This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT and features two games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Avalanche are set to host the Golden Knights in Game 2 of their series after making a statement with a 7-1 rout in the series opener. Winnipeg has been off since completing its sweep of the Oilers last Monday but will return to home ice for Game 1 against the Canadiens, who completed their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to stun Toronto on Monday. Colorado and Winnipeg are both home favorites, the Avalanche more so than the Jets.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. MON ($7,900): Hellebuyck was outstanding against the Oilers, posting a 1.60 GAA and .950 save percentage to go with his 4-0 record in the first round. He's set up to continue that success against a Canadiens offense that mustered only 13 goals in seven games against Toronto.
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. VGK ($8,300): Like Hellebuyck, Grubauer's undefeated this postseason, sitting at 5-0-0 with a 1.60 GAA and .941 save percentage. Things can only get harder compared to Game 1 against Vegas, but Grubauer was on cruise control in the series opener, setting aside 24 of 25 shots in the blowout win.
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at COL ($7,700): Fleury should retake the road crease after Robin Lehner struggled in the series opener against Colorado. Though Fleury came back down to earth in the latter stages of the seven-game series win over Minnesota in the first round, he still posted an outstanding 1.71 GAA and .931 save percentage over those seven contests.
Carey Price, MON at WPG ($7,800): After underperforming his hefty contract in the regular season, Price raised his level against Toronto in the first round. While William Nylander had the goalie's number with five goals in seven games, Price turned Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner nearly invisible, or maybe they did it to themselves. Toronto's two high-priced first-liners combined for just one goal as Price posted a 2.24 GAA and .932 save percentage. The bad news for Price is that he'll now face a Winnipeg team whose top forwards don't have a history of disappearing in the playoffs and that's actually won a playoff series since 2004, so repeating his first-round success won't be easy.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at COL ($4,300): With Max Pacioretty back from injury, Stephenson once again finds himself in between a pair of elite wingers in Pacioretty and Mark Stone. That deployment helped Stephenson rack up career highs in goals (14) and points (35) over 51 regular-season contests, and he's added five helpers through eight postseason games. He's tied with Stone, William Karlsson and Alex Tuch for second on the team in points this postseason, trailing only Mattias Janmark (six), who's likely to miss some time after being injured in the series opener. Despite that success, Stephenson's still valued below seven other Vegas skaters.
Brandon Saad, COL vs. VGK ($3,100): Saad has a four-game goal streak going and is no stranger to playoff success after winning Stanley Cups with Chicago in 2013 and 2015. The veteran winger's a nice complementary piece to Colorado's pricey stars, especially given his minuscule $3,100 valuation.
Blake Wheeler, WPG vs. MIN ($5,800): Wheeler's the least expensive member of Winnipeg's top line, even though he's been the team's hottest player of late. The veteran winger tied for the team lead in goals (two) and points (five) in the four-game sweep of the Oilers, giving him a 7-11-18 line in his last 13 games dating back to the regular season.
Eric Staal, MON at WPG ($2,900): Staal delivered a pivotal performance in Game 7 against Toronto, dishing out two helpers. With four points in this playoff run, he's tied for second on the team, and he's needed only six games to reach that total. The veteran center's an appealing value play at just $2,900.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Golden Knights
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,000), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,600), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $6,200)
Colorado's top line continued its tremendous postseason in Game 1 of this series, combining for a 5-3-8 line and 14 shots. This trio has absolutely dominated so far this postseason. Through five games, MacKinnon has an 8-4-12 line, Landeskog's at 4-7-11 and Rantanen has added a 2-7-9 line. Keep building around these guys until they start showing signs of slowing down.
Jets vs. Canadiens
Paul Stastny (C - $3,600), Nikolaj Ehlers (W - $5,500), Pierre-Luc Dubois (W - $3,700)
Phillip Danault's ability to shut down opposing chances helped limit Toronto's top line in the first round, and he's likely to get matched up against the Mark Scheifele line in this series. Such a scenario would open the door for this line to lead the way for the Jets' offense, just as Toronto's second line did against the Canadiens. Ehlers has two goals in two games since returning from an upper-body injury and should lead this line after a productive regular season in which he posted a 21-25-46 line in 47 appearances. Stastny and Dubois each chipped in a pair of points in the sweep of the Oilers, with the latter doing so despite missing Game 1.
Canadiens at Jets
Nick Suzuki (C - $5,500), Tyler Toffoli (W - $6,100), Cole Caufield (W - $4,900)
While the Danault line focuses on neutralizing the opposition's top players, this line is relied upon to be Montreal's best source of offense. Toffoli was the Canadiens' top scorer in the regular season and leads the team with five points through seven playoff games, while Suzuki's tied for second with four. Caufield has only added one assist in five games but ranks fourth among the team's forwards in ice time per game at 17:00, trailing only Danault, Suzuki and Toffoli.
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. MON ($4,900): Morrissey was instrumental in the sweep over the Oilers, posting a 1-3-4 line to go with seven shots and 11 blocks. Winnipeg's top two-way blueliner's a strong play at his sub-$5,000 valuation.
Alec Martinez, VGK at COL ($5,100): Martinez is capable of holding his own when Vegas struggles due to his shot-blocking ability, but he's also among the top contributors when Vegas is rolling offensively. He's blocked at least three shots in all but one of his last 11 games, and Martinez has a 10-23-33 line in 61 games between the regular season and playoffs.
Samuel Girard, COL vs. VGK ($3,600): Cale Makar ($5,800) stole the show with a four-point performance in Game 1, but Girard might just offer the best bang for the buck on Colorado's blue line. His helper in the series opener against Vegas was Girard's third point of the playoffs and his 35th in 53 games overall this season.
Erik Gustafsson, MON at WPG ($2,800): Gustafsson's not a lock for the lineup, but he'll likely see power-play time if he dresses, making him an appealing value proposition at just $2,800. He dished a power-play helper in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs, and the former 60-point scorer has a respectable 13 points in 32 appearances this year between the Flyers and Canadiens.
