We're into the final days of the regular season. There are nine games on the docket, making this the busiest remaining night until 2026-27. Let's go over my favorite picks for tonight.
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SLATE PREVIEW
Carolina, Philadelphia, Minnesota, St. Louis, Colorado, Los Angeles and Winnipeg are all playing on the second night of a back-to-back, so there are plenty of teams that are working through fatigue. In addition to that, it's important to remember that teams that have secured a spot in the playoffs might rest key players at this stage of the campaign. Carolina is the most obvious example of that, but the Hurricanes aren't the only team employing that tactic. Unfortunately, some of those healthy scratches might not be known until the pregame warmups, so be careful and wait as long as you can before finalizing your roster.
GOALIES
Jesper Wallstedt, MIN vs. ANA ($7,400): Wallstedt is projected to get the assignment on the second half of a back-to-back, which is far from ideal, but he's still a good goaltender at an affordable price. He has a 17-9-6 record, 2.63 GAA and .914 save percentage in 34 appearances this campaign. Wallstedt's also been particularly effective recently, allowing just nine goals on 131 shots (.931 save percentage) over his past six appearances.
Logan Thompson, WAS at CLM ($7,200): Thompson is on a four-game winning streak in which he's stopped 92 of 97 shots (.948 save percentage). That gives him a 31-21-6 record, 2.44 GAA and .912 save percentage in 58 appearances in 2025-26. Meanwhile, Columbus has gone 2-7-1 across its past 10 appearances while averaging just 2.00 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS
Ryan Leonard, WAS at CLM ($5,000): Leonard has five goals and nine points in his past eight appearances. That has pushed the 20-year-old rookie up to 20 goals and 45 points in 74 outings this season.
Marco Rossi, VAN vs. LAK ($4,800): This has been a miserable season for the Canucks, but Rossi could still end the campaign on a positive note. He's collected two goals and three points across his last two games, which gives him 12 goals and 34 points in 48 appearances between Minnesota and Vancouver in 2025-26.
Matvei Michkov, PHI vs. MON ($4,500): The Flyers clinched a playoff berth Monday, so there is a chance Philadelphia will rest players tonight. However, Michkov is a good value play if he's in the lineup. He has 19 goals and 48 points in 80 appearances this season, including three goals and eight points across his past six outings.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Mammoth vs. Jets
Nick Schmaltz (C - $6,100), Clayton Keller (W - $7,100), Lawson Crouse (W - $5,200)
Like other playoff-bound teams, there is a chance Utah will rest veteran players, so be mindful of that. However, Utah is still battling for playoff positioning, and this isn't the Mammoth's last game, so they might dress their regular lineup tonight and then rest players Thursday versus St. Louis.
If Utah's top line does play Tuesday, then the trio would be a good choice. Keller is red hot with four goals and 17 points in his past eight outings. Crouse also has been on a good roll with three goals and five points in his past five appearances. By contrast, Schmaltz isn't hot at the moment, but he's still a high-end forward with 31 goals and 72 points across 80 appearances in 2025-26.
Canadiens at Flyers
Nick Suzuki (C - $7,500), Cole Caufield (W - $7,600), Juraj Slafkovsky (W - $6,600)
The Canadiens have already punched their playoff ticket, so there is a chance that some or all of the top line will skip Montreal's regular-season finale. However, the Canadiens enter tonight's action with a chance at home-ice advantage in at least the first round still on the table, so it wouldn't be shocking if Montreal opts to put forth its best possible roster.
Besides, time off might not be in this line's best interest, given how red hot they are. Suzuki has five goals and 15 points across his past 10 outings while being held off the scoresheet just once over that stretch. Slafkovsky is on a four-game scoring streak in which he's collected a goal and six points. Meanwhile, Caufield has chipped in 14 goals and 24 points across his last 17 appearances. Right now, this is one of the most effective lines in the league.
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev, UTA vs. WPG ($6,100): Sergachev has been on a roll recently, collecting 12 assists over his past eight outings. That gives him 10 goals and 58 points in 76 appearances in 2025-26.
Filip Hronek, VAN vs. LAK ($5,200): Hronek has been one of the few positives for Vancouver this season. His 48 points (eight goals) are tied for his career high for a regular season. Hronek has been pushing towards that personal best by contributing seven assists over his past eight games.
Martin Fehervary, WAS at CLM ($4,200): Fehervary has been ending the campaign on a strong note with a goal and five points in his past four outings. He's up to 27 points in 80 appearances in 2025-26, which is a new personal best for a regular season.
