Tonight's NHL Slate Preview: Picks, Goalies & Fantasy Value Plays for All 10 Games
This is a busy day on the schedule with 10 games set to take place tonight. The action starts with six 7:00 p.m. ET starts (Edmonton at Boston, Chicago at Montreal, Pittsburgh at Ottawa, Los Angeles at Tampa Bay, Toronto at Washington, Minnesota at Columbus), one at each of 7:30 (Philadelphia at Buffalo), 8:00 (the Rangers at St. Louis), 9:00 (Seattle at Calgary) and 10:00 (Dallas at San Jose).
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NHL Tonight's Matchup Previews
Dallas (-200), Tampa Bay (-184) and Montreal (-182) are the heaviest favorites tonight against San Jose (plus-164), Los Angeles (plus-152) and Chicago (plus-150), respectively, based on FanDuel's moneyline. It's easy to see why the 22-7-5 Stars are the favorites tonight, but the Sharks are a solid 17-14-3 and have the benefit of playing at home, where they're 10-5-3. The Sharks are also on a three-game winning streak, so while Dallas is still the better team, this looks like a closer match than those odds would indicate.
Goalie Matchups and Start Probabilities for December Games
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL vs. LAK ($7,900): Vasilevskiy is having a strong campaign with an 11-6-2 record, 2.31 GAA and .916 save percentage in 19 appearances this season. He hasn't played since Dec. 2 due to an undisclosed injury, but he's been activated off injured reserve, so he's an option for tonight. The Kings would be a good team to get back into the swing of things against -- they rank 28th in goals per game with 2.58.
Jesper Wallstedt, MIN at CLM ($7,800): Wallstedt is expected to start tonight, and he's been a good option almost every time he's been between the pipes this campaign, posting a 9-1-2 record, 1.95 GAA and .937 save percentage in 12 outings. Columbus is tied for 21st in goals per game with 2.91.
Dan Vladar, PHI at BUF ($7,600): Vladar has been solid recently with a 2-0-2 record while saving 87 of 94 shots (.926 save percentage). That's brought him up to 12-5-3 with a 2.41 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 20 appearances this year.
Undervalued Players Offering Best Fantasy or Betting Value
Blake Coleman, CAL vs. SEA ($4,700): Coleman has found the back of the net in back-to-back games and has been held off the scoresheet just once over his past four appearances.
Vasily Podkolzin, EDM at BOS ($4,400): Podkolzin has accumulated five goals and six points across his past seven appearances. It's a very unusual stretch for him -- he had eight goals in 82 regular-season outings last year -- so enjoy this while it lasts, but don't be surprised if he doesn't have another hot streak like this in 2025-26. Although his overall production hasn't been noteworthy (15 points), his 10 goals through 34 outings aren't bad.
Alexandre Texier, MON vs. CHI ($3,500): Texier is on a four-game scoring streak in which he's collected three goals and four points. With Kirby Dach (foot), Patrik Laine (abdomen) and Alex Newhook (ankle) all on the shelf, Texier is serving in a middle-six role and getting some power-play ice time.
Top Forward Line Stacks to Target for Scoring Potential
Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers
Elias Lindholm (C - $6,200), David Pastrnak (W - $7,700), Morgan Geekie (W - $7,400)
Lindholm disappointed last season with 47 points in 82 outings with Boston, but he's stepped up this year with five goals and 21 points through 24 appearances. A lot of that overall production is thanks to his recent success -- he has a goal and 12 points over his last nine games.
With Lindholm rolling, this line becomes easy to recommend because he was the one x-factor. Geekie has been dominant this season with 24 goals and 37 points in 34 outings, and Pastrnak is a superstar who has collected 13 goals and 38 points in 29 appearances, so all aspects of this line are working.
Meanwhile, Edmonton is tied for 27th in goals per game with 3.41. The Oilers have Tristan Jarry now, but he's turned aside just 51 of 58 shots (.879 save percentage) since being acquired, so it remains to be seen if he's the answer in net.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators
Sidney Crosby (C - $7,200), Bryan Rust (W - $7,000), Rickard Rakell (W - $5,900)
Crosby continues to dominate, even in his age-38 campaign, contributing 19 goals and 35 points in 32 appearances this year. He's continuing to roll with seven goals and 14 points across his last 12 outings.
He's also got solid wingers. Rust is on a four-game goal-scoring streak, bringing him up to 12 goals and 28 points in 30 outings this year. Rakell has been limited to 12 games in 2025-26, but he's been effective when available with three goals and 10 points.
Ottawa ranks 23rd in goals allowed per game with 3.25, so this line is in a position to generate some offense again tonight.
Offensive Defensemen Making an Impact on Both Ends
Evan Bouchard, EDM at BOS ($6,800): Bouchard is on a roll with two goals and 10 points across his past seven outings. He's up to six goals and 32 points in 34 appearances in 2025-26, which is good for third in the scoring race among defensemen.
Quinn Hughes, MIN at CLM ($6,600): Hughes is one of the league's top offensive defensemen with three goals and 25 points in 28 appearances this campaign. He has registered a point (one goal, one assist) in each of his first two games since being acquired by Minnesota.
Erik Karlsson, PIT at OTT ($5,600): Karlsson has accumulated two goals and 12 points across his past 11 appearances. That gives him three goals and 25 points in 32 outings this season.
