This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There are seven 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
The Lightning are the largest favorites at home against Detroit, with the Wild in Buffalo and Rangers vs. New Jersey representing the second tier of teams to build around. The Tampa Bay and Minnesota games are expected to be the highest-scoring, as each comes in with an over/under of 6.5 goals, while Vegas-Anaheim is the only game at 5.5, with the other four all checking in at 6.0 goals.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. NJ ($8,400): New Jersey's offense has had a few outbursts lately, but a matchup with a team that's averaging a middling 3.07 goals per game this season shouldn't scare you away from using the Vezina Trophy frontrunner. Shesterkin's 26-6-3 record is accompanied by a sparkling 1.98 GAA and .940 save percentage.
Kaapo Kahkonen, MIN at BUF ($8,200): Both the Wild and Sabres snapped losing streaks in their respective previous game, but the way the rest of the season has gone suggests Minnesota is much more likely to be the team that builds on its win. Kahkonen still has a personal two-game losing streak going, but playing in Buffalo is a step down in competition from starting in Toronto or Calgary, where those two defeats occurred. The Finn brings a 12-5-2 record, 2.67 GAA and .917 save percentage into this matchup with the bottom-10 Sabres offense (2.65 goals per game).
Jake Oettinger, DAl at WPG ($7,900): Oettinger might be turning into an elite goalie right before our eyes. He's 7-1-1 in his last nine starts and, even more impressively, has allowed only 11 goals in his last seven outings. The 23-year-old netminder will look to keep building momentum in an average matchup with a Jets team that's scoring exactly 3.00 goals per game.
John Gibson, ANH vs. VGK ($7,600): We all know not to apply the transitive property of wins and losses between different opponents, but it's worth noting that Gibson beat the Bruins in his last start Tuesday before Boston turned around and won in Vegas on Thursday. The Golden Knights have now dropped three of four – totaling just eight goals in those four games – and will be finishing up a back-to-back set here, giving Gibson some appeal as a value play at $7,600.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Anze Kopitar, LA at CLS ($5,200): Kopitar easily leads the Kings in points with 50 in 55 games, leaving him 14 clear of second-place Adrian Kempe. Given that context, it's surprising to see the top-line center valued below three teammates at $5,200. Take advantage of this discount and lock Kopitar in against a Columbus team that's surrendering 3.61 goals per game.
Patrik Laine, CLS vs. LA ($6,400): On the other side of the Kings-Blue Jackets matchup, you have arguably the hottest goal-scorer in the league. Laine's averaging a goal per game over the past 14, while the Kings have been outscored 11-3 in their last two games heading into this one.
Evgeni Malkin, PIT at CAR ($5,700): Carolina hasn't made life easy for opposing centers, but Malkin's no stranger to finding success in difficult matchups. Malkin's currently in the midst of a four-game goal streak and seven-game point streak, having totaled a 5-6-11 line and 23 shots over the latter stretch.
Jack Eichel, VGK at ANH ($6,100): Eichel had just one shot in each of his first two games with the Golden Knights and added an assist over that stretch, but he's picked up his level significantly in the five subsequent games. His 2-2-4 line and 21 shots in the past five contests is reminiscent of Eichel's production prior to his neck injury in Buffalo. Eichel's valuation was usually near the top among centers back then, but he can be had for a much more reasonable $6,100 now.
Lucas Raymond, DET at TB ($3,700): With the Lightning likely to start backup goalie Brian Elliott in this second leg of a back-to-back, the surging Raymond has some appeal as a bargain option at $3,700. The 19-year-old rookie has a 3-1-4 line and eight shots in his past two games, bringing his season line to 16-27-43 through 54 NHL appearances.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Red Wings
Brayden Point (C - $7,000), Nikita Kucherov (W - $8,600), Ondrej Palat (W - $4,400)
The Red Wings have the misfortune of facing a Lightning team that's likely to come out angry after being blown out 5-1 by the Penguins in its own building Thursday. Expect a much stronger effort from Tampa Bay in this one, led by the top line. Both Kucherov and Point have missed some time due to injuries but have been excellent on a per-game basis. Kucherov has a 10-16-26 line in just 18 games while Point's at 21-19-40 in 39 appearances. Palat has added a 15-19-34 line in 48 games. Meanwhile, Detroit has allowed 27 goals over its last five games.
Rangers vs. Devils
Mika Zibanejad (C - $7,300), Chris Kreider (W - $6,700), Alexis Lafreniere (W - $6,700)
New York's top line should find success against a Devils team that's allowing 3.57 goals per game – tied with the Red Wings for third-most in the league. Kreider's third in the league with 35 goals in 54 games, and he leads the Rangers with 180 shots on goal. Zibanejad's second on the Rangers in both goals (20) and shots (156), plus he's added 34 assists for a point per game pace over 54. Lafreniere's the most intriguing option on this line from a value perspective, as the 2020 first-overall pick is playing the best hockey of his young career with a 3-1-4 line in his last four games and goals in five of the last nine.
Wild at Sabres
Frederick Gaudreau (C - $3,300), Kevin Fiala (W - $5,200), Matthew Boldy (W - $5,000)
This red-hot trio combined for a 2-2-4 line Thursday in Philadelphia and offers excellent value against a Sabres team that's allowing 3.55 goals per game. Fiala's on an extended hot streak, having mustered a 13-15-28 line over his last 23 games. Boldy has done nothing but score since reaching the NHL level, as the rookie has a 9-10-19 line through 21 games at the top level. Even the affordable Gaudreau has gotten in on the fun recently, lighting the lamp in three of his last four games and posting a 5-5-10 line in the last 12.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. DET ($6,900): Hedman's been a bit quiet lately, but he's capable of heating up in a hurry. If you're stacking the Lightning against the bottom-five Red Wings defense, Hedman should be an integral cog in your lineup. He's one of only four defensemen above the 50-point threshold this season, along with Cale Makar, Roman Josi and Adam Fox.
Damon Severson, NJ at NYR ($4,500): Severson's the longest-tenured member of the Devils, but his time in New Jersey may be coming to an end, as his name is climbing up trade boards. The increased interest in Severson stems in large part from his recent success on offense, as he's racked up 10 points in the past nine games.
Jaccob Slavin, CAR vs. PIT ($5,300): Slavin's offense has dried up a bit recently, as he had 28 points through 46 games but has added only one in six games since. He should pick things back up before long, though, and the absence of Tony DeAngelo (abdomen) presents a nice opportunity for Slavin to raise his power-play production by taking the top-unit role usually occupied by DeAngelo. Carolina will likely come out with an edge after being shut out by the Capitals on Thursday, and Slavin should be a key piece of a potential bounce-back effort.
Dean Kukan, CLS vs. LA ($3,100): Kukan's another player who could benefit from filling in for an absent top-unit power-play quarterback. Zach Weresnki has missed the past four games due to an upper-body injury. If Werenski remains sidelined, Kukan's expected to work on Columbus' top unit against a bottom-five Kings penalty kill that's operating at just 75.3 percent.
