This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are three games in the NHL on Friday with Chicago traveling to New Jersey, Washington hosting Carolina and Winnipeg playing in Anaheim. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Vitek Vanecek, NJ vs. CHI ($8,300): It has been a tough year for New Jersey goaltenders between the pipes as Akira Schmid has been sent to the minors and Vanecek has struggled throughout most of the season. He is a respectable 13-7-1, but his peripherals – a 3.35 GAA and an .883 save percentage – leave a lot to be desired. The good news is that the low-scoring Blackhawks are in town after playing the Rangers in New York on Thursday. Vanecek stopped 32 of 34 shots in a 4-2 win in Chicago on Nov. 5 and will attempt to turn his season around Friday.
Laurent Brossoit, WPG at ANA ($7,700): Brossoit is expected to get the start with Connor Hellebuyck playing Thursday against the Kings. Brossoit has won his last two straight, giving up four goals on 54 shots. He is 5-3-1 with a 2.44 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Brossoit will take on the slumping Ducks, who are 4-17-1 since mid-November.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Trevor Zegras, ANA vs. WPG ($4,700): Zegras returned to action five games ago, and has a goal and two assists. He missed 20 games with a lower-body injury and the Ducks were not the same team without him, as they sunk down the NHL standings. Zegras has only five points in 17 games this season, but he had back-to-back 60-plus point campaigns in his last two years.
Nick Foligno, CHI at NJ ($3,800): Foligno has been pointless in his last five games, but he was hot before that, as he had four goals in four games. Foligno has eight goals and 17 points in 37 games. He plays on the first power play and has three goals and five points with the man-advantage this season. He has good value, if you need an inexpensive player to fill out your DFS roster.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Hurricanes at Capitals
Sebastian Aho (C-$8,000), Andrei Svechnikov (W-$6,100), Michael Bunting (W-$3,900)
The trio have been white-hot of late. While Bunting sees second line duty, he plays with Svechnikov and Aho on the first power play. Aho has been McDavid-like of late with five goals and 13 assists in his last nine games. Svechnikov returned from an upper-body injury that cost him six games and has regained his scoring touch, finding the back of the net six times while chipping in with five assists in his last five contests. Bunting hasn't been as hot as the other two, but he still has three goals and seven points in his last seven games. All in all, this is a relatively inexpensive line and allows you to get better players throughout the rest of your lineup.
Devils vs. Blackhawks
Jack Hughes (C-$9,900), Jesper Bratt (W-$7,600), Tyler Toffoli (W-$6,500)
The Devils' top line is led by Hughes who is on a five-game point streak. Hughes has 15 goals and 45 points in just 31 games as he is 10th in NHL scoring, just behind his brother Quinn of Vancouver. Bratt was held pointless Wednesday in Washington, but he had five points in his previous two contests, giving the winger 14 goals and 43 points in 36 games. Toffoli has been in a slump since the beginning of December with three goals and six points in 15 games, but he does have two goals and four points in his last five games, giving him 15 goals and 27 points this season. All three are on the first power play and that should bode well versus Chicago.
DEFENSEMEN
Luke Hughes, NJ at CHI ($4,500): Hughes has a four-game point streak and has three goals and three helpers during the streak. Hughes is having an outstanding rookie season with seven goals and 22 points in 36 games. He is playing on the first power play and has three goals and 11 points with the man-advantage.
Brent Burns, CAR at WAS ($4,600): Burns has a goal and five assists in his last four games, giving the defenseman six goals and 20 points in 38 games. Burns has been more of a scorer since Tony DeAngelo has been benched, allowing Burns to retake his spot on the first power play.
