This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's modest NHL slate features three games and starts an hour later than usual at 8:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite it being New York's second game in as many nights, the Rangers are Wednesday's largest favorites in Arizona. The top-heavy Capitals are favored in Chicago, while the up-and-coming Ducks are expected to take care of business at home against a Kraken team that's playing its second game in as many nights. All three games have an over/under of 5.5 goals.
GOALIES
Keith Kinkaid, NYR at ARI ($8,100): Assuming the Rangers don't activate Igor Shesterkin (lower body) off IR, the Rangers will likely give Kinkaid his first start of the season after Alexandar Georgiev put in his latest subpar showing Tuesday in Colorado. The younger Georgiev has more long-term upside, but Kinkaid is probably the better goalie at this moment given Georgiev's inconsistencies. Kinkaid had a 2.59 GAA in nine appearances for the Rangers last season and has an identical 2.59 GAA in 11 appearances with AHL Hartford this season, while the Coyotes are scoring a league-low 1.78 goals per game.
Anthony Stolarz, ANH vs. SEA ($7,900): Stolarz has proven more than capable of filling in for the injured John Gibson (lower body). Anaheim's backup is 5-0 in his last six starts, with two shutout wins and a scoreless relief appearance mixed in. That recent success has Stolarz sitting on a 2.26 GAA and .930 save percentage this season. Meanwhile, Seattle has been outscored 98-80 en route to a 10-15-3 start to its franchise history.
Ilya Samsonov, WAS at CHI ($7,800): Samsonov has looked human lately, allowing three-plus goals in three of his last four starts, but he's still 11-2-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .915 save percentage overall. The 24-year-old Russian will have a nice opportunity to build on his hot start against a Blackhawks team that's shifted to a more defensive style and is averaging a meager 2.19 goals per game – fourth-fewest in the league.
Marc-Andre Fleury, CHI vs. WAS ($7,600): Fleury's the most appealing of the underdog goalies given the extensive struggles of both Philipp Grubauer ($7,500) and Scott Wedgewood ($7,300) this season. He has bounced back nicely from a slow start, and while Fleury's 8-10-0 record still leaves much to be desired, he's won three of his last four decisions and now boasts a respectable 2.79 GAA and .913 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at CHI ($9,700): The gap between Ovechkin and this slate's second-priciest skater, Patrick Kane, is a whopping $2,100, but Ovechkin's play this season has warranted his hefty valuation. He ranks second league-wide in goals (20), third in points (44) and first in shots (121). In such a small slate, foregoing Ovechkin can put you in a hole you can't climb out of if he plays up to his capabilities, so try to clear enough cap space to lock him in if possible.
Chris Kreider, NYR at ARI ($6,400): The Coyotes have struggled in pretty much every facet of the game, including the penalty kill, where Arizona's 71.9 percent mark is fourth-worst in the league. Kreider's poised to capitalize on Arizona's inability to kill penalties, as he's thriving in the net-front role on the Rangers' power play. Only Leon Draisaitl (13) has more power-play goals than Kreider's 10, and the veteran power forward has added seven more at even strength, ranking fifth league-wide with 17 goals overall.
Jonathan Toews, CHI vs. WAS ($4,100): After starting the season on a 25-game goal drought, Toews has managed to light the lamp in each of the last two games. The future Hall of Famer is heating up but remains quite affordable at just $4,100, so the risk-reward is in your favor here.
Brandon Tanev, SEA at ANH ($2,600): Something about defending opposing left wings has given the Ducks extensive problems this season, as Anaheim's allowing the second-most fantasy points in the league to the position. The affordable Tanev will be looking to capitalize on this favorable matchup. He was the Kraken's franchise leader in goals in the early going and has heated back up of late, mustering a goal and an assist over the past two games to bring his season line to 9-6-15.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Rangers at Coyotes
Ryan Strome (C - $5,300), Artemi Panarin (W - $7,300), Dryden Hunt (W - $2,700)
The Strome-Panarin combo has done most of the damage for the Rangers offensively at even strength while also featuring prominently on the top power-play unit, and their chemistry should be on full display against an Arizona team that's allowing a league-high 3.67 goals per game. Panarin has a 5-12-17 line over his past 11 games, while Strome's at 5-10-15 over the last 16. Hunt brings some affordability to this line and has chipped in a 2-3-5 line over the past nine games.
Ducks vs. Kraken
Trevor Zegras (C - $6,100), Rickard Rakell (W - $6,100), Sonny Milano (W - $4,700)
Anaheim's offense has cooled down over the past few games, but the Ducks were flying high before that, led by this line. Despite being held without a point over the past three games, the 20-year-old Zegras has eight points in the last seven and a 4-13-17 line over the past 15. Rakell had a four-game point streak going before this recent three-game drought, as did Milano, whose four-game streak included a 3-4-7 line. This talented young line has a nice opportunity to heat back up against a Kraken team that's giving up 3.50 goals per game – tied for fourth-most across the league.
Capitals at Blackhawks
Nicklas Backstrom (C - $4,000), T.J. Oshie (W - $4,600), Conor Sheary (W - $3,100)
Backstrom could make his season debut after beginning the year on LRIT due to a hip injury. If he suits up, Backstrom would be a great value at just $4,000 considering he has averaged .97 points per game in his career and racked up a 15-38-53 line in 55 games last season. Injuries have limited Oshie to just 12 appearances, but the six-time 20-goal scorer is another veteran bargain, having mustered a 3-4-7 line in his last seven games played. The affordable Sheary is a far less accomplished player than his linemates, but he's got a 2-2-4 line in his last five games and points in his last two.
DEFENSEMEN
Adam Fox, NYR at ARI ($7,400): Fox boasts a robust 5-25-30 line through 28 games, leading all defensemen in points while ranking third among all skaters in assists. The lowly Coyotes are unlikely to have an answer for his superb hockey sense and puck-moving ability, so clearing the cap space to lock Fox in will likely be a move that pays off.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI vs. NYR ($5,600): Gostisbehere is tied with Clayton Keller for Airozna's team lead in points with 17, and he's also a reliable source of secondary stats, having totaled multiple shots in eight of his last 10 games and multiple blocks in five of the past 10. With Jakob Chychrun (lower body) on IR, even more offensive responsibilities will fall to Gostisbehere, making him one of the few Coyotes with fantasy appeal on a nightly basis.
Kevin Shattenkirk, ANH vs. SEA ($4,100): Shattenkirk has cooled off after a red-hot start, but he still boasts a 5-11-16 line through 30 games, putting him on pace to top 40 points for the sixth time in his career. Between Seattle's tired legs and struggles defensively, this is a nice opportunity for Shattenkirk to rediscover his scoring touch from earlier in the season.
Adam Larsson, SEA at ANH ($3,300): If you prefer to play it safe on the blue line rather than chase upside, especially with such limited selection available, it's tough to beat Larsson's floor at just $3,300. The shot-blocking maestro has totaled four-plus blocks in three of his last five games, and he's been more of a contributor on offense than usual over that span, adding 13 shots, a goal and an assist. Last season, Larsson's 128 blocked shots in 56 games were second behind only Alec Martinez.
