NHL DraftKings DFS Picks Today, November 9, 2026: Top Stacks, Values and Goalies

Monday’s three-game NHL slate starts at 8 p.m. ET, and the biggest DraftKings decision is how much salary to commit to Edmonton. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl offer the strongest starting point, while Philadelphia’s affordable power-play pieces make that pairing possible.

The approach: pay for a concentrated scoring ceiling, use correlated value, and leave the goalie decision open until a starter is announced.

Quick picks: NHL DraftKings DFS

Category	Pick	DK salary	Why it fits
Top skater	Connor McDavid, EDM	$9,700	The centerpiece of the slate’s highest-scoring offense.
Top stack	McDavid / Draisaitl / Bouchard	$27,100	Three premium pieces tied together on Edmonton’s first power play.
GPP alternative	Celebrini / Misa / Smith	$17,700	San Jose’s concentrated top-line scoring against a depleted Islanders defense.
Value stack	Michkov / Barkey / Drysdale	$11,500	Affordable first-unit power-play exposure against Vancouver.
Value winger	Gabe Perreault, NYR	$3,500	An affordable way into the Rangers’ top line and first power play.
Value defenseman	Jamie Drysdale, PHI	$3,800	Power-play involvement without sacrificing a premium forward.
Preferred goalie	Ilya Sorokin, NYI	$7,800	A favorable opponent at a lower salary than the Edmonton and Philadelphia options. Use only if starting.

Goalie update, 1:20 p.m. ET: Dylan Garand and Devon Levi are confirmed for Rangers-Oilers. RotoWire also confirms Joseph Woll and Leevi Merilainen; Daily Faceoff still lists Woll as likely and Merilainen as expected but unconfirmed. Ilya Sorokin and Yaroslav Askarov remain unconfirmed. Recheck late scratches before lock. Daily Faceoff; RotoWire lineups.

Monday’s slate and matchup priorities

• New York Rangers at Edmonton Oilers: 8 p.m. ET.
• Philadelphia Flyers at Vancouver Canucks: 9:30 p.m. ET.
• New York Islanders at San Jose Sharks: 10 p.m. ET.

Edmonton leads this group at 4.2 goals per game and a 33.8% power play. The Rangers provide a meaningful test with an 89.1% penalty kill, so the Oilers’ high salaries still carry risk. Their scoring concentration is what makes them the priority.

Philadelphia has the most attractive defensive opponent. Vancouver is allowing 4.6 goals and 31.2 shots per game, with a 63.5% penalty kill. The catch is Philadelphia’s own production: 2.2 goals per game and a 17.2% power play. This is a good place to buy inexpensive opportunity rather than assume every Flyer becomes a premium play. Season team rates are from DraftKings.

Top stack: Edmonton’s power-play core

Connor McDavid ($9,700), Leon Draisaitl ($9,200), Evan Bouchard ($8,200): $27,100.

McDavid and Draisaitl are listed together at even strength, and Bouchard joins them on the first power play. That gives the trio multiple ways to score on the same goal. Draisaitl is eligible at winger on this DraftKings slate, which makes the pairing easier to fit than two expensive centers. Edmonton’s projected combinations.

The full trio takes more than half the salary cap. In a single-entry build, McDavid plus Draisaitl is the more flexible starting point; Bouchard becomes the third piece when the inexpensive forwards retain worthwhile roles. Vasily Podkolzin ($5,200) is the even-strength alternative, but he should not be treated as an automatic member of the first power play.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($5,700) is available against the Rangers after leaving Saturday’s game with a facial injury. RotoWire lists him on the first power play, keeping Edmonton’s usual premium unit intact. Nugent-Hopkins availability update.

Best value stack: Philadelphia power play

Matvei Michkov ($4,900), Denver Barkey ($2,800), Jamie Drysdale ($3,800): $11,500.

The appeal is three first-unit power-play pieces at a manageable combined cost. Michkov provides the more substantial scoring investment, Drysdale fills a defense slot, and Barkey is the salary release that lets an Edmonton pairing work. Philadelphia’s projected units.

Barkey’s even-strength role is the limitation: he is listed on the fourth line. His case rests on the power play, so a demotion from that unit would change the recommendation. Trevor Zegras ($5,900) is a higher-priced alternative, while Porter Martone ($4,400) is another way to build around the same unit.

For even-strength correlation, Tyson Foerster ($3,700), Christian Dvorak ($3,800) and Travis Konecny ($4,200) cost $11,700 together. Their current shared line gives that trio a different route to value without requiring Philadelphia’s first power play to produce.

GPP stacks: San Jose and the Islanders

San Jose: Celebrini, Misa and Smith

Macklin Celebrini ($8,700), Michael Misa ($3,200), Will Smith ($5,800): $17,700.

The Sharks’ first line also shares first-unit power-play exposure. Misa is particularly useful because his winger eligibility and low salary offset Celebrini’s price. San Jose’s projected combinations.

