This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Robin Lehner, NYI vs. VAN ($8,000): The Canucks looked tired in a 2-1 loss to the Rangers last night and will play their third game in four days. Lehner, who has lost two straight starts, has otherwise been solid this season with a .921 save percentage. Gambling on himself with a one-year contract seems like a smart move so far. The Canucks will not have Brock Boeser in the lineup and went 0-for-4 on the power play last night.
CENTER
John Tavares, TOR at LA ($7,300): Tavares has scored three goals in his past four games and continues to be worth every penny for the Leafs. They're coming off a 5-1 loss to the rival Bruins, and knowing how hard Mike Babcock pushes his teams, the Leafs should bounce back with a stronger effort. Third-string goalie Peter Budaj will get his first start of the season and play just his 10th game since the beginning of last season.
Ryan Johansen, NSH at SJ ($5,300): Johansen had two assists in his last game against the Sharks and continues to feast on them throughout his career. Despite having quality two-way centers, the Sharks have allowed Johansen to score 21 points in 21 games. Johansen's career plus-14 rating against the Sharks is also five points higher than any other opponent. The Preds are rolling while the Sharks are staying afloat playing .500 hockey.
WING
Jeff Skinner, BUF vs. TB ($6,800): He has scored five goals in his past four games and showing great chemistry with Jack Eichel. The Lightning are first in the East and 5-1-1 on the road, but the Sabres are 5-2-1 at home and surpassing a lot of expectations. It'll be a good test for Skinner and Eichel; if they have a good showing tonight it'll be further proof they can be relied on nightly.
Andreas Athanasiou, DET vs. ARI ($5,800):Antti Raanta is out for the Coyotes, so that'll make things easier for Athanasiou, who's on a tear with back-to-back two-point efforts. If Jeff Blashill was on the hot seat earlier this season, it's cooled considerably since then with the Wings winning three in a row. Prior to a 4-1 win against the Caps, the Coyotes had allowed 14 goals in three games, and in three career games against them Athanasiou has scored four points.
Nikolay Goldobin, VAN at NYI ($4,000): Goldobin's real value remains playing alongside Elias Pettersson, a young but talented scoring line that Travis Green trusts. Playing the second half of a back-to-back on a long trip isn't an ideal situation, but all of these quality opportunities have to pay off for Goldobin at some point, just like it did last night when he scored his long-awaited second goal of the season against the Rangers.
DEFENSE
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at DET ($5,400): He's putting in another fine season with 11 points in 16 games and continues to be criminally underrated. Ekman-Larsson is second on the Coyotes and 24th in the league with 40 shots, and despite his subpar shooting percentage the Red Wings are a good matchup because they allow 35.8 shots per game, third-most in the league. He's the only Coyotes defenseman to average over 20 minutes per game.
Mike Reilly, MON at EDM ($3,000): It was Reilly who handled power play duties on the No. 1 unit in their last game against the Knights, not Jeff Petry ($5,200), who played with David Schlemko on the second unit. Claude Julien is shaking up a power play that has gone 0-for-7 in their past two games, but if Reilly stays with the top unit he gets to face the Oilers' 27th-ranked penalty kill.
