This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate is a modest one, with only three games on the docket after 7:30 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite the lack of teams in action, there's no shortage of effective offensive players taking the ice Wednesday. The Panthers are the biggest favorites at home against a Flyers team that's finishing up a back-to-back, but the Colorado's not too far behind with the Jets in town. Both of those games come in with over/unders of 6.5 goals. The third game has the Blues modestly favored in Seattle, with an over/under of 6.0 goals.
GOALIES
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. PHI ($8,300): Bobrovsky won 39 games last season while posting a .913 save percentage, so his .924 mark through two appearances in 2022-23 is encouraging, even if he's just 1-1-0 thus far. The Flyers are off to a surprising 3-0-0 start under coach John Tortorella, but there's still skepticism over whether Philadelphia's actually any good, and Bobrovsky should benefit from the high-powered Florida offense facing backup Felix Sandstrom after Carter Hart made 36 saves to beat the Lightning on Tuesday.
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. WPG ($8,000): Georgiev's 2-0 as the Avs' starting goalie and has stopped 51 of 56 shots. Pavel Francouz ($7,800) struggled in his season debut, but either goalie should have a good chance to win night in and night out given the elite group of skaters the Stanley Cup champs have compiled in front of them. The visiting Jets come in with a 1-1-0 record, five goals for and five against.
Jordan Binnington, STL at SEA ($7,800): Binnington rediscovered his top form in last year's postseason and cruised to a 5-2 victory over the Blue Jackets in his season debut. He should keep rolling for the Blues against a Kraken team that's off to a 1-2-1 start and has been outscored 10-3 in its last two games after finishing with the third-worst record in the league last season.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Matthew Tkachuk, FLA vs. PHI ($7,400): Tkachuk has opened his Panthers tenure with a three-game point streak, and the power forward has added 14 shots to his 2-2-4 line. Florida acquired him for the postseason, and this game should allow Tkachuk to showcase the skills the Panthers coveted, as Tortorella's Flyers play a physical, tight-checking game.
Mark Scheifele, WPG at COL ($6,200): Scheifele's off to a flying start for the Jets, as he's racked up three goals on nine shots through two games. Goaltender is Colorado's weakest position, so Winnipeg's first-line center has a nice opportunity to build on his hot start, even if the Jets' chances of pulling out a win are slim.
Matty Beniers, SEA vs. STL ($4,200): Beniers had his season-opening point streak snapped in his last game against Carolina, but he still has a 1-3-4 line through four games. At just $4,200, Beniers is a nice value given his role as the center on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit. It won't be long until the second overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft becomes a household name, even playing on the lowly Kraken.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Jets
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,100), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,600), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $5,200)
Colorado's top line is often worth building around when you have most of the league to choose from, so defaulting to this trio makes plenty of sense in a truncated slate like this one. MacKinnon has crossed the 90-point threshold three times, and he could be poised for his best regular season yet, with a 2-5-7 line through three games. Rantanen has also scored at least one point in all three games en route to a 1-5-6 line, and Lehkonen has fit in well alongside the two superstars with a 2-2-4 line.
Blues at Kraken
Robert Thomas (C - $4,800), Vladimir Tarasenko (W - $7,300), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $5,600)
In just its second game of the season, St. Louis shouldn't have trouble scoring against Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, who has a 4.26 GAA and .851 save percentage. Martin Jones (3.60 GAA, .882 save percentage) hasn't been much better for Seattle. Both Tarasenko and Buchnevich picked up where they left off after eclipsing a point per game last season, as the former opened the season with a two-goal performance while the latter picked up a goal and an assist. Thomas had a helper in St. Louis' first game, and the 23-year-old center could be ready to take the next step into elite territory after racking up a 17-game point streak late last season.
Flyers at Panthers
Kevin Hayes (C - $5,200), Travis Konecny (W - $5,400), Scott Laughton (W - $3,200)
Philadelphia's top line has provided excellent bang for the buck thus far, and these guys make for solid against-the-grain value options here. Konecny's off to a terrific start, leading the way offensively through three games with a 3-1-4 line and nine shots on goal. Hayes has dished out four helpers and Laughton comes into this one riding a two-game goal streak.
DEFENSEMEN
Tony DeAngelo, PHI at FLA ($6,400): DeAngelo's success at both ends have been key to Philadelphia's 3-0 start, as the offseason addition has a 1-3-4 line and three blocked shots in each game. His defensive contributions will likely wane before long, but DeAngelo's capable of keeping up his offensive success, having topped 50 points in each of his last two full NHL seasons.
Devon Toews, COL vs. WPG ($5,700): Toews can't match Cale Makar's ($7,400) ceiling, but he has a comparable floor at a significantly lower valuation. After racking up 57 points in 66 games last season, Toews has been a key contributor on both ends in the early going, with two helpers and 11 blocked shots through three games.
Gustav Forsling, FLA vs. PHI ($4,600): With Aaron Ekblad (lower body) and Brandon Montour (upper body) both banged up, Forsling will likely be asked to take on a larger role on Florida's blue line. Even if both of those teammates suit up, Forsling should continue to build on his strong start, which has included a 1-2-3 line, 10 shots and four blocked shots through three games. Forsling could be ready to take another step forward after a quietly strong 2021-22 campaign in which he racked up a 10-27-37 line across 71 appearances.
Justin Schultz, SEA vs. STL ($3,500): Schultz's Seattle tenure is off to a strong start. The veteran blueliner has a 1-2-3 line in four games, and two of those three points have come in his role as the point man on the Kraken's top power-play unit. At just $3,500, Schultz's prominent usage makes him a low-risk, high-reward play.
