This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are three games in the NHL on Wednesday as the Sabres play the second game of back-to-back contests, this time against the Senators in Ottawa. Chicago entertains St. Louis while Los Angeles travels to Edmonton to face the Oilers. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Jordan Binnington, STL at CHI ($7,100): Binnington has been awesome his last three starts, giving up seven goals on 113 shots in winning all three games. He has been very streaky this season, starting off with three wins in a row, losing five straight and then coming back on his current three game winning streak. Binnington shut out the Blackhawks in two of his three appearances last season, giving up only three goals on 82 shots.
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. LA ($8,200): If Skinner is between the pipes Wednesday as expected, he is a very good play against the Kings. Skinner is 3-3-0 with a 2.52 GAA, but his outstanding .932 save percentage is the reason he to select him. He is coming off a 40 save performance Saturday in a 3-2 win over Florida. If Jack Campbell plays for the Oilers, you should likely look elsewhere as he has been fighting the puck this season.
VALUE PLAYS
Max Domi, CHI vs. STL ($5,200): Domi is having a nice start to the season, with four goals and 10 points in 15 games. He plays on the Blackhawks' top line, alongside Patrick Kane and Philipp Kurashev, as well as seeing first unit power play time. It's a far cry from last season where Domi was a bottom-six forward with Carolina.
Viktor Arvidsson, LA at EDM ($4,900): Arvidsson did not pick up a point in his first five games but has made up for it ever since with three goals and 10 points in his last 11 games. The 29-year-old winger sees time on the second line as well as the second power play where he already has five points with the man-advantage. He had 20 goals and 49 points in 66 games last season.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at CHI ($4,400): Buchnevich has a goal and six points in nine games as he missed five contests early in the season with a lower-body injury. He is a very low price, considering he had 30 goals and 76 points in 73 games last season. He has come on of late with four assists in his last three games and plays on the top line with Vladimir Tarasenko and Robert Thomas. Buchnevich should be a must play Wednesday.
Ryan O'Reilly, STL at CHI ($4,200): The Blues got off to a rocky start as did O'Reilly, who had only one point in his first 10 games. He has turned things around of late with two goals and four points in his last four games. O'Reilly has had at least 54 points in each of his last nine seasons (the 54 points occurred in the COVID shortened 56-game schedule in 2020-21) and still gets first power play time on the Blues.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Kings
Connor McDavid (C - $10,700), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W -$7,800), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $3,800)
You can never go wrong taking the Oilers top line, as you get McDavid on your squad. The NHL's leading scorer has a ten-game points streak on the line, and has 15 goals and 32 points in just 16 games this season. Nugent-Hopkins is on pace for a career year with eight goals and 17 points in 16 games. His best season to date was in 2018-19 when he had 28 goals and 41 assists. Puljujarvi has only a goal and two assists this season as he has been up and down the depth chart, but playing on the top line won't hurt his cause. He also sees second power play time. It is okay to use only McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins while adding a value pick into your lineup.
Senators vs. Sabres
Brady Tkachuk (W-$9,700), Tim Stutzle (C-$7,400), Claude Giroux (W-$7,600)
Tkachuk is one of the top players in the NHL and has six goals and 20 points in 15 games. He took a huge jump in his progression last season, going from 36 points in 56 games, to a career high 30 goals and 67 points in 2021-22. Tkachuk is poised again to take another big jump in production. Stutzle has five goals and 15 points in 15 games and has really come on of late as the 20-year-old has four goals and nine points in his last six contests. It sure looks like the 34-year-old Giroux has been invigorated by playing alongside his two young teammates as he has eight goals and 17 points in 15 games. The Sabres have allowed 19 goals in their last four games – all losses – so this could be a great play.
DEFENSEMEN
Sean Durzi, LA at EDM ($5,300): Durzi has three goals and eight points in 17 games and had a pair of goals Saturday in a 4-3 win over Detroit. Durzi sees second power play time with the Kings and has started off the 2022-23 campaign with a goal and three points with the man-advantage.
Torey Krug, STL at CHI ($4,600): Krug is the Blues' top offensive threat on the blue line. He has two goals and six points in just 14 games and quarterbacks the first power play. He has picked up at least 40 points in six of his last seven seasons, missing only in the COVID shortened 2020-21 season, when he still managed 32 points in 51 games. He is a good price Wednesday.
