This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate features three games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Avalanche are Wednesday's heaviest favorites in Anaheim, though the Devils aren't too far behind at home against Arizona. Wednesday's highest quality matchup is also expected to be the closest, with the Maple Leafs modestly favored against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Avalanche-Ducks and Coyotes-Devils both come in with an over/under of 6.0 goals, while Maple Leafs-Rangers sits at 5.5.
GOALIES
Mackenzie Blackwood, NJ vs. ARI ($8,000): Things haven't been pretty for Blackwood this season, but a visit from the lowly Coyotes should give him a nice opportunity to improve on his 9-8-3 record, 3.24 GAA and .898 save percentage. Arizona has a respectable 3-2-1 record in its last six games but is still averaging the second-fewest goals per game overall (2.22).
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. TOR ($7,600): Shesterkin has dealt with a lower-body injury and a stint in COVID protocols, but he's been the best goalie in the league when available this season. With a 17-4-2 record, 1.99 GAA and .939 save percentage, Shesterkin has what it takes to slow down the high-powered Toronto offense.
Jack Campbell, TOR at NYR ($7,800): Unless Darcy Kuemper (head) is cleared to play for Colorado, the Avs-Ducks game is best avoided entirely in net, but luckily this game has two excellent goaltending options. If you don't like Shesterkin's chances against Toronto, then commit to that take by locking in Campbell, who's enjoying a standout season in his own right with a 19-5-3 record, 2.13 GAA and .931 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Auston Matthews, TOR at NYR ($8,300): Most lineups will likely spend big on the Avalanche's top players here, so Matthews is an intriguing against-the-grain option given his upside regardless of matchup. He'll be especially appealing if the Rangers settle on a non-Shesterkin option in net, but Matthews' 18 goals in his last 16 games speak for themselves.
Clayton Keller, ARI at NJ ($5,700): Keller has an 8-4-12 line over his past 10 games, and Arizona's best offensive player should keep on rolling against the defensively challenged Devils. New Jersey is giving up 3.38 goals per game — seventh-most in the league.
Andre Burakovsky, COL at ANH ($4,800): Burakovsky is a key supporting piece in the league-best Colorado offense, yet he can still be had for a reasonable $4,800 here despite his sustained recent success. Over the past 12 games, Burakovsky has produced an eye-popping 7-9-16 line, and he's failed to mark the scoresheet only twice in this strong stretch.
Trevor Zegras, ANH vs. COL ($5,700): Zegras is the Ducks' leading healthy scorer, in terms of both goals (10) and points (29). If Kuemper's unavailable for Colorado, the Avalanche will likely start Pavel Francouz (2.94 GAA, .902 save percentage) in net, creating a favorable matchup for Zegras and Anaheim's offense.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche at Ducks
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,800), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,800), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $7,100)
Avalanche is a fitting moniker for the overwhelming Colorado attack, which has devastated the opposition to the tune of a league-high 4.25 goals per game. This top line has led the charge all season, and that's especially been the case lately. Paying up for this trip should be worth it against a Ducks team that could be without its top two netminders due to COVID protocols. MacKinnon's 9-31-40 output in just 26 appearances includes a 3-2-5 line in just the last two games. Rantanen has an identical 3-2-5 line in those two contests and a 20-26-46 line in 33 contests overall. Landeskog's 14-23-37 line in 28 games includes at least one point in each of his last 16 appearances.
Devils vs. Coyotes
Jack Hughes (C - $6,300), Yegor Sharangovich (W - $3,700), Tomas Tatar (W - $3,500)
Hughes is the straw that stirs the drink for the Devils, and stacking his affordable linemates on top is a good idea if you're trying to clear out salary to splurge on Colorado's pricey stars. The 2019 first-overall pick has a 4-8-12 line over his past seven games, and an Arizona team that's giving up a league-high 3.68 goals per game won't have an answer for his speed. Sharangovich has quietly put together a four-game goal streak and five-game point streak heading into this one, while Tatar has chipped in a respectable 8-9-17 line through 34 games.
Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
Ryan Strome (C - $4,800), Artemi Panarin (W - $6,200), Filip Chytil (W - $2,600)
Between the sustained success of the Strome-Panarin combination and Chytil's hot streak since being promoted to this line, this trio should offer nice bang for the buck despite the difficult matchup. Panarin boasts a 10-28-38 line through 34 games this season, and his average of 1.32 points per game since joining the Rangers to begin the 2019-20 campaign trails only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and MacKinnon over that span. Strome has excellent chemistry with Panarin, both at even strength and on the top power-play unit. That chemistry has translated into an 8-20-28 line for the productive pivot. Chytil had been floundering offensively as the third-line center, but he's excelling on the wing on this line and is currently riding a four-game point streak.
DEFENSEMEN
Devon Toews, COL at ANH ($5,600): Toews is $1,400 cheaper than teammate Cale Makar, and while he lacks Makar's goal-scoring ability, Toews isn't too far off Makar's point production pace. Makar has a 16-21-37 line in 32 games, while Toews sits at 7-19-26 in 25 contests. The latter's also a strong source of shots and blocks, having chipped in 59 and 31, respectively, this season.
P.K. Subban, NJ vs. ARI ($3,300): With Dougie Hamilton recovering from jaw surgery, Subban has been promoted to New Jersey's top power-play unit, where the veteran blueliner can put his rocket of a slap shot to good use. At just $3,300, Subban has plenty of upside relative to his valuation against Arizona's 73.4 percent penalty kill, which is third-worst in the league.
Kevin Shattenkirk, ANH vs. COL ($4,000): Colorado's good at a lot of things, but penalty killing isn't one of them, as the Avs rank just one spot ahead of the lowly Coyotes at 74.1 percent. Shattenkirk is one point shy of Cam Fowler's team-leading total with 10 power-play points, and with his fellow blueliner in COVID-19 protocols, Shattenkirk should see extra usage on the top unit here.
Morgan Rielly, TOR at NYR ($5,900): Rielly has a 4-27-31 line in 36 games overall, and he has been especially effective as a distributor lately, dishing 12 helpers in his last 10 games and adding four more assists in the three before that. While Rielly only has four goals this season, two of them came in a game against the Rangers.
