The wait is finally over. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin today.
The first night of the postseason features a pair of Eastern Conference matchups. First, the Carolina Hurricanes will Host the New York Islanders for the second consecutive postseason and the third time in the last six seasons. Then, the Boston Bruins will host the Toronto Maple Leafs in an Original Six primetime matchup.
Our AI-powered dfsPro projections have uncovered some key under-the-radar value picks playing in Saturday’s games to help daily fantasy managers to fill out their rosters and remain under the salary cap. Let’s look at some of our model’s top value picks for Day 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!
Top Value Picks: New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes
Ryan Pulock (RD – New York Islanders, $3,700 on DraftKings)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.27, A: 0.34, S: 1.6, BLK: 1.49
The Islanders have plenty of depth on the back end, including Ryan Pulock. The former first-round pick is second on the team with 22:33 of ice time per game this season, and our model projects him to outperform his offensive averages across the board in Game 1 against Carolina today. In three regular-season meetings with the Hurricanes this year, Pulock recorded one assist, a +3 rating and five shots on goal while averaging 23:39 of ice time per game.
Jack Drury (LW – Carolina Hurricanes, $3,100 on DraftKings)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.41, A: 0.34, S: 1.83, BLK: 0.45
Hurricanes winger Jack Drury has gotten more responsibility and seen his average ice time increase over the final four games of the regular season. Our model also projects him to outperform his offensive averages in Game 1 against the Islanders, expecting his point potential to more than double. Drury scored his second of eight goals this season against the Islanders on Nov. 23.
Jaccob Slavin (LD – Carolina Hurricanes, $3,900 on DraftKings)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.42, A: 0.43, S: 1.9, BLK: 1.14
Usually known more for his defensive ability, Hurricanes blueliner Jaccob Slavin finished the regular season with six goals in his last seven games. Slavin also found the scoresheet in three of four regular-season meetings with the Islanders, recording a goal and two assists over that span. Our model projects Slavin to outperform his averages tonight against the Islanders, including an 82% uptick in point potential.
Top Value Picks: Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins
Matt Grzelcyk (LD – Boston Bruins, $2,500 on DraftKings)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.16, A: 0.25, S: 1.15, BLK: 1.14
Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk‘s career regular-season numbers aren’t overly impressive, but he has 63 games of valuable playoff experience – all with Boston – including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. He is a smart, puck-moving defenseman, and our model projects him to outperform his offensive averages across the board tonight in Game 1 against the Maple Leafs.
Jakub Lauko (LW – Boston Bruins, $2,500 on DraftKings)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.17, A: 0.17, S: 1, BLK: 0.55
In his first full NHL season, Bruins winger Jakub Lauko has found a home on Boston’s hard-hitting third line. He brings physicality to the lineup and is second on the team in hits this season with 176. Lauko made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut with the Bruins last season, notching an assist and a +1 rating over three games.
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NHL Daily Fantasy: AI-Powered Value Picks for April 20