This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are 10 games in the NHL on Friday. Winnipeg is the only tired team, as they defeated St. Louis on Thursday 5-2, and travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at COL ($7,700): After five straight games in which he allowed either three or four goals, Shesterkin finally got his game back Wednesday, giving up only one goal on 26 shots as the Rangers upended the Golden Knights in Vegas. Shesterkin will face an Avalanche team missing their top star, Nathan MacKinnon, and that should make things easier for the goaltender and the Rangers. Shesterkin is 12-4-4 with a 2.58 GAA and a .913 save percentage.
Linus Ullmark, BOS at ARI ($8,400): Ullmark is leading all netminders (who have played more than three games) in wins (15), GAA (1.82) and save percentage (.939). He has lost only once (a 2-1 defeat to the Maple Leafs in which he stopped 26 shots) and is the easy favorite for the Vezina Trophy at this stage of the season. He shut out the Avalanche in his last start Wednesday. Should the Bruins decide to put Jeremy Swayman between the pipes instead of Ullmark, I would also play Swayman against the Coyotes.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Artemi Panarin, NYR at COL ($5,900): Panarin is on a four-game points streak, picking up eight assists, including a three-assist night Wednesday versus the Golden Knights. Panarin has been his old self of late with a goal and 10 helpers in his last eight games, giving him six goals and 33 points in 28 contests. He has a goal and 15 assists on the power play.
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY at CLS ($5,000): Huberdeau's first season with the Flames has been a tough one as he has only four goals and 16 points in 23 games, after a 30-goal, 115-point season in 2021-22 with the Panthers. But he has been coming on of late as he has points in five of his last six contests, scoring once and adding six assists. He had a lot of success against the Blue Jackets last season, scoring twice and adding three assists in three games.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at COL ($3,500): Lafreniere has moved up to the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko, as well as getting second unit power play time. He has goals in each of his last two games. Overall, Lafreniere has five goals and 13 points in 28 games and is well worth his price, especially if you go with an expensive stack at forward.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Wild
Connor McDavid (C-$9,600), Leon Draisaitl (C-$8,700), Zach Hyman (W-$6,900)
McDavid is having a career year and that is saying a lot for the best player in the world. He has 24 goals and 52 points in 27 games, eight points better than linemate Draisaitl in the NHL scoring race. McDavid has a seven-game points streak (scoring a goal in six straight games as well) and has eight goals and 17 points during the streak. Draisaitl has been almost as hot, with seven goals and 13 points in his last seven games. Hyman replaced Jesse Puljujarvi on the top line and is also on his way to a career year as he has nine goals and 27 points in 26 games. His previous career-best occurred last season as he had 27 goals and 54 points. All three play on the first power play as well and the Wild will have their hands full trying to contain McDavid and company.
Ducks vs. Sharks
Troy Terry (W - $7,000), Trevor Zegras (C -$5,700), Adam Henrique (W - $4,100)
Terry has been the Ducks' top player for two seasons as far as offensive production is concerned, with sophomore Zegras right behind him. Terry has 11 goals and 27 points in 27 games, while Zegras has nine goals and 22 points. Henrique has eight goals and 14 points, but has been hot since the beginning of November, with all eight goals and five occurring in 17 contests. The trio all see first power play time as well and with the visiting Sharks allowing 109 goals (second worst in the NHL as only the Ducks at 114 have allowed more), it seems like a good and inexpensive stack to take.
Sharks at Ducks
Timo Meier (W-$7,800), Tomas Hertl (C-$5,300), Kevin Labanc (W-$3,900)
As mentioned above, the Sharks opponents – the Ducks – have allowed the most goals in the NHL, allowing 4.22 goals per game, and that should bode well for the Sharks top line. Meier has 13 goals and 25 points in 29 games and leads the NHL in shots on goal with 136, while Hertl has nine goals and 27 points. Labanc has six goals and 16 points, but has goals in each of his last two games and has three goals and seven points in his last eight games. This is a great and inexpensive stack and they could go wild against the Ducks.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, SJ at ANA ($8,000): What a comeback year for Karlsson in 2022-23! The 32-year-old defenseman had 10 goals and 35 points in 50 games last season, after a 22-point campaign in 52 games in 2020-21. But this year has seen the return of the offensively talented defenseman, who previously had three seasons of 70 points or more, with a high of 82 in the 2015-16 campaign. Karlsson has equalled last season's total as he has 11 goals and 35 points in only 29 games as he is tied for eighth in NHL scoring. He is worth the price.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN at EDM ($4,500): Spurgeon has only two goals and 10 points in 25 games this season but he has been turning it on of late, with a goal and four points in his last five games. Spurgeon had a big season in 2021-22, scoring 10 goals and adding 30 assists in only 65 games, so he is more than capable of scoring more the rest of the way.
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. SJ ($4,500): Fowler had a foul start to the season offensively, with only one assist in 15 games during the first month of the season. That was then. Fowler has been on fire ever since, with three goals and 13 points in his last 12 games. He quarterbacks the Ducks' first power play and has two goals and six points with the man-advantage.
