This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate is a light one, with just three games on the schedule after 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
This slate's most appealing plays will probably come from the Avalanche in Chicago, but all three games have a lot to offer. A Ducks team playing its second game in as many nights should still be favored against the lowly Devils in New Jersey, while the defending champion Blues will play host to an always dangerous, top-heavy Oilers team.
GOALIES
New Jersey's 2.38 goals per game are second-fewest in the league, making this a great time to lock in Ducks backup Ryan Miller ($7,400), who should get the start after John Gibson got the nod Tuesday in Philadelphia. New Jersey's offense is even less dangerous now that the team has traded Taylor Hall to Arizona, while Miller has a passable 4-2-2 record, 3.00 GAA and .908 save percentage.
The Blues have been streaky of late, winning four in a row then dropping three consecutive games by three goals apiece before rebounding with another three-game winning streak. That adds up to a 7-3-0 record over the last 10 games, which is vastly better than the 3-6-1 mark Edmonton has managed recently. Standout St. Louis netminder Jordan Binnington ($8,000) should help continue both teams' recent trends, as he's been the goalie of record in each of St. Louis' three most recent wins, bringing his record to 16-6-4 with a 2.44 GAA and .920 save percentage.
While the Devils-Ducks game features this slate's two weakest offenses, the next-worst after them is Chicago at 2.73 goals per game. With a strong team skating in front of him, Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer ($7,900) is well positioned to build on his 10-6-2 record, 2.83 GAA and .912 save percentage against the mediocre Blackhawks.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor McDavid ($8,000) and Leon Draisaitl ($7,500) are skating on separate lines again, as the Oilers are looking for some balance on offense to help break out of their recent slump. They still share the ice on the power play, and each guy is capable of carrying fantasy lineups on their own, as McDavid leads the league with 59 points while Draisaitl's second with 57. Either player could be a major GPP difference-maker despite the tough matchup in St. Louis.
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews ($5,800) has been on fire over his past five games, racking up a 2-7-9 line. The veteran center remains reasonably affordable and has a good chance of outplaying his valuation against Colorado.
Robert Thomas ($2,700) has quietly racked up six points in the past five games. The 20-year-old Blues forward has a nice opportunity to stay hot against an Oilers team that's let in 17 goals over its past four games, and he won't cost much as a lineup filler if you're looking to spend big elsewhere.
With Hall gone, Kyle Palmieri ($5,400) is now the leading man in New Jersey, with team highs in both goals (12) and points (20) through 32 games. He's on pace to reach 50 points for the fourth time in five seasons with the Devils while potting 30 goals for the second time, and Palmieri will have a little extra motivation against the Ducks team that employed him for his first five NHL seasons.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche at Blackhawks
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $7,200), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,400), Andre Burakovsky (W - $5,000)
MacKinnon is tied with Brad Marchand for third league-wide in points behind McDavid and Draisaitl with 51. Rantanen has been hampered by injuries or he could be challenging MacKinnon for the team points lead, as the winger has a 9-13-22 line in 17 appearances following consecutive seasons with 84 or more points. Burakovsky has recently been shifted onto this line, and his 12-11-23 line through 30 games with Colorado suggests the Austrian winger has more than enough skill to benefit from this promotion. This unit should find success against a Blackhawks team that's won only once in its last five games.
Ducks at Devils
Adam Henrique (C - $4,200), Rickard Rakell (W - $5,600), Jakob Silfverberg (W - $5,200)
This is a rare good time to target the usually anemic Ducks offense, as the Devils rank among the league's three most generous teams with 3.47 goals allowed per game. All three members of this line rank in the top five team-wide in both goals and points. Henrique, who was traded from the Devils to the Ducks back in the 2017-18 season, is on pace to hit the 20-goal mark for the fourth time in his career with nine through 34 games. Rackell shares the team points lead with Ryan Getzlaf, as both boast identical 10-15-25 lines. Silfverberg is one point behind them while leading the Ducks with 12 goals.
Blues vs. Oilers
Ryan O'Reilly (C - $5,400), David Perron (W -$5,800), Oskar Sundqvist (W - $3,400)
This line has a nice mix of production and affordability. Perron registered a hat trick Monday against Colorado, giving him team leads in both goals (15) and points (33) through 35 games. O'Reilly is two points back of Perron, while Sundqvist's 3-3-6 line in his last four games played has him up to 9-7-16 overall.
DEFENSEMEN
Justin Faulk ($3,500) entered this season with a career average of .46 points per game, but his Blues tenure got off to a dreadful start that featured only seven points through 32 games. The offseason acquisition seems to have finally settled in with an active three-game point streak, and the buy-low opportunity on Faulk won't stay open much longer if he continues to produce.
Speaking of underachieving blueliners who have started to find their game, Erik Gustafsson ($4,600) has a three-game point streak going after scoring only 10 points through 30 games. The Blackhawks have been waiting for the Swede to get going after he scored 60 points last season.
In a slate that lacks top-end talent on the blue line, Oscar Klefbom ($6,100) of the Oilers has earned his spot as the most expensive defenseman available. His all-around skill set has been perfectly encapsulated in the past three games — Klefbom has a goal, two assists, two power-play points, 13 shots and 10 blocks over that short stretch.
