This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are two games in the NHL on Friday as the league completes its regular season. Buffalo travels to Columbus after both teams played Thursday, while a tired Colorado team faces a tired Nashville team, who have been eliminated from the playoffs. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Pavel Francouz, COL at NAS ($7,800): Francouz is expected to get the start for Colorado, but if Alexandar Georgiev gets the call, use Georgiev. Francouz returned to action Sunday after missing two months with a lower-body injury. Francouz is 8-7-1 with a 2.61 GAA and .915 save percentage. The netminder has seen action sparingly when healthy this season. He will face Nashville, who are a lowly 28th in NHL scoring, averaging 2.72 goals per contest.
Devon Levi, BUF at CLS ($8,400): The Sabres are thrilled with the play of their rookie netminder as Levi has taken over the No. 1 job in Buffalo since leaving Northeastern University after his sophomore campaign. Levi is 4-2-0 with a 3.09 GAA and .901 save percentage, but has been spectacular at times. He has started six of the Sabres' last eight games, making his NHL debut March 31. Levi is the Sabres' goaltender of the future. He will face the last-place Blue Jackets, who are 30th in NHL scoring with 212 goals in 2022-23.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Thomas Novak, NAS vs. COL ($5,000): Novak has broken through in his sophomore season, scoring 17 times while adding 25 assists in just 50 games. He has eight points in his last seven games, helped along by a four-point effort against St. Louis, and a three-point game versus Vegas on April 4. The 25-year-old has scored five times with the man advantage, as well as setting up seven others.
Liam Foudy, CLS vs. BUF ($2,500): Foudy has only seven goals and 14 points in 61 games this season, but he has been a bit better of late with three tallies and three helpers in his last 14 games. His price is outstanding if you need an inexpensive player to fill out your roster.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche at Predators
Nathan MacKinnon (C-$9,900), Mikko Rantanen (W-$8,700), Valeri Nichushkin (W-$6,800)
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 107 points in just 70 games. MacKinnon has slumped of late with nary a point in three of his last four contests, but this is a big contest for Colorado as a win or tie over Nashville gives them first place in the Central Division. Rantanen has a career high 55 goals this season, as well as cracking the 100-point barrier for the first time in his career. Rantanen has 103 points and has been a stud on the power play with 13 markers and 37 points. Nichushkin has 17 goals and 47 points in only 52 games as he has missed 28 games with an ankle injury, as well as other minor injuries and illnesses. He has 10 tallies on the power play as well as six helpers.
Sabres at Blue Jackets
Alex Tuch (W - $7,100), Jeff Skinner (W-$6,500), Casey Mittelstadt (C - $3,900)
Tage Thompson (upper body) will not play Friday, allowing Mittelstadt to remain on the top line. Mittelstadt has taken advantage of the situation and has been red-hot since March 25, scoring four times and adding 11 assists in 10 games. The 24-year-old finally is showing why the Sabres selected him eighth overall in the 2018 Draft as he has 57 points in 81 games, easily his best season in the NHL. Skinner has a career high 79 points this season and is coming off a three-assist night Thursday versus Ottawa. Tuch is on a five-game point streak with six helpers. Tuch has 35 goals and 43 assists this season, both career highs. The Sabres face the lowly Blue Jackets in their season finale and look for the trio to have a big game Friday.
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie, NAS vs. COL ($4,600): Barrie is having his best season since leaving the Avalanche five seasons ago. He has 13 goals and 55 points in 84 games split between Edmonton and Nashville this season. Barrie has quarterbacked the Predators power play since March 18, when Roman Josi suffered an upper-body injury versus Winnipeg. Barrie has a goal and an assist in two games versus the Avalanche in 2022-23.
Devon Toews, COL at NAS ($6,200): Toews had a fabulous season in 2021-22, scoring 13 goals and adding 44 assists in just 66 games. He has six goals and 42 helpers this season in 79 contests and has nine assists in his last eight games. Cale Makar continues to be absent from the lineup with a lower-body injury, allowing Toews to quarterback the first power play.
