This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The weather has been warmer and decidedly less wintery in some areas of the United States, so perhaps it's fitting that there isn't much ice hockey taking place Monday. The NHL only has two games on the slate, so your options for your daily fantasy lineup are somewhat limited. However, I'm still here to try and help you get the best values out of your choices.
GOALIE
Mike Smith, ARI vs. ANA ($7,200): It may seem odd to go with Smith as your goalie. Sure, even though he has a pretty good .917 save percentage, he has a 2.87 GAA, because the Coyotes have allowed a ton of shots. However, at home Arizona has been much better than on the road, although they are still only 12-14-3 in their own arena. Meanwhile, the Ducks are 13-12-7 on the road, and they will be on the second night of a back-to-back. In games played on zero days of rest, the Ducks have actually allowed 3.30 goals per game. It's not a great day for goalies Monday, so saving money on Smith makes sense, especially since there's a good chance John Gibson won't start for the Ducks as he was in net Sunday.
CENTER
Vincent Trocheck, FLA at STL ($6,100): Trocheck has averaged more fantasy points per game (3.7) than any other center in action Monday. It's not like he's riding high on early season success either. He's got a five-game point streak going, and he's tallied nine points and 30 shots on goal in his last nine games. The Blues, meanwhile, have allowed 2.88 goals per game, thanks to a lowly .896 team save percentage.
Jori Lehtera, STL at FLA ($4,200): Due to an injury to Paul Stastny, Lehtera now finds himself as the top line center for the Blues. That means he's playing with Vladamir Tarasenko on one of his wings. Lehtera's getting put in favorable positions beyond that, as he has started 43.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's the highest percentage on the Blues, and eighth-highest in the NHL among players who have played at least 500 minutes. Meanwhile, Florida's Roberto Luongo has struggled recently, as he's registered a 3.93 GAA and a .892 save percentage in his last nine games. Lehtera is also incredibly cheap, so he doesn't need to have an amazing game to be a great fantasy value.
WING
Corey Perry, ANA at ARI ($6,300): While Smith was selected as the goalie to highlight in this article for a few reasons, the fact remains the Coyotes have allowed 3.16 goals and 33.7 shots on net per game, and their penalty kill ranks 27th. There's still reason to be interested in Ducks players, especially Perry. Bad shooting luck aside, he's notched 167 shots in 60 games, and he's tallied 17 power-play points while averaging 3:04 minutes per game with the extra man. He's the kind of player who can take advantage of this matchup, especially if he manages to get some luck for once.
Jonathan Marchessault, FLA at STL ($4,600): Despite having no real track record before this season, the Panthers have given Marchessault plenty of offensive opportunities since he joined the team. He's started 36.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most of any Florida forward, and he's averaged 2:50 per game with the extra man. Marchessault has paid off for the Panthers, as he's notched 121 shots on net in 50 games while adding 12 power-play points. While he only has one point in his last four games, he has seven points in his last 11, so it's a pretty short cold spell.
Max Domi, ARI vs. ANA ($4,600): As mentioned earlier, the Ducks have been much less defensively sound on the second night of back-to-backs. That may be in part because in those games Jonathan Bernier tends to get more starts, and he has a 2.80 GAA and a .906 save percentage. Since returning from injury, Domi has five points in eight games, and he's played 2:36 per game this season on the power play.
DEFENSE
Colton Parayko, STL vs. FLA ($4,900): In addition to Luongo's recent struggles, the Panthers have allowed 2.74 goals and 31.6 shots on net per game this season. Parayko has taken 137 shots on net in 59 games, although he's only tallied four goals on all those shots. That gives him a 2.9 shooting percentage, which is notably worse than the 5.5 shooting percentage he had in his rookie season. In addition to all the shots he's taken, Parayko has blocked 93 shots. The Panthers have attempted 55.7 shots per 60 minutes, which is the most of any of the teams in action Monday. That raises Parayko's chances of getting in front of a puck or two, at least relative to some of the other players in action.
Hampus Lindholm, ANA at ARI ($3,500): Lindholm hasn't notched many points this season, as he has 13 in 46 games, although five of those have come in his last eight games. Perhaps he's starting to turn it around after a slow start. However, he's still got some things going for him beyond that. He's started 34.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, and in his last 12 games he's notched 30 shots on goal. As noted earlier, the Coyotes have allowed 33.7 shots on net per game. At the incredibly cheap price of $3,500, Lindholm provides a lot of upside in a great matchup.
