This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's the opening night of the 2023 playoffs with four games scheduled for Monday. It'll be a staggered start with Islanders at Hurricanes kicking things off, then Panthers at Bruins, Wild at Stars and Kings at Oilers.
Some injuries to take note: Isles' top center Mathew Barzal is expected to play; Linus Ullmark is expected to start for the Bruins though Patrice Bergeron is questionable; Sam Bennett will travel with the team but is not expected to play; John Klingberg and top center Joel Eriksson Ek are both questionable for the Wild; and Gabriel Vilardi is questionable while assists leader Kevin Fiala is doubtful for the Kings.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. MIN ($7,900): It should be a close series but the Stars head into the playoffs with a lot of momentum. They won six in a row to conclude the season while the Wild struggled, losing five of their last seven and will likely be without Klingberg and Eriksson Ek, leaving them without their top center at an already thin position. Oettinger has a brilliant track record in the playoffs with a .956 Sv% and 1.67 GAA.
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. LA ($8,100): The Oilers won their last two meetings of the season by a combined 5-1 score, and the Kings will be without Fiala, their top playmaker and the player they acquired to address their offense after they had trouble scoring in last season's playoffs.
VALUE PLAYS
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, CAR vs. NYI ($3,900): Kotkaniemi is expected to open as the Canes' No. 2 center and flanked by Martin Necas, who led the team in scoring during the season, and Stefan Noesen. Kotkaniemi ended the season on a high note with three points and seven shots in his last two games. Expect the Canes to lean on their top two lines a lot because beating Ilya Sorokin will not be easy.
Frederick Gaudreau, MIN at DAL ($4,200): Gaudreau inked a multi-year extension just before the playoffs and now gets to prove his worth. With Eriksson Ek out of the lineup, expect Gaudreau to center Matthew Boldy and Marcus Johansson, both of whom were excellent down the stretch. Gaudreau scored two goals in the season finale and might carry some of that momentum into the first round.
Wyatt Johnston, DAL vs. MIN ($4,000): Johnston ended the season on a three-game point streak and will open the series as the No. 2 center with Jamie Benn and Evgenii Dadonov on his wings. The Stars are balancing out their attack but Johnston has proven to be a reliable option despite being a rookie. With the Wild's thin depth at center and the Stars getting last change, Johnston will get some favourable matchups.
LINE STACKS
Islanders at Hurricanes
Bo Horvat (C - $7,300), Mathew Barzal (C - $5,900), Anders Lee (W - $5,900)
Barzal is expected to play and his return some re-kindle some chemistry with Horvat, who struggled to score without Barzal in the lineup. Barzal offers up excellent value for a player who averaged almost a point per game, and note the Canes' goaltending wasn't particularly stout this season with all three goalies finishing with a save percentage of .910 or lower.
Bruins vs. Panthers
David Krejci (C - $4,300), David Pastrnak (W - $9,600), Tyler Bertuzzi (W - $4,500)
With Bergeron questionable, look for the Bruins to lean on Pastrnak's line a lot more. Pastrnak is their top scoring option by a wide margin, and Bertuzzi increased his offensive output significantly since moving from Detroit. Krejci missed the final six games of the season with a lower-body injury but he's expected to be healthy and ready to play, and no other Bruins has better chemistry with Pastrnak than Krejci.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. MIN ($6,100): Among the defensemen available for selection, Heiskanen and Montour were the top scorers, finishing with 73 points apiece. Montour's higher salary means there's more value with Heiskanen, and his status as the top defenseman in Dallas is undisputed.
Dmitry Orlov, BOS vs. FLA ($4,100): The Bruins will be leaning on Orlov a lot with his Stanley Cup-winning experience. He scored 17 points in 23 games since he was acquired from the Caps, and though his scoring faded after a strong start, he's a fixture in their top four.
Mattias Ekholm, EDM vs. LA ($4,100): Ekholm is another defenseman who improved his offensive production significantly after switching teams. He finished the season on a three-game point streak and will be counted on all situations. Since the playoffs tend to feature fewer penalties and more even-strength play, not playing on the power play will not hurt Ekholm's fantasy value very much.
