This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The NHL returns to action Monday with two games on the slate, with the Devils visiting the Senators and Hurricanes visiting the Maple Leafs.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR at TOR ($8,200): The Canes' goalies are at a slight discount to the Leafs, who are expected to start Petr Mrazek, which should give Andersen the edge. Both teams have been very good this season but the Canes should have the edge because they've been far more consistent and have a more balanced lineup. This is a revenge game for Andersen, and the Canes have won three of their past five matchups against the Leafs.
Matt Murray, OTT vs. NJ ($7,700): Murray has been excellent since getting called up and while this may end up being a high-scoring game, note the Devils' tandem of Akira Schmid and Jon Gillies may be the worst in the league. The Devils have lost seven in a row with 13 goals allowed in their past two games.
VALUE PLAYS
Tim Stuetzle, OTT vs. NJ ($5,100): Stuetzle is expected to center the top line between Brady Tkachuk and Tyler Ennis with Josh Norris unavailable. The Sens are missing several key players – though Connor Brown is expected to return – which dampens their offense, but against the Devils, they shouldn't have a lot of trouble scoring goals.
Jimmy Vesey, NJ at OTT ($3,900): Vesey is more miss than hit, but he's getting a good top-six assignment skating next to Nico Hischier and Andreas Johnsson. They will likely be tasked with more minutes than usual with Jack Hughes in COVID protocol and may not be available for this game. Barring another strong performance from Murray, the Sens defense and goaltending have been pretty porous all season.
LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes
Auston Matthews (C - $10,500), Michael Bunting (W - $5,500), Mitch Marner (W - $7,800)
It's a costly line stack, but Bunting is a good value play and Marner is a steal at this salary given his seven-game point streak. The Hurricanes can be hard to beat and this could end up being a low-scoring game because both teams are so talented and probably concentrating on shutting down each other's top players, but few lines have been as effective as the Leafs' top line.
DEFENSEMEN
Damon Severson, NJ at OTT ($5,600): Dougie Hamilton has been skating but is not yet ready to return, which means Severson is in line to play big minutes once again. The steady two-way defender has been held without a point for three games, but prior to that was rolling on a four-game point streak. He can run hot and cold but the Sens should not be a difficult opponent to score against.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. NJ ($6,100): The Canes and Leafs have top-five penalty kills, which makes their powerplay quarterbacks somewhat undesirable. Despite scoring just three goals this season, Chabot continues to eat big minutes on the Sens blue line and has scored three points in his past three games while averaging over 27 minutes per game.
