This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are eight games on tap in the NHL on Sunday, with only Calgary and Anaheim having had Saturday off. Calgary hosts Ottawa, while Nashville travels across Los Angeles after playing the Kings on Saturday, and visits Anaheim. All other games involve two tired teams, including Boston in Detroit, the Rangers taking on the Penguins in Pittsburgh, Vegas playing in St. Louis, Carolina traveling to New Jersey, Tampa Bay hosting Winnipeg and Minnesota playing in Arizona. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Filip Gustavsson, MIN at ARI ($8,300): Gustavsson has been the best goaltender in the NHL since Christmas, going 10-3-3, giving up 25 goals on 490 shots. That is outstanding. Overall, Gustavsson is 17-8-4 with a 1.91 GAA and .935 save percentage. Arizona is averaging only 2.73 goals per game, good for 27th in the NHL. Gustavsson has only allowed one goal on 97 shots in his last three games.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. WPG ($8,000): The Lightning have been floundering of late, losing five of their last seven games, but they had a big victory Saturday as they dumped Chicago 3-1 with Brian Elliott between the pipes. Vasilevskiy is 1-2-2 in his last five contests, giving up 17 goals on 126 shots in his last four games, but he's 29-16-4 on the year with a 2.69 GAA and .914 save percentage. He remains a top-three netminder in the NHL, although his play of late has been shoddy. Vasilevskiy should get back on track facing the Jets, who are 18th in NHL scoring, averaging 3.18 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY vs. OTT: ($5,000): Huberdeau will move back to left wing for the first time in a few months and is thrilled to be doing so, as he has been playing on the right side of late. He will play alongside Nazem Kadri and Dillon Dube. Huberdeau was outstanding last season with the Panthers, scoring 30 goals and adding 85 assists, finishing tied for second in NHL scoring with Johnny Gaudreau. This season has been a struggle, as Huberdeau has 12 goals and 30 assists in 63 games. He had an assist in his only game versus Ottawa this season. The move back to the left wing should boost his game.
Cody Glass, NAS at ANA ($4,400): Glass has been scoring of late, picking up two goals and five assists in his last nine games. He is centering the top line and plays on the first power play, as the Predators have been hurt by injuries to Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. Glass has taken advantage of the injuries with his recent scoring surge. He has nine goals and 26 points in 53 games this season.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, CAR at NJ ($4,100): Kotkaniemi has five goals and 10 points in his last 12 games, with a big five-point effort against Tampa Bay a week ago. The 22-year-old center has 12 goals and 30 points in 63 games this season, including three goals and 10 points on the power play.
Marcus Johansson, MIN at ARI ($3,700): Johansson had a goal and an assist Saturday in San Jose, giving him three points in five games with the Wild, after he was dealt from Washington. Johansson will be more valuable offensively, as Kirill Kaprizov is out of the Wild lineup with a lower-body injury. Johansson had 13 goals and 28 points in 60 games with the Capitals before the trade.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Jets
Brayden Point (C-$9,100), Nikita Kucherov (W-$9,700), Brandon Hagel (W-$6,000)
Point has been red-hot of late, with 11 goals in his last 11 games. He also has eight assists during the streak, giving him 43 goals and 36 assists in 66 games this season. Point has been prolific on the power play with 17 goals and 27 points. The highest scoring member of the line, Kucherov, is second in the NHL in assists with 69, three in arrears of the great Connor McDavid. He has 95 points in 65 games, good for third in NHL scoring. Hagel replaced Steven Stamkos on the line Saturday after Stamkos limped off the ice late in the first period. Hagel scored his 23rd of the season Saturday, clinching the 3-1 win over Chicago with an empty netter. He has 51 points in 66 games, crushing his previous career high in points set last season when he had 44 in 77 games.
Senators at Flames
Tim Stutzle (C - $8,600), Brady Tkachuk (W -$8,100), Claude Giroux (W - $7,600)
Stutzle has been hot of late with five goals and 11 points in his last seven games. The 21-year-old has 31 goals and 70 points in 61 games as he is establishing himself as one of the best young players in the game. Tkachuk is the heart and soul of the Senators. He is one point shy of his career high in points set last season, as he has 26 goals and 66 points in 2022-23. Tkachuk has 266 shots on goal, sixth-best in the NHL. Giroux has given the Senators a veteran presence and it has rejuvenated his game. Giroux has 28 goals and 66 points in 65 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Jared Spurgeon, MIN at ARI ($5,300): Spurgeon had a goal and an assist Saturday, giving him 10 goals and 29 points in 66 games this season. He is averaging almost 22 minutes per game of action this season. If you are going with expensive forwards and a goalie, you will need a player like Spurgeon to fill out your roster.
Juuso Valimaki, ARI vs. MIN ($4,000): Valimaki has taken over quarterbacking the Arizona power play as the Coyotes dealt Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere at the trade deadline. A first-round pick of the Flames in 2017, Valimaki had injury woes while in Calgary but has broken out this season with a pair of goals and 22 assists in 61 games. He has 11 assists on the power play and has 12 assists in his last 15 games.
