This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Florida earned a 5-2 win over Carolina on Tuesday to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, but the Hurricanes have an opportunity to even that series tonight. That's the only game on the docket, so FanDuel's rules will be different tonight. You'll have a $60,000 budget to select six players, including an MVP who will provide you 1.5 times the points with the drawback of costing 1.5 times the salary relative to what he'd be as a utility player.
SLATE PREVIEW
Carolina is a mild favorite to win at -128 on FanDuel's Moneyline. Of course, the Hurricanes had similar odds before their Game 1 loss, so we'll see if this will be another instance of the team with the better potential payout winning. The game's Over/Under is at 5.5 goals with the over at +100.
MVP
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR vs. FLA ($14,700): Svechnikov was one of the few Hurricanes players who did alright in Game 1, registering an assist to extend his scoring streak to four games. He's up to eight goals and 10 points across 11 playoff appearances this year, making him a solid balance between results and cost for the MVP slot.
UTIL
Seth Jarvis, CAR vs. FLA ($13,400): Jarvis is also a great MVP choice, but taking Svechnikov over him allows for a more balanced overall lineup – Jarvis would cost $20,100 in the MVP slot. The 23-year-old Jarvis had two assists Tuesday, bringing him up to four goals and 12 points across 11 postseason outings in 2025.
Sam Bennett, FLA at CAR ($9,400): Bennett found the back of the net Tuesday, which he's done with some regularity in the playoffs. He's up to seven goals and 10 points across 13 postseason games this year. He's also recorded 40 shots, which is tied for sixth in the 2025 playoffs.
Carter Verhaeghe, FLA at CAR ($9,000): The lineup I'm recommending leaves $300 of unspent room in the budget, so if you want, you could sub out Verhaeghe for Brad Marchand ($9,200), but Verhaeghe and Bennett are projected to play on the same line, so I like the synergy that comes with taking both of them. Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist Tuesday, bringing him up to five goals and nine points over his past 10 appearances.
Jaccob Slavin, CAR vs. FLA ($7,200): Slavin hasn't recorded a point over his past five games, but he doesn't need to show up on the scoresheet to help out a FanDuel team. He ranks third among defensemen in shots (27) during the 2025 playoffs, and he's been sacrificing himself lately with an eye-watering 16 blocks over his past three outings. That combination makes him a solid value play.
Eetu Luostarinen, FLA at CAR ($6,000): Luostarinen was limited to 24 points in 80 regular-season appearances, but he's been punching above his weight in the 2025 playoffs. He has accumulated four goals and 13 points across 10 postseason outings this year. Luostarinen scored a goal Tuesday, so he's showing no signs of slowing down.
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