This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Monday nights are usually thought of as being for football, or perhaps pro wrestling. However, there are also three NHL games on Monday. That's a limited selection of players to choose from, but here are some options that stick out nonetheless.
GOALIE
Tuukka Rask, BOS vs. BUF ($7,900): The obvious option may be to get an Islanders goalie, considering they are playing the Canucks. However, the Sabres aren't exactly tearing it up on offense, and Rask is cheaper than both Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss (both are going for $8,000). Rask is a better netminder than either of them, and he's having a great year (.932 save percentage) even after a rough game against the Rangers.
CENTER
Vincent Trocheck, FLA vs. TAM ($5,200): Monday is tricky, because there aren't any clearly great matchups. Sure, the Islanders haven't been great at goal prevention, but Vancouver has the worst offense in the league. Tampa has had some issues as well, but Ben Bishop has a .904 save percentage, and that won't continue. For now, though, that's about as good of an indicator as you're going to get, and Trochek has six goals on 34 shots.
Henrik Sedin, VAN at NYI ($4,500): OK yes, the Canucks have a terrible offense. However, the Islanders are allowing three goals per game, and Sedin does have a track record of success. He's also averaging 3:44 per game on the power play. At this price, and with so few teams playing, Sedin is worth a shot.
WING
Josh Bailey, NYI vs. VAN ($4,800): Vancouver's defense isn't as bad as their offense, but they've lost eight games in a row and that's not all due to a lack of scoring punch. The Islanders don't have much going for them on the wings, but Bailey is playing more than 19 minutes a night, and more than three on the power play. He'll have opportunity, and he's pretty cheap.
Jonathan Marchessault, FLA vs. TAM ($5,700): Marchessault has a chance to continue his breakout season against his old team. It's not just that he has 12 points in 12 games. He's taken 37 shots on net and he's playing 3:14 a night on the power play. This doesn't just feel like a fluky hot start. There is real talent here.
Nikita Kucherov, TAM at FLA ($6,500): Without any standout matchups Monday, you'll probably need to rely on some bigger names. Talent may have to trump opportunity. Kucherov is off to a strong start to the season with 15 points in 11 games, and he's been stellar the last two seasons. Florida is a decent matchup at best, but Kucherov has the talent to make any matchup irrelevant.
DEFENSE
Keith Yandle, FLA vs. TAM ($4,600): Yandle doesn't have a goal yet, but it's not for a lack of trying. He's taken 37 shots in 12 games. If he keeps that up, the goals will come, and he has five assists as well. While Yandle feels like a cagey veteran, he's only 30, and he's playing almost 23 minutes a night, so there is no reason not to trust his game at this point in his career.
Dennis Seidenberg, NYI vs. VAN ($3,500): Like his namesake out in Calgary, Dennis Wideman, Seidenberg has been playing some really good hockey recently. He has eight points on the season, including six in his last four games. Seidenberg is not taking a ton of shots, but he's played over 21 minutes a night in his last three games, and he does block quite a few shots as well. On a day with limited matchups, a cheap, hot blueliner is a good option.
