This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate is a big one, featuring 12 games after 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are a few lopsided matchups to take advantage of here, as the Jets and Stars will be massive home favorites against the Red Wings and Devils, respectively. The top-10 Rangers offense should continue to produce in Los Angeles against the bottom-10 Kings defense, while the battle for Floridian supremacy between the Lightning and Panthers features a pair of top-five offenses and bottom-10 defenses. Those are just some of the sources of value in this large slate.
GOALIES
Darcy Kuemper ($8,200) looks like the early Vezina Trophy frontrunner with a 13-6-2 record, 1.96 GAA and .935 save percentage. Arizona's standout netminder should continue his strong play in a home matchup against a Flames team that's playing its second game in as many nights and has a bottom-five offense.
Jets backup Laurent Brossoit ($8,300) is scheduled to get the nod against a league-worst Detroit offense that's averaging just 2.13 goals per game. Though Brossoit has an underwhelming 3.65 GAA and .885 save percentage, he's still likely to be a popular pick considering the Red Wings are winless in their last 11 games.
Tristan Jarry ($8,100) has been outplaying Matt Murray for a while now, and Jarry would be a strong choice against the visiting Canadiens if he gets the nod in net for Pittsburgh. The 24-year-old netminder has stopped all 61 shots he's faced over his past two starts, and the consecutive shutout wins improved Jarry's season results to a 7-4-0 record, 1.82 GAA and .943 save percentage. Meanwhile, the reeling Canadiens have won only twice in their past 11 games.
Alex Stalock ($8,000) is 6-2-1 in his last nine decisions for the Wild, and he'll get a nice opportunity to build on his strong recent play in what's expected to be a low-scoring affair against a bottom-10 Ducks offense that's only mustering 2.63 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nikita Kucherov ($7,900) has been blanked in the past two games and still has 20 points in his past 14 games. The reigning Hart Trophy winner is due to break out of this mini-slump, and he gets a great opportunity to do so against a Panthers team that's allowing 3.31 goals per game.
Alexander Radulov ($4,800) was a healthy scratch in the game before last, and perhaps that move lit a fire under him, as the Russian winger rebounded with a goal and an assist against the stingy Islanders on Saturday. That performance gave Radulov a 9-8-17 line in 30 games, but he's capable of much more, having finished each of the previous two seasons with 72 points. This matchup against a Devils team that's surrendering 3.62 goals per game — second-most in the league — offers a nice buy-low opportunity on Radulov.
David Perron ($5,800) in on pace for the best season of his career, with a 12-17-29 line through 31 games. The veteran Blues winger should continue his strong play against a Sabres team that's won only five times in its last 19 games. Buffalo has the league's second-worst penalty kill at 73.4 percent, while Perron leads the Blues with 15 power-play points.
Anze Kopitar ($5,500) has carried the Kings' offense, leading the team in goals (11), assists (18) and points (29) through 31 games. Los Angeles should find some offensive success at home against a Rangers team that's allowing 3.10 goals per game, with Kopitar leading the charge.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Jets vs. Red Wings
Mark Scheifele (C - $6,600), Patrik Laine (W - $7,000), Kyle Conner (W - $6,300)
These are Winnipeg's top three point scorers and three of the team's top four goal-scorers. Scheifele's tied for the team lead with 13 goals after potting four over his past three games, and his team-high 29 points through 30 games have Scheifele on pace to push for his third 80-point season in four years. Laine ranks second on the team with 28 points — an impressive accomplishment considering the career 15.2 percent shooter is only converting at a 9.2 percent rate. Conner's 11-15-26 line has him on pace to reach the 30-goal mark for the third consecutive season. They'll take on a Red Wings team that's emerged as the league's least competitive, surrendering a league-high 3.97 goals per game en route to a 7-21-3 record.
Rangers at Kings
Mika Zibanejad (C - $5,900), Artemi Panarin (W - $6,600), Kaapo Kakko (W - $3,900)
New York's latest reshuffle of the lines finds the team's top two forwards back on the same unit, and they're joined by the rookie second overall pick. Panarin leads the team in goals (14), assists (22) and points (36) through 29 games. Zibanejad missed extended time with an upper-body injury but has scored more than a point per game when playing, mustering a 7-10-17 line in 16 games. Kakko is starting to get comfortable at the NHL level with a 5-6-11 line in his past 18 games. This trio should thrive against a Kings team that's been outscored 102-77 through 31 games.
Panthers vs. Lightning
Aleksander Barkov (C - $7,700), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $6,500), Evgenii Dadonov (W - $5,400)
This should be a high-scoring affair, with both teams averaging north of 3.50 goals per game and giving up over 3.20. The home side gets the majority of its offense from this top line, which has been rolling recently. Barkov has 36 points in 29 games, including a 10-20-30 line over the past 21. Huberdeau has matched Barkov's 36-point output, putting the winger on pace for 102 points after he totaled 92 last season. Dadonov is a step below his two elite linemates, but his 11-12-23 line is nothing to sneeze at. With Tampa Bay finishing up a back-to-back set, the Panthers are ready to pounce on any signs of tiredness from the Lightning's defense.
DEFENSEMEN
Jacob Trouba's ($5,200) Rangers tenure got off to a fast start, but the offseason trade acquisition then went through a slump before picking things back up recently. All told, Trouba's on a 48-point pace after scoring 50 with Winnipeg last season, and he has a 4-6-10 line in his last 10 games heading into a favorable matchup in Los Angeles.
Quinn Hughes ($5,400) has 24 points in 29 games, already establishing himself as a premier offensive weapon from the blue line at just 20 years of age. He should add to his lofty point total against a Toronto team that's allowing 3.26 goals per game.
Miro Heiskanen ($4,600) has become a dominant two-way force in his second NHL season, as the third overall pick from the 2017 draft has already racked up 21 points through 31 games. Look for Dallas' young stud to build on his recent success — one goal, three assists in the past three games — when the lowly Devils come to town.
Josh Morrissey ($4,900) isn't a premier offensive blueliner, but he's more than serviceable, with 17 points in 28 appearances. Winnipeg's No. 1 defenseman is likely to build on that point total against a Red Wings team that's looked outclassed by every opponent of late.
