This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT and features four games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite the limited selection, there are actually plenty of enticing options around which to build your lineup. The Avalanche (vs. San Jose) and Golden Knights (in Arizona) should provide the backbones of most lineups as the two largest favorites, and Colorado's game has the highest over/under at 6.0 goals. Jets-Canadiens and Kings-Ducks matchups round out this slate.
GOALIES
Robin Lehner, VGK at ARI ($8,300): Lehner has won his last six starts and is 10-0-1 in his last 11. Another strong performance should be forthcoming from him against a Coyotes offense that's scoring only 2.62 goals per game, especially with Arizona mired in an extended 2-9-0 slide.
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. SJ ($8,500): Grubauer has been skating and could be back for his first action since April 12. He was fabulous before his stint on the COVID-19 list, with a 25-8-1 record, 2.00 GAA and .920 save percentage, and Grubauer would have a favorable matchup if he plays against the bottom-19 Sharks offense (2.65 goals per game).
Cal Petersen, LA at ANH ($8,000): Petersen took a 3-2 loss to the Ducks on Wednesday, but the Ducks had scored just five goals over the five preceding games and average a league-low 2.16 goals per game overall. Expect Petersen to bounce back if given the chance, though the Kings could instead roll with Jonathan Quick, who stopped 21 of 22 shots in Monday's win over Anaheim. Either goalie would be a strong choice in this favorable matchup.
John Gibson, ANH vs. LA ($7,400): The Kings aren't exactly a powerhouse team themselves, ranking among the bottom 10 offenses with 2.66 goals per game. Gibson set aside 28 of 30 shots to beat them Wednesday in Los Angeles, and he has the skills to bail out his teammates in this home rematch, giving Gibson some nice upside relative to his $7,400 valuation.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Blake Wheeler, WPG at MON ($5,900): Wheeler has been the only consistent source of offense during Winnipeg's team-wide slump, notching a point in four of the five games making up the Jets' current losing streak. He's proven he can produce even with the team struggling around him, and Winnipeg waking up would only improve Wheeler's outlook as he looks to build on his 11-24-35 line through 43 games.
Andreas Athanasiou, LA at ANH ($4,500): Athanasiou was kept off the scoresheet Wednesday but still has an impressive 3-3-6 line in five meetings with Anaheim this season. He's a solid value option in this favorable matchup at $4,500.
Logan Couture, SJ at COL ($4,500): Couture's season has been a mix of hot streaks and droughts, and he appears to be heating up again with a 2-2-4 line over an active three-game point streak. The veteran center has some against-the-grain appeal against an Avalanche team that will either have a rusty Grubauer or an inferior alternative in net.
Phil Kessel, ARI vs. VGK ($5,000): Kessel leads the Coyotes in both goals (18) and points (38) through 50 games, so he's the Coyotes player to target regardless of matchup. The veteran sniper still has the skills to excel, even with a tough Golden Knights team in town.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Sharks
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,000), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,300), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $6,900)
Colorado's expected to get Rantanen back for this one, just in time to feast on a vulnerable Sharks defense that's surrendering 3.39 goals per game. Rantanen last played April 14 but still leads the Avalanche in goals (26) while ranking second to MacKinnon with 52 points in 43 games. MacKinnon's arguably the hottest player in the league, coming into this one riding a 15-game point streak that's included nine multi-point performances. Landeskog hasn't matched his linemates' gaudy production, but he's certainly no slouch himself, with a 17-28-45 line in 45 games played. Andre Burakovsky ($6,100) should continue to fill in if Rantanen's unable to make his return here.
Golden Knights at Coyotes
Chandler Stephenson (C - $5,200), Max Pacioretty (W - $8,600), Mark Stone (W - $6,800)
Each member of this line has produced a three-point performance within the past two games, adding to what's been a fabulous campaign for Vegas' top-line trio. Stone leads the team in points with a 19-37-56 line in 47 games, including a 7-7-14 output in his last eight. Pacioretty's the team's leading goal-scorer with 24 in 46 games, and he's added 26 assists. Stephenson's already set new career scoring highs with a 12-18-30 line in 43 appearances, and he's showing no signs of slowing down with eight points in his last eight games. A reeling Coyotes team is unlikely to slow this line down.
Canadiens vs. Jets
Nick Suzuki (C - $4,800), Tyler Toffoli (W - $6,400), Cole Caufield (W - $4,200)
This line offers a nice mix of established production and youthful upside against a struggling Jets team that's been outscored 21-6 during its five-game losing streak. Toffoli leads the Canadiens in both goals (25) and points (36) despite missing three of the team's 48 games. Suzuki's 10-20-30 line includes a three-game point streak, which is impressive considering Montreal mustered only five goals in those last three games. The 21-year-old Suzuki is living up to his 2017 first-round draft pedigree, and 2019 first-rounder Cole Caufield is being given the opportunity to do the same with a a role in the top six and on the power play. Caufield has been held off the scoresheet through two games with Montreal, but he's put six pucks on net in those games, and the offense should come considering he posted a 30-22-52 line in 31 games with the University of Wisconsin this season, plus another three goals and an assist in two AHL games before being fast-tracked to the NHL.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. SJ ($5,900): Makar's a key part of any Avalanche stack, as he's playing at a point-per-game pace through 35. His offensive abilities should shine through against a Sharks team that's held only one of its last 10 opponents to fewer than three goals.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at ARI ($6,000): Pietrangelo continues to provide value as the Golden Knights' third-most expensive defenseman. He has three assists and 29.4 fantasy points over the past two games, and Pietrangelo should stay hot against the Coyotes, who are giving up the sixth-most fantasy points to defensemen.
Drew Doughty, LA at ANH ($5,300): Doughty has cooled off recently but still sports an 8-25-33 line through 47 games, putting him in the top 10 among defensemen in goals and just outside it in points. This matchup with a Ducks team that's allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to defensemen offers a nice opportunity for the veteran blueliner to build on those totals.
Cam Fowler, ANH vs. LA ($3,400): Fowler has marked the scoresheet in each of his team's two games against the Kings this week and has a 2-1-3 line in his last four games, with all of those points coming against the Kings. He should stay hot against a Los Angeles team that's allowing the third-most fantasy points to defensemen.
