Daily NHL Lineup Leans: Start/Sit Calls, PP1 Auditions and Goalie Confidence

Today’s projected lines and starting goalies give us several clear fantasy edges. We’ve got new top-line auditions, power-play opportunities, and a few shaky crease situations to attack or avoid. Let’s break down how to handle these spots for today’s start/sit decisions, with a focus on scoring roles, PP1 looks, matchup context, and goalie confidence.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The headline move is Jack Roslovic sliding onto the Edmonton top line with Connor McDavid. Any time you’re stapled to McDavid at even strength, your assist and secondary scoring upside spikes, and you often get a look with the top power-play unit if you click. For daily lineups, that makes Roslovic a strong one-day starter in most formats where he was previously a fringe option.

In Washington, Connor McMichael is projected to center the top line with Alex Ovechkin. That’s a major usage bump: top-line minutes and likely exposure to the primary power-play unit. For today, that makes McMichael more than just a speculative stash; he’s in the conversation as a viable start in deeper points formats and a priority watch in shallower leagues.

Calgary is expected to roll with Devin Cooley in net. Any time a less-established goalie gets the crease, we have to weigh matchup risk versus volume upside. Cooley is more of a categories flier than an automatic start, but if you’re chasing saves or looking for a spot gamble, his projected start matters.

Elsewhere, top offensive anchors remain in their usual spots: Alex Ovechkin still drives Washington’s attack, Tage Thompson continues to lead Buffalo’s top unit, Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho headline Carolina’s first line, Kirill Kaprizov remains Minnesota’s primary threat, and David Pastrnak anchors Boston’s top line. Joonas Korpisalo is likely to start for Boston, which shapes how aggressive you want to be streaming skaters against the Bruins today.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In pure scoring leagues, deployment is everything. With Roslovic elevated alongside McDavid on the Edmonton Oilers top line, he moves from fringe to strong start for today. Even if he doesn’t lock into PP1 long-term, just riding shotgun at even strength with McDavid gives him multi-point potential in any given game. If you were on the fence, lean start.

Connor McMichael’s promotion between Ovechkin and another top winger in Washington is a meaningful short-term bump. For today, he’s a viable start in deeper points-only formats and a strong bench consideration in standard leagues if you have weaker options. The key watch item is whether he sticks on PP1; if he does, his rest-of-season ceiling jumps.

On the established-star side, you’re auto-starting Ovechkin, Thompson, Aho, Svechnikov, Kaprizov, and Pastrnak. The more interesting angle is stacking: pairing Roslovic with McDavid, or McMichael with Ovechkin, can give you correlated scoring upside in daily matchups. Buffalo’s stability with Tage Thompson on the top line also makes complementary Sabres forwards more trustworthy as tie-breaker starts.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat formats, Andrei Svechnikov is the big winner from his top-line deployment with Sebastian Aho in Carolina. He already brings hits and shots; add prime offensive usage and you get a high-floor, high-ceiling bangers asset. For today, he’s not just a start—he’s a strong stream target if he’s somehow available, with value in hits, SOG, and points.

Roslovic’s move up in Edmonton boosts his assist and plus-minus outlook more than his physical stats, so he’s a better play in points-heavy or hybrid leagues than in pure bangers. Still, top-line and potential PP1 deployment always helps shots and PPP, so he’s a reasonable categories start if you need offense.

McMichael’s value in categories hinges on power-play usage. If he’s seeing consistent PP1 time with Ovechkin, his PPP and shot volume could spike. For today, he’s more of a fringe categories start; prioritize him if you’re chasing PPP or need a center with some upside.

In net, Cooley is a high-variance categories option. If you’re behind in saves and wins and need to swing big, his expected start for Calgary is worth monitoring. However, if your ratios (GAA, SV%) are fragile, you may want to sit this one out until we see more from him. Joonas Korpisalo’s likely start for Boston, backed by a structured team and strong top line with David Pastrnak, makes him a more traditional ratios protector—start him if you’re not already locked into another strong option.

Dynasty / Keeper

Dynasty managers should pay close attention to McMichael. Centering Ovechkin on the top line is a clear sign the organization wants to see what he can do in a prime role. If he sticks there and earns consistent PP1 usage, his long-term trajectory shifts from fringe prospect to potential core piece. Today’s usage is an audition; even a modest box score with strong minutes is a positive signal.

Roslovic’s promotion in Edmonton is more of a short- to medium-term storyline. His long-term value is tied to whether he can hold a top-six role alongside elite talent. In keeper formats with limited protection spots, he’s more of a win-now piece than a foundational asset, but any extended run with McDavid is worth riding.

For goalies, Cooley is a classic speculative dynasty stash. An expected start suggests Calgary is willing to give him a look; if he posts a strong outing, his path to more starts opens up. In deeper keeper and dynasty leagues, that’s enough to justify a bench spot if you have room, especially if your pipeline is thin.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Jack Roslovic – Add/Start (standard & deep): Elevated to Edmonton’s top line with McDavid, giving him immediate scoring and PP1 audition upside.
Connor McMichael – Watchlist/Add (deep, dynasty): Centering Ovechkin on Washington’s top line; today’s minutes and PP usage will tell us a lot about his long-term role.
Andrei Svechnikov – Short-term stream (bangers & standard): Top-line deployment with Aho in Carolina boosts his already strong mix of hits, shots, and scoring.
Devin Cooley – Watch/Spot start (categories): Expected to start for Calgary; a high-risk, high-reward option if you’re chasing saves or need a goalie lottery ticket.
Tage Thompson – Confident start (all formats): Locked into Buffalo’s top line and driving their offense, making him a set-and-forget option today.
Kirill Kaprizov – Confident start (all formats): Minnesota’s primary offensive engine with heavy usage at even strength and on the power play.
David Pastrnak – Priority start (all formats): Anchors Boston’s top line and power play, and supports Korpisalo’s win equity with elite goal support.
Joonas Korpisalo – Start (ratios-focused): Likely Bruins starter with strong team context; a safer play than fringe goalies if you need stable GAA/SV%.

Fantasy Takeaways

Start Jack Roslovic today in points-heavy formats while he’s riding shotgun with McDavid on Edmonton’s top line.
Monitor Devin Cooley’s expected start for Calgary as a speculative categories play, especially if you’re chasing saves.
Consider adding or at least closely tracking Connor McMichael in dynasty and deep leagues as he auditions in a top-line role with Ovechkin.
Stream Andrei Svechnikov in bangers and standard leagues while he’s deployed with Sebastian Aho, as the combination of hits and scoring is elite.
Use today’s PP1 looks—especially in Edmonton and Washington—to reassess how you value power-play time; sustained PP1 usage is a key rest-of-season tiebreaker.

Source: NHL.com. See the original for full details.