This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate consists of three games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The two obvious teams to build around Wednesday are the Kings and Rangers, who are substantial home favorites against the Capitals and Red Wings, respectively. Both of those games have over/unders of 6.0 goals, while Canadiens-Blue Jackets has an over/under of 6.5.
GOALIES
Cam Talbot, LAK vs. WAS ($8,400): Talbot's the chalk play in net Wednesday. He's 10-3-1 with a 2.02 GAA and .931 save percentage, while the visiting Capitals average 2.33 goals per game, which is second-fewest in the NHL after the lowly Sharks. Backup Pheonix Copley ($8,200) has allowed only one goal over his last two starts and would also be a strong play if he gets the nod.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. DET ($8,300): Shesterkin kept the Rangers in it for most of their previous game, but the Rangers ended up with a rare 5-1 home loss to Buffalo, dropping to 15-4-1 overall. Shesterkin has an 8-4-0 record, 2.59 GAA and .914 save percentage, while backup Jonathan Quick ($8,300) has been even better with a 6-0-1 record, 1.99 GAA and .931 save percentage, so either Rangers goalie would make for a high-upside play, even against a Red Wings team that's averaging 3.70 goals per game.
Sam Montembeault, MON at CLS ($7,500): Montembeault has been solid recently, turning aside 105 of 113 shots over his past four appearances for a .929 save percentage. He's a nice value play at $7,500 against a Blue Jackets team that lost 13 of 14 games before winning three of its last four.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Cole Caufield, MON at CLS ($7,300): Caufield and Nick Suzuki ($5,700) are tied for the team leads in both goals and points with identical 6-11-17 lines through 21 games. Caufield has 81 shots to Suzuki's 48, though, and the winger's 7.4 shooting percentage is well below his career 12.9 percent mark. A matchup with a Columbus team that's allowing 3.39 goals per game could be just what Caufield needs to get closer to his customary conversion rate.
Dylan Strome, WAS at LA ($4,800): Strome leads the Capitals with eight goals, and his 10 points are third-most on the team after the 12 of Alex Ovechkin ($7,600) and 11 of John Carlson ($6,800). Given his mix of productivity and affordability, Strome continues to be the best value on the team.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR vs. DET ($4,400): Lafreniere has a 4-4-8 line over his last 10 games, and the 2020 first overall pick has put himself in much better position to use his excellent hands this season by significantly improving his skating in the offseason. The buy-low window is still open for now against a Red Wings team that's allowing 3.00 goals per game, but with elite setup man Artemi Panarin ($8,400) teeing him up on New York's second line, Lafreniere's valuation will likely keep climbing as the season unfolds.
J.T. Compher, DET at NYR ($4,000): With Dylan Larkin (undisclosed) set for his first absence of the season, Compher will likely get a chance to center the top line Wednesday. Compher has been hot with a 2-9-11 line in his last nine games, bringing him up to 17 points through 20 games overall.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Rangers vs. Red Wings
Mika Zibanejad (C - $7,100), Chris Kreider (W - $6,900), Blake Wheeler (W - $3,900)
Kreider has been one of the league's top goal scorers all season, and his linemates have joined in on the fun lately. With a 3-2-5 line in his last three games, Kreider's up to 13 goals through 20 games, putting him on pace for a second 50-goal season in the last three years. Zibanejad got off to an unlucky shooting start and is still at his lowest mark in over a decade (9.4 percent), but he's starting to experience some positive regression with a 3-2-5 line during his current four-game point streak. Wheeler had a goal erased on a hand pass Monday, but the affordable winger still has a 2-3-5 line over his past eight games.
Kings vs. Capitals
Phillip Danault (C - $4,500), Kevin Fiala (W - $6,600), Trevor Moore (W - $6,100)
LA's averaging a league-high 4.00 goals per game thanks to a balanced attack, and it's hard to top the bang for the buck that this second line has provided thus far. Moore leads the team with 11 goals and is averaging a point per game through 19 games, which puts him one point back of the team lead that Fiala shares with Adrian Kempe ($7,500). Danault's stats don't jump off the page, but the solid two-way center has chipped in four goals and nine assists, putting him on pace to surpass the 50-point mark for the third time in as many seasons with the Kings.
Blue Jackets vs. Canadiens
Boone Jenner (C - $6,400), Johnny Gaudreau (W - $4,600), Kirill Marchenko (W - $5,000)
Columbus' top line should take advantage of a rare matchup with someone in the Blue Jackets' weight class. These are two of the eight NHL teams with 20 or fewer standings points this season, and Montreal's 3.48 goals allowed per game are the most among teams in action Wednesday. Jenner leads the team in both goals and points with an 11-5-16 line, and he's showing no signs of slowing down with a 4-2-6 output over his last five games. Gaudreau's a former 115-point scorer, and he's heating up after a slow start, with a 2-3-5 line in his last six games. Marchenko's a promising young sniper, as the 23-year-old Russian's seven goals are good for second on the team behind Jenner, and three of those goals have come in the past four games.
DEFENSEMEN
Mike Matheson, MON at CLS ($7,000): Matheson won't come cheap, but his well-rounded skill set should make him worth paying up for in this battle of bottom-feeders. In addition to a 5-10-15 line through 21 games, he's averaging nearly three shots and more than two blocks, with 57 and 44, respectively.
Zach Werenski, CLS vs. MON ($5,300): Like Matheson, Werenski should shine offensively against a defensively challenged opponent. Werenski also has 15 points in 21 games, though the former 20-goal scorer has only lit the lamp once on 50 shots. Considering Montreal's giving up 3.48 goals per game, this is a nice opportunity for Werenski to find some puck luck.
Adam Fox, NYR vs. DET ($5,200): Fox will first need to be activated off LTIR to suit up Wednesday, but he's on track to play for the first time since taking a knee-on-knee hit from Sebastian Aho on Nov. 2 after practicing without limitations Monday. The star blueliner is a steal at $5,200, as Fox had a 3-8-11 line in 10 games prior to going down and scored at least 72 points in each of the two preceding seasons.
Mikey Anderson, LAK vs. WAS ($3,700): Anderson offers a solid floor relative to his $3,700 valuation for the favored Kings. The top-pairing defenseman has averaged right around 22 minutes of ice time in his last 10 games, and he has a 1-7-8 line to go with 34 blocked shots in 19 games overall.
