This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
The Golden Knights are in the Stanley Cup Final. Since the Eastern Conference hasn't been decided yet, we're back to single-game competitions for daily fantasy. You pick three forwards, two defensemen, and a captain worth 1.5x the points.
Here are my recommendations…
CAPTAIN
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. TB ($10,800): Kuznetsov has torn it up in the playoffs, as he has 22 points, which is more than any other player. He also has an eight-game point streak, and he's put 33 shots on net in that time. Nobody has been more reliable than the Russian pivot in these playoffs, so if you are going to make somebody your captain, why not him?
FORWARD
Brayden Point, TBƒ at WAS ($10,200): Point has six goals and six assists in his last nine games, including five points on the power play. He also has three two-point games in this series. Braden Holtby has struggled in this series quite a bit. He has a 2.88 GAA and .883 save percentage in five starts.
Ondrej Palat, TB at WAS ($8,700): Palat has a three-game point streak, and in this series he has four points in five games. He was also moved up to the first line for Game 4, and if that continues he will be skating alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. That can only help. Plus, as was just noted, Braden Holtby has been off his game recently.
Lars Eller, WAS vs TB ($7,800): Though Nicklas Backstrom's return has moved Eller down the depth chart, he did have an assist in his last game. Over his last seven games he's tallied eight points total. Andrei Vasilevskiy has played well in his last three starts, but over his last 10 games he has a 2.89 GAA and .907 save percentage. On top of that, the Lightning had the 27th-ranked penalty kill this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB at WAS ($9,500): Hedman may not have a point in his last two games, but before that he had an eight-game point streak where he notched 11 points total. During the regular season, he had 17 goals and a whopping 46 assists in 77 games. Braden Holtby had a 2.99 GAA and .907 save percentage this season, and now he is struggling again.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS vs. TB ($7,800): Over his last six games Orlov has three points and 14 shots on net. Those aren't amazing numbers, but they are solid for a depth defenseman. During the regular season, he had 10 goals and 21 assists. You aren't going to be able to load up on all high-priced players, and Orlov has more potential than most defenseman outside of Hedman and John Carlson. Additionally, the Lightning did have a 3.36 GAA after the All-Star break.
