This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's a rare light day on the second-half NHL schedule, with just two games on the docket after 8:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Canucks are heavy home favorites against Montreal, though both teams have gone 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. Washington-Edmonton's a toss-up, but both teams have plenty of star power and the game comes in with an over/under of 6.5 goals compared to 6.0 for Montreal-Vancouver.
GOALIES
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. MON ($8,000): Demko's heroics are the only reason Vancouver still has a sniff at a playoff spot, and he's been particularly effective on home ice, going 11-7-0 with a 2.21 GAA and .932 save percentage. The Canadiens have been much more competitive lately, but they're still averaging a league-low 2.41 goals per game overall.
Samuel Montembeault, MON at VAN ($7,400): Four if Montembeault's last five starts have been good ones, though the fifth was a disaster. He's notched four wins over that span and allowed only six goals in the four games combined, which is fewer than the seven he gave up to the Jets in his lone loss over that stretch. At $7,400, he's a high-risk, high-reward option.
Mikko Koskinen, EDM vs. WAS ($7,800): Koskinen appears to be the top choice in Edmonton's net at the moment, and he's 19-9-3 with 3.05 GAA and .904 save percentage. The visiting Capitals are finishing up a back-to-back set, but Washington's also won three in a row.
Ilya Samsonov, WAS at EDM ($7,600): Washington has been riding Vitek Vanecek since he got back from injury, but Vanecek started Tuesday in Calgary, which should give Samsonov a chance to man the crease in this one. The Russian netminder will be fighting an uphill battle as he looks to get back on track after allowing nine goals on just 53 shots in less than seven full periods over his last three appearances.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. WAS ($8,800): McDavid's a strong lineup centerpiece in any slate and especially so with so few alternatives in action. He's tied with teammate Leon Draisaitl for the league points lead with a 29-50-79 line, needing 56 games to get there, which is one fewer than Draisaitl has played.
Cole Caufield, MON at VAN ($5,000): Caufield has clearly been inspired by interim coach Marty St. Louis, who lived out a prolific career as a diminutive scoring winger, much like Caufield is hoping to do. The 5-foot-7 Caufield has a 7-7-14 line in his last 11 games, accounting for the majority of his production this season.
Anthony Mantha, WAS at EDM ($3,600): Mantha's looked more and more comfortable in each game since returning from a shoulder injury, and he lit the lamp Tuesday in his third game since returning. With a top-six role coupled with power-play time in front of the net, the power forward will be given plenty of opportunities to outperform his $3,600 valuation.
Vasili Podkolzin, VAN vs. MON ($2,500): Podkolzin has an intriguing upside at the minimum $2,500 valuation. The 10th player selected in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft has a 2-1-3 line over a three-game point streak heading into this visit from the league-worst Montreal defense.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Capitals
Leon Draisaitl (C - $7,500), Evander Kane (W - $5,900), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $2,800)
Draisaitl's affordability and Samsonov's recent struggles make this an obvious line to build around. The German superstar is $1,300 cheaper than McDavid despite having the same number of goals and nine more points. Kane has been locked in recently with three goals on 17 shots over the last three games and an 8-6-14 line through 18 appearances with the Oilers. Yamamoto has an 11-9-20 line and is worth a dart throw at just $2,800.
Capitals at Oilers
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $6,100), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,000), Tom Wilson (W - $4,700)
If you're not building around Edmonton's stars, it's probably because you're using an Ovechkin-centric lineup. With four goals in his last three games, Ovechkin has boosted his season total to 36, and he's added 34 assists in 56 games. Kuznetsov has worked as his setup man all season, flirting with a point per game with a 16-37-53 line in 55 games. Wilson's a nice value at $4,700, as he's contributed a solid 18-21-39 line.
Canucks vs. Canadiens
J.T. Miller (C - $6,500), Brock Boeser (W - $5,300), Tanner Pearson (W - $4,100)
Trade rumors continue to swirl around all three members of Vancouver's top line, but they've continued to produce. Miller's one of the hottest scorers in the league, with a 6-11-17 line during his active nine-game point streak. Boeser has a 1-2-3 line and seven shots over a much more modest two-game streak, and Pearson has a 5-3-8 line in his last seven games. Meanwhile, Montreal's still surrendering a league-high 3.79 goals per game.
DEFENSEMEN
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. MON ($5,500): Hughes' production has been key to the Canucks' recent success. He has a 2-8-10 line in the last eight games and 44 points in 53 appearances this season.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. WAS ($4,900): Bouchard missed Monday's game due to an illness, but he'll be a strong play if he's cleared to return for this one. With Tyson Barrie on IR due to an upper-body injury, Bouchard should get premium minutes on Edmonton's elite top power-play unit if available. With a 9-20-29 line in 56 games, Bouchard has the offensive capabilities to capitalize on such usage.
Ben Chiarot, MON at VAN ($4,500): When you're hot, you're hot, and that's the case with Chiarot. The veteran defenseman is certainly driving up his value as the Match 21 trade deadline approaches, as Chiarot has mustered a 2-5-7 line in his last six games.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS at EDM ($4,100): Orlov's coming off a quiet game in Calgary but scored two goals on eight shots over the previous two games. If you don't have $6,700 to spend on John Carlson, the inconsistent Orlov's not a bad consolation prize if you catch him on the right night.
