This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's featured NHL slate begins at 6:30 p.m. EDT and includes four games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Avalanche are this slate's biggest favorites, followed by the Hurricanes, as both teams are looking to stretch their series leads to 2-0 over the Blues and Predators, respectively, after Game 1 home victories. The highest-scoring game is actually expected to be a different contest, in which the Oilers are moderately favored at home in their series opener against Winnipeg. Game 3 between the Capitals and Bruins rounds out this slate, as the series shifts to Boston after the teams split overtime decisions in Washington.
GOALIES
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. STL ($8,500): The Avalanche cruised to a 4-1 Game 1 victory in front of Grubauer on Tuesday, and the German netminder played his part by stopping 22 of 23 shots while Colorado piled up 50 on the other end. He'll be the chalk goalie play as the ice should continue to tilt away from Colorado's net, and Grubauer's capable of stepping up when called upon, as evidenced by his 30-9-1 record, 1.95 GAA and .922 save percentage.
Mike Smith, EDM vs. WPG ($7,900): Smith enjoyed a renaissance season at age 39, going 21-6-2 with a 2.31 GAA and .923 save percentage. He was especially effective against the Jets, going 4-0-0 with a 2.06 GAA and .936 save percentage. Winnipeg stumbled to a 3-9-0 finish, and Smith will be looking to add to the Jets' recent struggles.
Ilya Samsonov, WAS at BOS ($7,600): Samsonov hasn't seen game ice since May 1 due to a stint in the COVID-19 protocols, but he's been practicing the past few days and traveled with the team. He was effective when available this season, going 13-4-1 with a 2.69 GAA and .902 save percentage. Considering Washington was able to get a split in the first two games while riding over-the-hill third-stringer Craig Anderson, Samsonov's return could put the Capitals over the top.
Juuse Saros, NSH at CAR ($7,400): Saros kept his team in it through two periods in Game 1, as it was 2-2 after two before Carolina pulled away with two goals against Saros plus an empty-netter in the third. He'll likely remain busy throughout the series after facing 37 shots in the opener, but Saros has the skills necessary to steal games, as he went 21-12-1 with a 2.33 GAA and .926 save percentage in the regular season.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. WPG ($9,000): McDavid just submitted a season for the ages, and there's no reason to believe he'll slow down against a Jets team that scuffled to end its regular season. The runaway Hart Trophy favorite posted a 33-72-105 line over 56 games and is as good a choice as any to build your lineup around.
T.J. Oshie, WAS at BOS ($4,600): Oshie has already proven he can succeed as both a finisher and a distributor in this series, dishing out a pair of helpers in Game 1 before scoring a goal on five shots in Game 2. Coming off his sixth 20-goal regular season in the last eight, Oshie's a steal at just $4,600.
Jake DeBrusk, BOS vs. WAS ($3,200): After a disappointing regular season, DeBrusk has taken his game up a notch in the playoffs. The former 27-goal scorer has opened the postseason with a goal in each of the first two games, giving DeBrusk 16 goals in 52 playoff games overall.
Ryan Johansen, NSH vs. CAR ($3,300): Like DeBrusk, Johansen's heating up at the right time after a down year. The top-line center closed the regular season with a pair of multi-point performances and dished out a helper in Nashville's Game 1 loss. Johansen's a proven playoff performer, having mustered a 16-33-49 line in 58 career postseason appearances.
Ivan Barbashev, STL at COL ($2,700): Barbashev's a solid value option given his recent production. The Russian winger marked the scoresheet in each of his last two regular-season contests and extended his point streak to three games by assisting on the Blues' lone Game 1 goal, scored by Jordan Kyrou.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Blues
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,600), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,100), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $6,500)
A few others have cases, but it's hard to say this isn't the best line in the league, especially after its three members combined for a 3-5-8 line and 16 shots in Monday's Game 1 win over the overmatched Blues. Colorado's the largest favorite in this slate, and the Avalanche's top players should continue to dominate.
Hurricanes vs. Predators
Jordan Staal (C - $3,900), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $5,400), Jesper Fast (W - $2,500)
Svechnikov was all over the ice in Game 1, racking up a game-high eight shots and lighting the lamp on one of those. Staal was even more impactful, yet the veteran pivot remains extremely affordable at just $3,900 despite lighting the lamp twice in the series opener on the heels of a productive regular season (16-22-38 in 53 games). Fast didn't get on the scoresheet in Game 1 but is a solid value option if you opt to stack this entire line.
Jets at Oilers
Mark Scheifele (C - $7,100), Kyle Connor (W - $6,600), Blake Wheeler (W - $5,800)
We haven't gotten a chance to see these teams match up yet this postseason, and it's entirely possible Winnipeg will turn the pre-series narrative on its head by stealing Game 1. This line will likely lead the way in such a scenario. Scheifele led the team in points with a 21-42-63 line in 56 games, and he finished on a five-game point streak (2-6-8). Connor was the leading goal-scorer with 26 and finished on a three-game goal streak (4-2-6). Wheeler didn't lead any categories but rode an extended hot streak down the stretch, as his 15-31-46 line in 50 games overall included a 5-8-13 output over the final nine.
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. WPG ($6,000): While his teammate McDavid led the league in points, Barrie did so among defensemen with 48. That production included a 2-3-5 line in three April meetings with Winnipeg, and the points figure to keep flowing for the high-scoring blueliner in this series opener.
Ryan Ellis, NSH at CAR ($4,800): Ellis' all-around game was on full display in Game 1, as he had an assist to go with three shots and three blocks. That's the type of performance you can keep expecting from his given Ellis' history of postseason success -- he's posted a 6-19-25 line in 46 postseason appearances since the start of the 2017 playoffs.
Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. WAS ($4,700): McAvoy does it all on Boston's blue line, scoring at least 11.5 fantasy points in each of his last five games despite twice being held without a goal or assist in that stretch. He's skated over 23 minutes in all but one of those games and should continue to see ample ice time, as Boston will use last change at home to get McAvoy out there against Alex Ovechkin as much as possible.
Ryan Graves, COL vs. STL ($4,100): If you don't have the funds to chase the offensive upside possessed by some of Colorado's other blueliners, settling for Graves' high floor isn't a bad option. He stuffed the stat sheet with three shots and five blocks in Game 1, and Graves has earned the trust of coach Jared Bednar with a plus-55 rating over the last two regular seasons.
