This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's a light day Wednesday, but don't sweat the fact there are only two games on the slate. You can still play DFS NHL, and why not take advantage of the opportunity? Let's get to the recommendations!
SLATE PREVIEW
With only two games on the slate, it's simple enough to just tell you what the matchups are. We have the Oilers in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs basically aren't allowed to have fans. Then, we have the Blues visiting the Penguins. Three of these teams are in the top 10 in goals scored, and weirdly one of them isn't the Penguins. They've had injuries, though, and now the big guns like Sidney Crosby are healthy.
GOALIE
Jack Campbell, TOR vs. EDM ($8,100): Picking a goalie was difficult. The "worst" offense of these four is Pittsburgh's, and it has averaged 3.16 goals and 35.2 shots on net per contest. I didn't want Jordan Binnington on the road against that offense. Instead, I'll go with Campbell at home. He has an 1.86 GAA and .939 save percentage. Edmonton may have the league's best power play, but Toronto does have a top-10 penalty kill.
VALUE PLAYS
Evan Rodrigues, PIT vs. STL ($5,700): Rodrigues may not be skating on Pittsburgh's top line any longer, but that didn't stop him from having a hat trick in his last outing. The former Sabre is having a career year, as he already has 13 goals and 13 assists in 31 games. That's with a 12.4 shooting percentage that is totally sustainable. Binnington has a .910 save percentage for the second season in a row after a few rough starts since returning to the lineup.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at PIT ($5,200): Buchnevich has been quietly on fire. Over his last 14 games he has seven goals and 13 assists. He also has a four-game point streak, and the Russian has put 94 shots on net in 30 games. This is not an easy matchup, but with only four teams in action you might need to bite the bullet here and there. Buchnevich provides a fair amount of upside at his salary.
LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Maple Leafs vs. Oilers: David Kampf (C - $2,500), William Nylander (W - $7,100), Alex Kerfoot (W - $2,700)
Auston Matthews just tested positive for COVID-19, which throws a spanner into the works. Assuming the test is validated, John Tavares will move up to centering the top line. And yet, I am still going with Toronto's second line as my stack. Let's save some salary but maintain the upside! The Oilers have a 3.29 GAA and have allowed 32.4 shots on net per contest, and they have pretty clearly the worst defensive situation of these four teams. Mike Smith immediately got injured again after returning to the lineup, leaving Mikko Koskinen with his 3.19 GAA and .900 save percentage likely in goal.
Kampf obviously would be in a better offensive situation than usual if he's centering this line. Not only that, he has a three-game point streak. Meanwhile, Nylander has at least one point in 10 of his last 11 games. He's also been incredible on the power play, with 14 points with the extra man in 31 games. Kerfoot is dishing out helpers, as he has 15 assists on the season. He also has an 8.3 shooting percentage that is well below his 13.7 career average.
DEFENSE
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. EDM ($5,900): Since the start of December, Rielly has been as hot as any defenseman. He's tallied 13 points in eight games, but also put 26 shots on net. The 27-year-old has 10 points with the extra man in 31 games, and the Oilers have a middling penalty kill.
Mike Matheson, PIT vs. STL ($3,200): Sure, I could recommend Kris Letang, but then I am throwing two high-salary defenseman at you. Somewhere you need to have the opportunity to save a little salary, right? Matheson is an interesting option. He's picked up five points over his last six outings. With 45 shots on goal in 28 games, Matheson shoots more than any Pittsburgh defenseman save for Letang. As I mentioned earlier, Binnington has a .910 save percentage.
