This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There are six games on the NHL schedule Friday 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
Four of the six games have heavy favorites, led by the Hurricanes at home against the Blue Jackets. Columbus is finishing up a back-to-back set but has won nine of its last 11 games, though the Blue Jackets' injuries in net could lead to a big game for Carolina's offense. Elsewhere around the league, the Blues (vs. Buffalo) and Avalanche (vs. Winnipeg) are expected to take care of business at home, while the Golden Knights are sizable road favorites in Arizona. The Columbus-Carolina and Winnipeg-Colorado games are tied with New Jersey-Chicago for the highest over/under at 6.5 goals, while a Kings-Ducks game that comes in at a slate-low over/under of 5.5 rounds out the action.
GOALIES
Ville Husso, STL vs. BUF ($8,300): The Sabres have been no strangers to losing streaks in recent years, and they're mired in another ugly one right now, having been outscored 19-7 en route to four consecutive regulation defeats. Husso should have no trouble building on his sparkling 12-3-2 record, 1.97 GAA and .936 save percentage here, and Jordan Binnington would also make for a strong choice at $8,300 if he gets the nod after holding the Flyers to one goal in his previous start.
Laurent Brossoit, VGK at ARI ($8,100): Robin Lehner (upper body) seems to be nearing a return, but if Lehner's not ready to go yet Brossoit will remain the top option in Vegas' net. Whichever goalie gets the nod for the Golden Knights should be a strong play behind one of the league's best defensive teams against a league-worst Coyotes offense that's mustering just 2.25 goals per game.
John Gibson, ANH vs. LA ($7,700): Gibson hasn't been at his best lately, but he has a nice opportunity to get back in form in what should be a low-scoring rivalry game out west. He still has a solid 16-13-8 record, 2.77 GAA and .913 save percentage overall, while the visiting Kings average the third-most shots (35.6) but rank 18th with 2.90 goals per game, just below Gibson's own Ducks.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jack Eichel, VGK at ARI ($7,000): Eichel has gotten better with each passing game since making his long-awaited Golden Knights debut. After being blanked in his first appearance, he dished a helper in his second for his first point with Vegas. By his third contest, Eichel looked like the top-line center the Golden Knights had been hoping for, as he had a goal, an assist and five shots. That trend of improvement could well continue here against a Coyotes team that's giving up 3.63 goals per game.
Patrik Laine, CLS at CAR ($6,500): Nobody in the league is hotter than Laine right now, so he deserves consideration despite the tough matchup in Carolina. He has a 13-8-21 line during his active 11-game point streak, and Laine's shot is perhaps the hardest in the league for goalies to stop, especially when he's flinging it with confidence.
Viktor Arvidsson, LA at ANH ($6,300): Arvidsson has a five-game point streak rolling, and his two-goal game last time out was his second such performance in the past seven games. In other words, the Swedish winger's playing his best hockey in a Kings uniform heading into this matchup with Gibson, who has allowed 19 goals in his last four starts in net for the Ducks.
Jack Hughes, NJ at CHI ($6,000): Hughes has a 9-16-25 line over his last 18 games. Maybe it's an extended hot streak, or maybe it's just the new normal for the 2019 first-overall pick. Either way, he's a bargain at $6,000 in this battle between teams well out of the playoff picture.
Nick Schmaltz, ARI vs. VGK ($3,400): Schmaltz is a nice bargain option if you're looking for offensive upside on the cheap. He's skating on the top line for the Coyotes and has made the most of that opportunity lately, notching a 4-3-7 line over his last five games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Hurricanes vs. Blue Jackets
Sebastian Aho (C - $7,700), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $6,800), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $6,200)
The Hurricanes have put their top three forwards back together on one line, which is bad news for whichever goalie the Blue Jackets roll with in this second leg of a back-to-back. Columbus has been hot, but it has been the offense more than the defense carrying the Blue Jackets, as Columbus is still giving up 3.63 goals per game overall. Aho comes in on a four-game point streak, which has pushed his season line to 22-31-53 in 47 games. Svechnikov's on an extended hot streak that has featured a 10-12-22 line in his last 16, while Teravainen's been held off the scoresheet only once in his last 11 games.
Blues vs. Sabres
Brayden Schenn (C - $4,100), Vladimir Tarasenko (W - $7,300), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $6,400)
The Blues have shuffled their lines a bit recently, but any line that Tarasenko and Buchnevich end up on has found success. Both Russians wingers have eclipsed a point-per-game pace. Tarasenko leads the team in both goals (19) and points (46) while having played 45 games, and Buchnevich is tied with Jordan Kyrou for second in both categories with an 18-27-45 line in 44 appearances. The red-hot Schenn should find success in between them against a Sabres team that's allowing 3.56 goals per game. Schenn has long since put a slow start behind him with a 10-6-16 line over his last 12 games.
Blackhawks vs. Devils
Dylan Strome (C - $4,500), Patrick Kane (W - $7,200), Alex DeBrincat (W - $6,000)
Chicago gets most of its offense from the Kane-DeBrincat duo, and the pair of productive wingers should capitalize on facing Devils netminder Jon Gillies, who has a 3-8-1 record, 3.50 GAA and .893 save percentage. Kane's over a point-per-game pace with a 13-36-49 line in 48 games, while DeBrincat's tied for fifth in the league with 29 goals in 52 games. Strome's mired in a four-game point drought but still has a 5-4-9 line in his last 10 games and should continue to get quality chances while sharing the ice with Chicago's two best forwards.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. WPG ($7,100): Even without Nathan MacKinnon (lower body), Colorado remains an elite offensive team, and Makar's contributions are a big part of that success. The standout defenseman has dished out nine helpers during his six-game point streak, and he's due to break out in the goal department. Despite having all 30 of his shots on goal over the past 10 games rebuffed, Makar still leads all defensemen with 18 goals.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at ARI ($6,100): Pietrangelo's well-rounded game gives him one of the highest floors around, and he has the offensive capabilities to dominate the defensively challenged Coyotes. He has averaged 10.3 fantasy points over the past five games despite totaling just a goal and an assist thanks to 14 shots and 14 blocks over that span, and Pietrangelo has a 7-21-28 line in 49 games overall.
Dougie Hamilton, NJ at CHI ($5,800): Hamilton looked like his usual self Thursday after missing more than a month due to a jaw injury, as he fired five pucks on net and blocked a shot. His valuation should climb before long, as Hamilton's perennially at or near the top of the charts for shots among defensemen, and he's usually not too far from the scoring leaders on the blue line, either. Hamilton has a 7-13-20 line in 31 games with the Devils after reaching the 40-point mark in six of the previous seven seasons.
Neal Pionk, WPG at COL ($3,600): Pionk's a nice value pick at just $3,600 against an Avalanche team that's in the five most generous to opposing defensemen in the fantasy realm. The Nebraska native has averaged .58 points per game since becoming a member of the Jets ahead of the 2019-20 season, and while he's off that pace this year with 22 in 46, Pionk's getting back on track with three assists in his last two games.
