This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Roberto Luongo, FLA at MON ($8,500) – Luongo has lost his past two starts and allowed eight goals, but he's traditionally performed very well against the Habs, who have won just three of their past 10 games. The two teams just played each other March 8, and it was no contest with the Panthers posting an easy 5-0 victory thanks to Luongo's 40-save shutout. Even if he falters, the Panthers have a significant advantage on offense, especially at center. The Canadiens have the third-worst offense in the league based on goals scored per game.
CENTER
Vincent Trocheck, FLA at MON ($7,500) – With a goal Saturday against the Oilers, Trocheck has managed to score in consecutive games and pushed his point streak to five games. He now has 66 points in 69 games in the midst of a career breakout after scoring at least 50 points in back-to-back seasons, and he deserves just as much recognition as Aleksander Barkov for the Panthers' recent turnaround. Expected starter Antti Niemi's numbers with the Habs have been curiously good, and in his last start on Friday allowed four goals against Pittsburgh. Perhaps it's time Niemi comes back down to Earth?
Riley Nash, BOS vs. CLS ($5,500) – David Backes (laceration) is questionable for this game after getting cut by a skate, and after he left the game to get stitches both Nash and David Krejci took shifts on the top line. If Backes can't play, Nash is a sneaky value pickup because he'll be playing alongside two of the league's top wingers, and he's already shown that he's capable of top-line duty and helping the team generate offense. Nash has a goal and two assists in his past three games.
WING
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY at ARI ($7,200) – He's at the point in his career where he might average a point per game for the next five seasons, which will be a nightmare for the Coyotes and the rest of the Pacific Division. With 81 points in 72 games this season Gaudreau has never played better, and in two games against the Coyotes this season he's scored a goal and two assists. The Coyotes have been playing better but defense is not their strong suit despite some talent on the blue line – they've allowed at least three goals in four of their past six games, with the two exceptions coming against the offensively challenged Canucks.
Sam Reinhart, BUF vs. NSH ($5,800) – Reinhart was on pace for a 20-point season through the first three months before kicking it up a notch in the new year, scoring 31 points in 33 games. His second-half surge has been the biggest surprise out of Buffalo despite another trying season for the franchise, and it's not as if Reinhart's padding his stats against bad teams; over the past two months he's scored against Tampa, Washington, Florida and Toronto. Pekka Rinne won't be easy to beat, but Reinhart's got one of the hottest hands in the league right now.
Thomas Vanek, CLS at BOS ($4,100) – He's been a low-key but fantastic pick up by the Jackets with two goals and five points in nine games, including assists Thursday against Philadelphia and Saturday against Ottawa. Vanek has been very good against the Bruins throughout his career, scoring 33 goals and 68 points in 63 games, which is more than any other team he's played against. He's a good match for Alexander Wennberg, a pass-first playmaker who has All-Star potential at center.
DEFENSE
Roman Josi, NSH at BUF ($6,300) – There's no need to overthink this one. Josi is an elite defender playing against a poor defensive squad that allows a lot of shots from the blue line. The Predators captain has three assists in his past four games and recently notched five assists against the Jets, and now sits just three points shy of 50 for the season, which would be the third time he's reached that mark in his career.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI vs. CGY ($4,600) – OEL has scored three goals and six points in his past nine games, getting hot just as the Flames' goaltending is imploding. Excluding a 1-0 shutout win against the Oilers, the Flames have allowed 16 goals in their past three games. Mike Smith lost to the Knights on Sunday but there's a chance he may get the start again, and if he doesn't it'll be backup David Rittich, who has a .880 save percentage and 3.14 GAA against Pacific Division opponents. The Coyotes offense is certainly below average, but OEL has been always been able to get pucks on net and the Flames will be playing the second game of a back-to-back.
