Happy New Year! The league has scheduled eight games for the start of the year. Most of them will start at 7:00 p.m. ET or later, but there are two afternoon games, starting at 1:00 p.m. (Washington at Ottawa) and 3:00 p.m. (the Islanders hosting Utah). Here are my recommendations for today's action.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are an unusually high number of teams playing in the second half of a back-to-back Thursday. Washington, Nashville, Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, Detroit and Dallas all played Wednesday, so fatigue might impact those teams tonight. Seattle is set to play Friday, which might impact the Kraken's lineup decisions today.
GOALIES
Brandon Bussi, CAR vs. MON ($7,900): Bussi has done well playing behind the top-tier Hurricanes. He has a 13-1-1 record, 2.08 GAA and .912 save percentage in 15 outings this year. Montreal is a difficult adversary, but given how good Bussi and Carolina have been, he's still worth considering.
David Rittich, NYI vs. UTA ($7,600): Rittich has looked good lately, posting a 4-1-1 record, 1.63 GAA and .944 save percentage in his past six outings. Provided he gets the start, this will be his second game against the Mammoth this season. He turned aside 27 of 29 shots en route to a 3-2 overtime win over Utah on Nov. 14.
Joey Daccord, SEA vs. NAS ($7,500): Daccord hasn't been stellar this campaign, but he's looked better recently, allowing two or fewer goals in five of his past six starts. Nashville ranks 22nd in goals per game with 2.85.
VALUE PLAYS
Eeli Tolvanen, SEA vs. NAS ($4,900): Tolvanen has been productive recently with three goals and 10 points across his past seven appearances. He's averaged 19:31 of ice time over that stretch, which is a substantial increase from his 16:16 overall in 2025-26. If he continues to get leaned on heavily, it should naturally help his offensive production.
Thomas Novak, PIT vs. DET ($4,800): Novak might be kicking off a hot streak after supplying a goal and three points across his past two outings. He's up to seven goals and 20 points in 38 appearances this season, which already puts him within striking distance of his 22 points in 54 regular-season outings last year.
Bobby McMann, TOR vs. WPG ($4,500): McMann isn't an elite offensive option, but he has his moments. The 29-year-old has supplied four goals and six points across his past six appearances. It helps that he's playing aggressively with the puck. He has 20 shots over that six-game stretch, ballooning his season total to 75 in 38 appearances.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning at Kings
Brayden Point (C - $5,600), Nikita Kucherov (W - $7,700), Gage Goncalves (W - $3,700)
Kucherov is on a five-game scoring streak, collecting five goals and nine points in that span. It's the latest run of success in what's proving to be another dominant campaign. He's already contributed 18 goals and 51 points in 35 appearances this season. By contrast, Point is having something of an off season with seven goals and 22 points in 32 appearances, but he's looked far better lately, supplying four goals and 11 points across his past 10 games.
Point and Kucherov are both worth selecting today, but Goncalves is more of a question mark. He has just three goals and 11 points in 35 appearances this season. At least he has a low price, and he has been productive recently with a goal and four points in his past five outings. If you can afford the upgrade, though, Jake Guentzel (W - $6,800) has 18 goals and 39 points in 39 appearances this season, and Guentzel plays alongside Point and Kucherov on the power play.
Red Wings at Penguins
Dylan Larkin (C - $6,900), Lucas Raymond (W - $6,500), Emmitt Finnie (W - $4,900)
Raymond and Larkin are well on their way to having another fantastic season. Raymond has 11 goals and 43 points in 39 appearances, while Larkin has supplied 21 goals and 37 points in 41 outings. They should do well against the Penguins, who are coming off a win against Carolina, but have still averaged an appalling 4.20 goals allowed per game across their past 10 outings.
The 20-year-old Finnie can be skipped. His nine goals and 19 points through 41 appearances leave something to be desired, and he's been held off the scoresheet for the past three games. You could consider swapping him out for Alex DeBrincat (W - $6,700), who has 20 goals and 40 points in 41 appearances this season and is set to play on the top power-play unit alongside Larkin and Raymond.
DEFENSEMEN
Moritz Seider, DET at PIT ($6,900): Seider has contributed three goals and nine points across his past eight outings. That gives him seven goals and 31 points in 41 appearances this season, putting him well on his way to topping his career high of 50 points, which was set during the 2021-22 regular season.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at CHI ($6,700): Heiskanen has been a steady contributor lately, collecting four goals and 13 points across his past 13 appearances. He's in a good position to continue to do well against the free-falling Blackhawks, who are 4-13-3 over their past 20 games.
Erik Karlsson, PIT vs. DET ($5,900): Karlsson collected two assists, including one on the power play, in a 5-1 win against Carolina on Tuesday. The 35-year-old is having another strong campaign overall, with three goals and 28 points in 38 appearances in 2025-26.
