This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The league is averaging 3.18 goals through 38 games, representing an increase for the sixth consecutive season since 2015-16. With a short camp and some teams playing for the first time in nearly a year, some of the play was understandably slow and choppy. That's led to defensive breakdowns and a lot of goals, and this trend usually persists for the first few weeks.
It's salary correction time with most teams playing their second game of the season. Rookies who made big splashes in their debuts – Kirill Kaprizov, Nils Hoglander, among others – will have had their salaries adjusted up, thereby making them less appealing value plays.
A reminder that this season will likely be more unpredictable than previous ones because players may shuffle in and out of the lineup with the addition of the taxi squad due to health concerns and/or the condensed schedule, so be sure to double-check your lineups and note any game-time decisions through RotoWire.
Note: FanDuel has included two Utility (C/W/D) spots this season, giving managers more flexibility than past seasons. I will provide a few more players per section than usual to reflect this change.
GOALTENDERS
Note: Picking goalies will be a precarious exercise this season because there are certain coaches – ahem, Peter DeBoer, ahem – who won't reveal their choice until warm-up. But, it's safe to assume that most teams will feature a rotation of some kind. FanDuel has valued backups who are expected to start the same salary as their respective teams' usual starters.
Jaroslav Halak, BOS at NJ ($8,700): Half the Devils' roster is made up of their AHL team from last year. If it weren't for MacKenzie Blackwood, the first game would've been a blowout. Halak is considered among the league's best backups, and it seems like word of the Bruins' demise has been greatly exaggerated even though they're not facing a tough opponent.
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. ANH ($8,500): Do we have a controversy if DeBoer goes with Robin Lehner for the second straight game? Either way - and even with five defensemen - the Knights are many tiers above the Ducks, who may again end up being one of the league's lowest-scoring teams.
Petr Mrazek, CAR at DET ($8,100): Mrazek shut out the Wings last game but only needed to make 14 saves, so Rod Brind'Amour can either give him a chance to keep the streak going or let James Reimer see some early-season action. The result should be the same no matter who starts because the Canes come in with a huge advantage in every category.
Darcy Kuemper, ARI vs. SJ ($7,500): I feel far more comfortable with Kuemper than Antti Raanta, and the Yotes will probably not announce a starter until close to puck drop. The opener was close and Kuemper was solid and remains one of the few goalies who can really steal games. He's also a potential value play at this salary.
Juuse Saros, NSH vs. CBJ ($6,900): The Jackets didn't put up much of a fight, but at least Saros looked decent by making 29 saves and only allowing one goal. It'll be much tougher this time because the Blue Jackets usually respond well after losses, but the question remains: who's going to score for them? Preds' goalies may be the cheapest, but I think their chances of winning are still pretty good.
VALUE PLAYS
Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. VAN ($5,400): Calgary's top center is way undervalued here. Lindholm picked up two points against the Jets and this could be the season he becomes a point-per-game player. Vancouver's defense lacks depth and the goaltending has looked iffy to start with a sub-.900 save percentage.
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN at LA ($4,400): Kaprizov's three-point debut vaults him to the front of the Calder race and he certainly looks like the real deal. He looks every bit like the elite finisher as advertised, and his talent greatly exceeds his salary. Also, the Kings produced just one (!) shutout last season.
Conor Garland, ARI vs. SJ ($4,300): Garland produced a team-high seven shots and skated over 21 minutes, a positive sign that his role has significantly increased. He's expected to carry a lot of the offensive burden after a breakout season and looks good so far.
Joshua Norris, OTT vs. TOR ($3,700): Norris notched two assists and quickly ascended to No. 1 center on a very talented team. He made the First All-Star Team as a rookie in the AHL last year, so his offensive production should not be a surprise. The Leafs have allowed nine goals through the first two games.
Nils Hoglander, VAN at CGY ($3,500): Hoglander is off to a solid start offensively and defensively with three blocked shots. That's a nice surprise and it gives him a much higher floor. He wasn't as effective in the second contest as he was in the first, but the Canucks are still without J.T. Miller so Hoglander remains in the top-six.
John Leonard, SJ at ARI ($3,000): I'm telling you, this guy's for real. Leonard racked up two assists and two shots in only 13 minutes, and every year there's a college player who steps into the NHL right away and plays well. He definitely offers top-six potential, and it's been a while since the Sharks have found a late-round gem.
Mikhail Grigorenko, CBJ at NSH ($3,000): Grigorenko has been a very nice surprise because the last time we saw him, it felt like it was the last we'd ever see of him. Instead, he's playing top-line minutes for Columbus and generated three shots over 18 minutes. The Blue Jackets will reconfigure their top-six in light of Max Domi's disappointing performance, but Grigorenko's place is safe based on his strong debut.
LINE STACKS
Sharks at Coyotes
Tomas Hertl (C - $5,400), Evander Kane (W - $7,100), John Leonard (W - $3,000)
This trio looked great together and Hertl's revenge tour is well underway. They passed the eye test with how smooth and skilled they are despite their size, while they buried their opponents with a 94.01 xGF% at 5-on-5 in the season opener, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Hurricanes at Red Wings
Sebastian Aho (C - $7,600), Nino Niederreiter (W - $3,900), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $6,200)
Jordan Staal (COVID) is expected to miss the game, which means more minutes for Aho. They generated 18 shots in just 12 minutes of 5-on-5 in a game they dominated, and there's no reason to think they won't do it again. Aho now has produced 14 points in 12 career games against Detroit.
Wild at Kings
Zach Parise (W - $6,100), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $4,400)
Nick Bjugstad ($4,300) and Victor Rask ($3,200) split duties centering this line, but neither will be required for this stack. The focus is on the wingers, who have shown they can score even if their centers have stone hands.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. VAN ($4,600): Andersson looked like a natural next to Mark Giordano on the top pairing. He notched an assist against the Jets, but also makes for a safe pick because he also picked up four blocked shots.
Matt Dumba, MIN at LA ($4,200): Dumba provides upside by giving you a little bit of everything. He played very well in 22 minutes with an assist and five shots on goal. Dumba is going to receive plenty of minutes because Dean Evason doesn't trust his third pair.
P.K. Subban, NJ vs. BOS ($4,000): Whatever Subban is doing, the Devils clearly like it because he played 30 minutes despite putting zeroes across the board. His big role makes him an interesting value play, although the Bruins are heavily favored.
Jakob Chychrun, ARI vs. SJ ($3,700): Chychrun gets overlooked by the bigger blueline names, but he could become the Yotes' best defenseman by the end of the season. He played 24 minutes and finished with two assists and five shots and led all Arizona defenseman with a 63.33 CF% at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick.
