This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's six-game NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Unlike almost every slate up to this point, every game in this one has a clear favorite. The two largest by far are the Capitals (vs. Arizona) and Golden Knights (vs. Anaheim), but the Panthers, Rangers, Hurricanes and Stars are all expected to win as well. Those four teams are set to take on the Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks and Senators, respectively, with Florida being the lone road favorite in action Friday. If you're looking at over/unders to drive your lineup decisions, the Panthers, Hurricanes and Capitals games all come in at 6.0 goals, while the other three are at 5.5. The keys to success will be figuring out which lopsided matchup(s) to build around and which affordable supporting players to supplement your stars with.
GOALIES
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. ANH ($8,400): Lehner's coming off his best outing of the season, in which he stopped 26 of 27 shots en route to a 3-1 win in Colorado. He should have no trouble building on that effort on home ice against a Ducks team that's playing its second game in as many nights after falling to Buffalo in overtime Thursday. Anaheim ranks in the middle of the pack with 2.88 goals per game so far this season after bringing up the rear at 2.21 last year.
Vitek Vanecek, WAS vs. ARI ($8,300): As if the Coyotes weren't bad enough already, the Capitals are catching them on Arizona's second road game in as many nights. Arizona's 0-6-1 and getting outscored 4.86 to 1.71 in the average game, as the Coyotes appear to be headed for one of the worst seasons in league history. Either Vanecek or Ilya Samsonov ($8,300) should be a strong play in Washington's net, but Vanecek has much better peripherals in the early going, with a 2.26 GAA and .911 save percentage compared to Samsonov's 3.32 and .885 marks.
Filip Gustavsson, OTT at DAL ($7,300): Ottawa's netminder of choice will be an appealing against-the-grain option against a Stars team that's averaging just 1.86 goals per game -- only the Coyotes have been worse offensively. While we've seen enough of Anton Forsberg to conclude that he's probably not very good, the same can't be said of Gustavsson, who went 5-1-2 with a 2.16 GAA and .933 save percentage as a rookie on a defensively deficient Senators team last season, then stopped 32 of 34 shots to beat this very Dallas team in his lone start of this season before struggling in a relief appearance against Washington.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. CLS ($5,500): Even after giving up five goals to the Flames in his last start, Shesterkin still boasts some Vezina-worthy numbers in the Rangers' net, with a 3-1-1 record, 2.17 GAA and .933 save percentage. This could be the season that the 25-year-old Russian cements his spot as one of the league's top netminders, and the team in front of him should come out with more fire in this one after having had since Monday to stew over its 5-1 home loss to Calgary.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Chandler Stephenson, VGK vs. ANH ($5,400): Stephenson's proving that last year's success didn't come just because he shared the ice with star wingers Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, both of whom are sidelined by lower-body injuries. The top-six center has stayed productive in their absence and boasts a team-best 3-4-7 line through seven games while nobody else on the Golden Knights has more than three points. Stephenson should be the first Vegas forward you target if you're looking to capitalize on this favorable matchup against a Ducks team that's surrendering 3.50 goals per game.
Jason Robertson, DAL vs. OTT ($4,800): Robertson's return should provide a much-needed boost for the struggling Stars offense. The 22-year-old stud will inject a much-needed mix of youthful energy and skill into a veteran lineup that has looked plodding and slow up to this point. Robertson finished second in the Calder Trophy race last season with a 17-28-45 line over 51 games. An upper-body injury kept him sidelined until Wednesday, when he had two shots in his season debut against Vegas. With a game under his belt to knock off the rust, Robertson's primed for a breakout performance against a Senators team that has dropped three consecutive games in regulation, surrendering 12 goals in the process of doing so.
Filip Zadina, DET vs. FLA ($4,000): This game's expected to feature a decent amount of offense, and it likely won't be limited to the favored visitors. Zadina's a player on the home side who seems primed for a breakout performance. The sixth-overall pick from the 2018 draft is tied with Tyler Bertuzzi and fellow youngster Lucas Raymond for the team shots lead with 17, but while those guys have potted six and four goals, respectively, Zadina's stuck on just one through seven games. With a top-six role and power-play time, Zadina's being given the opportunities he needs to pick up his production, so this could be a good time to buy low on the Czech winger.
