This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesdays can be lighter for the NHL, so it's almost nice that there are at least five games on the schedule. You have some choices to make, and here are the choices I have made for my DFS lineup recommendations. Pucks start dropping at 7 p.m. ET. Good luck.
SLATE PREVIEW
Two teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and both are on the road. Pittsburgh is visiting Montreal, and the Jets are taking a trip to face the Kings.
GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov, NYI vs. ANA ($8,300): The Islanders, interestingly, have been doing a "two for Ilya Sorokin, one for Varlamov" rotation, and Varlamov is up for this one. Even though New York has allowed a ton of shots, the Russian goalie has a 2.56 GAA and .925 save percentage, though only in nine appearances. The Ducks aren't imposing, though. Anaheim has averaged 2.59 goals and 29.7 shots on net per contest.
Cam Talbot, LOS vs. WPG ($8,100): The Jets are not a bad offense, they are just above average in goals per game, but as I noted they are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. That's enough for me, given how stellar Talbot has been. He's got an 1.91 GAA and .931 save percentage, so he's been solid in most circumstances. This is a circumstance I certainly like more for a guy who has been excelling like Talbot.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Juraj Slafkovsky, MON vs. PIT ($3,500): The Canadiens are trying with Slafkovsky. He showed a little something as a rookie after being the first-overall pick, but this year he hasn't taken a step forward, though a 5.1 shooting percentage has played a part in that. What the Habs have gone ahead and done is move Slafkovsky up to the top line and onto the first power-play unit. Will that get him going? Well, here he gets to face a Penguins team on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Tristan Jarry started Tuesday. That leaves Alex Nedeljkovic, who has a career .909 save percentage, to tend the goal.
Morgan Geekie, BOS at NJD ($2,600): This is the most fantasy upside Geekie may ever have. Pavel Zacha is out for this game. That means Geekie is expected to be the first-line center, next to David Pastrnak. Also, he'll be on the top power-play unit, with Pastrnak AND Brad Marchand. New Jersey has a 3.62 GAA. Geekie just needs to put the puck on the right stick and let his talented teammates do their thing.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Islanders vs. Ducks
Brock Nelson (C - $6,200), Kyle Palmieri (W - $4,100), Pierre Engvall (W - $3,000)
The Ducks are where many of us thought they would be, which is to say in the bottom 10 in GAA. John Gibson started well, but that was never likely to continue. He hasn't had a save percentage over .904 since the 2018-19 season. Over his last nine outings he has an .880 save percentage. The Islanders' second line has been contributing a bit, so it feels like a good time to stack them.
Unsurprisingly, a guy who has scored over 35 goals in each of his last two seasons has picked it up. Nelson has 14 points over his last 13 games, including six goals. What's encouraging is that he has a 16.7 shooting percentage in that time, so his shooting percentage isn't inflated. Palmieri has risen alongside his center. He has nine points over his last 12 games, including six on the power play. Anaheim has an average penalty kill on the year, but obviously Gibson's struggles changes the upside there. Engvall isn't on the same level, but he has three goals over his last six games. Skating next to Nelson should help, as should this matchup.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. ANA ($7,000): Why not go to this matchup once more? That goes double given how productive Dobson has been. On a team that has sometimes struggled for offense, Dobson has 11 points over his last seven games, including three multi-point games. It also helps he plays a ton of minutes, having averaged 25:14 per contest.
Mike Matheson, MON vs. PIT ($6,400): Matheson is underrated as a defensive tentpole. He's averaged 25:01 per game in ice time, including 4:05 on the power play. That has helped him tally 19 points, 66 shots on net, and 55 blocked shots. He faces his former squad here, and that squad is on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back with a backup goalie in line to start.
