This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are 11 games in the NHL on Friday, as this is the final night before the three-day Christmas break. Two games have already been postponed due to weather, and it is possible that one or two more may not be played. Boston will be tired after defeating Winnipeg 3-2, as they travel to New Jersey to play the Devils. The Islanders are the tired team after playing the Rangers on Thursday, and are home to the rested Panthers. A tired Vancouver team plays in Edmonton, while LA plays its second game in a row and are in Arizona to play the Coyotes. Finally, Calgary travels to Anaheim after dropping a 4-3 decision to LA on Thursday. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Juuse Saros, NAS vs. COL ($7,100): Saros has won two games in a row and enters the game with an 11-9-4 record. He has a 2.81 GAA and a .913 save percentage, which is down from last season. Saros will face the Avalanche, who are still missing Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog – two-thirds of their top line – and have averaged only 3.00 goals per game this season.
Karel Vejmelka, ARI vs. LA ($6,900): Vejmelka is 9-9-4 this season, with a 3.19 GAA and a .908 save percentage. He has been solid at home, going 4-1-2, as the Coyotes are playing in a 5,200-seat arena for the first time and the crowds have been wild. Vejmelka faces the Kings, who are averaging 3.33 goals per game and are tired, coming off a 4-3 overtime win over Calgary.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
J.T. Miller, VAN at EDM ($5,400): Miller had a career year last season with 99 points and while he has not been as good offensively this season, Miller still has 11 goals and 28 points in 32 games. He centers the second line, with Dakota Joshua and Brock Boeser on his wings and is on the top power play, where he has half his points, with six goals and eight assists. Miller had a goal and an assist in his only game this season against the Oilers.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at VGK ($5,100): Buchnevich has five goals and eight points in his last seven games, giving him 11 goals and 24 points in 24 games this season. The talented winger is seeing the most power play time in his career, playing 2:52, and it has paid off with five goals and 10 points with the man-advantage.
Ilya Mikheyev, VAN at EDM ($3,700): The move to Vancouver from Toronto has paid off for Mikheyev, who has 10 goals and 17 points in 29 games and is averaging almost two extra minutes in playing time per game. Mikheyev is playing on the top line with Bo Horvat and Conor Garland.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars vs. Canadiens
Jason Robertson (W-$8,600), Roope Hintz (C-$7,100), Joe Pavelski (W-$6,200)
Robertson went through a tough time with only two assists in six games, but is back on track, scoring once and adding four assists in his last three games. Robertson has 24 goals and 48 points in 34 games and is well on his way to breaking his career best of 41 goals and 79 points, set last season. Hintz has 14 goals and 36 points, while the 38-year-old Pavelski has 11 goals and 32 points this season. The trio combined for four goals and eight points in their game against the Canadiens on Oct. 22 with Pavelski striking for the hat trick.
Elias Lindholm (W-$6,000), Tyler Toffoli (W-$6,400), Dillon Dube (W-$3,800)
The Flames' opponents – the Ducks – have allowed the most goals in the NHL, allowing 4.21 goals per game, and that should bode well for Calgary's top line. Lindholm has been hot of late, scoring twice and adding seven assists in his last four games, giving him 32 points in 33 games. Toffoli has four goals and six points in his last three contests, and has 14 goals and 27 points this season. Dube has three goals and five assists during his five-game points streak, as he recently joined the top unit. The line is relatively inexpensive to add to your lineup.
Blackhawks vs. Blue Jackets
Patrick Kane (W - $6,000), Max Domi (C -$4,600), Tyler Johnson (W - $3,800)
The Blackhawks have the lowest scoring team in the NHL, but are expected to face Elvis Merzlikins, who has a 4.68 GAA in 14 games this season. Kane leads the Blackhawks in points with 22 in 31 games with Domi just one point in arrears. Johnson has seven points but has been injured most of the season and has played in only nine contests.
DEFENSEMEN
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at NJ ($5,900): McAvoy missed the start of the season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, but he has not missed a beat, as he has 17 points in 19 games. He exploded offensively last season, with 10 goals and 56 points, beating his previous career high of 32 points. He had success against the Devils in 2021-22, picking up four assists in three games.
Tony DeAngelo, PHI at CAR ($5,200): DeAngelo had a goal and an assist Thursday against the Maple Leafs, giving him five goals and 16 points in 29 games. He faces his ex-Carolina teammates, where he had 10 goals and 41 assists in only 64 games last season before he left as a UFA for the Flyers.
Josh Morrissey, WPG at WAS ($6,200): Morrissey continues to have an outstanding season as he is second among defensemen in points with 39, and sits in a tie for 14th place in NHL scoring with the likes of Auston Matthews, Elias Pettersson, Matthew Tkachuk and William Nylander. He has already smashed his career high of 37 points, set last year, and he still has 49 games left in his season.
