DraftKings NHL: Friday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Friday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

There are only two games on the NHL schedule. Anaheim plays in Winnipeg while Chicago hosts LA. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.

GOALIES

Laurent Brossoit, WPG vs. ANA ($8,400): Brossoit has been the perfect backup goaltender. He is 11-4-2 with a 2.11 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 17 contests this season. He provides Connor Hellebuyck with plenty of relief and the Jets don't lose much when Brossoit is between the pipes. The Ducks have found the back of the net on 169 occasions, 30th in the NHL.

Cam Talbot, LA at CHI ($8,200): Talbot has returned to his status as the No. 1 goaltender with the Kings, starting seven of the last eight games and sending David Rittich back to the bench. Talbot is 19-16-6 with a 2.49 GAA and a .916 save percentage in 42 appearances this season. He could have an easy time of things as the Blackhawks remain the lowest scoring team in the NHL, averaging 2.18 goals. Chicago has picked up the pace this week, scoring seven goals versus Arizona on Sunday and then Anaheim on Tuesday. The Kings will provide much tougher defense for Talbot.

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Troy Terry, ANA at WPG ($5,300): Terry has 17 goals and 46 points in 60 games this season. He has been injured of late, missing three games with an upper-body injury. Terry sees action on the Ducks' top line with Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome and is averaging 2:27 of power play time. Terry has not picked up a point in his last four games, so he is due.

Connor Bedard, CHI vs. LA ($7,800): There are enough inexpensive players on this list that will enable you to add Bedard to your roster. Bedard has been red-hot in his last two games, scoring three times while adding five assists – as well as 12 shots on goal. He is looking comfortable in the NHL and will become a superstar over the next year or so. Bedard has 20 goals and 51 points in 52 games. Disregard his minus-36 rating as the Blackhawks are currently a bad team.  

FORWARD LINE STACKS

Kings at Blackhawks

Anze Kopitar (C-$5,800), Quinton Byfield (W-$5,200), Alex Turcotte (W-$3,700)

The Kings will look to get back in the win column, after dropping a 3-1 decision in St. Louis on Wednesday. Kopitar, who has not picked up a point in his last three games, is due. He is having his worst season since 2016-17 with 18 goals and 53 points in 65 contests, but at the age of 36, a slowdown should be expected. Byfield is having his best season in his young NHL career, scoring 19 times and adding 28 assists. The 21-year-old is only going to get better and playing with the grizzled veteran Kopitar will only help. Turcotte rounds out the trio. He has only a goal and four points in 17 games, but has moved up to the top line. There are not a lot of good choices as far as stacked lines are concerned, as there are only two games. The Kings top unit is not expensive and they could break out against a defensively weak Chicago team.

Jets vs. Ducks  

Sean Monahan (C-$5,500), Kyle Connor (W-$7,800), Vladislav Namestnikov (W-$3,700)

The Jets could get Mark Scheifele back Friday as he missed Wednesday's tilt against Nashville, as well as Thursday's practice, with an illness. If not, Monahan is the best choice to replace him on Winnipeg – if you stack a line. Monahan has eight goals and 10 points in 17 games as a Jet. Connor is having his typically good – and unsung – season, scoring 27 times with 18 assists in 49 games. Connor has 15 points on the power play. Namestnikov has a goal and five points in his last six games, giving him eight goals and 31 points in 62 games. The line will match up against the Ducks, the second-worst team in the NHL in allowing goals.

DEFENSEMEN

Cam Fowler, ANA at WPG ($4,600): There are not a lot of choices Friday with only two games on the schedule. Fowler has three assists in his last four games, giving the 32-year-old defenseman four goals and 31 points in 64 games. Fowler is nicely priced for what he does – scoring at almost a .5 point-per-game pace.

Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. ANA ($6,400): Morrissey had a career year in 2022-23, scoring 16 goals and adding 60 assists – both career highs. He has slipped a bit this season, but that was to be expected. He has eight goals and 45 assists in 65 appearances this season, good for seventh place among NHL defensemen in points.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Michael Finewax plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: finny_flyers, DraftKings: michaelfinewa-19CVH.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Finewax
Michael Finewax is in his 18th NHL season covering fantasy hockey, spending the first 17 years as the senior hockey writer and editor at Rotoworld.com.
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