This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate consists of the one-game Showdown contest between the Maple Leafs and Jets at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
This will be the last game of the regular season for both Toronto and Winnipeg, so both teams could opt to rest some regulars for the playoffs. With that context in mind, it will be essential to check back in before puck drop to make sure your players of choice will indeed be suiting up. Toronto's favored on the road and the game has an over/under of 6.0 goals.
GOALIES
Jack Campbell, TOR at WPG ($10,000): Campbell's a strong choice against the struggling Jets, especially if you anticipate a low-scoring game. He boasts a brilliant 17-2-2 record alongside a 2.11 GAA and .923 save percentage, while Winnipeg has scored no more than one goal in six of its last 11 games.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. TOR ($9,600): Last year's Vezina Trophy winner isn't in the running for the award this season, having gone a respectable but unspectacular 23-17-3 with a 2.60 GAA and .915 save percentage. He'll be tough to trust against the potent Toronto offense, especially since he's likely only playing to try to gain some momentum before the playoffs after winning just two of his last nine starts.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jason Spezza, TOR at WPG ($3,800): Spezza's fifth among healthy Maple Leafs in goals (10) and sixth in points (30), plus he's playing well down the stretch with eight points in his last nine games. Despite the mix of recent and season-long success, Spezza can be had for just $3,800, making him a solid bargain play with which to round out your lineup.
Mathieu Perreault, WPG vs. TOR ($2,000): Perreault's the cheapest member of either team's top-six forward group at the minimum price of $2,000. He's dished out a helper in each of his last two games to bring his season line to 10-9-19, and locking in Perreault can help you afford more of this slate's top-end talents.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs at Jets
Auston Matthews (C - $11,400), Mitch Marner (W - $10,200), Alex Galchenyuk (W - $5,600)
Matthews and Marner form one of the league's most potent one-two punches, and both should be popular candidates for your captain spot. Marner actually leads the team in points with a 20-47-67 line in 55 games, but Matthews is having the more impressive year. Matthews will take home the Rocket Richard Trophy thanks to his 41 goals in 51 games, and he's chipped in 25 helpers to boot. Completing this stack with Galchenyuk should help you fit Toronto's two stars under the salary cap, and he's scored a point in four of his last six games.
Jets vs. Maple Leafs
Mark Scheifele (C - $9,000), Kyle Connor (W - $8,600), Blake Wheeler (W - $8,200)
Both of these teams are very top-heavy, so the choice here should come down to picking one squad's top line to build around. This trio combined for a 4-5-9 line in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Canucks, so its members should be confident heading into this one. Scheifele's the team points leader with 61, while Connor leads in goals with 24.
DEFENSEMEN
Jake Muzzin, TOR at WPG ($7,200): Muzzin's playing his most productive hockey down the stretch, with a 1-5-6 line and 11 shots over an active four-game point streak. Keep locking him in while he's rolling.
Dylan DeMelo, WPG vs. TOR ($2,000): DeMelo's skating on the top pairing and has three assists in his last six games, yet he can still be had for the minimum price of $2,000. If you're going with a stars and scrubs style lineup, DeMelo's an appealing member of the latter category.
