This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate features four games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite the modest size of this slate, there will be plenty of top teams in action. The Flames have a league-high seven-game winning streak going and are clear favorites on home ice against the Ducks. There are also a pair of toss-ups between top-tier contenders, as the Avalanche will finish up a back-to-back set in Vegas while the Panthers play for the first time since Feb. 1 in Carolina. Lastly, a Wild team that fancies itself among the top tier of teams will look to provide more evidence for such standing in Winnipeg. Panthers-Hurricanes and Avalanche-Golden Knights are both expected to be high-scoring affairs, with over/unders of 6.5 goals.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. ANH ($8,000): The Flames may not be rested but Markstrom is, as he watched Daniel Vladar man the crease for Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Blue Jackets. Markstrom's 7-1-0 in his last nine appearances and held seven of those opponents to two goals or fewer, while Anaheim averages the second-fewest goals among teams in action Wednesday at 2.88.
Cam Talbot, MIN at WPG ($7,900): The 22nd-ranked Jets offense (2.83 goals per game) presents the most favorable matchup for any goalie playing Wednesday. Talbot certainly has the skills to take advantage, as he's 19-8-1 with a 2.78 GAA and .915 save percentage. He's been particularly sharp recently, allowing just five goals during his personal four-game winning streak.
Darcy Kuemper, COL at VGK ($7,600): The matchup isn't easy but the price is right for Kuemper, as he's rarely available for as little as $7,600. The top option in Colorado's crease is 23-5-2 with a 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage, and Kuemper has the league's second-best offense (4.00 goals per game) supporting him.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. MIN ($7,400): Hellebuyck has stepped his game up since the All-Star break, limiting three of four opponents to two goals or fewer. His best start in this strong stretch was a 27-save shutout of the Wild, and he has some against-the-grain appeal in this rematch with Minnesota eight days later.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. ANH ($6,300): Lindholm has active goal and point streaks of five and seven games, respectively, and Calgary's first-line center's showing no signs of slowing down. His three-point outing Wednesday was Lindholm's most productive of this stretch, bringing his season line to 19-24-43 in 46 games.
Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. MIN ($5,300): Scheifele's a bargain at $5,300. He's flirting with a point-per-game pace as usual with 36 in 40, and the top-line center has a four-game goal streak going, during which Scheifele's also chipped in three assists.
Troy Terry, ANH at CGY ($5,200): If any Duck's going to penetrate the stout Calgary defense, it's Terry. The 24-year-old winger's enjoying a breakout season, as he leads the Ducks in both goals (25) and points (42) through 44 games.
Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA at CAR ($6,200): Even having been off since Feb. 1, Huberdeau is still third in the league with 64 points in 47 games, two off the league lead shared by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If anyone can return after an extended layoff without missing a beat, it's Huberdeau, who has 31 points in his last 17 games.
Brett Howden, VGK vs. COL ($2,500): Howden's not the first player you think of targeting between the Avs and Knights, or even the 10th, but he's an intriguing option if you need to fill out your lineup by taking a flier on someone at the minimum valuation. Prior to Vegas' shutout loss in Calgary the last time the Golden Knights took the ice, the fourth-line center had compiled a 4-3-7 line over a five-game point streak.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche at Golden Knights
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,600), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,000), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $6,400)
Colorado's top line is capable of finding success in any matchup, and Vegas is a middling defensive team, with 2.96 goals allowed per game. All three of these guys are comfortably above a point-per-game pace, as MacKinnon has a 10-35-45 line in 33 games, Rantanen's at 24-31-55 in 44 and Landeskog's at 22-26-48 in 39.
Hurricanes vs. Panthers
Vincent Trocheck (C - $4,400), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $5,900), Seth Jarvis (W - $3,000)
Look for Carolina's second line to pounce while the Panthers find their skating legs after over two weeks off. Svechnikov is one of the hottest scorers in the league, with a 4-2-6 line in his last three games and 8-10-18 output in his last 12. Trocheck's a former Panther and has three goals in his last five games and a 6-4-10 line in the past 12. Jarvis is mired in a rut, but the 2020 first-round pick still has substantial upside given his 8-10-18 line over 37 games and top-six deployment.
Wild at Jets
Frederick Gaudreau (C - $3,200), Kevin Fiala (W - $5,500), Matthew Boldy (W - $4,300)
Locking in some or all of Minnesota's affordable third line will give you more cap space to use on some of this slate's pricey stars. Fiala has been held without a point only once in the last 15 games, mustering 10 goals and nine assists during this torrid stretch. Gaudreau has come on recently with a 3-5-8 line in his last seven games, and Boldy just had a hat trick and an assist Monday, giving the 2019 first-round pick a 7-7-14 line through his first 13 NHL games.
DEFENSEMEN
Tony DeAngelo, CAR vs. FLA ($6,300): DeAngelo has come out firing since the All-Star break, posting five points in four games to bring his season line to 8-30-38 in 39 contests. The offensively gifted blueliner's puck-moving skills should be on full display in what projects to be a fast-paced affair featuring plenty of chances at both ends.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. COL ($5,400): Vegas has last change as the home team, so expect to see a lot of Pietrangelo out there to counteract Colorado's top-end skill up front. His versatile skill set should allow Pietrangelo to rack up value in a variety of ways while he's out there — he's posted at least three shots and three blocks in both appearances since the All-Star break while adding a goal to boot.
Oliver Kylington, CGY vs. ANH ($4,100): Kylington had a five-game point streak snapped Wednesday, but he continues to play excellent two-way hockey, as evidenced by his plus-15 rating over the past 10 games. His plus-25 season mark is the best among Calgary's defensemen, and Kylington's on pace to top 40 points with a 6-18-24 line through 45 games.
Ville Heinola, WPG vs. MIN ($2,500): Heinola has quietly come on over the past three games, flashing the skills that prompted Winnipeg to select him 20th overall in 2019 with two assists and eight shots in these past three contests. At $2,500, he's a low-risk, high-reward option on the back end.
