It's a late slate for the NHL on Wednesday. There are only three games, and they are all out West, so the first game doesn't start until 8:30 p.m. ET. That means more time for getting your NHL DFS lineups in! Here are my recommendations. Oh, and welcome to April. The playoffs will be here soon.
SLATE PREVIEW
Even with a busy Tuesday schedule, there is not a single team on the second leg of a back-to-back Wednesday. I also don't see any real concern about the teams on the first leg of a back-to-back, other than maybe needing to know who is starting for DFS purposes.
GOALIE
Darcy Kuemper, LOS vs. STL ($7,900): Both of these teams are in the bottom five in goals per game, and they both prevent shots on net at roughly the same clip. The difference, though, is that the Kings have averaged 2.5 shots on goal per game more than the Blues. Kuemper is also at home, which is another reason to opt for him in goal.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Adrian Kempe, LOS vs. STL ($6,700): Given that Kempe has had more than 15 power-play points in each of the prior four seasons, it's a little surprising he only has 11 at this point in this campaign. However, he is still on the top power-play unit, and his production has been hindered marginally at most. Kempe has notched 26 points over his last 25 outings. The Blues have a bottom-five penalty kill, but their 3.12 GAA is not solely based on that fact.
Valeri Nichushkin, COL vs. VAN ($4,500): Nichushkin has tallied five points in his last six games. Additionally, seven times in his last 13 contests he's tallied at least three shots on net. The Canucks have a 3.77 GAA, which is highest in the NHL by a wide margin, so having a Colorado player (or two) certainly makes sense.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Ducks at Sharks
Mikael Granlund (C $4,700), Beckett Sennecke (W - $5,400), Alex Killorn (W - $3,500)
Two teams in the bottom four in GAA? Expect a lot of goals! The Sharks, though, have a 3.56 GAA, which is 31st in the NHL. Additionally, Lukas Dostal is a better goalie than either of San Jose's netminders. We have two cagey veterans and one young star on the rise on this line from the Ducks, and it is where my stack decision has landed.
Granlund had a hat trick against Calgary about a week ago, but this is about more than just one great night. He has eight points in his last six games, including another game with multiple goals. Sennecke has tallied 57 points in his age-19 rookie campaign. Also, while there was a stretch that could have indicated him hitting a rookie wall, he has six points in his last six outings. Killorn hasn't produced like his linemates, but he has three multipoint games in his last 11 outings. With how porous the Sharks are defensively, I certainly could see Killorn picking up a point or two.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, ANA at SAN ($5,900): Carlson was playing well with the Capitals, but the move to Anaheim and another crack at the postseason seems to have energized him. He has nine points in eight games with the Ducks, but that's with a 4.8 shooting percentage. Carlson's shooting percentage with the Capitals prior to the move was 8.7! Facing the Sharks with their 3.56 GAA could definitely help get Carlson on the score sheet again.
Dmitry Orlov, SAN vs. ANA ($3,500): As the Sharks have waited for a young defenseman to join the future corps of the team, journeyman defenseman Orlov has gotten the chance to play a significant role. He gets to skate on the top pairing and the first power-play unit, and he's notched eight points in his last 14 games. The Ducks have a 3.46 GAA, and they also are just outside the bottom 10 in penalty-kill percentage.
