This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate features four games after 7:30 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Oilers are Wednesday's biggest favorites on home ice against the Capitals. The Jets are favored at home versus Nashville, while the Kings are favored in St. Louis, and Avalanche-Canucks is a toss-up. Edmonton's game is tied for the highest over/under with Colorado-Vancouver at 6.5 goals, while Kings-Blues comes in at 6.0 and Predators-Jets is just 5.5.
GOALIES
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. WAS ($8,400): Skinner has the easiest matchup of any goalie Wednesday on paper, as the Capitals average the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL (2.65). One of Skinner's two shutouts this season came against Washington back in November, and he's 29-13-3 with a 2.58 GAA and .907 save percentage overall behind a group of skaters that often tilts the ice in the other direction.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. NSH ($8,000): After a rough patch during which he allowed three-plus goals in five consecutive outings, Hellebuyck got back on track by shutting out the Capitals in his last start Monday. He has been among the league's most effective goalies all season with a 30-14-3 record, 2.30 GAA and .922 save percentage heading into this home game against a middling Predators offense that's averaging 3.17 goals per game.
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. LA ($7,200): Binnington has been inconsistent recently but can carry a lineup when he's on his game. He's 3-3-1 over his last seven starts with just two total goals allowed across the three wins. The Kings average the fifth-most shots (32.8) but the 20th-most goals (3.05), so Binnington should get a chance to pad his stats against some low-danger opportunities.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Leon Draisaitl, EDM vs. WAS ($7,800): Draisaitl's arguably a better value than fellow Oilers superstar Connor McDavid considering the German's cap hit is $2,000 lower. Draisaitl hasn't been hurting for offense with 11 multi-point performances in his last 20 appearances, bringing his season line up to 32-50-82 through 63 games.
Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. NSH ($5,800): Scheifele's an excellent value at $5,800, even against a hot goaltender in Nashville's Juuse Saros ($7,400). Winnipeg's top-line center has a 3-7-10 line across his last nine games, boosting him to 57 points in 58 games. Scheifele's flirting with a point per game as usual, as he had at least as many points as games played in six consecutive campaigns before 2022-23, when he made up for the lack of point production with a career-high 42 goals.
Trevor Moore, LA at STL ($5,700): Moore has supplied a 3-4-7 line over his last six games, and he leads the Kings in both goals (25) and shots (205) this season. The left winger has a nice opportunity to stay hot against a Blues team that's allowing the fifth-most fantasy points in the NHL to that position.
Nils Hoglander, VAN vs. COL ($3,500): Hoglander's often overlooked given all the big names Vancouver has up front, but the hard-nosed winger's thriving in a top-six role, with a 2-3-5 line during his current four-game point streak. At just $3,500, he's a low-risk, high-reward option.
Brandon Saad, STL vs. LA ($3,300): Saad has quietly put together a hot stretch, with five goals in his last 11 games and a 2-2-4 line across his last four outings. The Blues' playoff hopes are fading, but a regulation home win would close the gap with the Kings to six points, so veterans like Saad -- who's one goal shy of a seventh career 20-goal season -- will be extremely motivated Wednesday.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Capitals
Connor McDavid (C - $9,800), Zach Hyman (W - $8,000), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $5,500)
McDavid has been held without a point just once in his last 15 games and continues to climb the NHL scoring leaderboard. He's closed within 10 points of the league lead with a 24-79-103 line in 61 games. Hyman has been the biggest beneficiary of McDavid's playmaking prowess, as the winger ranks third in the NHL with 43 goals, 11 of which have come in his last 12 games. Nugent-Hopkins had 104 points just last season, so the 2011 first overall pick is capable of stepping it up from his current pace of 56 points in 62 games. Washington ranks in the middle of the pack defensively with 3.06 goals allowed per game, but that's tied with St. Louis for the most generous figure among teams in action Wednesday.
Avalanche at Canucks
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,300), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,400), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $6,800)
You have your choice between the two best players in the NHL on Wednesday, as lineups that aren't built around McDavid can instead feature MacKinnon, who leads the NHL with 113 points and is just four shots back of David Pastrnak's league-leading total of 325 while nobody else has more than 269. Rantanen's also near the top of the NHL points leaderboard, occupying the fifth spot with a 33-55-88 line. Nichushkin has spent a significant chunk of the season in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, but the big-bodied winger has hit the ground running since his return with four points in two games. He's averaging over a point per game with a 24-22-46 line in 42 appearances.
Capitals at Oilers
Hendrix Lapierre (C - $3,500), Alex Ovechkin (W - $6,400), Aliaksei Protas (W - $3,600)
You'll need to find some bargains to clear cap space for this slate's numerous pricey stars, and the Caps' top line has two excellent values in Lapierre and Protas, who are thriving alongside the greatest player in franchise history. Ovechkin has just 18 goals in 60 games, but 10 of those have come in his last 17 games, as he's back to producing like a 40-plus goal-scorer. Lapierre's starting to show the skills that prompted Washington to select him in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, with a 5-3-8 line over his last eight games. Protas has been similarly productive lately, with a 2-7-9 line across his last 11 appearances.
DEFENSEMEN
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. WAS ($6,600): Bouchard's flirting with a point per game, as he has a 15-46-61 line in 63 appearances. He's a key piece on Edmonton's lethal power play, making Bouchard an obvious play if you're stacking the heavily favored Oilers.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. COL ($6,500): Hughes leads all defensemen with 76 points, yet he has only the fourth-highest valuation among blueliners in this four-game slate. The Avalanche are finishing up a back-to-back set and will have some tired legs, which could create opportunities for Hughes to exploit openings with his precise passing ability. Hughes has been far more productive at home than on the road, with 40 points in 30 home games compared to 36 in 36 elsewhere.
Drew Doughty, LA at STL ($5,400): Doughty has been held without a point in only three of his last 13 games, producing a 3-11-14 line over that span. His 14 goals on the season are one more than Hughes has and just three back of Cale Makar ($8,500), who leads all NHL defensemen with 17.
Ryan McDonagh, NSH at WPG ($3,600): Dante Fabbro (upper body) exited Nashville's previous game and is expected to miss a couple games, which will push even more defensive-zone responsibilities onto McDonagh. McDonagh's 26:05 TOI in Minnesota on Sunday was his highest total since the calendar flipped to 2024, and while the 34-year-old blueliner's best days on offense are behind him, he still has enough skill to chip in on both ends. With all the minutes McDonagh's going to be munching, he has a high floor at jsut $3,600.
