This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are two games in the NHL on Friday. New Jersey hosts a rested Arizona team, after the Devils defeated the Red Wings on Thursday, while Pittsburgh travels to Washington. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Akira Schmid, NJ vs. ARI ($7,400): Schmid gets the start Friday after Vitek Vanecek started in the season opener Thursday. The duo will likely split most of the action this season. Schmid really came on in 2022-23 as he picked up after the Devils lost the opening two games in the first round of playoffs. Schmid then proceeded to win four of five games to eliminate the Rangers and then started four games as the Devils were eliminated in five contests by the Hurricanes in the quarter-finals. Schmid was outstanding in limited regular-season action in 2022-23, going 9-5-2 with a 2.13 GAA and .922 save percentage. He faces the Coyotes who are playing in their first game of the season after missing the playoffs last year for the first the 10th time in the last 11 years.
Darcy Kuemper, WAS vs. PIT ($7,900): Kuemper gets the Opening Night assignment for the Capitals on Friday. He was 22-26-7 last season, with a 2.87 GAA and .908 save percentage. Kuemper was a big part of the Stanley Cup winning Colorado Avalanche the previous year, backstopping them with a stellar regular season performance, winning 37 games, then going 10-4 in the playoffs. Kuemper will look to get his 2023-24 campaign off to a good start at home versus the Penguins, who along with the Capitals, also missed the playoffs last season.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Tom Wilson, WAS vs. PIT ($4,300): Wilson has missed big chunks of the regular season in three of the last five years and last season was no exception as he missed 49 games, including the first 42 contests recovering from offseason ACL surgery. He is healthy coming into this campaign and is slated to start the season on the second line with Connor McMichael and Evgeny Kuznetsov, as well as being on the top power play. Wilson had 13 goals and 22 points in only 33 contests last season and is well worth using in your lineup due to his relatively low-price Friday.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. PIT ($3,600): Kuznetsov has looked great in the preseason after a tough 2022-23 season in which he had 12 goals and 43 assists in 81 games. He has had four 70-plus point seasons in his NHL career and could easily return to that level this year. He will play alongside Tom Wilson on the second line as well as getting second unit power-play time.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Devils vs. Coyotes
Jack Hughes (C-$8,100), Tyler Toffoli (W-$6,400), Jesper Bratt (W-$5,500)
Hughes picked up a pair of goals in Thursday's opener and looked like one of the top players in the NHL in doing so. Toffoli chipped in with an assist in his first game as a Devil, after coming over from Calgary in the offseason. Toffoli had a career-high 34 goals and 73 points with the Flames last season and has a chance to surpass that number playing on the top line with Hughes. Bratt is coming off back-to-back 73-point performances the last two seasons and with Hughes and Toffoli could be a top-three line in the NHL. They face the Coyotes who allowed 299 goals last season, 25th worst in the league.
Penguins at Capitals
Sidney Crosby (C - $7,700), Jake Guentzel (W-$7,100), Bryan Rust (W - $5,000)
The Penguins top line is a nice stack, especially with only two games in the NHL on Friday. Crosby and Rust each scored Tuesday in a 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks and will try to get their first win of the season Friday in Washington. Crosby had 93 points in 82 games last season, while Guentzel – who had an assist Tuesday after returning early from offseason ankle surgery – managed 36 goals and 73 points in 78 games in 2022-23. Rust has had four consecutive 20-goal seasons and had 46 points with 211 shots on goal in 81 games last year. The trio is fairly inexpensive for a top-line and should be considered using in your lineup.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Sandin, WAS vs. PIT ($3,700): Sandin was outstanding for the Capitals after coming over from the Maple Leafs at the 2023 trade deadline. He had three goals and 15 points in 19 games for Washington and will start the season on the first unit, alongside John Carlson, as well as seeing second line power-play duty. Look for a big year from the 23-year-old.
Sean Durzi, ARI at NJ ($2,700): Durzi was dealt from the Kings in the offseason to the Coyotes. He had nine goals and 29 assists – including 16 points on the power play -- in 72 games in his second year in the NHL and will now take over quarterbacking the Coyotes' top power-play unit. Durzi is a great choice, especially if you need an inexpensive defenseman to round out your fantasy lineup.
