This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate is the last one before the NHL All-Star break, and it features two games at 7:30 p.m. EST. After Wednesday's action, regular-season play will resume Monday, Feb. 6.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Hurricanes and Bruins are modest road favorites in Buffalo and Toronto, respectively. Carolina's game has an over/under of 6.5 goals, while Boston's checks in at 6.0.
GOALIES
Antti Raanta, CAR at BUF ($8,100): Raanta should start this second leg of a back-to-back after Frederik Andersen played in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime win over the Kings. Raanta's 12-2-3 with a 2.55 GAA and .897 save percentage, while Buffalo's potent offense could be without Tage Thompson (upper body).
Linus Ullmark, BOS at TOR ($7,800): The Bruins have dropped three in a row, but they remain atop the league standings, and Ullmark continues to be the Vezina Trophy front-runner. He's 25-4-1 with a 1.90 GAA and .936 save percentage.
Ilya Samsonov, TOR vs. BOS ($7,600): Using a goalie against the mighty Bruins has rarely been a good strategy this season, but Samsonov has been nearly impenetrable at Scotiabank Arena. On home ice, Samsonov is 15-1-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .930 save percentage.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF vs. CAR ($7,300): Like Raanta, Luukkonen has an impressive record despite poor peripherals, as he's 13-5-2 with a 3.26 GAA and .900 save percentage. He'll take on a Hurricanes team that averages the third-most shots (35.0) but sits outside the top 10 in goals per game at 3.30.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Martin Necas, CAR at BUF ($5,500): Sebastian Aho's recent scoring binge has nudged Aho into the team goals lead with 22, but Necas is just one back of the mark, and Necas still leads the team with 46 points through 50 games. Necas won't be in the All-Star Game, but he hasn't been far from that level and should continue his strong play against a Sabres team that has by far the leakiest defense among the four teams playing Wednesday.
Taylor Hall, BOS at TOR ($4,900): Hall has consistently generated chances lately, finishing with at least three shots on goal in five of the past six games. He has two goals over that span, raising his season line to 15-17-32 through 50 games.
Michael Bunting, TOR vs. BOS ($4,500): Even with Auston Matthews (knee) unavailable, Bunting has continued to produce on Toronto's top line, notching a goal, an assist and five shots in Sunday's win over Washington. Bunting's a bargain at just $4,500 considering he has a 13-16-29 line in his last 35 games after getting off to a slow start.
Victor Olofsson, BUF vs. CAR ($4,400): Olofsson has flown under the radar, but his goal scoring has been key to Buffalo's success offensively. With 23 goals in 49 games, Olofsson's tied with Alex Tuch for second on the team. Eight of the Swede's goals have come in the past 10 games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins at Maple Leafs
Patrice Bergeron (C - $6,500), David Pastrnak (W - $9,200), Brad Marchand (W - $6,400)
In an effort to snap out of their mini-slump, the Bruins have reunited the Perfection Line. Marchand and Bergeron are nice values alongside Pastrnak, who would be right in the heart of the Hart Trophy discussion if it wasn't for Connor McDavid. Pastrnak's 38 goals are three behind McDavid's league-leading total, plus Pasta leads the league in shots (243) and ranks fourth with 71 points. Bergeron's second on the Bruins in goals (18) and shots (170), while Marchand boasts a 16-30-46 line in 42 appearances, putting the veteran winger above a point per game for the seventh consecutive season.
Hurricanes at Sabres
Sebastian Aho (C - $6,100), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $4,300), Seth Jarvis (W - $4,000)
While the other three teams in action all rank among the seven stingiest when it comes to goals against, Buffalo's giving up the 11th-most at 3.35 goals allowed per game. Carolina's top line should capitalize on this favorable matchup. Aho's riding a five-game goal streak, during which he's managed to light the lamp eight times. Teravinen has bounced back from a slow start, compiling a 2-4-6 line in his last seven games, though he's still on pace to fall short of 60 points for only the second time in the last six seasons. Jarvis is lagging behind his pace as a rookie, but puck luck has played a role in his sophomore slump, as he's shooting just 7.5 percent after converting at 15.5 percent last season.
Sabres vs. Hurricanes
Tage Thompson (C - $8,700), Alex Tuch (W - $6,600), Jeff Skinner (W - $5,900)
Thompson's hoping to play in this one, and while the other three teams in action can afford to take it easy heading into the All-Star break, every point is of the utmost importance to a Sabres team that's currently one point out of a playoff spot. If Thompson suits up, Buffalo's top line should be as dangerous as ever. He's third in goals (34) and fifth in points (68) across the league. Tuch's also comfortably above a point per game with a 23-31-54 line in 49, as is Skinner (20-30-50 in 46).
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Burns, CAR at BUF ($6,100): Burns is by far the most effective offensive player on Carolina's blue line, as he's racked up a 9-27-36 line while the team's next-best defensive scorer is Brady Skjei with only 23 points. Burns also stuffs the stat sheet with plenty of shots and blocks, having racked up 156 and 61, respectively, through 50 games. His 156 shots are third-most among defensemen across the league.
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at TOR ($5,100): McAvoy has a 4-27-31 line in 37 games. His spot on the top power-play unit gives McAvoy significantly greater offensive upside compared to the rest of Boston's blueliners, as 16 of his 31 points have come on the man advantage.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. BOS ($4,400): Rielly snapped a 35-game goal drought with his marker in Toronto's last game, so he'll be riding high heading into this one. He has managed to be productive despite the lack of goals, as Rielly's 22 points in 36 games put him in the top 30 among defensemen in points per game (.61).
Owen Power, BUF vs. CAR ($3,600): Buffalo's other first-overall draft pick on the blue line is having a breakout season, but Power could prove to be the better value over Rasmus Dahlin ($6,800) here. The first player selected in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft opened the season on a 42-game goal drought, but Power has found his scoring touch with a goal in three of his last four games.
