Vegas jumped out ahead in the Western Conference Finals with a 4-2 victory over Colorado on Wednesday, and the action will continue tonight with Carolina hosting Montreal for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Here are my recommendations for building a FanDuel lineup in which you'll have a salary of $60,000 to spend among six players, including an MVP that costs 1.5 times the price and gives 1.5 times the points.
SLATE PREVIEW
Carolina is regarded as a heavy favorite (minus-185) over Montreal (plus-170), based on FanDuel's moneyline. That's not surprising after the Hurricanes swept their opening two playoff series, in contrast to Montreal, which needed a pair of Game 7 victories to reach this point.
MVP
Jackson Blake, CAR vs. MON ($9,600): Neither team's top forwards have set themselves ahead of the pack to such an extent that it's worth spending the increased price on them. Blake has four goals and 11 points through eight playoff appearances this year, including three goals and seven points in Carolina's four-game sweep of Philadelphia in the second round, so the 22-year-old should do well in the MVP slot while still leaving you with tons of flexibility for the rest of your roster.
UTILITY
Cole Caufield, MON at CAR ($13,000): Caufield had an incredible 51 goals and 88 points in 81 regular-season outings in 2025-26. He hasn't been as productive in the 2026 playoffs, but the 25-year-old has heated up with three goals and five points over his past five appearances.
Nick Suzuki, MON at CAR ($11,400): After providing 101 points in the regular season, Suzuki has unsurprisingly been an important part of Montreal's playoff success. He has four goals and 10 points in 12 postseason outings this year. He's also expected to play alongside Caufield, so taking both gives your lineup some synergy.
Logan Stankoven, CAR vs. MON ($8,400): Stankoven has had no trouble finding the back of the net in the 2026 playoffs, supplying seven goals and eight points through eight outings. Only Pavel Dorofeyev (10) and Brett Howden (nine) have more postseason goals than Stankoven this year, though Dorofeyev and Howden have also logged more playoff games (13).
Alex Newhook, MON at CAR ($6,000): Sometimes the cheaper players recommended at the end are there simply to make the budget work, but this isn't one of those times. Newhook has far outplayed his price point, supplying seven goals and eight points across his past eight appearances, including the series-winning Game 7 goal in each of the past two rounds.
Taylor Hall, CAR vs. MON ($5,800): Similar to Newhook, Hall has provided value more in line with a much higher price point. He has three goals and 12 points across eight playoff appearances this year. In terms of points per game among players still active in the 2026 playoffs, his 1.50 leads the league.
