This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
On the one hand, there are only two NHL games Wednesday. On the other hand, both are on TNT, so you can enjoy watching that doubleheader. The first game starts at 7 p.m. ET. Now, onto the NHL DFS lineup recommendations!
SLATE PREVIEW
Though only four teams are playing, one is on the second night of a back-to-back. The Kraken are on the road facing the Wild in a matchup that makes we want to reiterate I really hope the Utah Hockey Club ends up with a team name that ends with an "s."
GOALIE
Filip Gustavsson, MIN vs. SEA ($8,000): The Kraken are middling offensively in terms of goals per game, but in the bottom 10 in shots on net per contest. Seattle is also, of course, on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. Gustavsson has decidedly bounced back with his .915 save percentage, and over his last 11 starts he has a .921 save percentage and 2.27 GAA.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Jonathan Drouin, COL at TOR ($3,800): As has often been the case in his career, Drouin has missed time. However, over his last 16 games he has 13 points. He's benefited from the fact he's played 3:06 per contest with the extra man in that time and has six power-play points. Both of these teams have good goalies, but the Maple Leafs are a bit worse defensively. They've allowed 29.1 shots on net per game and rank 16th in penalty-kill percentage. Hey, only four teams are playing. You aren't always going to get a bunch of great options.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Wild vs. Kraken
Frederick Gaudreau (C - $3,700), Mats Zuccarello (W - $5,500), Marcus Johansson (W - $3,600)
The Kraken, on the road for the second day of a back-to-back, have slipped into the bottom 10 in GAA. That's because Joey Daccord has stopped propping up the team on that front. Philipp Grubauer, the expected starter Wednesday, has been his usual below-average self. In fact, this has been the German's worst season since he joined Seattle, which is saying something. Through 23 games he has a 3.61 GAA and .872 save percentage. Minnesota's shaken up its lines a bit recently, but this version of the second line is a worthwhile stack.
Gaudreau has 15 goals and 15 assists through 68 games. He has five goals in his last 13 outings, including two with the extra man. That's worth noting since the Kraken have a below-average penalty kill. That's a good segue into Zuccarello, the one of these two on the top power-play unit. The Norwegian has 12 points with the extra man in 55 outings. He also has six points in his last nine games. It's a good time to stack this line because Johansson is in unusually good form. He has nine points over his last 12 contests.
DEFENSEMAN
Brock Faber, MIN vs. SEA ($4,900): Faber only has three points in his last 13 games. However, all three have come on the power play. He's averaged 25:19 per contest in ice time, including 2:30 on the power play. With only four teams playing, and with only one team on the second night of a back-to-back, this is a matchup worth going with Faber. It hasn't been his best stretch, but he sees so much ice time, and the Kraken have a below-average penalty kill and a bottom-10 GAA. Why not give him a shot?
