This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are three games in the NHL on Friday. All six teams are rested as New Jersey travels to Buffalo while Columbus hosts the Islanders and Arizona plays in Colorado. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. ARI ($7,800): Georgiev saw his five-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday, but he played well, stopping 40 of 44 shots in a 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh. Georgiev is 32-15-5 with a 2.56 GAA and .919 save percentage, by far his best season in the NHL. He has shone for the Avalanche, making everyone forget about last season's No. 1 goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Georgiev will face the lowly Coyotes, who are averaging 2.78 goals per game, 27th best in the NHL.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at CLS ($8,400): Since the Islanders are playing back-to-back games, it's possible that Semyon Varlamov gets the start. Should Varlamov get the Friday start, play him. Sorokin has been strong with three straight wins and six victories in his last seven starts. Sorokin is 26-19-6 with a 2.36 GAA and .924 save percentage. His stats are similar to last season and that's why he is a top-three netminder in the NHL. The Islanders will take on the Blue Jackets, who are at the bottom of the NHL standings with 51 points.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nick Schmaltz, ARI at COL ($4,700): Schmaltz has had another good season with 21 goals and 50 points in 53 games. He is on a three-game point streak and has points in six of his last seven contests, with three goals and eight points. Schmaltz is playing on the top line with Barrett Hayton and Clayton Keller, and sees first line power play time as well. The winger has a career high six goals on the power play.
Jack Quinn, BUF vs. NJ ($3,300): Quinn has been streaky this season, not a surprise for a 21-year-old playing in his first NHL season. Quinn has 13 goals and 32 points in 63 games as he has been seeing most of his ice time on the second line. Quinn has a goal and two assists in his last five games.
Matias Maccelli, ARI at COL ($2,600): Maccelli is a great price and should be added to most, if not all, DFS lineups. He has points in eight of his last 10 games, scoring three times and adding seven assists. Maccelli has seven goals and 40 points in 54 games, with a goal and 11 helpers coming on the power play. That's great value!
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Coyotes
Nathan MacKinnon (C-$9,700), Mikko Rantanen (W-$7,800), Denis Malgin (W-$3,500)
MacKinnon is a top-three point producer this season as far as points-per-game are concerned – trailing just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – as he has 90 points in just 59 games. MacKinnon is on a 10-game point streak, scoring six goals and adding 11 assists. Better yet, he has points in 19 of his last 20 games, tallying 16 times with 19 assists. MacKinnon has been a stud this season. Rantanen has a career high 47 goals this season and is only seven points in arrears of his career high 92 points, set last season. Malgin was added to the line a couple of games ago, and while he was held pointless against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, he managed three shots on goal in 15:33 of action. The Coyotes are not a good defensive team, allowing 3.43 goals per game this season.
Devils at Sabres
Timo Meier (W - $7,600), Nico Hischier (C -$6,600), Jesper Bratt (W - $5,200)
Meier has only four goals and six points in 10 games with the Devils, but has three goals and five points in his last five contests as he is finally fitting in. Meier was dealt at the deadline from San Jose, where he had 31 goals and 52 points in 57 games. Meier is a force on the power play, scoring 14 times this season. Hischier is having his best season in the NHL, hitting the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career, while adding 37 assists. He is only two points away from tying his career high in points set last season. Hischier has also been a machine in the shots on goal category, averaging 3.21 shots per game, after averaging only 2.19 shots per contest last season. Bratt has been almost invisible this season to most as Hischier and Jack Hughes have been the top two players, but don't be fooled as Bratt has 30 goals and 34 assists in 71 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Juuso Valimaki, ARI at COL ($3,800): Valimaki has been hot of late, scoring once and adding six assists in his last six games. Valimaki was drafted 16th overall by the Flames in 2017, but injuries early in his career halted his career. The Coyotes made an outstanding claim at the start of the 2022-23 season when the Flames placed Valimaki on waivers and the Finn has been great this season. He has three goals and 31 points in 68 games and has taken over quarterbacking the power play after the trades of Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere to Ottawa and Carolina respectively.
Devon Toews, COL vs. ARI ($4,800): Toews had a fabulous season in 2021-22, scoring 13 goals and adding 44 assists in just 66 games. He has six goals and 32 helpers this season in 68 contests and has two goals in his last three games. He saw 28:16 of action Wednesday with Cale Makar out of the lineup with a lower-body injury. Toews is a nice play if Makar is unable to go Friday.
