Welcome to Saturday’s 8-game NHL Slate. This is a very competitive slate with most of the games being rather even matchups, aside from the massively favored Boston Bruins hosting the Montreal Canadiens. The most exciting game on the card is the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs, but we also have the always-entertaining Battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. You can build daily fantasy hockey lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy for Thursday, December 21st, but before you build those NHL daily fantasy lineups, don’t forget to check out our NHL DFS projections, the NHL Value Finder, and the NHL DFS lineup generator. Let's look closer at the daily fantasy hockey top plays for tonight's NHL DFS Showdown slate.

 

NHL DFS Playbook January 13th

DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts

These 8-game slates fall in a sort of sweet spot where we have plenty of options to choose from and are not completely overwhelmed as is the case on 12-game slates. My favorite spend-up is going to be David Pastrnak coming off a hat trick, but there are plenty of options in play. It’s important to find solid value plays to help us jam as many studs as possible. The clear choice in net will be Linus Ullmark, but let’s dive in and see what else we can find.

 

Recommended DFS Starting Goalies

Top Options for Saves

Daniel Vladar Vs. Edmonton Oilers

Sam Montembeault Vs. Boston Bruins

Logan Thompson Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

 

Best Odds for a Win

Linus Ullmark Vs. Montreal Canadiens

Scott Wedgewood Vs. New Jersey Devils

Stuart Skinner Vs. Calgary Flames

 

Favorite Goalies to Use for DFS Lineups

Linus Ullmark, G, Boston Bruins

I’ve said this every week, but I really dislike paying up for the goalie position. Linus Ullmark is always on the expensive side and it can be difficult to pay off if he’s even a little off his game At the same time, the Canadiens register the 8th fewest shots per game at 28.9 and the 5th fewest goals at 2.69. Ullmark is 6-1-2 at home this season and should absolutely win this game. 

Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are on an insane 12-game winning streak which means we have to consider Stuart Skinner every slate. Skinner has not lost a start since December 19th and in the nine games he’s won since then, he has only allowed three goals in one game. The Calgary Flames are in no way a pushover, but with the way Skinner and the entire Oilers team are playing right now, we can ride the hot streak and not look back.

John Gibson, G, Anaheim Ducks

I think John Gibson is a solid goaltender, but his fantasy value is less than ideal while the Ducks lose most of their games. Today he presents us with the obligatory “attack the Sharks” option and forces us to consider him for rosters. San Jose is the only team in the league that averages below 2 goals per game and while they have shown flashes of offensive prowess, the opposing goalie always has to grab our attention. 

Charlie Lindgren, G, Washington Capitals

While I still don’t find the Capitals to be a good team, Charlie Lindgren has been exceptional in net. On the season, he holds a .927 SV% and 2.22 GAA with a 9-4-3 record. He has not allowed more than two goals in a game since December 16th and he just beat this team two days ago. He hasn’t had an overly impressive game in the way of fantasy production in six starts, but he’s cheap and on home ice.

 

Recommended DFS Skaters

Highest Expected Goal Totals  

Boston Bruins Vs Lukas Dostal (3.9)

Edmonton Oilers Vs. Sam Montembeault (3.9)

Vancouver Canucks Vs. Petr Mrazek (3.5)

 

Favorite Skaters to Use for DFS Lineups

Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl has been on fire during Edmonton’s winning streak. Over his last 10 games, he has recorded eight goals and seven assists while currently riding a three-game goal streak. There is no shame in moving up to take Connor McDavid instead, but Leon has as many points in the last 10 games and has seen his salary severely reduced from earlier in the season.

Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames

As much as I like Skinner and the Oilers tonight, Nazem Kadri has been very sharp lately. He has scored a goal in three straight games and is currently riding an eight-game point streak. He skates on the second line with impressive rookie Connor Zary while skating the top power-play unit. It may not be the best spot while Edmonton is playing at its best, but they can’t win forever and have shown this year they can be susceptible.

David Pastrnak, W, Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak is super expensive, as he always is, but he’s in a great spot here against a terrible Montreal Canadiens team. He’s a threat to the shot bonus on any given night and with 64 points in 44 games, it shouldn’t take a lot of convincing to play him. He’s fresh off a hat trick against Colorado and has recorded seven points over his last three games. He failed to find the net in the previous two games against Montreal, but I think he will find one tonight.

Elias Pettersson, W, Vancouver Canucks

Elias Pettersson is having another great season, with 59 points through 45 games. Vancouver shuffled their lines, moving Pettersson to the wing to skate alongside J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser and it has been paying off. Through his last 10 games, Elias has found 11 goals and 5 assists, providing a very solid floor for fantasy production. Ilya Samsonov did not look great before his injury and I don’t expect him to be ready to shut down the Lotto Line in this game. 

Charlie McAvoy, D, Boston Bruins

Charlie McAvoy is in a great spot against the Canadiens. He takes shots and blocks shots while he skates on the top power play and penalty kill units. He’s got 30 points through 36 games and has three points over his last three games. His fantasy floor is very safe and if the Bruins start pouring in shots, there’s a good chance he can pick up a few assists, or even a goal.

Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey Devils

New Jersey has been riddled with injuries which has cleared the way for Simon Nemec. The rookie defenseman has 10 points in 22 games and is lining up on the top defensive pairing while skating the 2nd power play and penalty kill units. Nemec was drafted 2nd overall by the Devils in the 2022 draft and has been a solid fill-in. He’s seen at least 20 minutes of ice time in the past three games, has three assists in his last four games, and considering his low price tag, is a very solid play.

 

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