This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
As if you needed another reason to be disappointed that it's Monday, there are only two NHL games today. That leaves you only a handful of players to choose from, but we have still pored over the four teams playing to try and find the best values.
GOALIE
Carey Price, MON vs. BOS ($8,200): The Canadiens and Bruins aren't that far apart in the standings, but Montreal's plus-29 goal differential dwarfs Boston's minus-1. Boston is also only 26th in goals scored and 27th on the power play. Plus, of course, Price is arguably the league's best goaltender and he has a stellar .940 save percentage.
CENTER
Evgeni Malkin, PIT vs. ARI ($7,400): Malkin is the second most expensive center Monday, but with only four teams playing, it'll be hard to avoid big money players entirely. Besides, you want to load up on Penguins in this matchup against the Coyotes, and he is actually only the second priciest Penguins center thanks to the presence of Sidney Crosby. Malkin has been his usually prolific self, as he's averaging over a point per game, and he has 10 points with the extra man as well.
Martin Hanzal, ARI at PIT ($5,000): The Penguins haven't exactly been stout in their own end, as they are giving up 2.96 goals per game and 32.1 shots per game. Admittedly, some of that depends on who is in net for Pittsburgh, but regardless they have more defensive questions than, say, Boston or Montreal. Hanzal has missed a little time this season, but he has six goals on 53 shots in 22 games, and he's playing 2:54 per game on the power play.
WING
Phil Kessel, PIT vs. ARI ($6,800): The Coyotes are allowing 35.4 shots on goal per game, which is three more than any other team. Kessel has nine goals on 70 shots in 28 games, but he's actually turned into a playmaker this season with 21 assists, including nine on the power play. His power-play excellence will certainly help against Arizona's 21st-ranked penalty kill.
Radim Vrbata, ARI at PIT ($5,100): Vrbata is putting plenty of pucks on goal, with 81 shots on net in 27 games. Those shots have yielded eight goals, and he also has 10 assists while averaging his most minutes since 2013-14. He's averaging 3.3 fantasy points per game on DraftKings, which is respectable production for this salary, especially with so few players to choose from.
Bryan Rust, PIT vs. ARI ($4,000): If you are trying to save some money, or to get lucky on a flyer (not a Flyer), Rust is definitely a potential steal. He's got six goals and five assists in 25 games, and he's put 47 shots on goal. In terms of cheap players, he has the highest upside, especially in this matchup.
DEFENSE
Justin Schultz, PIT vs. ARI ($4,300): Obviously, Kris Letang ($6,700) is the top player on Pittsburgh's blue line, but Schultz has been contributing plenty on his own recently. Before his last game, Schultz had a five-game point streak, including three multi-point efforts. He's got 13 points and put 52 shots on goal, which makes him a solid contributor. At this price, that's all he needs to be, especially given the limited selection.
Jeff Petry, MON vs. BOS ($4,500): If you want to step outside of Pittsburgh's matchup with Arizona, the Montreal blue line looks like your best option. The Bruins are only ranked 21st in DraftKings' Opponent Rank vs. Position, making this perhaps a better matchup for Petry than it seems on paper. He's playing 21:42 a night, and he's taken 51 shots on net while also blocking 51 to average 2.9 fantasy points per game, which is 0.2 more than Andrei Markov. Petry is also $100 cheaper.
