This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Wednesdays are one of the lighter nights in hockey, and today is no exception. There are four games on the docket with clashes at 7:00 p.m. ET (Boston at New Jersey), 7:30 p.m. (Columbus at Toronto), 9:30 p.m. (Winnipeg at Colorado) and 10:00 p.m. (Florida at Los Angeles). Here are my FanDuel lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Florida is playing in the second half of a back-to-back, so the Panthers might be tired tonight. The other seven teams are rested, but Boston and Columbus will play again Thursday, which might influence those teams' lineup decisions tonight.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at COL ($8,100): The Avalanche are an offensive juggernaut, but they can't figure out Hellebuyck. The 31-year-old netminder has faced Colorado twice this season and walked away with two shutouts while stopping a combined 57 shots. Hellebuyck has been dialed in for most of the campaign, posting a 28-7-2 record, 2.02 GAA and .927 save percentage in 37 appearances.
Jacob Markstrom, NJD vs. BOS ($7,900): Markstrom is someone I might have avoided on a day when there were more options because the Devils have been struggling recently – they're 2-6-3 dating back to Dec. 28 – but given what's available, he's still a great choice. The 34-year-old goaltender has a 21-9-5 record, 2.19 GAA and .912 save percentage in 35 appearances this season. He has held his own during the Devils' slump, posting a 2.47 GAA and a .909 save percentage across eight outings. Boston is a solid opponent but far from the best offensively. The Bruins rank 26th in goals per game with 2.77.
VALUE PLAYS
Bobby McMann, TOR vs. CBJ ($5,100): McMann is on a three-game scoring streak, scoring a goal and four points. The 28-year-old is pretty streaky, so you want to be careful when you play him, but this seems like one of the good times. It helps that the Leafs face Columbus, who ranks 28th in goals allowed per game (3.34).
Evan Rodrigues, FLA at LAK ($4,800): Rodrigues found the back of the net Tuesday, giving him three goals and four points over his past six appearances. He does tend to move up and down in the lineup, but he's averaged out to a respectable 15:29 of ice time this campaign, including 1:28 with the man advantage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets
Auston Matthews (C - $8,800), Mitch Marner (W - $8,100), Matthew Knies (W - $5,800)
I can't help but wonder what kind of season Matthews would have had if he was 100 percent healthy, especially given his recent play. Since returning from an upper-body injury, the 27-year-old forward has eight goals and 14 points. When Matthews is on a roll, opposing goaltenders can't seem to do much to stop him, and that's very much the case at the moment.
Matthews might have his overall numbers diminished this season due to injury, but Marner is well on his way toward setting career highs. He already has 15 goals and 67 points through 48 appearances and is on a four-game scoring streak with a goal and eight points in that span.
Knies isn't as impressive as his linemates, but he's still a nice grab to round out the unit. He had two goals and three points Monday, bringing him up to 18 goals and 31 points across 46 outings this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski, CLM at TOR ($7,900): Werenski has been superb in 2024-25 with 15 goals and 51 points through 47 appearances. He has been held off the scoresheet over his past two games, but Werenski has been a consistent producer this campaign. It wouldn't be surprising to see him bounce right back, especially given the Maple Leafs' recent struggles in their end. Toronto has surrendered at least three goals in each of its last six games.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. CBJ ($5,200): Reilly is an interesting roll of the dice on a day with limited options. He averaged roughly 63 points per 82 regular-season games from 2021-22 through 2023-24, making him traditionally a great option at his current price. He is on a slower pace in 2024-25 – five goals and 22 points in 48 appearances – because his overall numbers have been dragged down by a prolonged cold spell from Nov. 16-Jan. 16 (one goal and seven points across 28 appearances). However, Rielly has registered an assist in each of his past two outings, so perhaps we're seeing him come out of that drought.
