Netminder Anton Khudobin continued his strong run of play, stopping 35 of 36 shots faced. Tampa Bay continues to be without Steven Stamkos and got one goal from its third line.
GOALIES
Anton Khudobin, DAL ($15,300/$10,200): The backstop is currently riding a four-game winning streak in which he posted a 1.48 GAA and .959 save percentage. Khudobin is also averaging 28.4 fantasy points over that stretch, thanks to a high volume of saves (34.75 per game). It won't be easy to fit him in as the captain but if he continues to perform at this level, fantasy players may not want to leave him out of their lineups.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM ($15,900/$10,600): In his last five outings, Vasileskiy has posted a sub-900 save percentage on three occasions, including Game 1 in which he gave up three goals on just 19 shots, his worst save percentage of the postseason (.842). While the Vezina Trophy candidate should be capable of bouncing back in Game 2, the fact that he has faced more than 30 shots just once in his last seven appearances makes him the riskier option between the two keepers.
Captain Options
Goalies (See Above): To utilize a netminder as the captain, you'll need to get creative throughout the rest of the lineup given their high price tags. Still, if the keeper can limit the goals allowed, or even record a shutout, they are likely to be near the top in fantasy points. As mentioned, Khudobin's high volume of saves provides some intrigue here.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL ($12,000): After a blazing hot start to the postseason, Heiskanen has struggled to produce of late and is currently stuck in a seven-game goal drought. Additionally, the blueliner has just two points in his previous six outings. Still, he figures to continue quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play unit and won't break the bank compared to other captain options. He did grab an assist in Game 1, so perhaps he is starting to break out of his funk.
Brayden Point, TAM ($14,100): Linemate Nikita Kuchcerov ($16,500) is the most expensive player on the board in Monday's slate, so looking a little further down the lists will provide fantasy player with more wiggle room. The 24-year-old center did miss two games in the Eastern Conference finals due to injury and was a complete non-factor in terms of fantasy production in Game 1. Still, Point has six multi-point games in the playoffs and should get back on the scoresheet sooner rather than later.
STACKS
Dallas Stars
Joe Pavelski (C - $7,800), Denis Gurianov (W - $6,800), Mattias Janmark (W - $2,000)
If you want to go big with one of the aforementioned goalies as captain, it may be worth tossing this line into your lineup as well, specifically Janmark who has a minimum salary and just picked up an assist in Game 1. It's the other two players on this line that figure to drive the production, as Pavelski and Gurianov have nine goals apiece, though neither got on the board in the previous tilt. Both guys should continue log minutes on the power play and figure to get plenty of opportunities to get pucks to the net.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Yanni Gourde (C - $5,800), Blake Coleman (W - $7,400), Barclay Goodrow (W - $4,600)
The Lightning's third line was the only source of production in Game 1 and have been steady producers throughout the playoffs with a combined 11 goals and 19 assists. It's an extremely cost-effective stack with the only concern being the limited power-play opportunities, as Gourde is the only one logging any significant ice time with the man advantage as part of the second group. If there is one player to key in on as a potential captain, it's probably Gourde given his lower price tag ($8,700) and the fact that he currently sits fifth on the team in postseason scoring.
DEFENSE
Since classic contests require you to utilize defensemen, looking for players that can contribute with blocks certainly is a solid strategy. However, that's unlikely to bring home the bacon when you get into the open flex format of showdown contests. As such, finding the offensive contributors will be a necessity for fantasy players.
Victor Hedman, TAM ($9,000): The blueliner is currently tied with Brayden Point for the team goal led in the postseason with nine tallies in 20 appearances. Additionally, five of his 15 points have been scored on the power play, making him a top producer in terms of fantasy production without the cost of the top-end forwards. At $13,500, paying up for Hedman as the captain certainty isn't out of the question either.
Jamie Oleksiak, DAL ($4,000): The terms 'offensive powerhouse' and 'goal scorer' probably haven't ever been used to describe Oleksiak, yet it's hard to argue with results when you consider he has five goals and three assists in the playoffs. In fact, the defenseman's eight postseason points nearly ties his regular-season production (10). Riding the towering blueliner when he's red hot will no doubt be a high-risk, high-reward play but until he stumbles, it's worth a look considering he comes in significantly cheaper than Miro Heiskanen or John Klingberg.
