This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's the final day of the regular season, and the main contests at DraftKings consist of the seven evening games beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Expect last-minute scratches and a varying degree of motivation for each team. Edmonton, Anaheim and Toronto are the only teams with anything to play for, so keep that in mind.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. FLA ($8,400): Already confirmed to start against the reeling Panthers, Holtby will look to improve to 43-12-6 for the campaign. He has consecutive wins with a .967 save percentage, and Florida sports a 5-13-1 record since March 1. With so many unknowns in play Sunday, starting the No. 1 goalie in the player pool for the best team in the league is a nice security blanket.
CENTER
Auston Matthews, TOR vs. CLM ($7,500): With the season on the line, Matthews' play climbed to another level at times Saturday against Pittsburgh, and Toronto is after another win to clinch third in the Atlantic Division. The rookie has an elite 1.66 goals and 11.57 shots per 60 minutes, and head coach Mike Babcock has leaned on his star in more and more key situations down the stretch.
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. PIT ($5,000): The Penguins enter on the wrong end of back-to-back road games with nothing to play for Sunday. Pittsburgh also rested several key cogs Saturday against Toronto. Zibanejad's had an up-and-down campaign offensively, but he's flashed significant upside and has recorded three goals, seven points and 17 shots through his past eight games. The 23-year-old pivot provides nice value at this salary, too.
WING
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. COL ($7,700): The sniper has caught fire down the stretch with 10 goals, eight assists and 78 shots through his past 17 games, including consecutive multi-point outings. Most importantly, his scoring binge is sustainable, as his 12.8 shooting percentage during that stretch is actually lower than his 13.5 mark for the campaign.
Brayden Schenn, PHI vs. CAR ($5,500): The rugged winger has capped off the season in strong form with six goals, 14 points and 33 shots through his past 14 games. Schenn has also averaged a hefty 3:37 of power-play time during that stretch. It's a target-worthy matchup with the Hurricanes sporting a five-game losing streak while surrendering 18 goals, and Carolina owns the second worst team save percentage at five-on-five (.912) in the league.
Nikolay Goldobin, VAN vs. EDM ($2,700): The rookie has been handed a top-line role and is also receiving power-play time, so at this salary, Goldobin is worth a shot as a source of cap relief. He enters with first-round pedigree and notched 15 goals and 41 points through 46 games in the AHL this year.
DEFENSE
Alex Pietrangelo, STL vs. COL ($6,100): A mainstay in these spaces over the past month, as following Kevin Shattenkirk's relocation to Washington, Pietrangelo has provided elite numbers. The St. Louis captain lands in a cushy matchup against Colorado (worst team save percentage at five-on-five and most goals against per game), and Pietrangelo has collected six goals, 13 assists, nine power-play points, 58 shots and 37 blocked shots while averaging huge minutes (26:32 with 3:05 with the man advantage).
Dmitry Orlov, WAS vs. FLA ($3,800): Among all defensemen with at least 2,000 minutes over the past three seasons, Orlov's 1.13 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five rank 10th. He's seen an uptick in minutes the past three games -- 22:09 per outing -- but hasn't hit the scoresheet. With the expanded role, look for Orlov to cash in on the noted soft matchup against Florida.
