This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's featured NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT and includes six games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
This slate is all about pinpointing which stars to build around, with many of the league's biggest names in action. In what's expected to be a competitive slate, the Kings are actually the largest favorites at home against the Ducks. The highest-scoring games are expected to be Maple Leafs-Canadiens and Oilers-Jets, both with over/unders of 6.0 goals.
GOALIES
Cal Petersen, LA vs. ANH ($8,300): The Kings have won their last three meetings with the Ducks by a combined score of 13-3, including a 4-1 April 20 decision started by Petersen. While he has scuffled lately outside of that win, Petersen still has a solid .917 save percentage and 2.74 GAA, and a home date with the league-worst Anaheim offense (2.14 goals per game) should help cure Petersen's recent ills.
Jack Campbell, TOR at MIN ($8,100): Campbell has gotten back on track with consecutive wins over the Jets after a momentary hiccup, improving to 13-2-1 with a 2.21 GAA and .922 save percentage overall. He's well positioned for another strong outing against a Canadiens team that averages the sixth-most shots per game (31.6) but only the 14th-most goals (2.87), routinely allowing opposing netminders to rack up gaudy save totals.
Devan Dubnyk, COL at VGK ($7,400): Colorado's certainly missing Philipp Grubauer, who recently exited COVID-19 protocols, but the Avalanche's talented group of skaters is more than capable of making up for mediocre goaltending. Dubnyk has won two of three starts with his new team and is a sensible bargain option in Vegas if you're looking to spend big on some of this slate's top skaters.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nathan MacKinnon, COL at VGK ($9,000): This slate's other top players have more favorable matchups on paper, but MacKinnon is matchup-proof and on a roll, as he comes in riding a 14-game point streak. That streak has included nine multi-point performances, so there's certainly an argument for building around MacKinnon over the likes of Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews here.
Evander Kane, SJ vs. ARI ($6,600): Kane was dominant in Monday's 6-4 win over Arizona, racking up a goal, three assists and seven shots. That superb performance boosted Kane's team-leading totals to 19 goals and 41 points in 48 games, and he's worth locking in for Wednesday's rematch in hopes of a repeat performance.
Ryan O'Reilly, STL at MIN ($5,800): O'Reilly's an against-the-grain option for this tough road matchup in Minnesota. After racking up a 3-3-6 line against the Avalanche in his last two games, the 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner has showed that he's capable of producing regardless of opponent.
Andreas Athanasiou, LA vs. ANH ($4,000): Athanasiou has played his best hockey against the lowly Ducks, as his three goals and six points against them this season are the most he's scored against any opponent, and that production has come in just four games. The speedster's a strong value play at just $4,000.
Nick Bonino, MIN vs. STL ($3,000): Bonino has been tremendous over his past seven games, producing a 3-8-11 line while failing to mark the scoresheet only once in that stretch. Despite the recent success, the veteran center can still be had for just $3,000, making Bonino a great complementary piece to some of this slate's pricey stars.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers at Jets
Connor McDavid (C - $9,100), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $4,300), Dominik Kahun (W - $2,600)
Edmonton manhandled the reeling Jets on Monday, with McDavid's hat trick, assist and seven shots leading the way. The latest standout effort from the runaway Hart Trophy favorite pushed McDavid's season line to 23-58-81 in 46 games. Puljujarvi stayed hot with two assists in Monday's 6-1 win and now has a 3-3-6 line during his active four-game point streak, while the affordable Kahun threw in a helper as well. This line should remain productive against a Jets team that's been outscored 18-5 during its four-game losing streak, including 9-1 in two meetings with the Oilers.
Coyotes at Sharks
Nick Schmaltz (C - $4,000), Clayton Keller (W - $4,100), Michael Bunting (W - $4,400)
Sharks goalie Josef Korenar picked up his first NHL win Monday against the Coyotes, but Arizona still managed to get four pucks by him, and his GAA and save percentage now sit at an ugly 3.27 and .882, respectively, through six appearances. This top line combined for a 2-3-5 line in that 6-4 loss, and its members are primed for another strong performance. Keller and Schmaltz have solid 14-19-33 and 10-20-30 lines, respectively, through 49 games. Bunting has provided this line with some excellent sniping ability, potting eight goals in 14 games.
Maple Leafs at Canadiens
Auston Matthews (C - $9,200), Mitch Marner (W - $8,100), Nick Foligno (W - $3,900)
The backsliding Canadiens are 4-8-0 in their last 12 games, and Toronto's high-powered top line is likely to add to Montreal's recent struggles. Matthews is running away with the Rocket Richard race with 34 goals in 44 games, and his 58 points are sixth in the league, one behind Marner (17-42-59 in 48 games). Foligno brings strong two-way play and veteran savvy to this line, and the former Blue Jackets Captain has opened his tenure in Toronto with a two-game point streak.
DEFENSEMEN
Jakob Chychrun, ARI at SJ ($6,400): Chychrun was phenomenal in Monday's loss to the Sharks, posting two goals and an assist to bring his line in the last two games to a well-rounded 3-1-4 with 11 shots and seven blocks. His 16-20-36 line puts Chychrun just one goal and one point behind Phil Kessel's team-leading totals through 49 games, and it may not be long before the young blueliner overtakes the veteran winger.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. COL ($5,500): Pietrangelo has been overlooked at times on Vegas' blue line, but he's an appealing option as this slate's eighth-most expensive blueliner, valued below two others on his own team. Despite diminished offensive output (4-12-16 in 32 games), Pietrangelo's still averaging a robust 11.2 fantasy points, and his 4.4 shooting percentage is due to come up after he surpassed 6.9 percent in each of the previous four campaigns.
Cam Fowler, ANH at LA ($3,300): There's not much to like about a Ducks offense that has mustered only five goals over the last five games, but Fowler has actually looked decent lately. He has a goal, an assist and seven shots in the past three contests and could be worth locking in at just $3,300 given his recent form, especially against a Kings team that's allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to defensemen.
Erik Gustafsson, MON vs. TOR ($2,500): Gustafsson's a high-upside bargain bin blueliner. He has two assists in three games with the Canadiens and reached the 60-point mark with Chicago in 2018-19. Gustafsson's shortcomings in his own zone limit his playing time, but his puck-moving abilities should translate well to what should be an up-tempo battle with Toronto.
