This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Alright, the holiday weekend is over. Time to get back to business. Monday features three NHL games, with the first starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, so buckle down and get your NHL DFS lineups in. Here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Two teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Dallas is in Utah, while Chicago is in Toronto.
GOALIE
Anthony Stolarz, TOR vs. CHI ($8,400): Maybe the Maple Leafs will try and get Joseph Woll a start because both of these netminders have played well. Stolarz has a 2.33 GAA and a .921 save percentage. That comes after he had a 2.03 GAA and .925 save percentage last season. The Blackhawks aren't just on the second leg of a back-to-back. They are in the bottom five in goals and shots on net per contest.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Matthew Knies, TOR vs. CHI ($4,100): Knies is back, and so is Auston Matthews in the role of his centerman. In Knies' first game back he had a goal and an assist, giving him 14 points in 21 games. Chicago will likely be starting Arvid Soderblom in net. While he's been good in limited action this year, he has a career .887 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Hockey Club vs. Stars
Barrett Hayton (C - $3,700), Clayton Keller (W - $6,500), Nick Schmaltz (W - $4,300)
Sensibly, with a massive matchup against the Jets taking place Sunday, the Stars started Jake Oettinger in goal. Of course, that means the Hockey Club gets the chance to clean up with a matchup against Casey DeSmith. DeSmith has a .891 save percentage in seven appearances this year, and a .900 save percentage over the last three campaigns. There's a reason why the veteran backup is on his third team in three seasons. While the Stars have helped out their netminders with good defense, it's harder to be locked in on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. Utah's first line is primed to benefit.
Hayton has five goals and six assists through 24 games, but he's also been moved around the lineup. He's centering Utah's top line now, and he has three assists over his last three outings. Playing next to Keller is the easiest path to production for a player on this team. He's been a 30-goal guy and a point-a-game guy the last two seasons, and he has seven goals and 22 points this year. Though he only has one goal in his last 13 games, he has 10 assists in that time, and his four percent shooting rate speaks to a run of bad puck luck. Maybe Schmaltz's puck luck is primed to turn around. Through the first 23 games of the season, he had 17 assists… and zero goals. That was on 49 shots on net, though. In his last game, two of Schmaltz's five shots on target went in.
DEFENSEMAN
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. CHI ($5,100): Apologies to the Rangers and Devils, but I don't see much opportunity for big-time DFS value in that matchup (even if it is the game of these three I most want to watch). After having 20 power-play points last season, Rielly has seven this year, and he's averaged 2:43 per game with the extra man. The Blackhawks have an average penalty kill this season, but they are on the road for the second day of a back-to-back, and Soderblom's career .887 save percentage is enticing as well.
