This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's a fairly light Wednesday for the NHL, which is the norm. There are four games on the slate, but there are some interesting matchups nevertheless. Also, some good DFS options. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
No teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back Wednesday. The Sabres and Kings are on the first leg. Believing in Devon Levi won't mean much in terms of DFS decisions when it comes to Penguins players on Wednesday.
GOALIE
Connor Ingram, UTA at ANA ($7,600): Ingram's first start of the year was strong, but then he struggled in two road outings against the Islanders and Rangers. He had a .907 save percentage in each of the last two seasons. This should be an easy matchup for him. The Ducks have only played a couple of games to date. Since the start of last season, however, they've averaged 2.45 goals and 26.8 shots on net per contest.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex Tuch, BUF at PIT ($5,500): A few Sabres are off to slow starts, but not Tuch. He has two goals and two assists through four games, including a goal in both games the Sabres have played on North American soil (or ice, as it were). Tristan Jarry is off to a slow start, as he has a .866 save percentage through two outings. Last year, he had a .903 save percentage, so trends are concerning.
Barrett Hayton, UTA at ANA ($4,600): Clayton Keller is off to a strong start to the season as Utah's first captain, which is not surprising. Hayton is Keller's centermate and has benefited from that spot in the lineup with five points in four games. Lukas Dostal had a 3.33 GAA and a .902 save percentage last year. Since the start of last season, the Ducks have the 31st-ranked penalty kill. Hayton is also playing on Utah's top power-play unit.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Bruins at Avalanche
Elias Lindholm (C - $6,400), David Pastrnak (W - $9,400), Pavel Zacha (W - $4,600)
It's been a brutal start to the campaign for Colorado's defense. Through three games it has allowed 20 goals. Yes, 20 goals. No team has screwed fewer than six times on the Avalanche thus far. It would be nice to stack a line with a bit less salary outlay, but the Bruins' second line is off to a slow start, so I'll just roll with the big guns.
Lindholm is in his first season with the Bruins, and he's already the first-line center. He has five points in four games and is averaging a whopping 4:55 per game on the power play. Pastrnak is, you know, Pastrnak. He's had back-to-back 100-point seasons and for three seasons in a row has put over 300 shots on target. This year he already has three goals and also has put 15 shots on target. Zacha has two points, but we probably know what to expect from him. In both of his seasons with the Bruins, he's tallied 21 goals, with 57 and 59 points in those campaigns.
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev, UTA at ANA ($5,000): The Hockey Club made the move to bring in Sergachev to be their No. 1 defenseman. That has led to him averaging a whopping 26:31 in ice time. So far, he has three assists in four games. In his last full season, he had 64 points. Since the start of last year, the Ducks have been in the bottom three in GAA and penalty-kill percentage, so all those minutes could pay off.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, TOR vs. LOS ($3,000): Ekman-Larsson has enjoyed a nice role with his new team. He's averaged 22:07 per game in ice time, including 2:57 on the power play. The Swede only has one point, but he's put 11 shots on net through three games. Darcy Kuemper's 3.59 GAA and .890 save percentage are based entirely on allowing eight goals to the Senators in his last start. While his first two outings did go well, let's not forget he had a .902 save percentage over the prior two seasons.
