This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate has eight games on the schedule after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
This slate is unusually large for a Friday and has plenty of appealing matchups to take advantage of. The most obvious favorites are the Islanders against the Coyotes and the Lightning in Anaheim. The Penguins (in Columbus), Panthers (in Vancouver) and Blues (in Seattle) are also appealing plays on the road. As has been customary for the Panthers lately, Florida's game has a slate-high over/under of 6.5 goals, with Penguins-Blue Jackets and Wild-Blackhawks both checking in at 6.0.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at ANH ($8,500): Vasilevskiy should be worth paying up for against a sputtering Ducks offense that has been shut out in consecutive games. The star goalie boasts a 22-6-3 record, 2.20 GAA and .923 save percentage, while Anaheim has won only twice in its last 11 games.
Semyon Varlamov, NYI vs. ARI ($7,800): This game has an unusually low over/under of just 5.0 goals, suggesting offense will be at a premium in this clash of bottom-three offensive teams. Varlamov has been terrific recently after a poor start to the season, recapturing the top spot in the Islanders' net with a 3-1-0 record, 1.49 GAA and .959 save percentage over his last four outings. His strong play is likely to continue against an Arizona team that's scoring just 2.26 goals per game.
Karel Vejmelka, ARI at NYI ($6,900): Vejmelka's a high-upside bargain choice in the net across from Varlamov. In his last four starts, Vejmelka was shelled for five goals in a loss to the Avalanche but won the other three games, holding those three opponents to a combined four goals on 108 shots. Nobody's mistaking the defensive-minded Islanders for the high-powered Avalanche, so Vejmelka should outplay his $6,900 valuation against a New York offense that's mustering just 2.31 goals per game.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at CAR ($7,700): Playing in Carolina is a brutal matchup, but there's reason to believe Shesterkin can find success nonetheless. He's 10-1-0 with a pair of shutouts in his last 11 outings, and Shesterkin was no slouch prior to this extended hot streak, so he now boasts an 18-4-2 record, 2.03 GAA and .938 save percentage overall. The Rangers are proven road warriors, as they lead the NHL with 15 wins away from home.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN at CHI ($8,000): Kaprizov has casually put together a 6-6-12 line over the past six games, bringing his season output to 16-28-44 in 34 contests. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have been torched by opposing left wings all season, allowing the third-most fantasy points in the league to the position. The Wild's best player is a strong option to build your lineup around given this favorable matchup.
Bryan Rust, PIT at CLS ($5,900): Rust is a steal at just $5,900 given his recent output. He has a 7-6-13 line through just five games since the calendar flipped to 2022, and a role on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit for the top-heavy Penguins should allow Rust to continue producing at a high rate. Another productive performance should be forthcoming against a Columbus club that's surrendering 3.54 goals per game – fifth-most in the league.
Boone Jenner, CLS vs. PIT ($5,200): Jenner has a five-game point streak going, having tacked up a 3-3-6 line over that stretch. He has reached the 30-goal mark once before and is on pace to surpass that threshold this season with 15 goals in 37 contests. He'll have a nice opportunity to add to that production against a Penguins team that's likely to start Casey DeSmith in net after Tristan Jarry presided over Thursday's 6-4 win over the Senators. DeSmith has struggled to a 3.47 GAA and .888 save percentage this season.
Tyler Seguin, DAL at DET ($4,900): Seguin has had an underwhelming season to date, but he finally seems to be getting into a groove, with a 3-2-5 line and 14 shots in his last two games. At his sub-$5,000 valuation, the six-time 70-point scorer is worth taking a flier on against a bottom-10 Red Wings defense that's allowing 3.23 goals per game.
