NHL DFS Picks for December 22, 2025: Top Stacks, Best Value Plays & Goalie Targets
It is Monday, December 22nd, 2025. Eight NHL teams will be playing hockey tonight on a somewhat lighter-than-normal slate.
Top Stack of the Day
Anaheim Power Play 1 (Kreider, Granlund, Terry, Gauthier, Lacombe)
Leo Carlsson is scratched today, and at this point, we are only guessing at line combinations. This is the projected PP1, but be sure to check back later in the day when beat writers let us know for sure, likely after the pre-game slate. Given how everyone is priced, I’m most interested in the Centers for Anaheim, Granlund, and McTavish (who isn’t projected to even be on PP1). They are priced like 2nd- and 3rd-liners, not like potential top liners tonight. If it were only an injury, that would be one thing, but their matchup is cake, too. Seattle is much worse than everyone remembers, and Anaheim has the highest implied team total on the slate. Fire these guys up.
Top Value Stack of the Day
Tampa Bay 1 (Gourde, Point, Kucherov)
With Hagel constantly taking hits to the head <cough, Panthers, cough> the Lightning are having to shuffle their lines tonight for an awesome home game versus the struggling Blues. Kucherov has also been a late scratch several times lately, so there may be some reluctance to click on his name as people have been burned lately. I do not share that fear and will happily insert the Lightning into my lineups.
TOP C Value
Matty Beniers, Seattle Kraken (4.6k DK)
As always, the real answer is Gourde, Point, Granlund, and McTavish, but we have already discussed all four of them. If you want to go deep into the well, take a look at the other side in the Anaheim game and fire up Beniers or Stephenson. I slightly prefer Matty here in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Top W Value
Denver Barkey, Philadelphia Flyers (2.5k DK)
I live in Denver, I love Denver, it is an amazing city. I would never name my child Denver, but to each their own, I guess. Denver, who is actually from Newmarket, Ontario, was a surprise call-up for his NHL debut on Saturday, skating in the top six with center Sean Couturier and winger Owen Tippett. He is expected to remain in the top six tonight and is an insane value at the dead minimum.
Top D Value
Ivan Provorov, Columbus Blue Jackets (3.9k DK)
Zach Werenski will not skate tonight after suffering a scary lower-body injury last time out versus Anaheim. While the news overall has been good and he is day-to-day instead of the feared week-to-week, he will be out tonight. This allows for the opportunity for Provorov to step in, who has been more than adequate himself playing in the second pairing with the second power play in his normal role. I don’t love the matchup versus the Kings, but I love the opportunity and upside for the price.
Top G Value
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning (8.0k DK)
I understand this section is called “value,” and I’m picking the most expensive goalie on the board, but that’s exactly what V is tonight. His implied win percentage is nearly 70% tonight, while his implied goals against are low, and the number of saves should be high. There really isn’t anybody close tonight who compares, and I will be eating the salary while playing Vasilevskiy.