This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are four games on the NHL slate today. Philadelphia visits the Islanders in New York, Dallas hosts Vegas, Tampa Bay plays in Chicago and Winnipeg entertains Utah. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. PHI ($7,800): Sorokin gets a tired Philadelphia team after the Flyers were on the road against the Rangers on Thursday. Sorokin has played in only two of the Islanders' last five games after suffering an illness. The time off showed up Monday when he stopped 25 shots in a 3-1 win over Columbus. Sorokin is 14-14-4 with a pair of shutouts, a 2.81 GAA and a .902 save percentage.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. UTA ($8,200): Hellebuyck has won five of his last six games, and once again is the best goaltender in the NHL. The 2023-24 Vezina Trophy winner is in line to repeat as he is 29-7-2 with six shutouts, a minuscule 2.02 GAA and an impressive .927 save percentage. Utah played in Minnesota last night and being a tired team should help the Jets win.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Kyle Palmieri, NYI vs. PHI ($4,000): Palmieri had a strong 2023-24 campaign in which he had 30 goals and 54 points in 82 regular-season games. While he is unlikely to hit those marks this season, he still has 12 goals and 29 points in 46 games. Palmieri is currently playing with Anthony Duclair and Brock Nelson as the Islanders have a good top-six up front.
Anthony Duclair, NYI vs. PHI ($3,200): Duclair missed 28 games from Oct. 22-Dec. 17 with a lower-body injury. He has a goal and four points in 13 games since his return, giving him three goals and seven points in 18 games this season. Duclair was strong last season when dealt to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, as he managed 15 points in 17 games, so he is more than capable of turning it on in the second half of the season.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning at Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov (W - $8,800), Brandon Hagel (W - $6,900), Anthony Cirelli (C - $5,800)
The Lightning moved Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel to the second line, leaving Kucherov alongside Hagel and Cirelli. The good news is that Hagel and Cirelli see second-unit power-play time, while Kucherov remains on the top line. Kucherov is third in NHL scoring with 70 points in 44 games, five behind Nathan MacKinnon and four in arrears of Leon Draisaitl. Hagel is having a very good season with 20 goals and 50 points in 46 appearances, tied with Point for second place in Lightning scoring behind Kucherov. Cirelli is only seven points away from equaling his career-high set last season as he has 18 goals and 38 points in 45 outings. It's a good line to take Friday.
Jets vs. Utah
Kyle Connor (W - $8,200), Mark Scheifele (C - $6,700), Alex Iafallo (W - $2,800)
The Jets moved Iafallo up to the first line this past week, moving Gabriel Vilardi down to the second unit. Connor and Scheifele are having outstanding seasons. Connor has 26 goals and 60 points in 49 games this season, one point shy of last season's effort, managed over 65 contests. Scheifele trails Connor in points as the 31-year-old center has 27 goals and 54 points in 49 games this season. Scheifele and Connor have combined for 16 goals and 23 assists on the power play thus far. Iafallo has only six goals and 15 points over 49 games, but moving up to the top unit makes him very valuable. He has also been moved to the top power-play unit, alongside Connor and Scheifele, which doesn't hurt his cause.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB at CHI ($6,500): Hedman saw his seven-game scoring streak come to an end Tuesday in a 3-2 loss to Montreal. Hedman had two goals and seven helpers during the streak and has seven goals, 31 assists and 110 shots on goal across 44 games this season. He is seventh in NHL scoring among defensemen this season and is capable of a big night versus the lowly Blackhawks, who are 31st overall in the NHL standings.
Ryan Pulock, NYI vs. PHI ($4,300): Pulock will take over the point on the top power-play unit with Noah Dobson out of action with a lower-body injury suffered Monday versus Columbus. That will help Pulock's value, though the Islanders are last in power-play goals with 14 in 112 opportunities. Pulock has three goals and 16 points in 46 contests this season.
