This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are six games in the NHL on Friday. Washington will host Nashville after both teams played Thursday, while Florida will travel to Detroit as both teams had the night off Thursday. Tampa Bay is in Winnipeg, a tired Arizona team play in Chicago, the Islanders travel down the highway in Alberta to play Calgary after dropping a 5-2 decision to Edmonton on Thursday while San Jose finds its way to Anaheim in the final game of the night. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov, NYI at CGY ($7,800): Varlamov returns to action Friday after missing the last eight games with a lower-body injury. He's been solid this season as the backup to Ilya Sorokin, going 8-3-1 with a 2.65 GAA and a .919 save percentage. The Islanders are a strong defensive team, giving up 2.67 goals per game, sixth-best in the NHL. Varlamov will face the Flames, who are averaging only 3.03 goals per game, tied for 23rd.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at WPG ($7,700): Vasilevskiy was slated to be the starter Wednesday in Minnesota but was a late scratch due to an illness. He got off to a slow start this season but has come on strong of late, giving him a 16-9-1 record to go with a 2.42 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Vasilevskiy has won three straight games, giving up five goals on 103 shots. He faces the Jets, who are 18th overall in scoring, averaging 3.18 goals per contest.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY vs NYI ($4,500): It's been a tough season for the veteran Huberdeau, as he has only seven goals and 25 points in 36 games. He's coming off a career year in which he had 115 points, good for a tie for second in the league. His price reflects his play this season, but Huberdeau is considered an outstanding offensive talent and could break loose at any time.
Barrett Hayton, ARI at CHI ($2,700): Hayton has only two goals and 11 points in 37 games, but boy has he been on fire of late, scoring once and adding five assists in his last four games. Hayton was selected fifth overall in 2018, so the pedigree is there. The 22-year-old is centering the third line and is seeing time on the first power-play unit.
Nick Bjugstad, ARI at CHI ($3,300): Bjugstad saw his three-game goal scoring streak come to an end Thursday, as well as his four-game point streak. He has 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games this season, the first year he's maintained his health since the 2017-18 campaign in which he had 19 goals and 48 points. Bjugstad centers the second line as well as the second power-play unit. He faces the Blackhawks, who have allowed the fifth most goals in the NHL.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Sharks at Ducks
Timo Meier (W-$8,500), Tomas Hertl (C-$6,300), Kevin Labanc (W-$3,800)
The Sharks will face the worst defensive team in the NHL, the Ducks, and that bodes well for the Sharks' top line. Meier saw his six-game points streak (six goals and 10 points) come to an end on New Year's Eve but found the back of the net against Chicago on Sunday. He has 21 goals and 38 points in 39 games. Hertl has also come on strong of late, and has 36 points in 37 contests, while Labanc has nine goals and 21 points this season. Meier has four goals and seven points in three games against the Ducks this season, while Hertl has a goal and six assists. Labanc has been the least successful, but there's nothing wrong with a goal and two assists in three games.
Panthers at Red Wings
Matthew Tkachuk (W - $8,000), Aleksander Barkov (C - $7,100), Carter Verhaeghe (W - $5,900)
Tkachuk is coming off his best game of the season, picking up the hat trick and adding an assist Tuesday in a 5-3 win over Arizona. He leads the Panthers in scoring with 47 points in 36 games, 16 points ahead of the second-place Verhaeghe, who has 18 goals and 31 points. Barkov is fourth in Florida scoring with 28 points, but he has missed 10 games this season with a lower-body injury. The Red Wings have been shoddy in their own end, giving up 122 goals in 36 games, so this could be a big night for the Panthers' top scorers.
Predators at Capitals
Filip Forsberg (W - $6,500), Juuso Parssinen (C - $3,600), Ryan Johansen (C - $3,900)
Forsberg is on a five-game points streak in which he has six goals and nine points. He got off to a slow start this season but now has 15 goals and 34 points in 37 games this season. Parssinen has three goals and 11 points in 23 games since his recall from the AHL but has four assists in his last four games and has moved up to the top line once again. He has a goal and five points on the power play. Johansen has nine goals and 19 points in 37 games but was terrific last season, scoring 26 times and adding 37 assists. All three play on the top power play.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, SJ at ANA ($8,100): Karlsson is on a 13-game points streak, scoring twice and adding 19 assists. He has 13 goals and 53 points in 39 games, leading all blueliners in scoring, and is sixth-overall in NHL scoring. Karlsson's career-high is 82 points, and he is well on his way to smashing that mark. Karlsson is in line to become the first defenseman since Brian Leetch in the 1991-92 season, to hit the 100-point mark.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI at CHI ($5,600): Gostisbehere and Jakob Chychrun have been on fire since Chychrun's return 21 games ago. Gostisbehere has nine goals and 26 points in 37 games this season, including three goals and 10 points on the power play. Gostisbehere had a goal and three assists in four games versus Chicago last season.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. NYI ($5,300): Andersson quarterbacks the first power play for the Flames and has 11 assists with the man-advantage this season. Overall, Andersson has five goals and 27 points in 39 games and has a goal and seven points in his last eight games.
