This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There are only three games in the NHL on Friday. Carolina is the only rested team, hosting a tired Florida squad, who defeated Montreal 7-2 on Thursday. New Jersey will travel to Pittsburgh, while in the late game, Edmonton is in Seattle. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Vitek Vanecek, NJ at PIT ($7,900): Vanecek has been in a bit of a slump, as he is 0-3-1 since Dec. 6, giving up 15 goals on 108 shots. But he looked good Wednesday against the top-ranked Bruins, giving up only two goals on 26 shots. He has been great overall this season, as he is 12-5-2 with a 2.39 GAA and a .910 save percentage. Vanecek takes on the Penguins, who are averaging 3.40 goals per game this season.
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR vs. FLA ($8,400): Kotchetkov is 10-1-4 this season and Frederik Andersen is going to have a tough time getting the crease back as the No. 1 netminder with the Hurricanes, once he returns from a lower-body injury that has kept him on the shelf since Nov. 6. Kochetkov has an eye-popping 1.94 GAA and a just as good .928 save percentage. He has given up more than two goals just four times this season and has won five straight games, giving up just five goals on 123 shots. He is the Hurricanes' goaltender of the future, and now.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jared McCann, SEA vs. EDM ($4,400): McCann saw his three-game goal scoring streak come to an end Wednesday but has 16 goals and 22 points in 30 games. McCann plays on the top line with the Kraken, with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle, as well as seeing second unit power play time, where he has two goals and five points. He had a goal and an assist in two games against the Oilers last season.
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR vs. FLA ($4,000): Teravainen has only two goals and 12 points in 25 games this season, but has moved up to the top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, and that can only help his offensive game. Teravainen has always been a point producer, as he has had at least 63 points in four of his previous five seasons, the only exception being in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, when he had 15 points in just 21 contests. He had two goals and an assist in three games against the Panthers last season.
Aleksander Barkov, FLA at CAR ($6,600): Barkov returned to action Thursday after a three-game absence from a lower-body injury…and was spectacular! He had the hat trick in the opening period and added two assists, giving him nine goals and 21 points in 23 games. Barkov had 382 points in 344 games in his previous five seasons, so expect Barkov to be better than a point-a-game player the rest of the way. He scored in his only game against Carolina earlier in the season and had a goal and two assists in two games last season against the Hurricanes.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers at Kraken
Connor McDavid (C-$9,700), Leon Draisaitl (C-$8,200), Zach Hyman (W-$6,700)
There are only three games on the schedule, so you should go with the best. McDavid leads the NHL in scoring with 31 goals and 67 points and is currently on a 16-game scoring streak during which he has 15 goals and 17 assists. All three have been great in the last ten games, with McDavid scoring seven goals and adding eight assists. Draisaitl has three goals and 12 points while Hyman has six goals and five helpers. Draisaitl has 57 points, second-best in the NHL, behind only McDavid, while Hyman has 37 points in 35 games, including 15 goals, as he looks to easily surpass his previous career-high set last season of 27 goals and 54 points.
Devils at Pittsburgh
Jack Hughes (C-$7,800), Nico Hischier (C-$6,000), Tomas Tatar (W-$4,200)
The Devils have a couple of outstanding centers in Hughes and Hischier who will be the core of the team for years to come. They play together on the first power play and center the top-two lines with both being selected first overall in their respective draft years. Hughes has 18 goals and 39 points in 35 games. Hischier has 14 goals and 32 points in 34 games and is on a two-game points streak after going five straight games with nary a point. Tatar is on a three-game points streak and has nine goals and 20 points in 35 contests. They are a good second line choice if you are looking for another stack.
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie, EDM at SEA ($4,900): Barrie has been great on the Edmonton power play, scoring twice and picking 17 assists, a huge portion of his five goals and 23 assists in 36 games this season. Barrie has always been known as an offensive force during his NHL career and this season is no exception.
Ty Smith, PIT vs. NJ ($2,500): This is as inexpensive as you can get and Smith could be an outstanding pick if you need the room. Kris Letang is questionable with a lower-body injury suffered Wednesday and if Letang is unable to go, then Smith is expected to make his season debut and quarterback the top power play. The former 17th overall pick in 2018 by the Penguins' opponents Friday, the Devils, was a first-team rookie All-Star just two seasons ago, when he had two goals and 23 points in 44 games. He is worth a flier if he is in the Penguins lineup.
