This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
After a terrible 6-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday, Edmonton will attempt to even the series tonight in Florida, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET. If you want to assemble a FanDuel team to go along with the action, then you'll need to select six players on a budget of $60,000. One of those players will be your MVP, which will provide you with 1.5 times the points but cost 1.5 times the salary, relative to their price as a utility pick. Here's my recommended lineup for your consideration.
SLATE PREVIEW
Florida is regarded as the clear favorite tonight at -152 on the Moneyline. The game's Over/Under is set at 6.5 with the over at +108. So far, every game in the Stanley Cup Finals has featured at least seven goals.
MVP
Brad Marchand, FLA vs. EDM ($14,700): Marchand is looking like one of the best deadline acquisitions in a long time. He's delivered big in the Stanley Cup Finals, providing four goals across three games. That brings him up to eight goals and 18 points in 20 playoff appearances this year. Given what he brings to the table, his price is reasonable, which makes him a nice pick for the MVP slot and enables you to put more of your budget into your utility players.
UTILITY
Connor McDavid, EDM at FLA ($14,000): McDavid was held off the scoresheet in Game 3, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him bounce back tonight. He has six goals and a league-leading 31 points in 19 playoff outings this year, and it's rare for him to be contained for long. He hasn't been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games yet in the 2025 postseason.
Sam Bennett, FLA vs. EDM ($11,000): Bennett is entering tonight's action on a four-game goal-scoring streak in which he's tallied five markers and six points. He's also been held off the scoresheet just once across his past eight games, collecting eight goals and 11 points in that span. That's about as hot as a player can get.
Evan Bouchard, EDM at FLA ($10,200): Bouchard has a goal and five points across three games in this series, which gives the blueliner seven goals and 22 points in 19 playoff appearances this year. If Edmonton is going to be even somewhat stronger tonight, Bouchard will likely be a contributor.
Nate Schmidt, FLA vs. EDM ($6,200): Schmidt isn't known for his offense – he had just 19 points in 80 regular-season games – but he's stepped up for the finals, supplying five assists across the opening three outings. It makes him a strong pick for his low price, but if you're worried about him fizzling out, then you could take Evan Rodrigues ($8,200), who has two goals and 12 points over his past nine outings, over Bouchard, and use the savings to select Seth Jones ($7,800) or Aaron Ekblad ($8,400) instead of Schmidt. Jones and Ekblad have two points and one point, respectively, in the series, but they are usually stronger plays than Schmidt from the Florida blue line.
Jeff Skinner, EDM at FLA ($3,600): Skinner is projected to draw back into the lineup for Game 4. He scored a goal on three shots in Game 1 of the series. That wasn't enough to convince Edmonton to put him in the lineup for the past two games, but at his rock bottom price, the six-time 30-plus goal scorer is a nice gamble.
