This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Two games are on the docket Wednesday evening. The Bruins will take on the Flyers on the road in the early game at 7:30 p.m. EDT while the Blues will travel to Vegas for the 10 p.m. EDT contest. The Bruins (-152) are road favorites while the Golden Knights (-142) are favored in their raucous arena, too.
The Bruins have already confirmed that they're starting Jeremy Swayman in net while Martin Jones will start for the Flyers. The decision to start Jones is a bit of a head scratcher considering Carter Hart looked good on Monday. Jones posted an .896 save percentage and a 3.28 GAA last season with the Sharks.
GOALIES
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at PHI ($8,000): Swayman was fantastic in the season opener with 27 saves on 28 shots, following up a strong 2020-21 campaign in which he recorded a .945 save percentage and a 1.50 GAA. The Flyers have scored 10 goals through two games against the Canucks and Kraken. There's reason to believe that isn't sustainable, as the Flyers have recorded 2.4 xGF/60 at even strength thus far.
Jordan Binnington, STL at VGK ($7,300): Binnington hasn't played well through the first two wins of the year, recording an .879 save percentage and 3.50 GAA. Still, Vegas will show up shorthanded Wednesday without Max Pacioretty (lower body), Mark Stone (lower body) and Alex Tuch (shoulder). That's 63 combined goals from last year's 55 game season. Expect some decline going forward.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Taylor Hall, BOS at PHI (W - $5,900): It's a stretch to call Hall a value at this salary, but he posted eight goals and six assists across 16 regular-season games with the Bruins last year. He's working on the second line along with the top power play with The Perfection Line. The Flyers will start Martin Jones, who posted a 3.28 GAA last season, so Hall's an intriguing one-off option.
Cam Atkinson, PHI vs. BOS ($5,500): Atkinson has been excellent through the first two games with his new team, posting a goal, an assist and nine shots on net. The 32-year-old was on the decline over the last two years, posting 27 goals and 33 assists across his last 100 games with the Blue Jackets. Matching up against Swayman isn't easy, but his salary won't weigh too hard against the cap.
Jordan Kyrou, STL at VGK (W - $4,600): Kyrou has six points through two games. It's no fluke. The 23-year-old has quick hands and a wicked-quick shot. He comes at a surpreme value, but the secret is out after his hot start, so he's probably better fit for cash games than tournaments.
Evgenii Dadonov, VGK vs. STL (W - $4,200): Dadonov gets the call to the top six because of the Golden Knights' injuries. The 32-year-old struggled produced three straight seasons with at least 25 goals before recording 13 through 55 games with the Senators last year. On the bright side, he scored on 14.6 percent of his shots, which is right around his normal rate. The increased opportunity spells high upside for Dadonov tonight.
Charlie Coyle, BOS at PHI (C - $3,900): Coyle posted just 16 points through 51 games, but he's still centering the second line and logged 17:30 of ice time in the season opener. The opportunity is only part of the reason he makes this list. His linemate, Taylor Hall, and the matchup against Philadelphia is quite appealing, too.
LINE STACKS
Patrice Bergeron (C - $7,200), David Pastrnak (W - $8,300), Brad Marchand (W - $8,500)
Justifying this price tag can be tough to swallow, but in a two-game slate, you can't win a tournament if the Perfection Line hits its ceiling. That looks like a strong possibility with Jones -- who we highlighted as a highly volatile play in the preview of this article -- in net for the Flyers. Marchand scored twice while Pastrnak added an assist in the season opener, and the trio combined for 72 goals last season.
Robert Thomas (C - $3,300), Vladimir Tarasenko ($7,000), Ivan Barbashev ($3,900)
Jordan Kyrou's line is the chalk. Rightfully so. He posted six points through the first two games. The chalk will be on him as a result, but the third line is a solid contrarian play. This trio combined for four points Monday against the Coyotes, and Tarasenko has registered eight shots on net over the first two games. Take the road less traveled in tournaments.
DEFENSEMEN
Alec Martinez, VGK vs. STL ($4,900): If you're leaning on the Blues like I've laid out in this article, Martinez is still a wise choice. He racked up a whopping 168 blocked shots across 53 games last season, adding 32 points as well. That provides a steady floor regardless of the outcome of the game, and his power-play usage adds some appealing upside.
Keith Yandle, PHI vs. BOS ($4,700): Yandle has posted three assists -- two with the man advantage -- through the first two games with the Flyers. He likely can't keep up the even-strength numbers given he's skating on the third pairing, but he's handling PP1 minutes and comes at an affordable salary.
Justin Faulk, STL at VGK ($4,500): Faulk ended last season with 12 points and 31 shots through 17 games, and he's red-hot with a goal and an assist in each of the first two contests this year. He's averaging 21:39 of ice time so far. His rate of scoring isn't sustainable, but he toils on the power play with Robert Thomas, making a solid stack.
Mike Reilly, BOS at PHI ($4,100): Reilly is an underrated gem. He logged 20:27 of ice time -- 1:13 on the power play -- in the season opener, firing four shots on net and blocking three shots. He doesn't typically block shots at that rate, but he can contribute in the point column. Last season, he recorded eight assists across 15 regular-season contests with the Bruins.
