Today’s NHL Lineups: Start/Sit Calls, PP1 Leans and Goalie Confidence

With multiple games on the slate, today is all about reacting quickly to lineup news and goalie confirmations. Bo Horvat’s return, Rasmus Dahlin’s maintenance situation, and several key crease decisions headline the day. Let’s break down how these updates should shape your start/sit choices, power-play expectations, and streaming strategy across formats.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The biggest skater development is Bo Horvat rejoining the New York Islanders after missing significant time. Sliding right back into a top-line center role, he stabilizes their forward group and should immediately see prime offensive minutes and top power-play usage. For fantasy managers who have been stashing him, this is a green light to get him back into active lineups.

On the blue line, Rasmus Dahlin is expected to play for the Buffalo Sabres despite a maintenance absence from practice. That suggests workload management rather than a setback, and it keeps him locked into his usual heavy minutes and power-play quarterback role. Unless late news says otherwise, you treat him as fully available.

In goal, today’s slate is defined by clarity rather than chaos. Juuse Saros is confirmed for the Nashville Predators, reaffirming his status as a high-volume, set-and-forget starter in most formats. The Washington Capitals are turning to Charlie Lindgren against Edmonton, a matchup that carries risk but also strong save-volume upside. And with Andrei Vasilevskiy having just played, the Tampa Bay Lightning are likely to roll with Jonas Johansson, creating a short-term streaming window in net.

Between returning stars, power-play anchors, and clear crease decisions, today’s news gives fantasy managers a rare chance to set lineups with confidence—if you lean into the matchups and usage trends correctly.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In pure scoring formats, Horvat is the headline. As the Islanders’ top-line center, he should immediately see prime offensive deployment at even strength and on the first power-play unit. After a multi-game absence, there’s always a small risk of rust, but the bigger factor is opportunity: he’ll be stapled to the team’s best wingers and leaned on in offensive situations. If you were forced to bench him while injured, he goes straight back into your active lineup today.

Dahlin remains a must-start whenever he’s in uniform. A maintenance day implies the Sabres are protecting their top-pair defenseman’s workload, not dialing it back. Expect him to continue driving offense from the back end, running PP1, and touching the puck constantly in transition. In points-only leagues, you don’t get cute—he’s in regardless of opponent.

Among the goalies, Saros is the safest points-only play. As a confirmed starter with a strong track record and a solid matchup, he’s the kind of goalie you start almost automatically. Johansson, if he indeed gets the nod, is more of a matchup-dependent play but still viable in points-only if your league counts wins heavily and you’re chasing volume. Lindgren is the most volatile of the three; facing a dangerous Edmonton attack, he’s a boom-bust option who could either steal you a win with a big performance or get shelled. In points-only leagues that don’t reward saves, that volatility is harder to stomach.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat setups, Horvat’s value goes beyond goals and assists. As a top-line center, he can help in shots and potentially faceoff wins, depending on your scoring. Coming off injury, there’s always a small concern about conditioning, but his role should still translate into solid volume. If you’re behind in offensive categories, his return is a timely boost.

Dahlin is an across-the-board contributor. Even on a maintenance-managed day, he’s likely to pile up shots, power-play points, and a healthy share of hits and blocks. The only reason to consider sitting him would be extremely shallow formats with strict games-played limits and a stacked blue line; otherwise, you want his category coverage active.

In net, Saros is a premium categories play. He typically delivers strong save totals and has a good chance at both quality starts and wins. He’s a clear start in any league that counts save percentage or goals-against average. Johansson is more of a streaming categories option: if you need saves and a shot at a win, he’s useful, but his rate stats can be fragile. Lindgren is a classic high-risk, high-reward categories start. Against a high-powered opponent, he could rack up saves and help you in volume categories even if the ratios aren’t pristine. If you’re chasing saves late in the week or need a goalie start to hit minimums, he’s viable; if you’re protecting ratios, you might pivot elsewhere.

Dynasty / Keeper

From a long-term perspective, today’s news mostly reinforces existing trajectories rather than changing them. Horvat’s quick return to a top-line role for the Islanders is reassuring for dynasty managers worried about lingering injury issues or role erosion. His usage suggests the team still views him as a core offensive piece, which supports his multi-year value as a stable top-six center.

Dahlin’s situation is even more encouraging in dynasty. Maintenance days are common for high-minute defensemen, and the fact that he’s expected to play through it underscores his workhorse status. He remains a foundational asset on the blue line, with elite upside in both points-only and multi-cat keeper formats.

In goal, Saros continues to profile as a long-term anchor. Confirmed starts like today’s, in solid matchups, are exactly why he’s so valuable in dynasty: he’s a reliable volume starter with strong underlying performance. Lindgren and Johansson, by contrast, are more short-term plays. Their value in keeper formats hinges on whether they can carve out larger roles over time; today’s starts are more about showcasing what they can do in spot opportunities than about redefining their long-term outlook. If either strings together a run of strong performances, that’s when you start thinking about them as more than just depth or streaming options.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Bo Horvat – Add/Start (all but the shallowest leagues): Returning as the Islanders’ top-line center with PP1 access, he should immediately help in goals, assists, and volume categories.
Rasmus Dahlin – Auto-start: Expected to play despite a maintenance day, he remains a must-use defenseman for both scoring and multi-cat coverage.
Juuse Saros – Locked-in start: Confirmed in goal for Nashville, he’s a high-confidence play for wins, saves, and strong ratios.
Charlie Lindgren – Short-term stream: Starting for Washington against a dangerous opponent, he’s a high-volume, high-risk option if you’re chasing saves or starts.
Jonas Johansson – Stream in standard/deep leagues: Likely getting the nod for Tampa Bay with Vasilevskiy resting, he’s a viable spot start if you need a chance at a win.

Fantasy Takeaways

Activate Bo Horvat everywhere; his return to the Islanders’ top line and power play makes him an immediate start in points-heavy formats.
Don’t overreact to Rasmus Dahlin’s maintenance day—if he’s in the lineup, he’s locked into your defense corps in all leagues.
Juuse Saros is a set-and-forget starter today, offering one of the safest goalie profiles on the slate.
Charlie Lindgren is a volatile but intriguing stream if you need saves or a goalie start, especially in categories leagues.
Monitor Jonas Johansson’s confirmation; if he starts for Tampa Bay, he’s a solid one-day solution for managers hunting a win.

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