Calle Jarnkrok, SEA vs. STL ($2,800): Jarnkrok has played his best hockey in front of the Kraken faithful, as the former Nashville winger has a 4-6-10 line on home ice and just a 2-1-3 line on the road. He has also been more productive in general recently, mustering a 4-4-8 line in his last nine games. At just $2,800, Jarnkrok's an appealing bargain play to fill out your lineup against a Blues team that has given up nine goals in its last two games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Blues at Kraken
Ivan Barbashev (C - $4,800), Vladimir Tarasenko (W - $7,700), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $6,400)
It's a shame NHL players won't be going to the Olympics, as this trio has shown great chemistry in St. Louis and would likely do the same if given the chance to represent Russia together. Buchnevich and Tarasenko sport identical 14-21-35 lines, though it's taken Buchnevich one fewer game to get there (34 vs. 35). Tarasenko has a 120-104 edge in shots, though, as they rank first and second on the team in that category. Barbashev posted two goals and two assists in his last game, giving him a massive 5-10-15 line in his last 10 games. That's excellent production for anyone, let alone a sub-$5,000 player. A Kraken team that's allowing 3.56 goals per game is unlikely to slow this trio down.
Lightning at Ducks
Brayden Point (C - $7,000), Nikita Kucherov (W - $8,200), Corey Perry (W - $3,200)
Point and Kucherov are two of the best players in the league, and Perry's an appealing value play as long as he's moonlighting alongside them on the top line. Kucherov has been the league's most productive player in terms of points per game this season, albeit in only nine appearances, as he has a 5-10-15 line. Point has added a 15-12-27 line in 27 games. Perry should benefit from his deployment on their line, and he'll be motivated to produce against the team with which he spent the bulk of his career. As mentioned earlier, the Ducks are currently in a tailspin that's seen them notch only two wins in their past 11 contests.
Panthers at Canucks
Aleksander Barkov (C - $7,500), Sam Reinhart (W - $5,100), Carter Verhaeghe (W - $4,500)
After combining for three goals and seven points Thursday in Edmonton, Florida's top line should get right back to its productive ways the next day in Vancouver. In addition to their chemistry at even strength, these guys are also productive on the power play. Barkov's tied with Sam Bennett for the team lead with five power-play goals despite having played only 27 of a possible 40 games, and he boasts a 17-15-32 line overall. Reinhart's 11-23-34 line includes 10 power-play points, and Verhaeghe has posted similar overall production with a 14-19-33 line. A matchup with Vancouver's league-worst 67.3 percent penalty kill should allow Barkov and Reinhart to thrive with the extra man, while Verhaeghe's an excellent complement on this line at even strength.
DEFENSEMEN
Aaron Ekblad, FLA at VAN ($6,600): Only Jonathan Huberdeau (16) has more power-play points among Panthers than Ekblad, who has 12 points with the extra man. Ekblad boasts a 10-25-35 line overall and has produced a trio of three-point performances in his last seven games, giving him an immense ceiling here against a Canucks team that has the league's most generous penalty kill.
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. ARI ($5,700): Dobson has cooled down after the most productive stretch of his career, but he looks to be heating back up ahead of a visit from a Coyotes team that's surrendering 3.61 goals per game. He's on a four-game point drought after mustering a 5-5-10 line in the 10 games before that, but Dobson's coming off a seven-shot performance and remains locked into a role on the Islanders' top power-play unit.
Mark Giordano, SEA vs. STL ($5,000): Giordano's well-rounded game gives him a high floor at $5,00. He has scored at least 12.6 fantasy points in each of his last three games, totaling three assists, six shots on goal and nine blocked shots over that stretch. The veteran blueliner has a 4-10-14 line overall, and the Kraken should continue to feature Giordano prominently so they can maximize their return for him at the trade deadline.
Mike Matheson, PIT at CLS ($3,000): If you believe in riding the hot hand, Matheson's an appealing option. He's coming off a two-goal performance Thursday against the Senators and threw in an assist for good measure in that one. With a 5-11-16 line in 36 games overall, Matheson has been quite productive for a $3,000 defenseman. Facing a Blue Jackets team that's allowing the most fantasy points in the league should help him add to that point total.
