DraftKings NHL: Monday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Monday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

We have six games firing up Monday, four of which start at 7 p.m. EST. It figures to be a highly offensive slate, as it features seven teams in the top-10 in terms of xGF/60. That surprisingly includes the Senators, who figure to be in for another shootout against the Oilers. We'll be targeting both teams heavily in this slate, and there's plenty more value plays to bolster your lineup.

Advanced statistics are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

GOALIES

Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at NAS ($8,500): The Lightning play Tuesday as well, and Curtis McElhinney ($8,300) will get one of the two games. Under the assumption Vasilevskiy starts Monday, he's the top play. The opportunity is fantastic, as the Predators rank sixth with 32.4 shots per game, but they aren't high-value shots since they sit 26th with 1.96 xGF/60.

Igor Shesterkin, NYR at NYI ($7,800): Shesterkin is finally back on track, stringing together three straight wins, including wins against Pittsburgh and Washington, and posting a .940 save percentage in the process. His matchup Monday is superb, as the Islanders are 29th in the league with a mere 2.30 goals per game.

Darcy Kuemper, ARI at STL ($7,400): The Blues' selling point is their depth at forward, but that looks suspect now due to injuries. They already rank 21st with 2.11 xGF/60 as well, so their scoring chances could decrease for the time being. On the other hand, Kuemper has been impressive over his past six starts with a .928 save percentage and a 1.86 GAA. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Christian Dvorak, ARI at STL ($5,300): Dvorak's upward trajectory continues, as he's tallied six goals -- three with the man advantage -- through 11 games, adding five helpers in the process. Look for the 25-year-old to leverage his power-play usage against St. Louis' PK (72.1 percent), which is 27th in the league.

Alex Killorn, TB at NAS ($4,400): After racking up 26 goals last year, Killorn's facing some regression this season with just two goals on 20 shots. Nevertheless, he's positioned well to get back on track Monday. Killorn will line up on the first power-play unit with the top dogs, and they're poised to attack Nashville's last-ranked penalty kill (65.2 percent). 

Jordan Staal, CAR at CLM ($4,300): Staal has registered a point in five of the last six games. The Blue Jackets are solid defensively, but they're without top-end blueliner Zach Werenski (upper body). Furthermore, either Joonas Korpisalo will either play for the second straight night, or Cameron Johnson -- their ECHL goalie -- will be between the pipes. 

Tanner Pearson, VAN at TOR ($3,600): Generating chances against the Maple Leafs is key, as Frederik Andersen has been shaky this year. Pearson is doing just that, as he's fired 25 shots on net over the past eight games, netting four goals and adding two helpers.

Jack Roslovic, CLM vs. CAR ($3,300): Roslovic didn't play with Patrik Laine much in Winnipeg, but they clearly have chemistry on the first line. Now, Roslovic has points in four straight. The Hurricanes' goaltending situation is uncertain, as James Reimer struggled Sunday, and backup Alex Nedeljkovic is unproven at best.

Ilya Mikheyev, TOR vs. VAN ($2,800): Mikheyev looks like a favorite to be promoted to the top six with Wayne Simmonds (hand) out of commission. The 26-year-old is off to a slow start this year with just two points, but he already showcased his potential last season by accruing 23 points through 39 games. A promotion could be all it takes to flip the script.

LINE STACKS

Oilers at Senators

Connor McDavid (C - $9,000), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $7,200), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $4,500)

The Senators have had enough time to make adjustments since being blown out in consecutive games by the Oilers. But it's unlikely they have the talent to execute those changes. McDavid racked up seven points over those two contests, and he's averaging two points per game this season. This could be another blowout as he pads his stats further.

Maple Leafs vs. Canucks  

Auston Matthews (C - $8,800), Mitch Marner (W -$7,700), Zach Hyman (W - $4,700)

Wayne Simmonds skated on this line Saturday, but now that he's out, Marner looks like the favorite to fill in on the first line. Going back to this line is a wise idea, as the Canucks can't keep their net empty, coughing up four goals per game this year. Meanwhile, Matthews leads the league with 10 goals, while Marner has churned out six goals himself to go along with 14 helpers.

Senators vs. Oilers

Joshua Norris (C - $4,900), Brady Tkachuk (W - $6,700), Evgenii Dadonov (W - $3,400)

This is a new line, and it has a high ceiling against Edmonton's abysmal defense. Norris and Tkachuk have played together all season, but they've underperformed, recording 3.38 xGF/60 and producing just 1.59 GF/60. Dadonov is a new addition, and the three-time 25-goal scorer should help the unit finish more plays.

DEFENSEMEN

Victor Hedman, TB at NAS ($7,300): Hedman is automatic, stacking up 10 points over nine games, including five on the man advantage. He continues to average more than 25 minutes per game, and his power-play minutes are increasingly valuable against the Preds' putrid PK.

Adam Fox, NYR vs. NYI ($5,700): Fox has been dominant with an extra man this year, recording five of his seven points on the power play. He shoots enough and blocks enough shots to provide a solid floor, and his ceiling is quite high because the Islanders' PK (77.8 percent) is 21st in the league.

Jakob Chychrun, ARI at STL ($5,000): A breakout year is underway, but Chychrun largely flies under the radar. His 68.69 xGF% is ninth among NHL blueliners, and he's converted with eight points and 30 shots on net through 11 games, with three power-play points to boot. 

Seth Jones, CLM vs. CAR ($4,500): Jones has stepped up as expected with Zach Werenski (upper body) out, dishing out three assists through two games. Sunday's game was a high-scoring affair, and Jones should be in the middle of the action once again Monday.

Evan Bouchard, EDM at OTT ($3,000): A cost-saving option, Bouchard has fired seven shots on net over his first two games of the year, adding an assist to the ledger as well. The 21-year-old is getting power-play time with Ethan Bear (face) out as well, so he measures up well against Ottawa's 25th-ranked PK (72.2 percent).

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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