This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
After a nice afternoon with three NHL games, we get six more Sunday night. That six-pack is where I am focused. It's the main slate for DFS contests, and here are my recommendations...
SLATE PREVIEW
We're got three teams on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. The Flyers are certainly notable given that they're in the bottom-10 in GAA. Minnesota is in a similar position, but that may be more a concern about its offensive players, who tend to be quite prolific. We also have Dallas in Seattle, where the Kraken have really struggled offensively.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. PHI ($8,500): Shesterkin has a 2.13 GAA and .934 save percentage, though he's been slipping recently. Also, he's played 10 more games this year than ever in his career, so he may be cracking a bit under the workload. I could see the Rangers resting Shesterkin, in which case I would be down to have Alexandar Georgiev in net. Or, they could use this as a chance to get Shesterkin an easy matchup to find his footing. The Flyers are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and it also ranks 30th in goals per game.
Kevin Lankinen, CHI vs. ARI ($8,300): Lankinen has been bad, but honestly the goalie options Sunday are pretty poor. I'd be willing to take a shot on Lankinen at home in this matchup. The Coyotes have only managed 2.53 goals per game, 31st in the NHL. Also, they've only averaged 25.7 shots on net per contest, lowest in the league by a wide margin.
VALUE PLAYS
Trevor Zegras, ANA vs. EDM ($5,200): Zegras tends to get more attention for how he racks up his points, not the numbers, but style doesn't matter in daily fantasy. However, those numbers say he has six points and 18 shots on net in his last six games. All in all, he has 50 points in 63 games. The Oilers have a 3.25 GAA, bottom 10 in the NHL, and Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen both have save percentage hovering around .900. In fact, Smith's save percentage is down to .894.
Jared McCann, SEA vs. DAL ($4,600): McCann has 24 goals for the Kraken, topping the team. While he's moved over to the wing on the top line, he's still playing well with six points in his last nine games. The Stars are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Even with Jake Oettinger in net that's beneficial to McCann.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Rangers vs. Flyers: Andrew Copp (C- $5,400), Artemi Panarin (W - $6,400), Dryden Hunt (W - $2,500)
The Flyers have a 3.51 GAA and have allowed 34.0 shots on net per game. And, of course, they are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. New York's lineup has shifted recently due to trade acquisitions. This is the current second line, and they have a real opportunity here Sunday.
Copp has hit the ground running since joining the Rangers. Through six games he has seven points and has only been held without a point once. Panarin is, of course, an established commodity. Maybe this year Chris Kreider is overshadowing him, but the "Bread Man" still has 80 points in 64 games. That includes 33 power-play points, and the Flyers have a bottom-10 penalty kill. Hunt is the question mark here. However, he also hasn't spent most of the season in a top-six role, but injuries have given him this shot.
Blackhawks vs. Coyotes: Jonathan Toews (C - $3,100), Tyler Johnson (W - $2,500), Taylor Raddysh (W - $2,500)
The Coyotes have a 3.56 GAA and have allowed 35.6 shots on net per contest. That's the most shot any team in the NHL has allowed. They also have the 30th-ranked penalty kill, though only one of these guys is currently on the top power-play unit. Recently Johnson hopped onto this line to replace Dominik Kubalik, and Raddysh is also a recent addition to the team. That means these three may not have a ton of chemistry, but that may not matter with this matchup.
Toews had issues finding his footing after missing all of last season, but he's looked good recently. Over his last 12 games he has six goals on 21 shots on net and three assists. Johnson has only played in 16 games this year, but last year he had 22 points in 55 games, and the year prior he had 31 points in 65 contests. Raddysh, like Johnson, joined the Blackhawks from the Lightning, but he's hit the ground running with his new team. The 24-year-old has five points in eight games.
DEFENSE
Jacob Trouba, NYR vs. PHI ($5,800): Trouba has provided secondary scoring on the blue line for the Broadway Blueshirts with 33 points in 69 games. He's also been involved a lot recently, with 20 shots on goal and 12 blocked shots in his last six outings. Philly is on a back-to-back, and it also has a 3.51 GAA and has given up 34.0 shots on net per contest.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI at CHI ($5,400): I recommended Lankinen because the Coyotes have a bad offense, but like I said Lankinen hasn't exactly been good. The Blackhawks have a 3.51 GAA, have allowed 32.8 shots on net per contest, and have the 23rd-ranked penalty kill. Gostisbehere has 41 points in 68 games, including 15 with the extra man. In fact, all five of the points Gostisbehere has in his last 10 games have come with the extra man.
