This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
For the first day in a while, there's no March Madness basketball to distract sports fans. That means all our attention can be focused on the nine NHL games Monday. Here are my recommendations for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. DAL ($8,000): Finally, Hellebuyck has been playing like the goalie he was last season. Over his last 10 games he has a 2.33 GAA and .931 save percentage. It wouldn't be a surprise if he kept that up against the Stars. Dallas has only scored 2.51 goals per game, 29th in the NHL.
CENTER
Mikael Backlund, CGY vs. LOS ($6,100): While Backlund isn't the first name you think of when it comes to the Flames, he's garnered attention by notching seven points in his last seven contests. The Kings, meanwhile, have not been up to the task defensively for a while. Since the All-Star break, they have a 3.46 GAA and .880 save percentage.
Nico Hischier, NJD vs. BUF ($5,000): Hischier didn't score in his return to action from an injury absence, but he did play over 21 minutes and put four shots on goal, so he seems to be good to go. Plus, before getting injured, he notched 44 points in 63 games. If you think the Kings have been bad since the All-Star break, you should get a load of the Sabres. They have a 3.88 GAA in that time.
WING
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY vs. LOS ($6,900): Perhaps Backlund's numbers have risen because of how well his linemate Tkachuk has been playing. Keith's son has a whopping 17 points in his last 13 games, including 10 goals. Tkachuk also has 24 points with the extra man, and the Kings have the 29th-ranked penalty kill.
Kevin Labanc, SAN vs. DET ($5,200): Labanc has started 59.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Sharks forwards. This has helped him notch 50 points in 75 games, but 18 of those have come with the extra man. Meanwhile, the Wings have a 3.55 GAA on the road, and they've given up 34.0 shots on net per contest away from home as well.
William Nylander, TOR vs. FLA ($4,900): The 22-year-old has started 56.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second among Toronto forwards to linemate Auston Matthews. While Nylander has had some struggles since ending his holdout, he has six points in his last seven games. As for the Panthers, they have a 3.70 GAA in away games, bottom five in the NHL.
DEFENSE
Alex Pietrangelo, STL vs. VGK ($6,200): Pietrangelo has notched five goals and four assists in his last nine games, including five points with the extra man. While the Golden Knights have good defensive numbers overall, on the road they have a 3.05 GAA. Their penalty kill is also a more middling 14th in the rankings in away games.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SAN vs. DET ($4,400): Suddenly, the defensively-minded Vlasic has decided to get involved in the offense. Over his last nine games he's notched 10 points. In addition to their issues on the road (3.55 GAA), the Wings have also been bad since the All-Star break. In that time, they have a 3.50 GAA overall.
