This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The final NHL slate of the 2021 calendar year consists of four games and starts up early at 1:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Paying up for superstars will likely be a prudent strategy, as the star-powered Oilers and Capitals offenses will both benefit from favorable matchups in New Jersey and Detroit, respectively. The slate's biggest favorites are the Golden Knights at home against Anaheim, while the Lightning will likely remain without their top two goalies as they host the Rangers one day after allowing nine goals to the Panthers. Edmonton-New Jersey has this slate's highest over/under at 6.5 goals.
GOALIES
Ilya Samsonov, WAS at DET ($8,400): Whether it's through his own strong play or thanks to a little help from his teammates, all Samsonov does is win. He's 12-2-2 with a 2.66 GAA and .907 save percentage this season, and paying up for him should be worth it against a Red Wings team that has escaped bottomfeeder status but is far from being a contender like Washington.
Laurent Brossoit, VGK vs. ANH ($7,800): Assuming Robin Lehner (lower body) remains unavailable, Brossoit should get the nod for the favored Golden Knights against a Ducks team that mustered only one goal in its return from the holiday break. Brossoit has been solid when called upon, compiling a 7-3-0 record, 2.75 GAA and .903 save percentage.
Mike Smith, EDM at NJ ($7,900): The Devils have the weakest offense of any team in action Friday, checking in among the bottom 10 league-wide with 2.74 goals per game. With one game to shake off the rust under his belt after missing extensive time due to a leg injury, Smith's poised to find success in this favorable matchup.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at TB ($7,500): A forgettable third period ruined Shesterkin's return from a lower-body injury Wednesday in Florida, but he's still 13-4-2 with a 2.16 GAA and .934 save percentage overall. He should get plenty of goal support against a Tampa Bay team that doesn't have NHL-caliber goaltending at the moment, making Shesterkin an appealing value play in net.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Leon Draisaitl, EDM at NJ ($8,600): It's hard to go wrong with the league leader in goals (24) and points (50), especially against a Devils team that's allowing 3.35 goals per game. Draisaitl can be a key building block, regardless of whether he's used as part of a larger Oilers stack or as a standalone superstar.
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK vs. ANH ($5,200): Marchessault's two-goal, three-point performance in Vegas; return to action Tuesday bumped him up to 16 goals in 28 games. The high-scoring left winger is well-positioned to keep adding to that total at home against a Ducks team that's allowing the second-most fantasy points to the position.
Ondrej Palat, TB vs. NYR ($5,400): Palat has been productive since the league restarted, scoring the overtime winner Tuesday against the Canadiens and dishing two assists in Thursday's loss to the Panthers. He doesn't come at the exorbitant valuation of Tampa Bay's top stars, but Palat's deployment on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit give you exposure to his teammates' production at a lower price, and he has capitalized on that prominent usage with a 10-12-22 line in 32 games.
Jack Hughes, NJ vs. EDM ($4,600): Sometimes getting the right personnel is a matter of luck. The Oilers had the first overall pick in the 2015 draft and set themselves up for many years of at least moderate success by drafting Connor McDavid. The Devils picked first overall in 2017 and 2019 and came away with just Nico Hischier and Hughes. The latter has greater potential between the two Devils draft picks, and while Hughes will almost certainly never approach McDavid's peak as a player, he's starting to develop into a decent contributor in his own right. Hughes' three-point night against the Sabres on Wednesday bumped his season line up to 6-5-11 in 14 games.
Lucas Raymond, DET vs. WAS ($4,300): Raymond has cleared COVID protocols, so the exciting rookie will be available for this one. At just $4,300, Raymond's an enticing bargain despite the difficult matchup, as he has a 10-18-28 line through 31 games to begin his NHL career.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers at Devils
Connor McDavid (C - $9,200), Zach Hyman (W - $5,600), Warren Foegele (W - $3,300)
Whether you stack him with Draisaitl or not, McDavid's an excellent option to build around. Both he and Draisaitl have 50 points through 30 games, though McDavid has seven fewer goals with 17. Hyman's third on the Oilers with 11 goals in 27 games, while Foegele has lit the lamp three times in his last three contests, capitalizing on his move up the lineup. The relative affordability of McDavid's linemates also makes his massive cap hit easier to stomach.
Capitals at Red Wings
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $6,900), Alex Ovechkin (W - $9,200), Tom Wilson (W - $4,900)
If you're not building around Edmonton's superstars, it's probably because you're saving money for Ovechkin against a Red Wings team that has matched New Jersey's defensive struggles exactly with 3.35 goals allowed per game as well. He's second in goals (22), third in points (48) and easily first in shots (149) league-wide. Kuznetsov has thrived as Ovie's setup man this season, with a 10-21-31 line in 29 games. Wilson's a great bargain at $4,900 given his deployment on the top line and production this season – the power forward boasts a 9-15-24 line in 28 appearances.
Rangers at Lightning
Mika Zibanejad (C - $6,700), Chris Kreider (W - $5,900), Kaapo Kakko (W - $3,300)
The awful Montreal offense scored four times against Tampa Bay and the elite Florida offense mustered a whopping nine goals Thursday, so look for the Rangers to finish somewhere in between against a Lightning team that remains without both Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott due to COVID-19 protocols. Zibanejad started slowly for the second consecutive season but has come around recently, notching a goal and an assist in each of his past three games. Kreider's enjoying the best offensive season of his career and ranks fourth league-wide with 19 goals. Kakko has been streakier than the Rangers would like from the 2019 second-overall pick, but he's playing well lately with a 2-1-3 line over his past three games.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at DET ($6,800): Carlson's coming off a four-point night, and he has put 10 pucks on net over his last two games. In other words, one of the league's best offensive defensemen is currently playing his best hockey of the season. Keep riding the wave against a Red Wings team that's unlikely to have an answer for Carlson.
Adam Fox, NYR at TB ($6,100): Fox is a bargain at $6,100 considering his 31 points are two shy of Victor Hedman's league-leading total among defensemen. Given Tampa Bay's uncertain goaltending situation, the reigning Norris Trophy winner has tremendous upside on the Blueshirts' blue line.
Hampus Lindholm, ANH at VGK ($4,300): Lindholm's rolling offensively, with a 2-2-4 line in his last two games, as well as 16 shots over the past four. He also averages the most fantasy points among Ducks blueliners at 8.7, yet is valued below two others at $4,300. Whether you look at short-term or long-term trends, Lindholm's a strong choice here.
Ryan Graves, NJ vs. EDM ($3,800): Graves can chip in offensively, as evidenced by his 3-7-10 line in 26 games, but his value comes primarily on the defensive end. He has eight blocked shots in the past two games and should continue to put his body on the line as the Devils use last change on home ice to get him out there against McDavid and Draisaitl as much as possible. Graves offers a robust floor at just $3,800.
