This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate features four games after 7:30 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Most lineups will likely be built around the Maple Leafs, as they're heavy home favorites against Buffalo in what's expected to be by far the highest-scoring game of the night, with an over/under of 6.5 goals. All three other games come in with an over/under of 5.5, as the Rangers host the Blues in a toss-up, while the Stars and Predators are modest favorites vs. the Kings and in Seattle, respectively.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. STL ($7,600): Shesterkin took his first regulation loss in nearly a month last time out, but the star netminder wasn't to blame in that one considering the score was 1-0. Given his 25-6-3 record, 1.95 GAA and .941 save percentage, Shesterkin's a bargain at $7,600 regardless of opponent.
Juuse Saros, NSH at SEA ($8,000): Saros is just 1-5-0 since the All-Star break, but a date with Seattle's 28th-ranked offense (2.53 goals per game) should help him get back on track. Overall, the Nashville netminder still lingers on the outskirts of the Vezina conversation with a 25-16-3 record, 2.48 GAA and .923 save percentage.
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. LA ($7,900): The red-hot Oettinger has allowed just eight goals over his last six starts en route to a 4-1-1 record. The visiting Kings could also be described as red-hot until recently, but they were cooled off by a 7-0 loss to Boston in their last game, and a Los Angeles offense that averages just 2.91 goals (19th) on 35.5 shots (third) will have a hard time penetrating the sturdy Stars defense.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at NYR ($6,500): Buchnevich will be motivated to perform against the team that unceremoniously dealt him away in the offseason. He had been steadily growing his production on Broadway and has continued that trend in St. Louis, sitting exactly at a point per game with a 19-27-46 line in 46 games.
Tage Thompson, BUF at TOR ($6,300): Because he plays in Buffalo, Thompson's recent heater isn't getting the attention it deserves. He's scored a goal on eight shots in each of the past two games, giving him eight goals in the last eight games. With Toronto giving the underwhelming Petr Mrazek (3.07 GAA, .895 save percentage) the start in goal, Thompson has a nice opportunity to get right back onto the scoresheet.
Trevor Moore, LA at DAL ($3,900): The most affordable member of the Kings' top six forward group has provided excellent value lately. Moore has four multi-point outbursts in his last nine games and a solid 25 shots over that stretch, making him a low-risk, high-reward play in Dallas.
Jordan Eberle, SEA vs. NSH ($3,800): With Jared McCann (undisclosed) on the shelf, Eberle's the top healthy scorer for Seattle in both goals and points courtesy of a 15-16-31 line in 53 games. Generating offense hasn't been easy for the Kraken, but Eberle's the best they got, and if Saros' recent struggles in Nashville's net continue, Eberle will be ready to pounce.
Denis Gurianov, DAL vs. LA ($3,200): Gurianov has had some poor puck luck this season, dragging his career shooting percentage down to 10.3 with a rate of 7.1 percent in 2021-22. He's been both good and lucky of late, though, putting at least four pucks on net in three of his last five games and lighting the lamp in two of the last three. At just $3,200, it's worth seeing whether Gurianov can continue to put his rare combination of size and speed to good use against the Kings.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Sabres
Auston Matthews (C - $9,000), Mitch Marner (W - $7,900), Michael Bunting (W - $5,100)
Toronto's top line should be worth paying up for against a Sabres team that's allowing 3.59 goals per game — fourth-most in the NHL. Matthews is the best goal-scorer in the world and is tied for the league goals lead with Leon Draisaitl. His 37 goals in 50 games overall include 12 in the last 13. Marner has four goals and six assists during his three-game multi-point streak and a 21-35-56 line in 44 appearances overall. Bunting has been more than just a passenger on this line, contributing a 3-5-8 line in his last four games.
Predators at Kraken
Mikael Granlund (C - $3,500), Filip Forsberg (W - $6,100), Matt Duchene (W - $4,900)
Nashville's top line offers nice value against the other team worth targeting with your forwards. Seattle's 3.55 goals allowed per game are right up there with Buffalo, while no other team in this slate is giving up more than 2.87. Forsberg has quietly been one of the league's top scorers on a per-game basis, potting 27 goals in 40 games. Duchene's 23-23-46 line in 49 games has him on pace to flirt with the 40-goal and 80-point thresholds, while Granlund's 8-33-41 line in 51 games makes him a nice value at just $3,500.
Rangers vs. Blues
Ryan Strome (C - $4,100), Artemi Panarin (W - $6,000), Dryden Hunt (W - $2,500)
If you're looking for some against-the-grain appeal or value outside of the Toronto and Nashville offenses, this line offers some intriguing potential. Panarin has a 14-42-56 line in 48 games, while Strome's at 11-26-37 in 49, and they tend to assist on each other's tallies given the frequency of their give-and-go plays at even strength and tic-tac-toe sequences on the power play. Hunt's days on this line are likely numbered, but with Kaapo Kakko (upper body) not close to returning, the affordable winger should continue to hold some extra upside until the Rangers trade for an upgrade on the wing.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi, NSH at SEA ($7,200): Josi should be worth paying up for against the lowly Kraken. His 14-39-53 line in 51 games is good for second among defensemen in both goals and points, trailing only Cale Makar in both categories. Josi also has 178 shots on net, which is at least 20 clear of every other defenseman in the league.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. BUF ($5,800): A Maple Leafs stack isn't complete without Rielly, whose 44 points in 53 games are good for fifth on the team behind Matthews, Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander. For what it's worth, Rielly had a goal and an assist in his lone previous meeting with the Sabres this season.
Justin Faulk, STL at NYR ($4,700): Faulk has quietly put up nine points in his last nine games, and he's added 22 shots and 17 blocks in support during this productive stretch. You may as well ride him while he's hot, even against the Shesterkin-led Rangers.
Sean Durzi, LA at DAL ($3,100): Durzi's been heavily involved at both ends over the past two games, contributing seven shots and seven blocked shots. He hasn't been rewarded on the scoresheet over that stretch, but Durzi's spot on the Kings' second power-play unit gives him a bit more upside than you typically see among defensemen in this price range.
