This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Tuesdays are typically one of the busier days in hockey, but because the NHL will be taking American Thanksgiving off, this week's schedule is an exception. There were 11 games on the docket Monday and 30 teams will be featured Wednesday, so the only matches scheduled for tonight are the Canucks in Boston and the Canadiens hosting Utah, both starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. Here are my FanDuel DFS recommendations for this light night of hockey.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite how full the schedule was Monday and will be Wednesday, the four teams set to play tonight are all rested. However, Montreal and Boston are both engaging in the first half of a back-to-back. In other words, the schedule might influence Boston's and Montreal's lineup decisions, but the other two teams don't need to make those kinds of considerations.
GOALIE
Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. VAN ($8,100): Honestly, no goalie tonight holds much appeal. I'm recommending Swayman because the Bruins have played defensively sound hockey under bench boss Joe Sacco since he took over, including Saturday's 2-1 win over Detroit in which Swayman turned aside 19 out of 20 shots. Perhaps that win will mark a turning point for Swayman, who has a 6-7-2 record, 3.30 GAA and .887 save percentage in 15 outings this season but is capable of far better. Still, the recommendation of Swayman is partially due to the lack of options rather than it being a full-throated endorsement of him.
VALUE PLAYS
Logan Cooley, UTA at MON ($5,500): Cooley is one of Utah's most promising young forwards. The 20-year-old had a solid 20 goals and 44 points across 82 regular-season appearances as a rookie in 2023-24. He's positioned to top that this year after scoring four goals and 16 points in 21 outings. Cooley is coming off back-to-back multi-point games, so he's red hot going into tonight's action.
Brendan Gallagher, MON vs. UTA ($4,800): Gallagher had a quiet start to the campaign, providing two goals across his opening eight appearances, but he's emerged as a significant contributor since, supplying six goals and 10 points over his past 12 outings. He's recorded at least a point in each of his past two games, totaling a goal and three points in that span.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Hockey Club at Canadiens
Barrett Hayton (C - $5,300), Clayton Keller (W - $6,300), Nick Schmaltz (W - $5,300)
With just two games on the schedule, you're going to end up taking players you'd skip over on a packed night, and this is one such example. This unit hasn't been particularly hot recently, but Keller is an effective option with six goals and 19 points through 21 outings this campaign. Meanwhile, Schmaltz has a solid 15 assists in 21 appearances. Schmaltz still hasn't found the back of the net, but he's certainly due after firing 41 shots on goal. His career average shooting percentage is 13.6 and MoneyPuck places his expected goals for the 2024-25 campaign at 4.5, so it seems fair to say some bad puck luck has held him back, which could balance out after the year progresses.
Hayton hasn't been anything great, recording five goals and eight points in 21 games, so he's someone just to take to round out the line. As noted above, Cooley is a good alternative center for Utah. If you can afford the upgrade, Montreal's Nick Suzuki (C - $6,800) has been strong, providing seven goals and 19 points in 20 outings. Utah ranks 22nd defensively (3.19 goals allowed per game) while Montreal ranks 31st (3.80 goals allowed per game), so this could be a high-scoring game.
DEFENSEMEN
Mike Matheson, MON vs. UTA ($5,800): Matheson isn't producing at the same pace that saw him record 62 points in 2023-24, but he's still having a solid campaign with a goal and 13 points, including seven with the man advantage, through 20 appearances. Matheson will enter Monday's tilt after providing a goal and three points over his past three outings.
Mason Lohrei, BOS vs. VAN ($3,900): Lohrei has been held off the scoresheet just once over his past five appearances, providing four assists over that span. He's found himself on Boston's top power-play unit recently and his last two helpers were recorded with the man advantage. That situation makes him an appealing option for his price.
