This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Canadiens cleaned house on Sunday and it'll be interesting to see how they respond as they host the reeling Canucks, who have lost four straight and nine of their last 10. The Habs (-140) will be the slight favorites along with the Flames (-142), who will host the Penguins.
The Jets will be the fourth Canadian team in action as big favorites against the visiting Coyotes (+260). The Jets just snapped their five-game losing streak and will play the first of four home games. The fourth game will feature the Kraken (-146), who have won three of their past four, paying a visit to the Sabres.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. ARI ($8,000): Hellebuyck will be a very popular and it's absolutely warranted. A 4-2 win against the Flames was a very positive sign, and the win could be the start of something for the notoriously streaky Jets. The Coyotes have scored three goals or more just four times in their past 10 games.
Philipp Grubauer, SEA at BUF ($7,400): Grubauer's play remains inconsistent, but at least he's won two of his past three games and sparked a hot run by the Kraken. The Sabres, meanwhile, keep dropping down the standings and have scored five of their past six games.
Thatcher Demko, VAN at MON ($7,200): There's no question Demko is the superior goalie to anyone the Habs have; the only worry is the Canucks offense can't even provide a modicum of goal support. There's a chance the Canucks could upset because the Habs are suddenly facing an uncertain future, and they showed fairly well against the Bruins on Sunday.
VALUE PLAYS
Evan Rodrigues, PIT at CGY ($4,600): Rodrigues reaps the benefit of an injury to Bryan Rust, who has scored twice in his past three games and played 21 minutes against the Habs. Rodrigues is a high-volume shooter (he had 12 shots against the Habs) and now gets to play with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel.
Alexander Wennberg, SEA at BUF ($4,200): Wennberg has not scored a point in six straight games but remains a good value play because of the minutes he gets and his role on the top line and power play. The downside to Wennberg is that he rarely shoots the puck, but his wingers Marcus Johansson and Jordan Eberle both have some finish, and the Sabres goaltending has allowed at least four goals in five of their past eight games.
Travis Boyd, ARI at WPG ($3,800): Boyd has scored a goal in three straight games and has emerged as the Coyotes' top center between Clayton Keller and Phil Kessel. It's a plum assignment for a player who's usually stuck in a bottom-six checking role. The Jets will be hard to score on but no first-line center comes cheaper than Boyd.
Alex Chiasson, VAN at MON ($3,300): Chiasson's fantasy value will be depend entirely on the Canucks' power play, where he's the net-front presence on the top unit. The Habs penalty kill ranks 29th in the league so even the Canucks' 23rd-ranked PP should be able to get quality chances.
LINE STACKS
Canadiens vs. Canucks
Nick Suzuki (C - $6,600), Cole Caufield (W - $3,400), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $4,200)
The Canucks are an easy target because their defense is arguably the worst in the league. Caufield has scored two points in his past three games and hopefully he can bring Suzuki's game back to life, while Lehkonen has been quietly impressive with five points in his past four games. With the Habs throwing the towel after firing GM Marc Bergevin, they may start playing their younger players much more once again as they have their eyes on the future.
DEFENSEMEN
Kris Letang, PIT at CGY ($6,000): The drawback with Letang is that the Flames defend very well. He has more upside than Quinn Hughes ($6,1000) because Letang will likely log more minutes, and the Canucks are in complete disarray, especially on the power play. With the lack of elite options, Letang is the safe route.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI at WPG ($5,100): There's a dearth of good options on defense with only eight teams playing, and the quality dives off after Gostisbehere, who's have a resurgent season with 15 points in 21 games. He's been far more productive than Jakob Chychrun ($5,200) as they face the league's 30th-ranked PK.
Vince Dunn, SEA at BUF ($3,900): Look for Dunn, who played 21 minutes and notched a power-play assist in surprising win against the Panthers on Saturday, to keep playing a big role in captain Mark Giordano's absence. No one else on the Kraken blue line can move the puck like Dunn and he'll keep getting all the offensive-zone opportunities.
