With plenty of back-to-backs on Monday and Tuesday, expect plenty of backups to see action for Monday's holiday slate. Coyotes rookie Matt Villalta is expected to make his first NHL start.
Monday, Feb. 19. 10-game slate.
* = confirmed or probable
John Gibson, ANA* at Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF* (12:30 p.m. ET)
Jake Oettinger, DAL* at Jeremy Swayman, BOS* (1 p.m. ET)
Ilya Samsonov, TOR* at Joel Hofer, STL* (1 p.m. ET)
Casey DeSmith, VAN* at Filip Gustavsson, MIN* (2 p.m. ET)
Alex Lyon, DET* at Joey Daccord, SEA* (3:30 p.m. ET)
Stuart Skinner, EDM* at Matt Villalta, ARI* (4 p.m. ET)
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG* at Jacob Markstrom, CGY (4 p.m. ET)
Logan Thompson, VEG* at Mackenzie Blackwood, SJ* (4 p.m. ET)
Petr Mrazek, CHI* at Spencer Martin, CAR* (7 p.m. ET)
Anton Forsberg, OTT* at Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB* (7 p.m. ET)
Streaming Options
( < 50% rostered on Yahoo, ranked by matchup)
(NEW) Spencer Martin, CAR vs. CHI (2% rostered)
After an impressive 29-save win against the Knights in Vegas, Martin gets his second straight start. Don't worry -- Pyotr Kochetkov is not losing the No. 1 job, he's just a little sick, according to Rod Brind'Amour. (Went too hard in Vegas, maybe?!)
Regardless, this is a great streaming option. Martin's playing well, the Hawks have only one line the Canes have to worry about, and the Hawks have beaten the Canes just three times (!) since 2018, including consecutive 3-0 losses in their most recent matchups.
Casey DeSmith, VAN at MIN (10% rostered)
Thatcher Demko likely gets a break after losing to the Jets on Saturday, leaving a much tougher start against the Avs for him on Tuesday. DeSmith has allowed four goals in each of his past four starts, and note the Canucks have lost seven of their last eight against the Wild, including two in overtime and one in a shootout. The games have been close, but I still think the edge should go to the Canucks, who have rarely lost two games in a row this season.
Laurent Brossoit, WPG at CGY (13% rostered)
With a matinee start and having played in Vancouver on Saturday, I think Brossoit draws the start while Connor Hellebuyck will return to the crease Tuesday at home against the Wild. The Jets are on a roll with three straight wins while the Flames have been shut out twice in their past three games. Brossoit has been generally very good this season, and I wouldn't hesitate to stream him in this matchup. Brossoit owns a career 4-2-0 record against the Flames though the peripherals (.896 SP, 3.31 GAA) aren't good.
Editor's note: Hellebuyck will start, meaning Brossoit likely starts Tuesday.
Scott Wedgewood, DAL at BOS (12% rostered)
Jake Oettinger is coming off a loss against the Oilers, and with a short turnaround and a back-to-back waiting on Tuesday, I suspect Wedgewood will get the start. The Bruins are definitely struggling a little with four straight losses, but the Bruins can turn it around at a moment's notice. Wedgewood was not particularly sharp in his previous two starts, allowing eight goals on 59 shots (.864 SP).
Editor's note: Oettinger gets the start, which means Wedgewood will likely start Tuesday.
(NEW) Joel Hofer, STL vs. TOR (8% rostered)
Hofer will be going for his fourth straight win and he's been one of the best backups in the league this season. However, this is a tough matchup because he has to face Auston Matthews and the Leafs, who have won three straight and seven of their past nine. This is a risky start though there's definitely potential for an upset. The Leafs have won four of their past six meetings and they've been usually high-scoring affairs, averaging 8.3 goals per contest.
Matt Villalta, ARI vs. EDM (1% rostered)
By no means do I suggest streaming Villalta, who's having an excellent season in the AHL (22-11-1, 2.58 GAA, .913 SP) but it's noteworthy because this is Villalta's first NHL start. (Congratulations!) Villalta stopped all four shots in relief in his first ever appearance in a 5-1 loss to the Canes on Friday. Making your first start in the NHL for a struggling club is daunting; facing Connor McDavid something else altogether.