This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL schedule consists of five games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
Tampa Bay is Wednesday's most obvious favorite at home against Montreal, but the Penguins (vs. Detroit) and Golden Knights (at Anaheim) are also substantial favorites, even with both Pittsburgh and Vegas having just lost Tuesday. Red Wings-Penguins has a slate-high over/under of 6.5 goals, while each of the other four games come in at 6.0.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. MON ($8,500): Vasilevskiy has been nearly automatic against Montreal in his impressive career, going 13-1-2 with a 1.92 GAA and .938 save percentage. That success includes a 5-1 win less than two weeks ago, part of a stretch that has seen Vasilevskiy allow two or fewer goals in eight of his last nine outings. The chalk goalie play should be worth paying up for here.
Linus Ullmark, BOS at NJ ($7,900): Ullmark will have his work cut out for him against the talented Devils offense, though New Jersey has won just one of its last eight games after a hot start. There hasn't been any cooldown for Ullmark, who boasts a 19-1-1 record, 1.94 GAA and .936 save percentage, making him the frontrunner for the Vezina Trophy.
Adin Hill, VGK at ANH ($7,900): Hill should get this second leg of a back-to-back after Logan Thompson played in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Kings. The matchup is about as good as it gets, as Anaheim's 2.31 goals per game are second-fewest in the NHL. Hill's enjoying a solid season at 8-3-1 with a 2.66 GAA and .903 save percentage.
Lukas Dostal, ANH vs. VGK ($7,300): The Ducks have been so overwhelmed recently that Dostal has been a strong fantasy option despite a lack of wins. He's faced more than 40 shots in each of his last four outings and averaged 22.2 fantasy points over that span despite a 1-2-1 record. Dostal is an intriguing bargain play against a Vegas team that's scored two goals or fewer in six of its last 10 games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
David Krejci, BOS at NJ ($5,000): Unlike some other members of Boston's highly skilled top-six forward group, you won't have to break the bank to fit Krejci in your lineup. The veteran center has outplayed his $5,000 valuation lately with a 2-3-5 line over his last five games, and he's within striking distance of a point per game on the season with a 10-16-26 line through 29 games while skating on a line with Czech countryman David Pastrnak ($9,300).
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY at SEA ($4,900): Huberdeau had a four-game point streak snapped Tuesday, but he's still been better of late after a slow start. While a repeat of last season's 115-point campaign is off the table at this point, Huberdeau has flirted with a point-per-game pace recently, totaling a 3-12-15 line in his last 16 games. Despite his limited shot totals, the playmaking winger can provide value at his sub-$5,000 valuation. Ten of Huberdeau's 24 points have come on the power play, and Seattle has the league's second-most generous penalty kill at 68.9 percent.
Jared McCann, SEA vs. CGY ($4,500): McCann went into the holiday break riding a three-game goal streak, and he easily leads the Kraken with 16 goals in 29 games. He'll look to pick up where he left off against a Flames team that's likely to deploy backup goalie Dan Vladar for this second leg of a back-to-back. Vladar has lost his last two starts, allowing nine goals in the process.
Michael Rasmussen, DET at PIT ($3,700): Rasmussen has a 2-3-5 line in two games since being moved up to the top line. The move from center to wing coupled with more talent on the ice around him seems to have unlocked the 6-foot-6 forward's offensive potential, and at just $3,700, it could be worth your while to see if Rasmussen can stay hot against backup Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith.
Mason McTavish, ANH vs. VGK ($3,200): McTavish's development is a silver lining in what has been yet another forgettable season for the not-so-mighty Ducks. The third-overall selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has a 2-4-6 line in his last five games. Half of that production has come from McTavish's spot on the top power-play unit, and he's likely to stay in that fantasy-friendly role with the Ducks prioritizing future development over immediate results.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Canadiens
Brayden Point (C - $7,400), Nikita Kucherov (W - $8,300), Brandon Hagel (W - $5,400)
Kucherov scored at least 19.3 fantasy points in four of his last five games before the holiday break, and dominant stretches aren't unusual for the star winger, whose 49 points rank fifth league-wide. Point leads the Lightning with 17 goals, and his 15 assists have him on a point-per-game pace through 32. Hagel has thrived on the top line for much of this month, notching a 5-4-9 line in a five-game span before cooling off in the last two games. This productive trio will be tough to contain for a Canadiens team that's bringing up the rear in the Atlantic Division standings.
Penguins vs. Red Wings
Sidney Crosby (C - $7,700), Jake Guentzel (W - $7,600), Rickard Rakell (W - $6,000)
Pittsburgh's high-powered top line should control play against a Red Wings team that has only three wins in its last 12 games. Crosby and Guentzel are both comfortably above a point per game, as the former has a 19-24-43 line in 34 games while the latter's at 15-18-33 in just 30 appearances. Rakell's third on the team in goals with 13, and he's thrown in nine assists through 34 games.
Golden Knights at Ducks
Chandler Stephenson (C - $5,400), Mark Stone (W - $5,700), Michael Amadio (W - $3,700)
This reasonably affordable line will be counted on to provide offense for the banged up Golden Knights against a Ducks team that's surrendering a league-high 4.11 goals per game. Stephenson leads Vegas in points with a 9-27-36 line through 37 games, while Stone's 15-16-31 line has him second in both goals and points behind Reilly Smith ($5,600) and Stephenson, respectively. Amadio has capitalized on his promotion to the top line with a three-game goal streak, during which the affordable winger has added a pair of helpers.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at ANH ($7,000): Pietrangelo is riding a five-game point streak, and he's stuffed the stat sheet as usual during this run, adding at least three shots and at least three blocks three times apiece along with his 1-5-6 line. His ceiling continues to be bolstered by first-unit power-play time in Shea Theodore's (leg) absence, and Pietrangelo is poised to find success with the extra man against Anaheim's 30th-ranked penalty kill (69.5 percent).
Rasmus Andersson, CGY at SEA ($5,500): Andersson is tied with Huberdeau for second on the Flames with 10 power-play points, trailing only the 12 of Nazem Kadri ($7,100). The Swedish blueliner's role on the top power-play unit has a good chance of translating to production against the 31st-ranked Kraken penalty kill (68.9 percent).
Moritz Seider, DET at PIT ($4,800): Seider has bolstered his value with strong secondary contributions, which has helped cover for a disappointing offensive output to begin his sophomore season. The Calder Trophy winner remains engaged on both ends of the ice with 50 shots and 78 blocked shots through 32 games. He'll have a nice opportunity to add a handful of blocks while matching up with the Crosby line, and Seider is likely to pick up the pace offensively at some point, as he's averaging .38 points per game (12 in 32) after scoring .61 points per game (50 in 82) as a rookie.
Pierre-Olivier Joseph, PIT vs. DET ($2,600): Joseph has some appeal as a bargain dart throw for the favored Penguins. He's compiled a 1-1-2 line, seven shots and six blocks over the past three games. Locking in Joseph at just $100 above the minimum would allow you to devote more resources to premier players at other positions.