This is an alternative route to a tournament ceiling, not a claim that the Sharks will be unpopular. San Jose scores only 2.5 goals per game, and the Islanders’ 85.7% penalty kill limits the matchup appeal. The reason to consider the stack is concentration: if San Jose has the breakout game, this group can account for a large portion of it. Avoid pairing these skaters with Sorokin in the same lineup.

Islanders: Horvat, Holmstrom and Schaefer

Bo Horvat ($6,700), Simon Holmstrom ($4,300), Matthew Schaefer ($7,200): $18,200.

Horvat and Holmstrom are together at even strength, while Schaefer connects the mini-stack through the first power play. San Jose allows 30.1 shots and 3.6 goals per game, a friendlier defensive matchup than the Rangers present for Edmonton. Islanders’ projected combinations.

This group saves $8,900 compared with the full Edmonton trio. That is enough to change the quality of several lineup spots. Kyle Palmieri ($4,700) remains an even-strength stacking option, but the morning lineup sources differ on his power-play unit. Do not price him as a guaranteed first-unit player.

Skaters and defensemen to finish the build

• Gabe Perreault, NYR ($3,500): The affordable member of a projected top line with Mika Zibanejad ($5,400) and Alexis Lafreniere ($6,000). The trio costs $14,900. Rangers’ lines.
• J.T. Miller ($4,500) and Oliver Bjorkstrand ($2,800), NYR: A $7,300 second-line pairing that preserves salary for the Oilers. It sacrifices the top unit’s role for a lower combined cost.
• Evan Bouchard, EDM ($8,200): The preferred premium defenseman when building heavily around Edmonton. His cost makes him a deliberate stacking choice rather than an automatic one-off.
• Matthew Schaefer, NYI ($7,200): The premium alternative when using the Islanders. He costs $1,000 less than Bouchard.
• Adam Fox, NYR ($5,500): The middle-priced way to connect Rangers forwards through the power play.
• Filip Hronek, VAN ($4,500): A first-unit power-play defenseman who fits a more balanced build. Vancouver’s projected units.
• Connor Murphy, EDM ($3,000): Salary relief for a lineup that needs a cheaper second defenseman. Do not expect him to reproduce Bouchard’s offensive role.

Goalies: prioritize confirmation over a small salary edge

Ilya Sorokin ($7,800) is the first choice if he starts. San Jose’s 2.5 goals per game provides a reasonable matchup, while its 27 shots per game offers save opportunities. Semyon Varlamov has the same salary, but a change in starter still requires reassessing the play.

Devon Levi ($8,200) is confirmed and remains the favorite-side alternative. He fits an Edmonton-heavy construction, but costs $400 more than Sorokin and faces a Rangers offense averaging 3.1 goals per game. Tristan Jarry is the backup, not an interchangeable starting option.

Dylan Garand ($7,200) is confirmed for the Rangers. He remains a tournament-only option against Edmonton’s scoring upside. Joonas Korpisalo has the same salary but is not the announced starter.

Joseph Woll ($8,000) and Leevi Merilainen ($7,400) are the Philadelphia and Vancouver starters according to RotoWire. Daily Faceoff is more cautious, listing Woll as likely and Merilainen as expected but unconfirmed. Dan Vladar and Kevin Lankinen are not the current starting selections. Igor Shesterkin and Thatcher Demko remain on injured reserve. Daily Faceoff goalie board; RotoWire lineups.

Salary-legal sample DraftKings lineup

This tournament example spends exactly $50,000. It pairs McDavid with Draisaitl, adds Philadelphia’s power-play value, and uses Miller with Bjorkstrand as a lower-cost secondary combination. Sorokin must be confirmed before using it.

Slot	Player	Team	Salary
C	Connor McDavid	EDM	$9,700
C	J.T. Miller	NYR	$4,500
W	Leon Draisaitl	EDM	$9,200
W	Matvei Michkov	PHI	$4,900
W	Oliver Bjorkstrand	NYR	$2,800
D	Filip Hronek	VAN	$4,500
D	Jamie Drysdale	PHI	$3,800
G	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	$7,800
UTIL	Denver Barkey	PHI	$2,800
Total			$50,000

Before lock

Recheck the remaining goalie announcements, late scratches and the value players’ power-play assignments. RotoWire lists Ryan Pulock as out, with Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli and Alexander Romanov still on injured reserve. A return or late scratch could change the Islanders’ combinations. Do not assume a cheap player is active simply because he is available to select.

Once the early game locks, an Edmonton or Rangers change may be unavailable. Keep later-starting skaters in flexible slots when the contest rules permit. The strongest construction is the one that still has its intended roles at puck drop.

November 9, 2026 afternoon update. All times Eastern. Salaries and eligibility are for this DraftKings slate. Line combinations are projected and may change. DFS involves risk; play within your budget.