This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's featured NHL slate begins at 7 p.m. EST and includes six games. Note that this slate excludes the seven games from earlier in the day. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The two largest favorites both possess high-powered offenses, as the Lightning play host to the Kraken and the Maple Leafs travel to San Jose. Colorado can also score with the best of them, though the defensively oriented Stars have a chance to slow down the potent Avalanche attack in Dallas. The Penguins offer some enticing value against a struggling and undermanned Islanders team, while Canadiens-Sabres and Canucks-Blue Jackets matchups round out this slate.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. SEA ($8,200): Vasilevskiy should be worth paying up for given his excellent play and underwhelming opposition. He's 9-3-3 with a 2.22 GAA and .924 save percentage, while the Kraken are getting outscored 3.63 to 2.84 on average. Vasilevskiy's best production comes in streaks, and he could be embarking on a dominant stretch after shutting out the Flyers in his last start.
Tristan Jarry, PIT at NYI ($8,000): Jarry and the Islanders are trending in opposite directions. He's riding a four-game winning streak and has allowed just two goals over those four starts, while the Islanders have dropped their last seven games by a combined score of 31-7. If both recent trends continue, Jarry should deliver a dominant performance.
Darcy Kuemper, COL at DAL ($7,900): A skate blade issue cut Kuemper's last start short, but prior to that, he had reeled off five consecutive wins and seven in eight tries for a Colorado team that's looking like the Cup contender we expected. Assuming his equipment has been fixed up, Kuemper will be a high-floor goalie option against a Stars team that's looked more dangerous lately but still ranks in the bottom 10 offensively with 2.71 goals per game.
Thatcher Demko, VAN at CLS ($7,400): It has been an up and down season for Demko, who started pretty hot before going through a period of ugly play and has righted the ship again recently. While he has won only once in his past three starts, Demko has allowed only six goals on 99 shots in that span for a .939 save percentage. He's a high-ceiling bargain option against a Blue Jackets team that's exceeding expectations early but is eventually expected to sink to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, though the Islanders could make that difficult if they keep up their losing ways.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nazem Kadri, COL at DAL ($7,200): Kadri's point streak now stands at 10 games, six goals and 21 points, as he might be the hottest player in the whole league. He's only getting hotter, too, with multiple points in each of the past five games and a 4-10-14 line in those games alone. Until he shows signs of slowing down, Kadri should be among the first players you lock into your lineup.
Roope Hintz, DAL vs. COL ($5,400): If the Stars are going to topple the Avalanche here, expect Hintz to lead the charge. His slow start to the season is a distant memory now, as the first-line center has caught fire with a 6-3-9 line over his past seven games. Hintz has only put fewer than three pucks on net once over that span, yet his valuation is a very reasonable $5,400.
Jakub Voracek, CLS vs. VAN ($4,100): The Blue Jackets are a hardworking, straight line team, but when it comes to the power play, they rely on the playmaking skill of Voracek. He leads the club with nine power-play points while nobody else has more than six, and the veteran winger's 16 points overall trail only the 18 of Oliver Bjorkstrand ($7,400). Voracek comes significantly cheaper than Bjorkstrand, and the Czech's power-play prowess should shine through against Vancouver's league-worst, 63.1 percent penalty kill.
Rasmus Asplund, BUF vs. MON ($3,100): Center Tage Thompson ($4,700) leads the Sabres in both goals (eight) and points (13), but Asplund's tied for second in both categories with a 5-7-12 line through 19 contests. If you're looking for an affordable option on the wing, it's hard to argue with the Swede's production and favorable matchup against a Canadiens team that's surrendering 3.62 goals per game — third-most in the league.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Kraken
Steven Stamkos (C - $7,800), Ondrej Palat (W - $5,100), Alex Barre-Boulet (W - $2,900)
Tampa Bay's top line has a nice mix of star power and value for this visit from the league's second-worst defensive team (3.63 goals allowed per game). Stamkos is easily the Lightning's top offensive player this season, leading in both goals (10) and points (22) through 18 games. Palat has provided nice complementary production with a 4-7-11 line. Barre-Boulet's an especially enticing value at just $2,900. He's perennially near the top of the AHL scoring leaderboard and has translated that ability to NHL production in a top-line role; his 3-3-6 line in 11 appearances includes goals in each of the last two.
Maple Leafs at Sharks
Auston Matthews (C - $9,300), Mitch Marner (W - $7,300), Michael Bunting (W - $3,700)
Toronto's top line costs a pretty penny but should be worth locking in against a Sharks team that's been tagged for at least four goals by four if its last seven opponents. This line has already combined for a 4-3-7 line and 22 shots over the first two games of Toronto's road trip. Matthews and Marner are two of the league's most productive players as usual, with 8-9-17 and 6-11-17 lines, respectively. Bunting has bounced around the lineup but has fit well whenever given an opportunity on the top line, leading to a 5-6-11 line overall.
Penguins at Islanders
Sidney Crosby (C - $7,000), Jake Guentzel (W - $6,400), Bryan Rust (W - $5,700)
The Islanders have barely looked like an NHL team while dealing with a recent COVID-19 outbreak and the general ineptitude of the remaining regulars who didn't catch COVID — the team's 7-31 goal differential over the past seven games bears repeating. Pittsburgh's well-established top line should add to the Islanders' recent misery as the Penguins look to avoid the dubious distinction of becoming the first visitors to lose at UBS Arena. Crosby has just one goal and one assist through seven games this season, but it's likely only a matter of time until he breaks out, and this is a golden opportunity to do so. Guentzel has a 5-3-8 line going over his active seven-game goal streak, which has propelled him into the team lead in both goals (eight) and points (16). Rust has chipped in a 2-7-9 line in just 12 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski, CLS vs. VAN ($7,400): Werenski's in the midst of a torrid stretch, as he's found his way onto the scoresheet in each of the past six games, totaling a 3-5-8 line. He also has 18 shots and 15 blocked shots in those games, delivering production across the board. Paying up for Werenski should pay off against a Canucks team that's allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to defensemen.
Mario Ferraro, SJ vs. TOR ($4,900): Ferraro is one of the best shot blockers around, and he's effective offensively to boot. The former skill should be on full display against a Toronto team that loves to fling rubber at the cage, and Ferraro has blocked four-plus shots in eight of the last 12 games. He also has 10 points in 19 games overall, nine of which have come in the past 11. Ferraro has a terrific floor at his sub-$5,000 valuation.
Jeff Petry, MON at BUF ($4,300): Given the Sabres' recent struggles, this could be a buy-low opportunity on Petry. He has a meager two assists this season but has shown signs of stirring with six shots in the past two games. Considering Petry scored double-digit goals in each of the previous four seasons, he's bound to improve at least a little from here on out.
Rasmus Sandin, TOR at SJ ($2,500): Sandin's an offensively inclined defenseman coming off a three-assist game. At the minimum $2,500 valuation, it's worth seeing whether the 2018 first-round pick can build on that effort for the favored Maple Leafs.
