This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
Christmas is two weeks away, so perhaps you can give yourself an early gift with some daily fantasy hockey success. Here are some players to consider for Monday's six-game slate…
GOALIE
Winnipeg Jets, WPG vs. VAN ($16,800): The Jets may have lost three in a row, but they are 10-2-1 at home. Meanwhile, Vancouver has only scored 2.70 goals per game, and it has notched a mere 29.2 shots on net per contest. Connor Hellebuyck has cooled down a bit, but he still has a 2.51 GAA and a .919 save percentage.
CENTER
Nicklas Backstrom, WAS at NYI ($13,300): Backstrom only has five goals, but two of them have come in his last two contests. Plus, he has 10 points total in his last eight tilts. The Islanders have a team GAA of 3.38 and have allowed 32.9 shots on net per game, so Backstrom could definitely stay hot here.
Vincent Trocheck, FLA at DET ($13,200): Trocheck has tallied 30 points in 29 games, and he's put 98 shots on net. He's been particularly prolific recently, notching 48 shots in his last 10 contests. The Red Wings have a team GAA of 3.31 but have been even worse recently. In his last nine games, Jimmy Howard has a 4.42 GAA and a .846 save percentage.
WING
Jake Guentzel, PIT vs. COL ($12,100): Guentzel has notched six points and 18 shots on net in his last six games, and overall he has 74 shots in 31 contests. He's also started 62.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, third most on the Penguins. The Avalanche, on the other hand, have a 3.32 team GAA and have ceded 32.0 shots on goal per tilt.
Jeff Skinner, CAR at ANA ($11,500): In his last four seasons, Skinner's had at least 235 shots on goal, and this year he's notched 104 in 28 tilts. That's notable, because the Ducks have allowed a league-high 36.1 shots on net per game. Skinner should have the opportunity to notch plenty of shots, which increases the chances of him picking up his 12th goal of the year.
Gustav Nyquist, DET vs. FLA ($8,400): Nyquist has started 61.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most among Detroit forwards. The Panthers have a league-worst 3.52 team GAA and have also allowed 35.6 shots on net per tilt. With Roberto Luongo out, things are looking even bleaker with James Reimer (3.81 GAA, .888 save percentage) in goal.
DEFENSEMEN
Aaron Ekblad, FLA at DET ($9,700): Ekblad is on a four-game point streak, and it's probably owed in part to his significant uptick in shots on net. In his last 10 tilts, the top pick in the 2014 NHL draft has tallied 42 shots on goal, a massive number for a defenseman. Detroit has allowed 32.1 shots on net per game and its team GAA of 3.31 is in the bottom 10 of the NHL.
Brandon Montour, ANA vs. CAR ($7,600): Montour has averaged 2:42 per game with the extra man, and he's tallied six power-play points in 29 games. That's notable, considering that the Hurricanes have the 29th-ranked penalty kill. Though Carolina is middle-of-the-pack overall (3.04 team GAA), Montour's power-play acumen still makes this a favorable matchup. Plus, the Hurricanes have a .896 team save percentage.
