This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
After a nine-game slate Tuesday, Wednesday is almost as busy with seven contests on the docket. If you're planning on staying up late tonight or are on the West Coast, there's also an After Hours slate comprising the four games beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET or later.
SLATE PREVIEW
Washington, St. Louis and Buffalo are all playing in the second half of a back-to-back set, so fatigue might be an issue for those teams. The Kings should be heavy favorites against the Sabres on Wednesday, especially after Buffalo played Tuesday, but the Kings have lost 11 of their last 13 games and fell to the lowly Sharks on Monday, so there's no guarantee that LA will be able to take advantage of the favorable circumstances.
GOALIES
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. STL ($8,600): Demko is having a great campaign and has gotten plenty of goal support thanks to the Canucks' high-powered offense. The result is he has a fantastic 25-8-1 record to go along with his 2.40 GAA and .922 save percentage. He's won his last seven starts while saving 211 of 226 shots (.934 save percentage).
Joey Daccord, SEA vs. CHI ($7,800): Daccord has lost his last three contests, but he has stopped a respectable 85 of 93 shots (.914 save percentage) in that span and still has a strong 2.33 GAA and .922 save percentage through 30 contests. The Blackhawks are 14-31-2 and rank 31st offensively with just 2.17 goals per game, so this is a favorable matchup for Daccord.
VALUE PLAYS
T.J. Oshie, WAS at COL ($4,800): Oshie is having a phenomenal run with six goals and seven points in six outings in 2023-24. The 37-year-old has been more miss than hit this year, but his recent performance still makes him worthy of selection tonight.
Jordan Eberle, SEA vs. CHI ($4,700): Eberle has seven goals and 23 points in 42 outings in 2023-24, so he's been okay, but not great. He's still worth picking up tonight, though, given his hot streak of four points (two goals) in his last three games and the quality of his upcoming adversary -- the Blackhawks rank 29th defensively, allowing 3.53 goals per contest.
Logan O'Connor, COL vs. WAS ($4,000): We'll see what O'Connor can do for an encore after leading the Avalanche to a 7-4 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday with his hat trick. That showing is part of a larger hot streak for the 27-year-old -- he has seven goals and 14 points across his past 14 appearances.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Capitals
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,900), Mikko Rantanen (W - $9,800), Jonathan Drouin (W - $5,000)
If you can work this trio into your budget, they should serve you well. MacKinnon is on an 11-game scoring streak, totaling seven goals and 21 points in that span. It's far from the only prolonged streak he's had this season -- from Nov. 20-Dec. 27, he recorded at least a point in 19 straight contests. His consistency has helped him record an incredible 77 points (26 goals) across 47 outings.
Rantanen is the ideal Robin to MacKinnon's Batman, supplying 26 goals and 60 points through 47 appearances, including eight goals and 16 points over his past 11 contests. Drouin is a clear step below them with 10 goals and 26 points in 45 games, but he has been solid recently, providing seven goals and 18 points over his last 19 outings.
Panthers vs. Coyotes
Sam Bennett (C - $6,000), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $8,600), Carter Verhaeghe (W - $8,400)
Tkachuk had an uncharacteristically cold stretch from Nov. 16-Dec. 14 in which he had just three points in 14 contests, but that's well and truly behind him now. Over the 26-year-old's last 17 appearances, he's played like the elite forward we're used to, contributing eight goals and 25 points.
Verhaeghe is just as hot, supplying nine goals and 20 points over his past 14 games. That's brought him up to 24 tallies and 46 points through 46 contests. Bennett hasn't quite kept pace, but he's been close recently with five goals and 11 points across his last 11 outings.
If you can work him into your budget, you should also consider Sam Reinhart ($9,900), who has an unreal 17 goals and 20 points over his past 16 games. However, the reason I recommended the Tkachuk unit is because all three members of it are hot while Reinhart's linemates, Anton Lundell ($4,500) and Eetu Luostarinen ($3,600), have underwhelmed recently.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. WAS ($9,300): The cream of the crop defensively. Makar has 10 goals and 54 points in 42 contests and is continuing to roll with a tally and six points over his last three outings.
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at LAK ($8,100): If you can't fit Makar in your budget, Dahlin is a solid fallback, especially given the Kings' recent struggles. Dahlin has 13 goals and 38 points in 46 games, including three markers and nine points in his last nine appearances.
Hampus Lindholm, BOS vs. CAR ($4,200): Lindholm is entering Wednesday's action after supplying an assist in each of his last three appearances. That brings him up to 10 helpers over his past 12 outings.
