The NHL Conference Semifinals continue tonight and for these pair of Game 1 matchups between the New York Rangers/Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers/Calgary Flames, we've got tonight's NHL DFS slate for DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy! When looking over today's NHL DFS projections, we are going to be building our core lineup around players like Connor McDavid from the Edmonton Oilers and Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames. Don't forget to check out the NHL DFS lineup generator when building your winning lineups.

 

 

New York Rangers  vs. Carolina Hurricanes

 


Some people are thinking that this series is going to be a defensive battle, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Both teams are deep up front and have some elite players who can score goals. The total for this game opened at 6.0 and that might hit before the second period is even over.

Carolina's entire top line is underpriced on DraftKings. Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov are all worth considering on this slate. The Rangers gave up over four goals per game in the first round, so I have no idea why we are getting all three at a discount.

On the blueline, Tony DeAngelo is always a great idea, but Jaccob Slavin is where we should be spending our money. He was really good in the first round and continues to find a way to hit value. New York doesn’t shoot the puck a ton, but that won’t stop him from blocking shots.

Antti Raanta was good in the first round, but can he continue his strong play? The Rangers are a much deeper team than the Boston Bruins and he could struggle to keep the puck out of his own net. He’s a risky cash game option, but the other goalies on the slate aren’t any better.

For New York, Mika Zibanejad finished games six and seven with seven points and ten shots on goal. He’s red hot, so it’s going to be hard to fade him tonight. If you don’t want to pay up for him, Chris Kreider, Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp are three options to consider. Kreider’s show volume over the last few games has been good, so we can roll him out in cash games. Vatrano has struggled a bit, but he’s $4400 and continues to see top line minutes. Copp will get you some exposure to New York’s second line, which isn’t a bad thing in this game.

It's been a battle for me all year to decide between Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba, but the defenceman I really like tonight is Ryan Lindgren. He’s not going to rack up a ton of points, but he’s shooting the puck a decent amount and can block shots. For $3000, he gives us the flexibility to pay up elsewhere while still having some upside.

Igor Shesterkin reminded everyone why he’s an elite goalie. He was fantastic in game seven and will need to be just as good in this series. He’s given up three or more goals in five straight games, but he’s still managed to hit value. He can be used in cash games, but I like him more in GPPs.

 


Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames

 


The Battle of Alberta is the gift we all deserve. This series is going to be so much fun to watch, both for fans and DFS players. This series is going to feature a ton of goals from both sides, so there’s a lot of value to consider. 

Leon Draisaitl’s health to start this series is a concern, but he played game seven and saw over 22-minutes. He’s $6900 (nice) on DK, which is criminal. He doesn’t shoot the puck nearly as often as Connor McDavid, but that price tag is too low to say no. 

Speaking of McDavid, he should be in every lineup you build. He’s the best player in the world and just took control of the first round. If Anze Kopitar and Philipp Danault couldn’t slow him down, no one will. He’s going to be a huge part of every game.

If you need some value to fit both superstars into your lineup, Kailer Yamamoto is $2500 and is skating on the top line with both Draisaitl and McDavid. I’m not expecting him to do much, but just one point is enough for him to hit value. If you want to go another route, Evander Kane is another player to consider. I’d like him more if he was skating with McDavid, but he’s still shooting the puck a ton, and he will continue to do that tonight. 

On defence, Darnell Nurse is the only player I would consider. He can shoot the puck, block shots and rack up points. Getting him under $5K on DK is just an added bonus. If you want even more value, Cody Ceci has been playing really well of late and is only $3100.

It was a miracle to see Mike Smith do what he did in the first round, but his magic is going to come to an end at some point. I don’t trust him tonight, but if you disagree with me and trust the Oilers to get the job done, then go ahead and play him. Just be ready to be disappointed.

For the Flames, the mini-stack I would consider is Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. Both players can shoot the puck and they should get more than enough chances to do that tonight. Both players aren’t cheap, but I like the upside that they provide. 

Calgary’s blue line is where we are going to find a ton of value. Edmonton is going to push the pace quite a bit, so they should generate a ton of scoring chances. Calgary is going to block a ton of shots, so players like Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson and Chris Tanev (if he plays) are all worth considering. Hanifin is by far the best option, so make sure you do everything you can to get him into your lineup.

It’s terrifying to consider a goalie against Edmonton’s offence, but if anyone can get the job done, it’s Jacob Markstrom. He was sensational in the first round and he should be just as good in this round. I don’t like having to pay a premium to play him, but he has the best chance at picking up a win tonight, so if he doesn’t get blown open, he should be able to hit value.

 


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