This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are nine games on the NHL slate Friday, with the Flyers the only team that also played on Thursday. There are a few divisional battles along with a marquee matchup between the Panthers and Rangers kicking off the evening at 7 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at FLA ($8,400): Shesterkin won his last four games, where he only gave up a total of seven goals. That puts him at 13-7-0 mark with a 2.86 GAA and .906 save percentage on the season. Shesterkin came out on top in his only game versus the Panthers last year, and they currently rank 26th in the NHL with 2.91 goals per game.
Joey Daccord, SEA vs. PHI ($7,000): Daccord gets to face a tired Philly squad who just won in Vancouver on Thursday. He's gone 4-0-2 in his last six starts and lists a 2.53 GAA and .912 save percentage having cemented his spot as the Kraken's No. 1 goalie with Philipp Grubauer out of action. The Flyers are also in the bottom-half in offense averaging 3.00 goals.
VALUE PLAYS
Trevor Zegras, ANA at ARI ($4,100): Zegras returned to action this week after missing 20 games with a lower-body injury. He's gone on to score a goal in his first appearance and then drew an assist Wednesday. Zegras only managed two points from his first 12 games, so he's well below his first two seasons when he established back-to-back 60-plus-point campaigns. The good news is he looks to be back on track and is capable of producing a huge offensive night.
Dawson Mercer, NJ at OTT ($4,900): Mercer also got off to a slow start as he was unable to pick up a point in his first 10 outings. He's been solid ever since with nine goals and eight assists across 23 appearances that most recently included a three-point performance versus Columbus on Wednesday. If you're going with an expensive forward line, Mercer can nicely fill out your roster.
Jake Neighbours, STL vs. COL ($4,200): Neighbours has potted goals in each of his last two games, giving him 12 on the season. He's also on the Blues' second power-play unit, where he's posted a pair of markers and an assist.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars vs. Blackhawks
Roope Hintz (C - $7,000), Jason Robertson (W - $7,800), Joe Pavelski (W - $7,200)
The Stars face the Blackhawks, who are 30th in the NHL in goals allowed at 3.62. Robertson is far off his pace of last season when he managed 109 points, but he's improved of late with two goals and three assists over four games. Hintz has found the scoresheet in seven of his last eight to give him 28 points overall. Pavelski rounds out the top trio with 13 goals and 18 assists, including nine points on the man-advantage.
Avalanche at Blues
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,600), Mikko Rantanen (W - $9,600), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $8,500)
The Avs' top line has actually improved since Nichushkin replaced the injured Artturi Lehkonen, who went down in early November. He's gone off for 16 goals and 17 assists on the season and. saw his seven-game scoring streak come to an end Wednesday - where he totaled six goals and six assists - but should rebound against the lowly Blues. MacKinnon is riding a 19-game scoring streak, vaulting him into second place in NHL scoring with 56 points. Rantanen is up to 44 points, with 13 of those coming in his last eight appearances. St. Louis has won three straight, but sit 19th in GAA.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. WAS ($8,100): Dobson has recently struggled with only an assist across three games. He's been outstanding overall with 34 points, ranking third among blueliners. Dobson has also posted 13 points on the power play.
Jake Sanderson, OTT vs. NJ ($6,200): Sanderson has been offensively inconsistent with only one goal from his last 16 outings. He got off to a great start to the season and is currently at 18 points. Sanderson also quarterbacks Ottawa's top power play unit and has recorded seven points there.
Aaron Ekblad, FLA vs. NYR ($4,500): Ekblad finally found the back of the net for the first time this season on Wednesday. He missed the first 16 games recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and struggled out of the gate, though seems to be turning things around. Ekblad produced 14 goals and 24 assists last season and accumulated 57 points the previous year.
