This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Tuesdays are typically busy for the NHL, but today is anything but typical. While there will be a full slate with 13 games, because it's New Year's Eve, four matches will start in the afternoon or early evening, including the Winter Classic, which will feature Chicago taking on St. Louis at Wrigley Field, starting at 5:00 p.m. ET. There are no 7:00 starts, which minimizes the overlap with that special event, but seven games begin at 8:00 and two at 9:00.
SLATE PREVIEW
If you're okay setting your lineup early, FanDuel has an All Day slate, which begins with Washington hosting Boston at 12:30 p.m. ET and includes all 13 tilts. There's also an Early-Only option, which consists of the Maple Leafs hosting the Islanders at 1:00 p.m. ET and Montreal in Vegas beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. If you'd rather not set your lineup in the early hours, you could go for the Main slate, which comprises the nine games starting at 8:00 p.m. ET or later, or take the After Hours option for just the two 9:00 p.m. ET puck drops (Vancouver in Calgary, Utah in Edmonton).
I'll go out of my way to include recommendations that vary in start time, so you'll have something of value, regardless of which slate you play.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, NJD at ANA ($8,700): Markstrom's high price is well deserved. He's won his past six starts while posting an unbelievable 0.83 GAA and .953 save percentage. You'd have to go back to November 29 to find the last time he conceded more than three goals in an outing. Anaheim will have difficulty stopping that trend – the Ducks rank 31st in goals per game with 2.46.
Filip Gustavsson, MIN vs. NAS ($8,200): Gustavsson has been one of the safest options this season, posting a 16-6-3 record, 2.26 GAA and .923 save percentage through 25 appearances. Meanwhile, Nashville has been a major disappointment with its terrible 11-19-7 record that's weighed down largely by a weak offense – the Predators are last in goals per game with 2.38. Nashville has looked even worse on the road with a 3-12-4 record and just 1.84 goals per game.
Dustin Wolf, CGY vs. VAN ($7,700): Wolf has been inconsistent this campaign, but he's averaged out to be respectable with an 11-5-2 record, 2.70 GAA and .912 save percentage in 18 outings. Normally, I wouldn't think of recommending him against Vancouver, who is tied for 11th in goals per game with 3.17, but the Canucks are missing one of their top forwards in Elias Pettersson (undisclosed) as well as two offensive defensemen in Filip Hronek (lower body) and superstar Quinn Hughes (undisclosed), so Wolf won't be facing Vancouver at its best. Couple that with Wolf's affordable price point and he's an interesting option.
Joseph Woll, TOR vs. NYI ($7,600): Woll had a rough patch from December 14-23 in which he allowed 15 goals on 123 shots (.878 save percentage), but he settled down Friday, stopping 23 out of 25 shots en route to a 5-2 victory over Detroit. Granted, the Red Wings have struggled offensively, but the Islanders aren't the most impressive squad in that regard, ranking 25th in goals per game with 2.68. Woll has also been more hit than miss in 2024-25, posting a 10-6-0 record, 2.58 GAA and .909 save percentage in 16 appearances, so he's good value at his current price.
VALUE PLAYS
Bobby McMann, TOR vs. NYI ($4,700): The Maple Leafs won't get back Auston Matthews (upper body) on Tuesday, but McMann's incredible play has made that absence more palatable for the Leafs. McMann has four goals and eight points over his last seven games. The 28-year-old McMann isn't a safe bet in the long run, but he's a nice option while he's hot.
Michael Bunting, PIT at DET ($4,600): Bunting is on a three-game goal-scoring streak, bringing him up to 11 markers and 21 points across 37 appearances in 2024-25. He's been especially good with the man advantage this season. Seven of his total goals and three of his past four have been netted on the power play.
Viktor Arvidsson, EDM vs. UTA ($4,400): Arvidsson has a disappointing four goals and nine points through 21 appearances in 2024-25, but he has done well recently, collecting two goals and four points over his past three outings. It helps he's been getting time alongside Leon Draisaitl, who showed up on the scoresheet for two of Arvidsson's last three points.
