This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT and features six games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Avalanche are the clear-cut top favorites at home against the Blues, with the Capitals in New Jersey serving as the clear second choice. The Capitals-Devils game is also tied for the highest over/under at 6.0 goals, alongside Maple Leafs-Jets and Flames-Oilers. A pair of West Division toss-ups (Coyotes-Ducks and Sharks-Kings) round out this slate, which features plenty of star power. Finding enticing value options to complement those expensive stars will be key to building effective lineups here.
GOALIES
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. STL ($8,200): Backstopping the powerhouse Avalanche, Grubauer has gone 10-0-1 in his last 11 outings, allowing just 13 goals over those 11 starts. At home against a Blues team that has won just two of its last 11 games, and none of the last four, Grubauer should be the chalk play in net.
Martin Jones, SJ at LA ($7,600): Jones is in the midst of his strongest stretch of the season, going 5-1-1 in his last seven starts while allowing just 15 goals on 228 shots for a .934 save percentage. This matchup with a struggling Kings team that has won only three of its last nine games while scoring only seven goals over the six losses in that stretch.
Adin Hill, ARI at ANH ($7,800): Hill was roughed up by the Avalanche on Wednesday, but he won his previous three starts, including a 34-save shutout of the Sharks. He has a nice opportunity to get back to those winning ways against the 29th-ranked Ducks offense, which is plodding along at just 2.22 goals per game.
Mike Smith, EDM vs. CGY ($7,900): Smith's been rock-solid in the Oilers' net, going 12-3-1 with a 2.41 GAA and .919 save percentage. A home matchup with a Flames team that's mustered only nine goals in its last six games en route to a 1-5-0 record offers a nice opportunity for Smith to build on his success this season.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Joonas Donskoi, COL vs. STL ($4,200): Donskoi's often overlooked on the star-studded Avalanche, but his recent success has been impossible to ignore. His hat trick in Wednesday's win over Arizona pushed Donskoi's point streak to four games, and he has a 5-2-7 line and 18 shots during this torrid stretch. Donskoi has a nice chance to keep rolling against the slumping Blues.
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. CGY ($9,100): Don't pay any mind to the April Fool's day rumor that McDavid has been suspended 10 games. The league's leading scorer will be available for this one and ready to rock against the struggling Flames. McDavid has been excellent against everybody en route to a 21-42-63 line through 37 games, but the Flames have been especially vulnerable to his talents, surrendering a 6-8-14 line to McDavid in six meetings this season.
Phil Kessel, ARI at ANH ($4,000): Kessel had a five-game point streak snapped by the Avalanche in his last game despite putting five pucks on net, but he still has a 5-3-8 line over his last six games. The skilled winger has a 14-12-26 line in 36 games overall heading into this matchup with a Ducks team that's allowed four-plus goals seven times in its last 13 games.
Alex Iafallo, LA vs. SJ ($4,500): The most affordable member of the Kings' top line has also been its hottest, lighting the lamp in two of the past three games while logging a point in seven of the last nine. Jones has been hot recently in San Jose's net, but he's liable to quickly crash back down to earth, so don't fade Los Angeles' skaters like Iafallo unless you plan to entrust Jones with your goalie slot.
Maxime Comtois, ANH vs. ARI ($4,900): If Hill's unable to bounce back from his clunker against Colorado, Comtois is the Duck best positioned to take advantage. He's tied for the team goals lead with Adam Henrique at 10, and Comtois' 21 points in 36 games are one shy of Rickard Rakell's team-leading total. The 22-year-old winger has five multi-point performances this season, and two have come against the Coyotes.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Capitals at Devils
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $5,000), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,700), T.J. Oshie (W - $4,600)
Ovechkin and Kuznetsov have been the two hottest Capitals, as the former has 10 goals in his last 11 games while the latter has a 4-8-12 line in his last 12 games. Those streaks include three goals in two games against the Devils and a 2-4-6 line in three meetings with New Jersey, respectively. Oshie's starting to put together a hot streak of his own, with a 3-3-6 line during an active four-game point streak. All three of these guys also feature on Washington's top power-play unit, which could prove key against New Jersey's 30th-ranked, 72.7 percent penalty kill.
Maple Leafs at Jets
Auston Matthews (C - $9,000), Mitch Marner (W - $8,100), Zach Hyman (W - $5,200)
This is one of the best lines in hockey and it played like it in Wednesday's win over the Jets, combining for a 2-4-6 line. Matthews leads the league with 24 goals in 33 games, while Marner ranks fourth league-wide with 46 points — four more than Matthews. Hyman hasn't been as prolific as his linemates with a 12-12-24 line in 34 appearances overall, but he's currently riding a hot streak that's included a 4-4-8 line and 25 shots over his last seven games.
Jets vs. Maple Leafs
Pierre-Luc Dubois (C - $4,100), Blake Wheeler (W - $5,800), Paul Stastny (W - $3,700)
Winnipeg's affordable second line could provide solid value against a Maple Leafs team that remains without starting goalie Frederik Andersen (lower body). Wheeler is the star of this line, ranking fourth on the team with 31 points in 37 games. Stastny's tied for fourth on the team with 11 points and has a solid 2-3-5 line in his last six games, as the 35-year-old veteran's still going strong. Dubois has added a 2-5-7 line in his last nine games, as the high-profile trade acquisition is starting to make a bigger mark with his new team.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at NJ ($6,500): Carlson's two-goal game Thursday against the Islanders gave him a 4-8-12 line in his last 13 games, as he's starting to replicate his prolific scoring pace from last year's 75-point campaign over 69 games. The star defenseman should continue to produce against a Devils team that's giving up the third-most fantasy points to opposing defensemen.
Erik Karlsson, SJ at LA ($4,800): Karlsson has turned back the clock over the past two games, totaling two goals an assist and eight shots while looking like vintage Karlsson. At just $4,800, the red-hot Swede's worth locking in while he's rolling. After all, his career average is still over 0.8 points per game.
Devon Toews, COL vs. STL ($5,100): Toews continues to deliver tremendous results night in and night out, contributing a mix of scoring (6-14-20 in 32 games) and secondary stats. He has a pair of seven-shot performances in the last two games and is capable of delivering strong results in both high-scoring and low-scoring contests as part of the standout Avalanche defense corps.
Noah Hanifin, CGY at EDM ($3,600): Even with Calgary's offense, Hanifin has clearly benefited from the change behind the beach to Darryl Sutter. Hanifin has topped 21 minutes of ice time in all but two of the last nine games, racking up six points in that span, including three in the past three games.
