This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Like playoff implications? Then Wednesday's NHL slate is not for you. There's a good chance only one of the eight teams in action makes the postseason. Of course, you're here because you are also interested in setting a successful NHL DFS lineup. Playoff battles aren't required for DFS contests to flourish. First puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Tuesday was busy, so three teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back Wednesday. All of them are on the road as well. Vancouver is in Calgary, Anaheim is in Utah, and Montreal is a long way from home in Seattle.
GOALIES
Karel Vejmelka, UTA vs. ANA ($8,300): His .909 save percentage on the season is fine, but Vejmelka has been the go-to guy in net for the Hockey Club as of late and he's working in that role. He's started eight of the last nine games for Utah, and has a 2.13 GAA and .917 save percentage. There's a defined "bottom four" in goals per game that are just vying to be less bad than the rest of that quarter. The Ducks are one of those teams.
Dustin Wolf, CGY vs. VAN ($8,000): Wolf may be making a true push for the Calder or at least to be a finalist. Coming off his third shutout, the netminder has a 2.52 GAA and .915 save percentage through 38 outings. The Canucks are 31st in shots on net per game, and they are on the road for the second day of a back-to-back. Wolf has been up to the task recently, and he also isn't in line to be terribly busy Wednesday.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Dylan Larkin, DET vs. BUF ($7,500): I've been watching my beloved Red Wings careen their way out of the postseason, but at least Larkin has been doing what he can. He's on a three-game goal streak and Wednesday he could easily make that four. The Sabres have a 3.48 GAA, which is the third highest in the NHL.
Jason Zucker, BUF at DET ($4,900): I don't always have multiple one-offs for you when there are only four games on the slate, because the matchups aren't there and I am not going to jam a square peg into a round hole just to juice the sheer tonnage of my recommendations. That doesn't actually help you. Wednesday, though, options abound. I was originally going to go with JJ Peterka, but he missed practiced Tuesday and may not play Wednesday. Zucker just returned himself, but he's back on the top power-play unit, and he has 16 points with the extra man in 55 games. That is all worth noting, because the Red Wings have the league's worst penalty kill.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Hockey Club vs. Ducks
Logan Cooley (C - $5,400), Clayton Keller (W - $7,300), Nick Schmaltz (W - $5,800)
The Ducks have a bottom-six penalty kill and are neck-and-neck-and-neck with the Sharks and Blackhawks for last in shots on net allowed per game. Only the netminding of Lukas Dostal has prevented Anaheim from being in the bottom five in GAA, but he started Tuesday. John Gibson, who has been out with an injury, may make his return to the net Wednesday. He has a .901 save percentage over the last six seasons. Utah hockey fans have, fortunately, gotten to enjoy a proper first line, as this trio has really delivered.
Cooley doesn't have a point in his last four games, but he has four points in seven games since returning from injury. On the year he has 47 points in 57 contests, and with these two wings he's in a good place. Well, at even-strength, at least, as Cooley is the one of these three not on the first power-play unit. Keller had 37 goals and 86 points two seasons ago, and he may be having a better campaign this year. The first-ever Utah captain has 23 goals and 73 points through 63 games, including 30 points with the extra man. Given that Schmaltz started the year with bad puck luck, it's definitely notable he has a goal in four of his last five games. He still only has a 10.6 shooting percentage on the season, but Schmaltz now has 15 goals to go with 35 assists. That includes 20 power-play points.
DEFENSEMEN
Vince Dunn, SEA vs. MON ($5,200): Dunn has tallied 11 goals and 19 assists on the year, but that's in only 45 games. He's put at least three shots on net in six of his last seven outings as well. The Canadiens are only slightly below-average at shots on goal allowed per game, but they are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. Jakub Dobes has been tapped for the start. The rookie is coming off a good game, but that was against a Flames team that ranks last in goals per game. Over his last seven outings he has an .885 save percentage.
Sean Durzi, UTA vs. ANA ($4,500): Durzi's return to the lineup for the Hockey Club has cut into Michael Kesselring's minutes, with the former King emerging as the No. 2 blue liner behind Mikhail Sergachev. In eight outings Durzi has averaged 19:13 per game in ice time, including 1:17 on the power play. While he only has two points to go with 11 shots on net and seven blocked shots, he's been roughly a 40-point player the last couple years. Facing a Ducks team that just played Tuesday might help Durzi return to the score sheet, especially given the Ducks' issues killing penalties and preventing pucks from getting on goal.
