This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There are four games scheduled for tonight, and they're decently spread out. All eight squads playing Wednesday are rested, but the Stars and Coyotes are gearing up for the first half of their respective back-to-backs.
SLATE PREVIEW
Tonight will be a bit of a test for the Avalanche, who are set to host the Blues. Colorado opened the season on a six-game winning streak but has suffered back-to-back shutout losses. In addition to being in a slump, defensemen Cale Makar (undisclosed) and Bowen Byram (undisclosed) are both questionable for the contest. Colorado might also give backup goaltender Ivan Prosvetov his first start after deploying Alexandar Georgiev in eight straight.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL at CAL ($8,500): What will happen when a cold offense meets one of the league's top goaltenders? Oettinger has a 4-0-1 record, 1.74 GAA and .940 save percentage through five appearances this season. Meanwhile, Calgary is tied for 29th offensively with just 2.11 goals per game and has done even worse lately, being outscored 11-3 over its last three contests.
Jordan Binnington, STL at COL ($6,800): Betting against the Avalanche is a risk, but as outlined above, they're a bit more vulnerable than usual. Binnington is also extremely well-priced for a goaltender who has a 2.33 GAA and a .926 save percentage over five games this year.
VALUE PLAYS
Mason McTavish, ANA vs. ARI ($5,300): A bit on the pricey side for someone in this category, but there's no question he's been providing great value relative to his cost, supplying five goals and 11 points in nine outings this year. The 20-year-old has been especially good recently, providing four goals and eight points over his last five contests.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at COL ($4,700): Keep an eye on the Avalanche's goaltending situation to see if they're starting their backup before committing to Buchnevich. The 28-year-old has just a goal and an assist through five appearances, so he hasn't been that helpful in 2023-24. However, Buchnevich collected 76 goals and 191 points in 190 contests from 2020-21 through 2022-23, so it should just be a matter of time before he bounces back. Wednesday might be that night if the Blues are spared Georgiev.
Matt Duchene, DAL at CAL ($4,200): After being held off the scoresheet over his first four games, Duchene is settling in with the Stars. The 32-year-old forward will enter tonight's action on a three-game point streak, contributing a goal and two assists in that span. He finished 2022-23 with 22 goals and 56 points in 71 outings.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars at Avalanche
Wyatt Johnston (C - $5,200), Jamie Benn (W - $6,000), Evgenii Dadonov (W - $3,500)
Dallas' top unit, led by Jason Robertson, is also a solid option tonight, but the Johnston line is cheaper and has been more productive over the last couple games. Johnston has led the second line with three goals and six points over his last four contests. Meanwhile, Benn has earned a goal and four assists over the same span.
Dadonov hasn't been terribly effective this season -- he was limited to one point over his first six outings -- but he's coming off a strong contest in which he collected a goal and an assist.
Flyers vs. Sabres
Sean Couturier (C - $5,300), Cam Atkinson (W - $5,700), Owen Tippett (W - $5,600)
The Sabres and Flyers have solid defenses and hot goaltending, so I don't think this game will be the high-scoring affair it might look like on the surface -- in fact, when it comes to the over/under at 6.5 goals, I like the under. That said, the contest's not going to be devoid of scoring either, and relative to their price, Philadelphia's top line should provide strong value.
Couturier is on a three-game scoring streak, providing a goal and four points in that span. He's an elite forward who has unfortunately been overshadowed by injuries in recent years. Now that he's healthy though, he has the potential to finish the campaign with 65-75 points, making him a great grab at his current price.
Like Couturier, Atkinson couldn't play in 2022-23 due to injury, but he's also healthy and making up for lost time, providing four goals and seven points over his last six appearances. To round out the unit, Tippett is on a four-game scoring streak and has been held off the scoresheet only once over his last six outings, providing two goals and six points over that stretch.
DEFENSEMEN
Sean Durzi, ARI at ANA ($6,200): After scoring nine goals and 38 points in 72 contests with the Kings last season, he was dealt to Arizona where the 25-year-old defenseman is in position to set a career high with an average of 22:55 of ice time, including 4:30 with the man advantage. Durzi has rewarded the Coyotes for giving him that big role by supplying four goals and seven points through eight outings. He's found the back of the net in each of his last two contests, so he's also hot entering Wednesday's action.
Thomas Harley, DAL at CAL ($3,700): Harley hasn't been getting much power-play ice time -- just an average of 15 seconds per game -- so he's not always going to be a good option. However, on a roll, providing two goals and three points over his last three contests, making him a solid discount choice tonight.
