This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
If you like Original Six hockey, Wednesday is up your alley. Four of those six teams are in action. However, only two other teams are playing, as there are just three games on the slate. The first of those games is at 7:00 p.m. ET. We're approaching the break in the NHL schedule. Let's make the most of these DFS opportunities. Here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
All three road teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Yeah, that's certainly helpful in terms of making DFS decisions.
GOALIES
Calvin Pickard, EDM at CHI ($8,400): I am willing to consider one goalie on the road for a team finishing off a back-to-back. It's not so much about Pickard's play, though he does have a 2.47 GAA. This is about the matchup. The Blackhawks have managed a paltry 2.58 goals and 24.6 shots on net per game. You can make a strong case for Chicago having the NHL's worst offense. The Blackhawks also have a 3.42 GAA, increasing the chances of Pickard picking up the win.
Darcy Kuemper, LAK vs. MTL ($8,200): Montreal is in the bottom three in shots on net per game. Los Angeles is in the top three in shots on goal allowed per contest. That's a fine starting point for a goaltending decision. On top of that, the Habs are on the second night of a back-to-back, and Kuemper has a 2.16 GAA and a .920 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Kevin Fiala, LAK vs. MTL ($5,800): Fiala has nine points over his last nine games. He's also put 31 shots on net in that time, and he's put 142 shots on target through 49 contests. That's the norm for him. The Canadiens are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, but I am eschewing a stack and just going with Fiala because Jakub Dobes will be in goal. The rookie has impressed through seven games, posting a .927 save percentage.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM at CHI ($5,600): Though the Oilers are on the second leg of a back-to-back, with only six teams in action I'd still try and grab an Oiler given the matchup. That's because Chicago has a 3.42 GAA, bottom five in the NHL. The Blackhawks have also given up 31.5 shots on net per contest. Nugent-Hopkins started the season slowly, but he has 14 points over his last 17 games.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Rangers vs. Bruins
Vincent Trocheck (C - $5,500), Alexis Lafreniere (W - $5,300), Reilly Smith (W - $4,300)
Here's a chance to stack a line facing a team on the second night of a back-to-back. The Bruins are on the road and Joonas Korpisalo is in line to start. He has a .894 save percentage, not far from his career .901 save percentage. The Bruins also have a bottom-10 penalty kill. Now, these three all play on the second power-play unit together in the wake of the J.T. Miller trade, but there's still some potential for power-play time.
Trocheck has managed 15 goals and 17 assists through 52 games. While he didn't put a puck on net in New York's last game, in the prior 17 matchups he tallied 51 shots on target. Lafreniere is used to succeeding without much power-play time, and only four of his 31 points have come with the extra man. He has three goals and three assists over his last seven contests as well. In his first year with the Rangers, Smith has 10 goals and 16 assists. However, twice in his last five games he tallied multiple points.
DEFENSEMEN
Adam Fox, NYR vs. BOS ($5,600): Here's a chance to get a Ranger on the top power-play unit, what with the Bruins being in the bottom 10 on the penalty kill. Fox has averaged 3:09 per contest with the extra man and has 16 power-play points. That's the norm for Fox, who has had at least 29 power-play points in each of the prior three campaigns.
Seth Jones, CHI vs. EDM ($4,600): It might be worth it to get one Chicago player in your lineup since the Oilers are on the second night of a back-to-back. While the Blackhawks have a bad offense, Jones is not to blame. Over his last eight games, he has 10 points, 15 shots on net and 19 blocked shots. Jones plays a ton of minutes – this year he's averaged 24:40 per game in ice time – and that should benefit him against a potentially tired Oilers team.