Connor McMichael, WAS vs. ARI ($3,200): McMichael has scored at least 10 fantasy points twice in the past three games thanks to a five-shot performance followed by a two-assist effort. The 2019 first-round pick is centering Washington's second line and should have plenty of chances to build on his recent success against a winless Coyotes team that has remarkably compiled a minus-22 goal differential just seven games into the season. Use him as an affordable part of a Capitals stack or a stand-alone value play.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Capitals vs. Coyotes
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $7,200), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,500), Tom Wilson (W - $4,700)
Those who stacked the Lightning against the lowly Coyotes on Thursday came away happy after Tampa Bay's 5-1 win, and that should again be the case with Washington here. There isn't too much guesswork involved when it comes to picking which Capitals line to build around, as this trio has combined for 30 points while no other healthy Capital has more than five. Ovechkin's 8-5-13 line through seven games has him in sole possession of the league goals lead, and he trails only Connor McDavid in the points race. Kuznetsov has been nearly as impressive with a 5-5-10 line, while Wilson has dished out seven helpers in as many games. A league-worst Arizona defense that's giving up 4.86 goals per game has little chance of keeping this prolific trio in check.
Hurricanes vs. Blackhawks
Sebastian Aho (C - $7,400), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $7,500), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $6,700)
This line's output is the primary reason Carolina's off to a 6-0-0 start, leaving the Hurricanes as one of two teams without a loss of any kind (Florida) and one of three without a regulation loss (Florida and Washington). The Hurricanes will be playing their second game in as many nights here, but that shouldn't be an issue considering the visiting Blackhawks are on the other end of the spectrum as just one of two teams without a win (Arizona). Chicago's porous defense has been decimated to the tune of 4.29 goals per game, and this productive trio figures to add to those struggles. Svechnikov leads the Hurricanes in both goals and points with a 6-4-10 line through six games, with Aho (4-4-8) hot on his heels and Teravainen (2-5-7) more than holding his own.
Panthers at Red Wings
Sam Bennett (C - $5,700), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $6,200), Owen Tippett (W - $2,900)
This line's not as pricey as some others in this slate, but it has been just as productive and should continue to find success against a Red Wings team that's allowing 3.29 goals per game -- tied for seventh-most in the league. Huberdeau's 3-6-9 line has him leading the Panthers in points through seven games, while Bennett is one of five players tied for second with seven points, though his four goals are the most among that five-man group. The affordable Tippett is one of Friday's premier bargain options, as he comes into this one riding a three-game point streak that has included two goals.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS vs. ARI ($5,900): Carlson's off to a slow start, but if there was ever a time for the two-time 70-point scorer to get back on track, this is it. His 1-2-3 line through seven games could look a lot more robust by the time he's done dealing with the lowly Coyotes, and in the meantime, you get to take advantage of the league's leading scorer among defensemen since the start of the 2017-18 season (260 points in 290 games) being valued below seven other blueliners in this slate.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. OTT ($6,200): Heiskanen disappointed last season after being pegged as an offensive breakout candidate following his remarkable 2020 postseason (6-20-26 in 27 games), but it appears his breakout was just delayed by a year. Still only 22 years of age, the 2017 third-overall pick leads the Stars with seven points in as many games and is tied for the team goals lead with two. He has rounded out his stat line with 19 shots and 13 blocked shots, and Heiskanen could wind up getting some Norris Trophy consideration if he keeps this level up.
Brett Pesce, CAR vs. CHI ($4,000): Pesce tends to fly under the radar, but he's a rock-solid two-way blueliner who won't cost too much to deploy. In addition to dishing four helpers through six games -- two on the power play -- Pesce has totaled a respectable seven shots and 12 blocked shots. After producing at a career-best 37-point full-season pace last season (25 in 55), Pesce has a chance to clear the 40-point mark with Dougie Hamilton no longer hogging the majority of offensive opportunities on Carolina's blue line, and this matchup with a Chicago team whose season is quickly spiraling out of control offers a great opportunity for Pesce to build on his strong start.
Ryan Lindgren, NYR vs. CLS ($2,900): Lindgren's a solid value play if you need to clear cap space for expensive options elsewhere. He skates on the top pairing with Adam Fox and has demonstrated an improvement in offensive aptitude early in his third season. After potting just one goal in each of the previous two campaigns, Lindgren would have two in his last three games if not for an unrelated offside call from nearly 30 seconds earlier wiping out his would-be marker against Nashville. Lindgren scored one that counted in the very next game, and he can be relied upon to consistently contribute in his own end, having already blocked 16 shots through seven games.
