This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Jonathan Quick, LA vs. COL ($8,100): He's one of the cheaper starters available Monday and faces a team that lost in overtime the night before and will not have their No. 1 defenseman, Erik Johnson (knee), for the rest of the regular season. The Avs are still in the playoff race but will have a tough decision against the Kings, so they either have to start Jonathan Bernier again in a back-to-back or cross their fingers and roll with No. 3 goalie Andrew Hammond. Quick is also 15-5-1 with a 2.21 GAA in 22 career games against the Avs, who have not been very successful on the road this season.
CENTER
Auston Matthews, TOR vs. BUF ($7,300): Matthews has scored a point in every game since his return from injury March 22, and with 31 goals in 59 games he'd be in the thick of the Rocket Richard Trophy race had he not missed any time. The Sabres are coming off an impressive win against the Predators on Saturday but needed to score seven goals to do it. Robin Lehner is expected to start and he's allowed 11 goals in his past three appearances. In six career games against the Sabres, Matthews has scored three goals and an assist.
Henrik Borgstrom, FLA vs. CAR ($2,900): Through his first two NHL games Borgstrom has yet to make a big impact; the Panthers have lost two straight and Borgstrom is minus-1 with just three shots on goal. He was understandably quiet in his NHL debut against the Sens, but he saw an uptick in ice time in his second game against the Bruins and was much more involved in the play. Borgstrom doesn't have much to work with on a line with grinder Jamie McGinn and rookie Maxim Mamin, but the Hurricanes defense and goaltending have not been good and Borgstrom's career NCAA numbers (95 points in 77 games) suggests he's got plenty of offense to give. He's a potential high-reward option and should get better as he acclimates himself to his new surroundings.
WING
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. WAS ($6,800): For the second straight season the Blues dealt a key player at the deadline – Kevin Shattenkirk last year, Paul Stastny this year – but remain in the playoff race. That resiliency has become a hallmark of the franchise, so it's not a stretch to think that they'll bounce back in a big way after an embarrassing 6-0 loss to the Coyotes on Saturday on the second leg of a back-to-back. Despite scoring just 31 goals this season Tarasenko remains one of the league's elite snipers, and expected starter Braden Holtby continues to struggle for the Caps. Tarasenko has six goals in eight career games against them.
Mitch Marner, TOR vs. BUF ($6,400): He's playing like an elite winger with 34 points in his past 27 games after hitting a low point in January, and the skills that he's put on display have been nothing short of mesmerizing. Given how little depth they have and how slow they are on defense, the Sabres don't have much of a chance of keeping Marner off the scoresheet. His ability to create scoring chances out of thin air means the Sabres can only hope to contain him, because their top defensive pairing will likely be too preoccupied with Auston Matthews' line.
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at OTT ($5,700): He has just one assist in his past four games with linemate Patrik Laine in the midst of a goal drought, but Ehlers looked fantastic against the Leafs on Saturday, buzzing up and down the ice and registering three shots on goal. There's no guarantee the pair can snap out of their scoring slump against the Sens, but it'll certainly be easier than against most other teams. The Jets defeated the Sens 5-0 in their only other matchup this season.
DEFENSE
Mathew Dumba, MIN vs. EDM ($5,300): With Ryan Suter (broken fibula) out indefinitely, it's on Dumba to carry the Minnesota blue line. He played over 30 minutes in a 4-1 loss to Dallas on Saturday, almost seven minutes more than his season average, and with 12 points in 15 games he's been providing a lot of offense from the back end. He's a two-way defenseman who's hard to miss because he plays with so much energy, almost like the antithesis of the smoother and understated Suter, and he'll get a chance to shine under the spotlight against Connor McDavid. In 10 career games against Edmonton, Dumba has scored four goals and six points with a plus-10 rating.
Vince Dunn, STL vs. WAS ($3,300): Drafted in the second round in 2015, Dunn has put together an impressive rookie campaign with 23 points and a plus-7 rating in 71 games. He had a fabulous March, scoring eight points in 13 games and averaged close to 20 minutes per game, three more minutes more than his season average. It says a lot about the Blues' confidence in Dunn, as they are fighting for a playoff spot without the services of Jay Bouwmeester (hip) or Carl Gunnarsson (ACL). The Caps are a tough opponent but Dunn is playing a big role on a pretty good team and has the potential to provide a lot of value relative to his price tag.
