This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Will Sunday mark the end of Dallas' season? The Stars must win Game 6, on the road, to bring the series back home for Game 7. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, meanwhile, are on the cusp of their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Game 6 starts at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. For DFS purposes, you get $50,000 in salary for six players. One is your Captain, who earns you 1.5 times the points, but with an elevated salary. For perhaps the last time this season, here is my lineup for the Western Conference Finals.
CAPTAIN
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. DAL ($11,700): Nugent-Hopkins makes a good Captain for multiple reasons. One, he has 20 points in 17 playoff games, including two goals in Game 5. Two, he's averaged 20:17 per contest in ice time in the postseason, and basically, every one of those seconds has been spent with Connor McDavid on the ice and most of them with Leon Draisaitl as well. Third, his salary is a little lower, making it easier to build a good lineup.
FLEX
Leon Draisaitl, EDM vs. DAL ($10,000): It is a prerequisite to have either Draisaitl or McDavid in my lineup. McDavid now has more points, 29 to 27, but Draisaitl has 10 goals, whereas McDavid has four. Since the big German also has a slightly lower salary, he's the one I went with.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at EDM ($8,000): The Stars rely upon Heiskanen to do the work of 1.5 defensemen. During the regular season, he averaged 24:32 per game in ice time, including 3:18 on the power play. He's up to 28:03 per contest on the ice during the playoffs. Yes, overtime games have played a role, but with elimination in the cards, I fully expect the Finnish defenseman to play at least 28 minutes. Oh, and he can produce, as he has 16 points in 18 playoff games.
Jamie Benn, DAL at EDM ($7,200): Benn may play on the third line and second power-play unit, but Dallas' captain is still in the thick of the action. He had a five-game point streak end in Game 5. In the last three of those games, he had two points. Stuart Skinner has bounced back since getting benched but still has a .890 save percentage in the playoffs. He had a .905 save percentage during the regular season.
Evander Kane, EDM vs. DAL ($6,800): Kris Knoblauch's lineup tweaks were not to Kane's benefit. He's on the third line now, but he, Adam Henrique and Dylan Holloway make for an intriguing third line. Kane is also on the second power-play unit (a unit that barely sees the ice, but still). The veteran had an assist in Game 5, and he put 220 shots on net this season. Kane has six games this postseason with at least four shots on target, giving him more upside than players at this salary level.
Matt Duchene, DAL at EDM ($6,200): I have three Oilers and three Stars, which feels apt for an evenly played series, especially since the Stars have the goaltending advantage. Duchene has been held without a point in this series, which is why his salary has fallen to this level. However, he's still Dallas' second-line center. Getting a guy who has averaged 17:11 per game in ice time, including 1:31 on the power play, at this salary is not an opportunity that comes around often. This is a guy who had 65 points this season. He's no afterthought for the Stars.
