This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Five games are on the docket Wednesday night with the first games starting 7 p.m. EDT and the final game beginning at 10 p.m. EDT. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, ever game has either a 6.0 or a 6.5 O/U, so we can expect a high-scoring slate. The Capitals (-205) are the largest favorites, while the Bruins vs. the Panthers (-132) is the tightest projection.
All advanced statistics are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
GOALIES
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. BOS ($8,500): Bobrovsky still has a stigma attached to him, and the Bruins appear to be a daunting matchup. That should make Bobrovsky a contrarian play for tournaments, and he's actually been playing quite well so far. The 33-year-old is a perfect 4-0-0 with a .942 save percentage and a 1.99 GAA, while the Bruins rank 17th in the league with 2.26 xGF/60 at even strength.
Jack Campbell, TOR at CHI ($8,100): Campbell is probably the chalkiest play of the night with a matchup against the hapless Blackhawks, who have yet to win a game this year while averaging two goals per game. The Maple Leafs have been struggling as well, but they lead the league with 2.98 xGF/60 at even strength and have a far better chance of turning things around compared to the Blackhawks.
Laurent Brossoit, VGK at DAL ($7,500): Robin Lehner played last night, so Brossoit is expected to make his first start of the season Wednesday. The Golden Knights have endured a turbulent start to the 2021-22 season, and their defense isn't without fault. But this is an excellent matchup for Brossoit, as the Stars rank 29th in the league with 1.78 xGF/60. The Stars could be without Jason Robertson (upper body) again, too.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Sam Reinhart, FLA vs. BOS ($6,800): Reinhart is enjoying his freedom away from the dog days in Buffalo, evidenced by two goals and three assists through five games. The 25-year-old will continue to handle a key role with the Panthers as he aims for a fifth straight season with at least 22 goals.
Dylan Larkin, DET at WSH ($6,200): Larkin has fired out of the gate with two goals and seven points -- two on the power play -- through five games, and he's averaging three shots so far. The Red Wings have displayed some chemistry so far with the man advantage, and now they'll take aim at the Capitals, who rank 27th in the league with a 70.6 penalty-kill percentage.
James van Riemsdyk, PHI at EDM ($4,500): Van Riemsdyk is making the most of his time on the third line, accruing 3.42 xGF/60 at even strength so far. He has just two assists to show for it, but the 32-year-old has provided a solid floor with 15 shots on net in that stretch. Facing off against a flaky Edmonton blue line raises his ceiling, and so does his spot on PP1.
LINE STACKS
Leon Draisaitl (C - $9,200), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $6,400), Kailer Yamamoto ($3,500)
Connor McDavid has been on another level this season, but Draisaitl isn't far behind with 11 points through five games. Nugent-Hopkins has been a sturdy feeder with seven helpers in that stretch, and while Yamamoto is off to a slow start, we know he has some juice after posting 47 points across 79 games through the last two seasons. The Flyers are struggling defensively and don't have dependable goaltending, providing an appealing opportunity for the Oilers' second line.
Sean Couturier, (C - $6,800), Travis Konecny (W - $5,600), Claude Giroux ($6,100)
The Flyers' top line is off to a red-hot start with a combined seven goals and six assists through the first four games of the year. They can certainly keep it going against the Oilers, who rank 14th in the league with 2.22 xGA/60 at even strength. Goaltender Mikko Koskinen has posted a .943 save percentage so far this year, but it's bound to regress after he registered an .899 mark during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign.
DEFENSEMEN
Seth Jones, CHI vs. TOR ($6,300): Jones has a minus-7 rating over the past five games, but FanDuel doesn't count that against him. However, it does tally his four assists and 14 shots on net in that stretch. The Maple Leafs have strong goaltending with Jack Campbell in net, but Jones has a high enough ceiling to make him worth the salary tonight.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. PHI ($4,100): Bouchard is finally getting the playing time we wanted to see, as he's averaged 20:15 of ice time thus far. The 22-year-old is converting, too, recording a goal, two assists -- one with the man advantage -- and 14 shots through five games. Bouchard works on PP2, which is separate from the aforementioned Oilers stack.
Moritz Seider, DET at WSH ($4,000): The rookie is rolling with five assists -- three on the power play -- through six games, and he's getting the opportunity to keep it going. He's averaging 21:52 of ice time, including 3:30 on the power play, so far. As mentioned with Larkin, he inherits a high-upside matchup against the Capitals' struggling PK.
Nicolas Hague, VGK at DAL ($3,700): Alec Martinez (lower body) is expected to sit out again, so Hague will play on the top pairing with Alex Pietrangelo. Hague logged 22 minutes of ice time in place of Martinez on Sunday, so he could handle an increased workload once again. The 22-year-old posted 17 points across 52 games in a bottom-pairing role last season.
