This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a light four-game slate Wednesday, though the only game of little consequence is Sharks at Golden Knights (9:30 p.m. EDT). Otherwise, the Predators are hanging on to fourth place by a fingernail and hope they can extend their lead over the surging Stars with a date against the Blackhawks (7 p.m.)
The Coyotes are likewise still in the hunt for a playoff spot and they will host the Wild (9 p.m.), and the Canadiens are hoping to stem the bleeding and avoid a third straight loss against the Oilers (10 p.m.)
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. SJ ($8,500): With so few goalies choices available, there's nothing wrong going with the heavy favorite. Fleury has won three straight games with just four goals allowed, bouncing back nicely from a stretch of three straight losses. The Knights are 6-0 against the Sharks this season with Fleury accounting for four of those wins and registering a .943 Sv% and 1.50 GAA.
Cam Talbot, MIN at ARI ($8,200): Talbot allowed just two goals on 24 shots in his last start against the Yotes, giving him four straight wins against them this season. The games have not been close, either, with the Wild outscoring the Yotes 28-11 through seven games this season.
Juuse Saros, NSH at CHI ($7,900): The good news: Saros has been excellent after an abysmal first half, winning 11 games with a .948 Sv% in March and April. The bad news: The Preds allow 31 shots per game, ninth-highest in the league, and the Blackhawks offense can be pretty potent. However, Saros has been a brick wall against them, sporting a perfect 4-0 record with a 0.98 GAA and .970 Sv%.
Mike Smith, EDM vs. MON ($7,700): He'll occasionally have the odd bad game, but for the most part he's been very good this season. The Habs are basically a .500 team under Dominique Ducharme, and they've had a heck of a time trying to solve Smith, who is unbeaten in regulation with a .957 Sv% against them. Even if Smith is less than stellar, the Oilers should be able to provide enough goal support; the Habs have allowed at least four goals in five of their past seven games, all of which have been losses.
VALUE PLAYS
Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM vs. MON ($3,700): He's slated to skate on the top line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and in his last game against the Habs scored a goal and an assist. That gives Puljujarvi five points in his past six games, and the Habs just seem very vulnerable at the moment with a string of uninspired play combined with mediocre goaltending.
Timo Meier, SJ at VGK ($4,700): We are defaulting to Natural Stat Trick's analytics on this one; Meier's 5.07 differential between 5v5 xGF and 5v5 GF since April 1 is the second-biggest difference behind Sebastian Aho. At some point, you expect the two numbers to align, and at least Meier (and Tomas Hertl, who is in the same boat but doesn't qualify as a value play at $6,200, second only to McDavid) has shown he can score against the Knights with three points in five games this season.
LINE STACKS
Wild at Coyotes
Victor Rask (C - $4,100), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $6,000), Mats Zuccarello (W - $4,900)
Zucc and Kap have scored a combined 18 points against the Coyotes, so feel free to stack them and totally ignore Rask, who has one measly goal in seven games.
Golden Knights vs. Sharks
Chandler Stephenson (C - $4,600), Max Pacioretty (W - $8,200), Mark Stone (W - $7,500)
The difference between this line and the Wild line stack is Stephenson, who has scored four points in four games against the Sharks and a vital part of Vegas' ability to gain the offensive zone. His speed is a huge asset, and it also allows Pacioretty and Stone – who have combined for 18 points against the Sharks – to take over once the puck is in the Sharks' end.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. SJ ($6,600): Theodore scored two assists and four shots in his last game and continues to be one of the steadiest point producers on the blue line. While both Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo eat into his minutes, neither jump up on offense like Theodore. It's a good matchup and there's not of elite point producers to pick from for Wednesday. The Sharks are also very undisciplined with a minus-23 differential in penalties drawn vs. penalties taken, meaning potentially lots of power play opportunities.
Jakob Chychrun, ARI vs. MIN ($5,100): Chychrun's on a three-game point streak, including a goal and an assist in his past two games against the Wild. The Coyotes offense isn't reliable most of the time, but Chychrun has provided a steady diet of shots, and only twice this season has he failed to produce either a point or a shot on goal.
Matt Dumba, MIN at ARI ($4,000): Dumba has been one of the best fantasy defensemen over the past week and a bit, scoring five points in five games. The Wild have torched the Yotes all season and Dumba is the best play; Jonas Brodin doesn't quite jump up on the play like Dumba while Jared Spurgeon ($4,700) comes at a premium with only a marginal difference – if any – in terms of offensive upside.
