Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane celebrates after scoring his goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oiler,s Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, in Chicago. The Blackhawks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Welcome back hockey fans. Monday brings us the final slate before Christmas so let's dig in and take a look at some core plays at each position.
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Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 19.79 DK - 14.44
While the Flyers have been merely average on the road(8-9-1) this season, they have been one of the best home teams in the league(12-2-4) and it starts with Carter Hart. He has an impressive 10-1-2 record on home ice with an elite .944 save % and comes in hot winning six of his last eight starts with a .936 save%. The only issue with Hart is that he doesn't face a ton of shots but of all the top goalies, he has the best form and a great shot at the win as a -175 favorite agaisnt the Rangers. All things considered(even my Flyers fandom), hart is my favorite play at the position in cash games.
Opponent - MON
Proj Pts FD - 21.11 DK - 15.83
Hellebuyck is coming off an impressive 31 save shutout in Minnesota on Saturday but has been very up down lately moving him to #2 in my ranks tonight. The Habs also come into Winnipeg with a Top 10 offense which adds some risk but what I like here is that the Hellebuyck faces a ton of shots(30.3 per game) while the Habs take a ton of shots(34.8) which elevates Hellebuyck's floor and ceiling. I prefer the safety with Hart in cash games but the projected shot volume for Hellebuyck has me loving him as a GPP pivot tonight.
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 23.13 DK - 18.41
After missing one game due to an upper-body injury, Eichel returned to the lineup on Saturday night to extend his point streak to 18 games(despite the official NHL designation). What's even more amazing about the streak is that he has tallied multiple points nine times for a total of 32 points while averaging a whopping 3.8 shots on goal. The streak most definitely has life tonight as he faces a Senators team that has given up 19 goals over their last 10 games. From a raw points perspective, Eichel is my top center in all formats.
Stack with: Sam Reinhart, Victor Olofsson
Opponent - CBJ
Proj Pts FD - 15.54 DK - 11.95
If you are looking for a bit of salary relief at the second center spot consider Brock Nelson who continues to shine from a PTS/$ perspective this season. He gives us a bit of safety averaging three shots and just under a block per game on the season and after a career-year in 2018-19 he is on pace to top those numbers this time around. He comes in with points in two of his last three and now gets a plus matchup against the Blue Jackets 21st ranked road defense. Nelson is one of our top PTS/$ plays at the position and safe in all formats.
Stack with: Josh Bailey, Anthony Beauvillier
Also Consider: Ryan O'Reilly(STL)
Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 19.94 DK - 15.99
The Blackhawks have largely been absent from my articles this season and it makes sense as they have been one of the worst teams in the league. The good news is that tonight they get a home matchup vs. a team that has been even worse. The Devils sit with the worst record in the league thanks to not only ranking 30th in offense but also defense. After a slow start to the season, Patrick Kane has caught fire and brought life to the hawks as he enters the night with 13 points and 35 shots in his last 10 games. Making it even better is the price on Draftkings as he is the 10th most expensive option at the position. Shot volume, upside, elite matchup, and a discounted price. Fire up Kane in all formats.
PP Stack with: Jonathan Toews, Dylan Strome, Alex Debrincat
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 14.98 DK - 11.73
From a PTS/$ perspective, we cannot ignore the Arizona Coyotes new-look offense but the player I will be attacking has been there the whole time. Clayton Keller is quietly having a solid start to the season and has been even better lately with points in three straight and 12 over his last 10 games. What stands out even more is the elite shot volume he has been providing as he has 44 shots in his last 10 games and averaging over three per game on the season. Normally I wouldn't recommend anyone vs. the Predators but they have struggled defensively this season so fire up Keller in all formats as my top value play at any position.
PP Stack with: Taylor Hall, Christian Dvorak, Phil Kessel
Also Consider: Jakub Voracek(PHI) on DraftKings under $5K or Joel Armia(MON) on FanDuel under $5K
Opponent - LA
Proj Pts FD - 15.2 DK - 11.82
On defense, I am going to dip into the second tier of pricing and load up on Alex Pietrangelo who continues to be one of the most consistent D-men in the league from a fantasy perspective. He scored twice in his last game and with seven points in his last 10 games is once again on pace for a 40+ point season which would be the eighth time in 10 full seasons he has hit that mark. He has also provided a high floor lately on the back of his shot volume as he has 35 shots in the last 10 games and is averaging over four combined shots/blocks per game on the season. Despite being a road matchup, Pietrangelo is in play in all formats.
Opponent - VEG
Proj Pts FD - 11.66 DK - 9.33
From a value perspective, Ian Cole sits right at the top of the list tonight, at least in cash games. He provides very little upside but give us an elite PTS/$ floor averaging 3.6 combined shots/blocks on the season and has seen an uptick lately with a combined 47 over his last 10 games. At a price under $4k on both sites, Cole is my top cash game D-man on this slate.
Also Consider: Ryan Pulock(NYI), Shea Weber(MON), Connor Murphy(CHI)
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