This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are four games on the NHL schedule. Detroit plays in Arizona, Minnesota travels to Colorado, Dallas takes on Anaheim and Winnipeg faces Seattle. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. MIN ($8,200): Georgiev is expected to start, but if the Avalanche decide to go with Justus Annunen, then play Annunen. Georgiev is tied for the NHL lead in wins, heading into Thursday's action, as he and Thatcher Demko have 32. Georgiev has a 2.89 GAA and a .901 save percentage and could actually be challenged by the play of Annunen, who stopped all 37 shots Monday, in a 5-0 win over Chicago. Georgiev stopped 19 shots in a 3-2 win over the Wild on Nov. 24.
Alex Lyon, DET at ARI ($7,900): Lyon has lost three straight games, giving up 13 goals on 103 shots. He has played quite well for most of the season, going 18-11-2 with a 2.89 GAA and a .910 save percentage. He will face the Coyotes, who averaging 2.90 goals, 25th in the NHL.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Casey Mittelstadt, COL vs. MIN ($2,900): Mittelstadt will make his Colorado debut after he was dealt Wednesday from Buffalo, for Bowen Byram. Mittelstadt is expected to center the second line, with Zach Parise and Jonathan Drouin on his wing. Mittelstadt has 14 goals and 33 assists in 62 games this season. Big things are expected from Mittelstadt as the Avalanche finally got a No. 2 center.
J.T. Compher, DET at ARI ($3,800): Compher is having a nice season with the Red Wings, scoring 15 times while adding 21 assists. He should hit the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career, and bettering last season's total of 52 points, certainly is within reach of the talented pivot.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Wild
Nathan MacKinnon (C-$10,500), Mikko Rantanen (W-$8,500), Artturi Lehkonen (W-$5,700)
Take this line if you are not taking any other Avalanche players. MacKinnon leads the NHL in scoring with 109 points, three ahead of Nikita Kucherov and nine better than Connor McDavid. MacKinnon is on an 11-game point streak, scoring eight times while adding 16 assists. Rantanen is on an eight-game point streak, with two goals and 13 points, giving the Finnish star, 31 goals and 52 assists in 64 contests. Lehkonen recently moved back to the top line – replacing Jonathan Drouin – and has seven goals and 12 points in his last 11 appearances. This is a very expensive line and while the trio are likely to score big, you have to make sure to add some inexpensive players to fill out your roster.
Jets at Kraken
Mark Scheifele (C-$6,000), Kyle Connor (W-$7,700), Vladislav Namestnikov (W-$3,100)
The Jets top line is a lot less expensive, especially with Namestnikov on the unit. Scheifele has two goals and six assists in his last six outings, giving the 30-year-old 18 tallies and 37 helpers in 55 games. Connor is having another great season, as he has 26 goals and 44 points in 45 games. Connor has seven goals and 14 points in his last 10 contests, as he is headed for another 35-plus goal season. Namestnikov has eight goals and 29 points in 58 outings this season. He has four points in his last four games, and with his low, low price, Namestnikov, Scheifele and Connor are worth taking Friday in DraftKings.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. MIN ($8,500): Makar picked up his first career hat trick Wednesday and has four goals and eight points in his last four outings. The superstar defenseman has 17 goals and 53 assists in 59 appearances and is second in defensemen scoring, just three points behind Quinn Hughes. Makar is expensive, but he is well worth it as the best defenseman Friday night.
Josh Morrissey, WPG at SEA ($6,000): Morrissey was held pointless Tuesday, but he was a stud in his previous eight games, scoring once and adding 15 assists. He quarterbacks the Jets' first unit on the power play and has 12 of his 51 points with the man-advantage. Morrissey is a good alternative choice, if you can't afford Makar.
