This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There are six games scheduled for Wednesday with the first batch of three starting from 7:00-7:30 p.m. ET and the final three contests all beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET. The only tired team in the group is Chicago, which will face the Bruins on the road after the Blackhawks overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Pittsburgh 4-2 on Tuesday.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Bruins should still be regarded as heavy favorites against Chicago even if the Blackhawks did pull off an upset win over Pittsburgh. This will be Taylor Hall's first game versus the Bruins since being traded though, so he should be hungry to show up his old squad. One game that might get particularly high scoring is Edmonton-Vancouver. The Over/Under is set at 6.5 and fulfilling that over certainly seems plausible.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at CGY ($7,600): Hellebuyck posted a 37-25-2 record, 2.49 GAA and .920 save percentage in 64 starts last season, which led to him being selected as a Vezina Trophy finalist. Armed with a new seven-year, $59.5 million contract signed Monday, the 30-year-old goaltender is primed to have another strong season. Hellebuyck has typically done well against Calgary with a 13-6-1 record, 1.99 GAA and .934 save percentage in 22 career outings.
Linus Ullmark, BOS vs. CHI ($8,100): The Blackhawks did score four goals Tuesday, and I do like Hall's chances of having a strong game against his former squad, so I make this recommendation with some reservations. Still, it's hard not to favor Ullmark, who had a 40-6-1 record, 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage in 49 contests last season, when he's set to start at home against a tired team. Plus, even though Chicago did better than expected against Pittsburgh yesterday, the Blackhawks are still likely to be a below-average offensive force in 2023-24.
VALUE PLAYS
Nick Suzuki, MON at TOR ($5,100): Suzuki set career highs in 2022-23 with 26 goals and 66 points in 82 contests, and the 24-year-old still has room to grow, which makes him great at his current price. The Maple Leafs are a strong opponent, but Suzuki has traditionally done well against them, scoring five goals and 18 points in 21 career games.
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. EDM ($4,800): As noted above, I think the Canucks-Oilers game should be a high-scoring one and it wouldn't be surprising to see Boeser play a role in that. He's expected to serve in a top-six role while also appearing on the first power-play unit tonight. Boeser contributed 18 goals and 55 points in 74 appearances in 2022-23.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Oilers at Canucks
Connor McDavid (C - $10,300), Evander Kane (W - $5,800), Connor Brown (W - $4,500)
McDavid is expensive but worth it. He was in a class of his own last season with 64 goals and 153 points in 82 contests and it wouldn't be shocking if he was able to claim the Art Ross Trophy for the fourth consecutive campaign in 2023-24. Kane is reasonably priced for a forward with 30-goal potential should he stay healthy.
Then there's Brown, who is the most interesting one of the trio. He has experience playing alongside McDavid from when they were the driving force of the OHL's Erie Otters. Brown has reached the 40-point milestone only once, and that was back in 2019-20, but his reunion with McDavid might lead to Brown setting new career highs.
Hurricanes vs. Senators
Sebastian Aho (C - $7,600), Seth Jarvis (W - $5,500), Michael Bunting ($4,800)
A cheaper alternative to the McDavid line, this Hurricanes unit doesn't offer the same level of star power, but it certainly can perform well against Ottawa, which finished the 2022-23 campaign 20th in goals allowed per game at 3.29.
Aho has been one of the most reliable goal scorers for years, providing 165 markers in 360 contests over his past five seasons -- only 10 players have contributed more goals in that span. Jarvis provided 14 goals and 39 points in 82 contests in 2022-23, but the 21-year-old is primed to take a step forward in his third NHL campaign. With Andrei Svechnikov (knee) unavailable, Bunting is set to round out the top line. Bunting provides a blend of grit and skill, recording 23 goals, 49 points and 103 PIM in 82 outings with Toronto in 2022-23.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL at LAK ($7,400): Makar can justify that price, given that he's provided 45 goals and 152 points in 137 contests over the last two years. There aren't many defensemen out there who are at his level in terms of goal-scoring prowess, and he's one of the best overall blueliners to boot.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. EDM ($5,200): It's not hard to recommend Hughes at that price. He had seven goals and 76 points in 78 contests. Given that he also recorded 68 points in 2021-22 and is only now turning 24 on Oct. 14, Hughes is a good bet to record about a point per game again this season.
Hampus Lindholm, BOS vs. CHI ($4,500): Lindholm's first full campaign with the Bruins went fantastically. He recorded 10 goals, 53 points, 56 PIM, 100 blocks and 78 hits, which led to him finishing fourth in Norris Trophy voting. He averaged 23:11 of ice time in 2022-23 and should play a similarly big role with the Bruins this year.
