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Get today's top DraftKings daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for December 13, 2025. Doug's expert NHL DFS goalies picks, value plays, stacks, and power play picks.
Tonight’s nine-game NHL slate may be one of the best we’ve seen all season. The premier game sees Edmonton head to Toronto in a matchup between two of the league’s biggest stars in Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews. Winnipeg will host Washington in a game with two of the best offenses in the NHL.
Later in the evening, the Dallas Stars host the defending champs, the Florida Panthers, although Dallas may be without one of their top players as Roope Hintz got banged up last night. The evening caps off with a potential track meet between Nashville and Colorado, a game featuring two of the league's faster-paced teams.
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NHL DFS Analysis And Picks For 12/13/25
Vegas Golden Knights (VGK1 - Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev, Braeden Bowman; $14800 DK)
Defensive Addition: Shea Theodore ($4800 DK)
The top line for the Vegas Golden Knights has the absolute best matchup on tonight’s slate. They will see a lot of Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, the worst defensive pairing on Columbus and one of the worst in the league. Over their past 10 home games, they’ve allowed a slate-high 4.56 expected goals, 40.93 scoring chances, and 20.47 high-danger chances per 60 minutes.
The trio of Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbaashev, and Braeden Bowman has played well on the road, averaging 3.86 even-strength goals per 60 minutes over their past nine games. They average 33.42 scoring chances, 15.42 high-danger chances, and 32.13 shots per 60 minutes in those games, showing that they’re not just getting lucky; they’re an actively aggressive line that’s putting a ton of pressure on opposing goalies.
Oddly, their production has decreased with defender Shea Theodore on the ice, so while he’s a good way to differentiate your lineup, he’s also been negatively correlated, so he’s not a must-play.
Detroit Red Wings (DET2 - Andrew Copp, Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat; $16400 DK)
Defensive Addition: Moritz Seider ($6100 DK)
The Blackhawks are on the second night of a back-to-back, having played in St. Louis last night and lost 3-2 to the Blues. They had their best goalie, Spencer Knight, in net for that one, meaning Arvid Soderblom will be in the crease tonight against Detroit.
He’s been horrendous this year, allowing 3.92 goals per game, and over his past three starts, he’s allowed an average of 6.7 goals per game. He struggles against pressure, saving just 78% of the high-danger shots he’s faced at home, and his team allows a lot of them; 12.2 per 60 minutes over their past 10 games.
Detroit’s second line has the prime matchup in this game, which means we will look to use Andrew Copp, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat rather than Dylan Larkin’s line. While Kane and DeBrincat are the big names on the line, don’t forget about Copp. He’s been the hottest of the three, combining for six goals and assists over his previous five games, scoring double-digit DraftKings points five times.
In general, this line is hot, having averaged 7.06 even-strength goals per 60 minutes over their past 10 road games. One of the best parts about using Detroit tonight is that they are moderately priced, meaning you can build a well-balanced lineup with another top stack (like Vegas) and not have to sacrifice upside on defense or at goalie.
Dallas Stars (DAL2 - Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, Jamie Benn; $17500 DK)
Defensive Addition: Miro Heiskanen ($5800)
I want to preface this recommendation by acknowledging the injury sustained by Roope Hintz last night. He was hit in the foot and may end up missing tonight’s game. If that’s the case, I still like this line, and whoever replaces him could end up being a considerable value. The main reason I will still use this line even if Hintz is out is their matchup. It's incredible.
They will be facing Florida’s defensive pairing of Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad, who have not performed well on the road this season. They have combined to allow 4.48 expected goals and 19.8 high-danger chances over their past 10 road games. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t looked like the guy who helped carry this team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, allowing three or more goals in six of his prior eight starts.
Even without Hintz, there’s a lot of firepower on this line, especially with the hot play of Jason Robertson. After a down year last year, he has come back strong this year, recording 40 goals and assists in just 32 games.
He’s averaging 16.9 DraftKings points per game and is currently riding a five-game point-scoring streak that has seen him take 3.8 shots on goal per game. His aggressiveness gives him a high floor, and tonight’s matchup suggests he could be in line for a ceiling game.
Defender Miro Heiskanen skates on the power play with Robertson, and he’s been equally hot. Over his past five games, he has a combined seven goals and assists, and has scored 15 or more DraftKings points four times. He’s a must-add to your Dallas stack for correlation, differentiation, and upside.
I hope Bill Guerin was watching, because Jason Robertson does it again! pic.twitter.com/EpxeXaapQl
— DLLS Stars (@DLLS_Stars) December 12, 2025
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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
NHL DFS Value Stack of the Night
Toronto Maple Leafs (TOR3 - Nicolas Roy, Dakota Joshua, William Nylander; $13100 DK)
Tonight’s game between the Oilers and Maple Leafs could seem like a shootout based on the strength of their top lines, but neither of those lines stood out in my Heat Map projections. Instead, it was the third line for the Leafs that stood out the most in this game. They will be matched up against Edmonton’s defensive pairing of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard.
That duo has been vulnerable on the road, allowing 3.55 expected goals and 14.32 high-danger chances per 60 minutes. Backup goalie Calvin Pickard will start for Edmonton, and he’s struggled when facing pressure, saving just 67% of the high-danger shots he’s faced.
This third line for Toronto isn’t your typical third line with William Nylander finding himself moved down. Nylander hasn’t scored a goal since late November, but it’s not like he’s forgotten how to play hockey. When he’s at his best, Nylander is one of the best players in the NHL.
He should eat in this matchup, and if he does so during even-strength, he should bring Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua with him. Nylander is pricey, but his linemates are dirt cheap at a combined $5400. They don’t need to do much to support Nylander, and their prices make it so you could reasonably stack them with a high-end line; something you don’t often do with a player of Nylander’s caliber.
NHL DFS Goalie to Target
Dennis Hildeby (TOR - $7600 DK)
In our RotoBaller Discord, we affectionately refer to Dennis Hildeby as the Hildebeast, and rightfully so. He’s been outstanding in his short time as the top goalie for Toronto with Joseph Woll injured. He’s allowed a total of six goals over his past four starts, scoring 21.6 or more DraftKings points three times over that span.
His fantasy production would look even better if Toronto could put the puck in the net and get him a win, but they’ve lost two of those games when they scored just three combined goals. I don’t chase wins in fantasy, and I’m surely not complaining about his results.
Tonight, he faces a hot Edmonton offense, but the data doesn’t love the Oilers. Even if they score three goals, Hildeby should see enough shot volume to pay off, with Edmonton averaging 29 shots on goal per game. Darcy Kuemper may be safer as a cash play, but Hildeby has a high ceiling, and he’s $700 cheaper, making him an excellent tournament goalie.
Dennis Hildeby 😳 #LeafsForever | @mapleleafs | #Hildeby pic.twitter.com/2vRtJNvmoH
— NHL Deutsch (@NHLde) December 12, 2025
Others in consideration: Dan Vladar (PHI), Jake Oettinger (DAL), Darcy Kuemper (LAK)
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