The Stanley Cup Finals continue tonight for Game 5 in Carolina. The Golden Knights and Hurricanes are tied at 2-2 after Carolina claimed a 5-3 win in Game 4. Here are my recommendations for the upcoming match based on a $60,000 budget spread over six players, including an MVP who costs 1.5 times the price but provides 1.5 times the points.
SLATE PREVIEW
Carolina (minus-152) is favored to win at home against Vegas (plus-126) based on FanDuel's moneyline. The two sides split the opening two games in Carolina. We've also had three of the four games decided by just one goal, and the Hurricanes got a two-goal win Tuesday only because of an empty-netter late in the third period. With that in mind, it's reasonable to anticipate another close game.
MVP
Logan Stankoven, CAR vs. VGK ($11,100): Taking Stankoven as the MVP might be a bit of a reach, and you could go with a safer bet like Mitch Marner ($18,000), Seth Jarvis ($16,500) or Nikolaj Ehlers ($15,600). However, Stankoven has been Carolina's best player in the 2026 playoffs when it comes to home games, totaling six goals and nine points across nine outings. He's also red hot with four goals and seven points in his past six appearances, including both home and away games. When you combine those two factors, it's reasonable to believe that Stankoven might be a top contributor tonight. The biggest downside is that there are some amazing value options, so you likely won't take full advantage of Stankoven being a cheaper-than-usual MVP option.
UTILITY
Mitch Marner, VGK at CAR ($12,000): If Vegas wins the Stanley Cup, Marner will probably get the Conn Smythe. He has 10 goals and a league-leading 29 points in 20 playoff outings this year. The next best player is Jack Eichel ($13,000) with 20 points, but Eichel has been relatively cold in the finals with two assists over four appearances, while Marner has three goals and eight points over the same four-game span.
Nikolaj Ehlers, CAR vs. VGK ($10,400): Ehlers was a standout performer in Tuesday's victory with a goal and three points. He's up to seven goals and 13 points over his past 12 outings.
Sebastian Aho, CAR vs. VGK ($10,000): Aho is on a three-game scoring streak in which he's collected four assists. He's been particularly effective with the man advantage, which has accounted for three of those four helpers.
Brett Howden, VGK at CAR ($5,400): Howden has been fantastic for a while now, scoring 14 goals and 18 points over his past 17 appearances. He's showing no signs of slowing after recording four goals and six points across his active four-game scoring streak.
Jordan Staal, CAR vs. VGK ($4,600): Staal is a discount option, but he's certainly not playing like one. He is on a four-game goal-scoring streak with five goals and six points across his past four appearances. He played a critical role in Carolina's victory Tuesday by supplying two goals, including one with the man advantage.
