This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday features a single-game Showdown contest featuring Carolina in Washington for Game 7. Here are some insights...
FLEX
Alex Ovechkin, LW, WAS vs. CAR ($12,200): As brilliant as the young Sebastian Aho ($11,400) has been, Ovechkin's the more dangerous shooter in a scoring system that favours goal scorers. No one on the ice will be more dangerous than Ovechkin, and the Caps must surely see a much easier route than predicted for their title defense. The Hurricanes will likely outshoot the Caps, but the Caps are far more efficient.
Dougie Hamilton, D, CAR at WAS ($9,500): Since we don't really care about Hamilton's defense, his play on Brett Connolly's goal doesn't change his value very much. He remains the Hurricanes' best offensive defenseman, tied with Jaccob Slavin ($6,700) with six points, and ranks first in power-play goals (2), second in shots (19) and trails only Justin Faulk ($7,200) in power-play ice time among defensemen.
Braden Holtby, G, WAS vs. CAR ($8,500): If you want a goalie, Holtby's the better bet than Petr Mrazek ($8,200) based on experience and overall quality of their respective team, though losing T.J. Oshie hurts a lot. Whatever playoff ghosts that haunted the Caps were erased with a Cup win, so there's less nervousness going in, and they've dominated special teams this series.
Justin Williams, RW, CAR at WAS ($7,500): How can you not? Mr. Game 7 didn't get his nickname for losing a bunch of them; his seven goals and 14 points in Game 7's is the most in NHL playoff history. Stats says there's no such thing as "clutch," but you watch Williams and it's hard to believe how good he's been in this scenario (7-1 all time in Game 7s).
Warren Foegele, LW, CAR at WAS ($4,800): The good folks at DraftKings keep forgetting about Foegele for some reason, even though he leads the team in scoring with four goals and six points. His pedigree suggests this offensive outburst is an anomaly, but his tenacious style is working well in the playoffs and his role has significantly increased. Of the Hurricanes' top five scorers, Foegele is the cheapest.
Dmitry Orlov, D, WAS vs. CAR ($4,300): The Caps' power play is clicking at 28.6 percent, third-best in the playoffs. While John Carlson ($10,300) handles most of the quarterbacking duties, Orlov is a low-key way to get some power-play exposure at a relatively low cost. He's one of seven Caps players to register a point on the power play, and the only other defenseman to do so other than Carlson. In a penalty-filled series, Orlov will get his chances.
