This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Henrik Lundqvist, NYR vs. CAR ($7,400) – For whatever reason, Scott Darling ($7,800) carries a higher salary even though a) Lundqvist is clearly the better goalie, b) both teams have a 3-5-2 record in their past 10 games, and c) the Rangers have the clear advantage at home. Lundqvist is having a better season than last year despite posting just 25 wins, and in two previous starts against Carolina this season he's been near-perfect with a .970 save percentage and 1.00 GAA. After a disastrous February that forced the Rangers to hit the reset button, Lundqvist has a .933 save percentage through four games in March.
CENTER
Vincent Trocheck, FLA vs. OTT ($7,400) – If it's not Aleksander Barkov doing the damage for the Panthers it's Trocheck, and he comes at a $200 discount despite putting up similar numbers. Barkov's eight-game point streak was snapped Saturday against the Rangers but Trocheck picked up the slack with two points, and he now has five points in his past three games. The Panthers have scored at least four goals in each of their past four games, and have hit their stride heading into the final stretch of the season. In 12 career games against the Sens, Trocheck has scored three goals and 10 points.
Paul Stastny, WPG at WAS ($6,000) – Stastny has fit like a glove since coming over to Winnipeg with seven points in six games while centering the top line between Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, both of whom are scoring at will. With Mark Scheifele out of the lineup, Stastny is the team's de facto No. 1 center and is also enjoying ample playing time on the man advantage. The Caps, meanwhile, have a goalie controversy on their hands and will start backup Philipp Grubauer, who is enjoying a good season but has never been firmly in the driver's seat in his NHL career. Nicklas Backstrom will be tasked with shutting down the Jets' top line, but his wingers are far weaker than Stastny's.
WING
Artemi Panarin, CLS vs. MON ($7,200) – The Bread Man has seven points in his past four games – all of which were wins – and he'll be facing a Habs team that has just nine wins on the road and has allowed 14 goals in their past three games. They've been forced to give significant minutes on the blue line to recent call-up Brett Lernout and rookie Noah Juulsen, and the Jackets will give them all they can handle – they're averaging 34.2 shots per game, which is fourth best in the league. They'll be well rested, too, with a three-day break before Monday's game.
Sebastian Aho, CAR at NYR ($6,000) – Lundqvist has been excellent for the Rangers this season, but it takes more than one man to win games. Aho has quietly amassed 52 points this season, already surpassing last year's total of 49 points, and he's scored a goal and an assist in his past three games. The Hurricanes' 181 goals scored isn't reflective of the amount of talent they have on their roster, and in fact they have only been shut out twice this season. Aho and the team's leading scorer Teuvo Teravainen have showcased some good chemistry all season, so even if the game ends up being a low-scoring affair, they're still the Hurricanes' best bets.
Tyler Toffoli, LA vs. VAN ($5,600) – He hasn't scored a goal in four games but he's traditionally feasted on the Canucks with 17 points in 21 career games. He's already scored three points in three games against them this season, and he's putting pucks on net at much higher clip than ever before. The Canucks, meanwhile, will be playing the second half of a back-to-back after losing to the Coyotes last night, and will likely be starting Anders Nilsson in net, who has allowed 17 goals in his past four appearances.
DEFENSE
Seth Jones, CLS vs. MON ($6,500) – Jones has pitched in five points with 11 shots on goal in his past two games, vaulting him into the league's top 10 among defensemen with 46 points this season. He's already set career highs across the board with 13 games to go, and the Habs are easy pickings given a roster rife with inconsistency and decimated by injuries. Jones is carrying a lot of momentum into the game and he's been far more productive than either Brent Burns or Erik Karlsson recently.
Alexander Edler, VAN at LA ($5,000) – He hasn't scored a goal since Jan. 12 despite putting 132 shots on net this season, and his 1.5 shooting percentage is a career low. However, Edler has traditionally been very productive against the Kings with four goals and 20 points in 37 games, and he'll get lots of ice time as the Canucks' minutes eater despite playing last night. Even though he hasn't been able to score much this season he's always been involved in the play, either by throwing his weight around or blocking shots.
