This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's 14-game behemoth of an NHL slate will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are five major favorites in this slate, so most lineups will likely revolve around players from those teams. They are the Bruins (in Buffalo), Avalanche (vs. Anaheim), Oilers (in Arizona), Capitals (vs. Montreal) and Penguins (vs. Vancouver). All of those teams have pricey stars you can build around, and there's no shortage of value plays to be found, both in those games and others, with which to accentuate your lineup.
GOALIES
Ilya Samsonov, WAS vs. MON ($8,200): Either Samsonov or Vitek Vanecek ($8,200) would be appealing here, but the Russian especially so by virtue of his phenomenal recent play. Samsonov has shut out each of his last two opponents to improve to 6-0-1 with a 2.11 GAA and .924 save percentage this season. A Canadiens team that's averaging a mere 2.20 goals per game is unlikely to break up his rhythm.
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. PHI ($8,100): Bobrovsky is off to a sensational start this season, going 8-0-2 with a 1.99 GAA and .937 save percentage. That success includes an unblemished record on home ice, where the Panthers are a perfect 10-0-0. Meanwhile, the sputtering Flyers offense has managed to score more than two goals only once in the last nine games, and Philadelphia will be playing its second game in as many nights after being shut out Tuesday in Tampa Bay.
Jordan Binnington, STL at DET ($7,800): The Red Wings got off to a surprisingly decent start, and while the future looks bright for Detroit, the team is still badly flawed in the present. Those flaws have started to show recently, with Detroit mustering only 11 goals and one win in its last six games. Binnington's primed to add to the Red Wings' recent struggles, as he boasts formidable road stats that include a 4-2-1 record, 2.56 GAA and .923 save percentage.
Scott Wedgewood, ARI vs. EDM ($7,100): It doesn't get much more against the grain than Wedgewood against the third-ranked Edmonton offense, but if you lock him in and it pays off, you'll simultaneously benefit from a strong goalie performance on the cheap and watch many Oilers-centric lineups sink. Wedgewood has been terrific recently for a suddenly competitive Coyotes team that's won three of its last four games. He's gone 2-0-1 in his last three starts while denying 109 of 116 shots.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor McDavid, EDM at ARI ($9,600): Arizona's recent success might make you pause before locking in McDavid and/or Leon Draisaitl ($9,300), but the larger sample of this season suggests you should proceed full speed ahead, as Arizona's still giving up 3.53 goals per game — third-most in the league. McDavid and Draisaitl were both held without a point in Tuesday's loss to Dallas, but the chances of McDavid failing to mark the scoresheet on consecutive nights are slim, as he had opened the season with a 17-game point streak heading into play Tuesday.
Alex Ovechkin, WAS vs. MON ($9,300): If it wasn't for the pair of studs in Edmonton, Ovechkin would be running away with the league points lead thanks to his 15-15-30 line through 19 games. His production is nonetheless exceptional, and Ovie should keep rolling against a Montreal team that's allowing 3.50 goals per game. If you don't build around the Oilers, Ovechkin's a fine alternative as your lineup cornerstone.
Timo Meier, SJ vs. OTT ($6,200): Meier has missed five of the Sharks' first 18 games, but he still leads the team in points (15) and shots (55), while sitting one goal back of the team lead with six. San Jose's go-to offensive option should continue to produce at home against a Senators team that's surrendering 3.69 goals per game — second-most in the league.
Kaapo Kakko, NYR at NYI ($3,200): Kakko has gone the opposite direction from New York's weather, suddenly shifting from ice cold to red hot. He didn't have a point through 10 games before posting a 3-2-5 line in the past four, and Kakko should have ample opportunities to extend his streak given his deployment in the top six to go with power-play time. Speaking of ice cold, the Islanders certainly have been, as they've dropped their last six games by a combined score of 27-6.
