This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
As is often the case, Tuesday and Thursday offer busy NHL schedules, meaning Wednesday shoulders a lighter load. There are four games on the slate, with the first starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. There are a couple of intriguing games in the mix. Here are my NHL DFS lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Only one team, the Panthers, is on the second leg of a back-to-back. They are doing the usual Anaheim and Los Angeles duet, with the Kings being the opponent on Wednesday. With the way Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight have played recently, Knight being saved for the Kings is not good for the team. Of course, the circumstances are still favorable.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, NJD vs. BOS ($7,900): Markstrom's move to the Devils started on spotty footing, leading one to wonder if the deal wouldn't work out. Fast forward to the present and Markstrom has appeared in 35 games, posting a .912 save percentage and 2.19 GAA. Looks like the move has worked out, at least to this point. Though the Bruins have David Pastrnak in the lineup, somehow the team has still only managed 2.77 goals and 27.7 shots on net per contest.
Darcy Kuemper, LAK vs. FLA ($7,400): Though Florida is above average when it comes to scoring goals, the Kings are elite at preventing shots. That's a skill set that has helped Kuemper post a 2.10 GAA, though his .920 save percentage helps, of course. Given that the Panthers are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, the quality of their offense means less to me Wednesday than it would otherwise.
VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF
Bobby McMann, TOR vs. CBJ ($4,000): McMann is on a three-game point streak. While he started the year with a marginal role, offering meager ice time, he's averaged 17:28 per game on the ice over his last six outings. It does appear the Blue Jackets have proven capable of not allowing shots at the pace they did last season. Due to their goaltending, they still have a 3.34 GAA, which ranks in the bottom eight in the NHL.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Kings vs. Panthers
Anze Kopitar (C - $5,200), Adrian Kempe (W - $6,400), Alex Turcotte (W - $2,900)
At present, the only viable Los Angeles line is the top unit, which also features two members of the primary power-play group. Hey, at least production is being delivered for the salary allotment necessitated. The Panthers' penalty kill is essentially average, but they are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, after all. Plus, while Knight has looked good recently, on the year he has a .905 save percentage, not to mention a career .906 save percentage.
Kopitar is on a three-game point streak, including a power-play assist in each of his last two outings. That gives him 31 assists on the campaign, not to mention 13 points with the extra man. Not coincidentally, Kempe is on a three-game goal streak, including a power-play tally in each of his last two contests. He's been on fire as of late, having notched 12 points in his last 11 games. Turcotte is not on the top power-play unit, which is why he has not been as productive as his linemates. That said, he does have five goals and five assists over his last 15 games and recently had a three-point outing against the Canucks.
DEFENSEMEN
Dougie Hamilton, NJD vs. BOS ($5,800): Hamilton, the former Bruin, has put plenty of pucks on net, as per usual, racking up 138 shots on target through 49 games. He's also tallied 12 points with the extra man. The Bruins have a bottom-10 penalty kill, so if Hamilton is seeing power-play time, he's in line to get on the score sheet against his old club.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, TOR vs. CBJ ($3,000): The Maple Leafs have been trying out a top power-play unit of five forwards recently, so if I want a Maple Leafs defenseman (and I do), I'm going with Ekman-Larsson over Morgan Rielly to save some salary. Across his last four games, the Swedish blue liner has a three-point game and two games with five shots on net. That bodes well with a team with a 3.34 GAA coming to visit.
