This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Monday is a strange day for the NHL. There are four games, three in the afternoon and then one game at 10:00 PM ET. However, FanDuel has excluded that evening game from their daily fantasy slate. That means you have three games worth of players to choose from, all from matinees. You'll have to get your lineup in by 1:00 PM. Here are my recommendations.
GOALIE
Carter Hutton, BUF vs. VGK ($7,500): Hutton came seemingly out of nowhere last season to post a 2.09 GAA and .931 save percentage. We don't know if he can do that again, but he has a 2.09 GAA through two games this year; so far there has been no reality check. The Golden Knights were quite good on the road last year, but not as good as they were at home, when teams allegedly fell victim to the "Vegas Flu." If you want to save a few bucks on a goalie, Hutton is your best bet.
CENTER
Logan Couture, SAN at NYI ($6,900): Couture had a big year last season, notching 24 goals on 203 shots. He's also been a key cog in San Jose's power play for years, as he's averaged more than three minutes per game with the extra man for six straight seasons. That could come in handy in this game, as the Islanders ranked last in penalty-kill percentage last year.
David Krejci, BOS vs. OTT ($5,600): Despite injuries limiting him to 64 games last year, Krejci scored 17 goals and had 27 assists. He doesn't get to play on Boston's big line, but he anchors its second unit, and he gets plenty of power-play time as well. The Senators had a 3.46 GAA last season, second worst in the NHL, and Craig Anderson had an .898 save percentage.
WING
Josh Bailey, NYI vs. SAN ($5,600): The prevailing question surrounding the Islanders' forwards was what they would produce now that John Tavares was gone. Well so far Bailey has been just fine, as he has three points in two games, including two on the power play. He was a power-play maven last year, notching 31 points with the extra man. The Sharks had a 2.93 GAA in away games last season, and Martin Jones has gotten off to a very slow start (.829 save percentage).
Tomas Hertl, SAN at NYI ($5,300): Hertl has yet to have a real "breakout" season, but he has had 46 points in two of his last three campaigns. Additionally, last year he averaged 2:30 per game on the power play, notching 12 points with the extra man. The Islanders had a 3.57 GAA and allowed 35.6 shots on net per contest last season, both worst in the league. The addition of Robin Lehner, who had a .908 save percentage last year, probably won't be a cure-all.
Ryan Donato, BOS vs. OTT ($3,700): Donato impressed in limited NHL action last season, picking up five goals and four assists in 12 regular season games. The Bruins have already moved him up to the second line, which will likely increase his minutes, and fantasy potential. As previously noted, Craig Anderson had an .898 save percentage last year, not to mention a 3.32 GAA.
DEFENSE
Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. OTT ($4,700): McAvoy ended up on the outskirts of the Calder race last season, but he still had a very impressive rookie year. As a 19-year-old he had 32 points in 63 games. He should definitely keep getting better, and he's already on the Bruins' top pairing. That means plenty of minutes against a Senators team that sported a 3.46 GAA last year.
Ryan Pulock, NYI vs. SAN ($4,000): Pulock didn't get a lot of publicity last year, but he scored 10 goals and added 22 assists in 68 games. More significantly, as far as I'm concerned, are the 184 shots he put on net. He already has seven in two games this year, so he's staying busy. Martin Jones may not stay cold, but even so he only had a middling .915 save percentage last season.
