This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate has an unusual 8:00 p.m. EST start time and features five games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Most lineups will likely be built around the Oilers, who are the night's biggest favorite at home against Ottawa in what's also supposed to be the highest-scoring game (over/under 6.5 goals). All four other games have an over/under of 5.5 goals. The Avalanche (vs. Los Angeles) and Wild (vs. Arizona) are both solid home favorites, while the Golden Knights-Blues and Sharks-Ducks matchups are expected to be toss-ups. There's no shortage of star power in favorable situations here, so picking the right stars and finding affordable yet effective complementary pieces will be the keys to building a winning lineup.
GOALIES
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. LA ($8,100): Grubauer has found his groove again after a little hiccup, allowing just six goals in his last four starts en route to a 3-1-0 record in that stretch. Overall, he's 13-7-0 with a 2.05 GAA and .917 save percentage ahead of a visit from a Kings team that had won only once in its previous six games before topping the lowly Ducks on Wednesday.
Kaapo Kahkonen, MIN vs. ARI ($7,900): Kahkonen's as hot as any goalie in the league, having won each of his last eight starts while allowing just 13 goals in that stretch. Keep rolling him out there against a bottom-10 Arizona offense that's averaging only 2.58 goals per game.
Martin Jones, SJ at ANH ($7,600): It's been another rough season in net for San Jose, but whomever gets the start between Jones and Devan Dubnyk ($7,600) could deliver a rare strong performance here given the matchup. Anaheim's bottom-three offense is averaging a mere 2.26 goals per game, and the Ducks have won only eight of 27 games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. VGK ($4,700): Tarasenko's still getting up to speed but has already looked plenty dangerous in his first two games back from shoulder surgery, totaling an assist and five shots. With five seasons of 33-plus goals under his belt, Tarasenko's likely to see his valuation climb significantly if he can rediscover his previous level of production. Take advantage of the uncertainty that's depressing his valuation while you still can, especially against a Vegas team that could be without its top two goalies for this one.
Rickard Rakell, ANH vs SJ ($5,800): Rakell has successfully put his slow start in the rear-view mirror, responding with a 5-7-12 line over his last seven games. That hot streak has propelled Rakell into a share of Anaheim's points lead with Maxime Comtois at 19, and the surging winger should stay hot against a Sharks team that's surrendering 3.78 goals per game — second-most in the league.
Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN vs. ARI ($4,800): Eriksson Ek is breaking out at age 24, having already set a career high in goals (10) while already getting more than halfway to last year's high of 29 points. It took him 62 games to reach that point total, while he already has 15 through 24 games after scoring two goals Wednesday against the Golden Knights. The 2015 first-round pick remains valued more like a guy who's due to crash back to earth than someone who has taken his game to the next level, so keep taking advantage while he's producing.
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at STL ($4,200): You'll need to find some productive value plays to complement this slate's expensive stars, and Stephenson fits the bill. He has thrived as Vegas' top-line center, playing at a point-per-game pace over the past six, yet Stephenson can still be had for just $4,200.
Chris Tierney, OTT at EDM ($2,800): With Colin White (lower body) sitting this one out, Tierney will likely be moved into a top-six role. His mix of affordability and opportunity makes Tierney a nice complementary piece with which to round out star-laden lineups.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Senators
Connor McDavid (C - $9,300), Leon Draisaitl (W - $8,900), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $5,200)
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Those who went with this line Wednesday were handsomely rewarded, as Draisaitl led the way with three goals and two assists while McDavid added a three-point night of his own in a 7-1 shellacking of the Senators. The sky's the limit for that duo in this rematch with the league's worst defensive team (3.97 goals allowed per game), and whomever the Oilers tab as the third member of this super line will be a strong play by extension as well.
Avalanche vs. Kings
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,800), Mikko Rantanen (W - $7,600), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $6,300)
If you're not going to load up on the top players from Edmonton, the first line from the night's second-biggest favorites is the top alternative. This line was dominant in MacKinnon's return from an upper-body injury Wednesday, combining for 19 shots and a goal against the Coyotes. If not for a standout performance from Arizona netminder Antti Raanta, this line could easily have produced a few more goals in that one, and it should carry play against a Kings team that's allowed three-plus goals in six of its last seven games. Rantanen leads the Avalanche in both goals (12) and points (25) through 24 games, while MacKinnon has totaled 22 points in 20 appearances and Landeskog's playing his best hockey of the year with a 4-4-8 line in his last seven games.
Sharks at Ducks
Logan Couture (C - $7,000), Evander Kane (W - $6,500), Kevin Labanc (W - $3,900)
Ducks goalie John Gibson has had a rough go of it lately, allowing at least three goals in each of his last 10 games en route to a 1-7-2 record over that stretch. San Jose's first line should add to his struggles and won't cost nearly as much as the two top lines above. Couture's 13-8-21 line has him leading the Sharks in both goals and points through 23 games, with Kane second in each category with a 9-11-20 line. With a 5-8-13 line, Labanc's fourth on the team in both goals and points.
DEFENSEMEN
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. OTT ($6,500): Nurse has put his all-around excellence on display in the past two games against Ottawa, with one goal, two assists, six shots and six blocks. He has a 7-12-19 line in 28 games overall and should continue to excel against the league's worst defensive team.
Jonas Brodin, MIN vs. ARI ($4,900): Brodin's strong two-way play has been exemplified over the past six games, during which he has totaled four points and 21 blocked shots. He has a 4-8-12 line in 22 games overall and has a nice opportunity to add to his scoring totals against a Coyotes team that has struggled to keep opposing defensemen off the scoresheet.
Kevin Shattenkirk, ANH vs. SJ ($3,900): Shattenkirk has a three-game point streak going, producing a 2-3-5 line and eight shots over that stretch. A home matchup with a Sharks team that's allowing 3.78 goals per game presents a great opportunity for the surging Ducks defenseman to stay hot.
Dylan Coghlan, VGK at STL ($2,900): Coghlan came out of nowhere to score a hat trick in his 12th NHL game Wednesday against the Wild. At just $2,900, it's worth seeing whether the rookie blueliner can carry over the confidence from that performance into another strong effort.