Danton Heinen, Pit vs. VAN ($2,500): Pittsburgh has a massive penalty killing advantage in this matchup, as the Penguins have denied a league-best 89.6 percent of opposing power-play opportunities while the Canucks are at the other extreme, with a league-low 62.3 percent penalty kill. Facing Vancouver could be just what the struggling Penguins power play needs to get going. Heinen's currently the only Penguin with multiple power-play goals this season, and he has managed to light the lamp twice in his last three games, making him an enticing bargain option at the minimum $2,500.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins at Sabres
Patrice Bergeron (C - $8,400), David Pastrnak (W - $8,800), Brad Marchand (W - $7,900)
The Bruins laid a collective egg in a shutout loss to Calgary last time out, but the Perfection Line had been rolling prior to that and should get back to its usual productive ways against a Buffalo team that has been outscored 17-8 during its three-game losing streak. Pastrnak had a 3-6-9 line over a six-game point streak prior to Sunday's loss. Marchand had an even more impressive point streak going, as it got snapped at eight games and 4-9-13. Bergeron's actually in a three-game point drought but had a 6-4-10 line in the five before that.
Hurricanes at Kraken
Sebastian Aho (C - $7,500), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $5,400), Seth Jarvis (W - $3,500)
Carolina's top line should thrive against a Seattle team that's off to a rough start defensively, allowing a league-high 3.78 goals per game. Aho's 8-10-18 line through 17 games is right in line with the elite center's lofty expectations, and he leads the team in goals while trailing Andrei Svechnikov ($7,200) by one point. Teravainen has chipped in a 3-10-13 line, putting him on pace to top 60 points for the fourth time in five years. Jarvis, whom the Hurricanes drafted 13th overall in 2020, hasn't looked out of place at all on the top line, as he comes into this one riding a four-game point streak that's included three goals.
Avalanche vs. Ducks
Nazem Kadri (C - $6,900), Andre Burakovsky (W - $4,700), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $3,500)
Colorado is getting excellent production from its reasonably priced second line, and these guys might provide better bang for the buck than the team's pricey first-line stars, giving you exposure to the potent Avalanche offense but also plenty of cap space to use elsewhere. Kadri's 6-17-23 line has him eight points clear of the nearest teammate, and he's put together an awesome 5-14-19 live over his nine-game point streak. Burakovsky has two goals and three assists in the last two games alone, as well as a 5-6-11 line in his last eight games. The affordable Nichushkin has been excellent when available, as the big-bodied winger has chipped in a 3-3-6 line in six appearances.
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie, EDM at ARI ($5,500): Barrie has stepped it up with Darnell Nurse on IR with a broken finger. He has scored double-digit fantasy points in both games since Nurse's injury, as well as four of the past six overall — a stretch in which Barrie has just one goal and no assists. His ability to produce value while failing to mark the scoresheet is highly encouraging, as the point production should follow before long for Barrie, who led all defensemen with 48 points in 56 games last season. Facing the lowly Coyotes should help Barrie find his scoring touch.
Erik Karlsson, SJ vs. OTT ($5,400): Karlsson will likely have a little extra motivation with his former team in town, though he probably won't even need it to find success against a Senators team that that's allowing the second-most goals per game in the league. With a 3-5-8 line through 12 appearances, Karlsson has flashed an offensive form reminiscent of his days in Ottawa, when he topped 70 points on four different occasions.
Devon Toews, COL vs. ANH ($4,800): Toews is often overlooked behind all the big names on the Avalanche, but he's an excellent two-way player in his own right. His season was delayed by an undisclosed injury, but Toews has hit the ground running since making his return, with a 3-3-6 line through six games, including a pair of points on the power play.
Josh Morrissey, WPG at CLS ($3,700): Morrissey's another defenseman who often outperforms his low to middling valuation. He has a 3-5-8 line through 18 games, while having added 37 shots and 24 blocks. Morrissey's well-rounded production gives him a high floor, while facing a Blue Jackets team that's allowing the third-most fantasy points to defensemen raises his ceiling.