Scott Laughton, PHI at SJS ($4,300): Laughton has recorded at least a point in each of his past three games and six of his past eight appearances. He's provided five goals and 11 points over that eight-game stretch. Laughton has a good opportunity to extend that success against the Sharks, who rank 29th in goals allowed per game with 3.54.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Jets at Avalanche
Mark Scheifele (C - $7,900), Kyle Connor (W - $8,900), Gabriel Vilardi (W - $6,700)
Colorado's a strong opponent, but this line has been hot enough to make it worth recommending them anyway. Connor has looked especially lately, entering tonight's action on a seven-game scoring streak that's included six multi-point efforts. He has a stunning six goals and 15 points over that stretch, bringing him up to 22 goals and 51 points in 38 outings overall.
Vilardi hasn't quite matched Connor's pace, but he's not far off with five goals and 12 points of his own across the same seven games. The 25-year-old Vilardi is up to 17 goals and 34 points in 38 appearances in 2024-25.
Scheifele rounds out the unit with six goals and 10 points over his past six outings, bringing him up to 22 goals and 44 points through 38 games this campaign. There is no weak link in this trio.
Leafs vs. Islanders
John Tavares (C - $7,400), Mitch Marner (W - $7,900), Max Pacioretty (W - $4,900)
There was some concern going into the campaign that the 34-year-old Tavares was on a downward slope, but he's looked fantastic offensively. He has 18 goals and 37 points through 36 appearances. He is going into Tuesday's action riding a seven-game scoring streak in which he's recorded six goals and 12 points.
Marner is a great compliment for Tavares. The 27-year-old winger has collected three goals and 12 points across his active eight-game scoring streak. Eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, Marner is on track to have the best season of his career after recording 50 points (13 goals) through his first 37 appearances.
Pacioretty isn't as noteworthy, though. He has an OK, but not great five goals and 12 points through 24 appearances. You can include him just to round out the line, especially because he's cheap. It doesn't hurt that Pacioretty has recorded an assist in each of his past two games, so perhaps we're witnessing the start of a hot streak.
Utah HC at Oilers
Barrett Hayton (C - $4,600), Clayton Keller (W - $7,100), Nick Schmaltz (W - $6,300)
If you want a cheaper trio, this one is worthy of consideration. Keller's been strong, providing seven goals and 17 points over his past 13 appearances, bringing him up to 13 goals and 37 points in 36 outings overall.
Schmaltz is fairly hot as well, recording at least a point in each of his past four games and seven of his past eight appearances. He has two goals and six assists over that eight-game stretch as well as six goals and 29 points in 36 outings this season.
Hayton is affordable, but he's priced that way for a reason. He has seven goals and 16 points over 36 games. You could consider replacing him with Logan Cooley (C - $6,400), who has nine goals and 32 points in 36 outings, including two goals and 10 points over his past eight appearances. Although Cooley is on a different line at even strength, he's projected to serve alongside Keller and Schmaltz on the top power-play unit.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. WPG ($7,600): Makar has been superb in 2024-25 with 11 goals and 45 points through 37 appearances. He's kept that success going recently by providing two goals and nine points over his past nine games.
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at DAL ($6,900): Dahlin missed eight out of nine games from December 5-21 due to a back injury, but he's been making up for lost time over his past three games, supplying seven assists over that stretch. He's up to six goals and 26 points in 29 outings in 2024-25.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. MON ($6,500): Theodore has been solid with four goals and 30 points in 35 outings this campaign. He's been a fairly consistent contributor lately, recording at least a point in seven of his past 10 games, totaling three goals and nine assists in that span.
Moritz Seider, DET vs. PIT ($6,000): Although Detroit has struggled offensively this year, Seider has held his own, providing four goals and 20 points through 36 appearances. He's been particularly strong over his past nine appearances with two goals and seven points in that span. Pittsburgh ranks last in goals allowed per game with 3.66, so this is a favorable matchup for Seider.
