This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a very light schedule in the NHL on Wednesday as the Maple Leafs return home after a disastrous five-game road trip to the American West, going 1-3-1. They host the surprising Flyers, who are off to a 5-2-2 start behind the outstanding goaltending of Carter Hart. In the only other contest, the Penguins are in Buffalo to take on the Sabres. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Ilya Samsonov, TOR vs. PHI ($7,900): Samsonov has played quite well for the Maple Leafs, going 4-2-0 with a 2.35 GAA and a .920 save percentage. He has lost his last two games but the losses can't be pinned on him as he has held the Maple Leafs in both games. He was 2-1-0 last season against the Flyers, giving up seven goals on 76 shots as a member of the Capitals.
Eric Comrie, BUF vs. PIT ($7,300): Comrie is 3-3-0 this season as he has taken over as the Sabres' No. 1 goaltender. He is coming off an 8-3 win over the Red Wings on Monday and will face a Penguins team that is only 1-4-1 on the road.
VALUE PLAYS
Jason Zucker, PIT at BUF ($4,900): Zucker returned to action Saturday after missing a pair of games with an undisclosed injury. He is seeing second line action with Evgeni Malkin as well as averaging 1:43 on the second power play. Zucker has a goal and six assists in eight games thus far.
Alex Kerfoot, TOR vs. PHI ($4,300): Kerfoot has moved around the lineup but is currently seeing second line action alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. He is on the second power play and while he has yet to score when at even-strength, he has a power play goal and four assists in 10 games this season.
Owen Tippett, PHI at TOR ($4,300): Tippett returned to the Flyers lineup Thursday after missing five games with an upper-body injury suffered on Opening Night. The former 10th overall selection in the 2017 Draft has a goal and an assist since returning three games ago. He will see second line duty as well as first power play action.
Jack Quinn, BUF vs. PIT ($3,800): Quinn scored his first goal of the season Monday in an 8-3 win over Detroit. The eighth overall selection in 2020 was benched for a couple of games early in the season and failed to register a shot on goal in his first four games but has been a force in his last three games with 10 shots on goal. Quinn has moved up to the first power play and has averaged 2:06 with the man-advantage over the last three games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Flyers
Auston Matthews (C - $9,200), Mitch Marner (W -$7,100), Michael Bunting (W - $5,400)
The Maple Leafs have to break out at some point and with Felix Sandstrom slated to start for the Flyers (and not Carter Hart) this could be the night for Matthews and Marner to get going. Marner has to be smarting from being benched Sunday against the Ducks, after a couple of giveaways led to a pair of Anaheim goals. Marner has two goals and nine points in 10 games while Matthews has three goals and eight points this season. Bunting has been shuffled around the lineup but is back on the top line.
Sabres vs. Penguins
Tage Thompson (C-$9,600), Jeff Skinner (W-$5,000), Kyle Okposo (W-$4,200)
Thompson was outstanding Monday with three goals and six points in leading the Sabres to their win over Detroit. He has six goals and 12 points in nine games. Skinner has two goals and eight points this season with two goals and six points coming in his last three games. Okposo has yet to score this season but does have six assists, including a pair in the win Monday.
DEFENSEMEN
Tony DeAngelo, PHI at. TOR ($6,400): While you may want to go with Rasmus Dahlin as your top defenseman, DeAngelo may be the better play. DeAngelo has been solid offensively since the 2018-19 season, save for the 2020-21 season where he only played six games for the Rangers. He has two goals and seven points in nine games after scoring 10 times and adding 41 assists in 64 games for the Hurricanes last season. He quarterbacks the first power play and has four of his seven points with the man-advantage.
Pierre-Olivier Joseph, PIT at BUF ($3,700): If you are in need of an inexpensive defenseman, select Joseph. He has four assists in nine games and sees second power play duty. He has 17 shots on goal this season and has the pedigree of being a first-round pick in 2017.
