This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Anyone playing daily fantasy tonight needs to be on the lookout for new additions to COVID-19 protocol, as cases are rapidly rising among the league and late scratches have been commonplace. Furthermore, numerous games have been outright postponed.
Nevertheless, we'll focus on the three games that are on the docket Wednesday night, starting with the Blackhawks vs. the Capitals at 8 p.m. EST. This figures to be a low-scoring slate, as all three games have a 5.5 O/U, according to FanDuel Sportsbook at press time.
All advanced statistics are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
GOALIES
Anthony Stolarz, ANH vs. SEA ($7,600): With John Gibson battling a lower-body injury, Stolarz will likely draw the start Wednesday. He has been one of the top backups in the league this year with a .930 save percentage and a 5-2-1 record through nine appearances (eight starts). The Kraken are far from the Golden Knights in their inaugural season, as they rank last over the past month with 1.90 xGF/60, so Stolarz has a significant edge in this contest.
Scott Wedgewood, ARI vs. NYR ($6,900): Wedgewood has held his own behind a porous Arizona defense, registering a .912 save percentage and a 3-6-1 record oer 11 games. The Rangers are a middling offense that have averaged 2.5 goals over the last six games, so Wedgewood stands a good chance to pull out a win Wednesday, especially because Keith Kinkaid will likely start for the Blueshirts since Alexandar Georgiev started last night. However, I'd be a bit more cautious about Wedgewood's chances if Igor Shesterkin got the nod in net.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Chris Kreider, NYR at ARI ($6,600): Kreider is heavily reliant on the power play – 11 of his 21 points have been with the man advantage – to produce for fantasy purposes, but that may not be an issue against Arizona, who ranks 29th in the league with a 71.9 penalty-kill percentage.
Clayton Keller, ARI vs. NYR ($5,300): Keller has produced six goals and 11 assists over 27 games this season, and he's been on a hot streak over the last month with 11 points in as many contests. If Kinkaid – who has played just 15 NHL games since the start of the 2019-20 campaign – gets the start, Keller could mark up the scoresheet tonight.
Jared McCann, SEA at ANH ($4,600): McCann missed five games earlier this season but still ranks second on the team in goals (11) and third in points (16) through 22 games. He's averaging a respectable 2.5 shots per game, and while he won't keep scoring at a 22.2 percent clip, he'd still be productive if he regressed back to last year's 15.1 percent mark.
Conor Sheary, WSH at CHI ($4,200): Sheary is still skating on the second line, and Nicklas Backstrom (hip) could make his season debut Wednesday. The 29-year-old Sheary has accrued five goals and six assists through 22 games without Backstrom, and a superstar center should only boost his ceiling.
LINE STACKS
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $7,100), Alex Ovechkin (W - $9,500), Alexei Protas (W - $3,200)
Ovechkin has been automatic this season and shows no signs of slowing down with 20 goals (four with the man advantage), 24 assists and 121 shots through 28 games. Kuznetsov works on the same power play as Ovechkin, and Nicklas Backstrom (hip) may return Wednesday, too. Protas helps even out the salary cap, and even he operates on PP2. Going up against Chicago's 20th-ranked PK (79.7 percent), this trio maintains massive upside tonight.
Trevor Zegras (C - $5,800), Sonny Milano (W -$5,200), Rickard Rakell (W - $5,500)
This whole line has gone pointless over three games since the Zegras-Milano lacrosse-style goal last week, but they have an appealing matchup Wednesday. Considering they combined for nine goals, 22 assists and 81 shots over nine games before their cold spell, we know they carry a high ceiling on a nightly basis. With the Kraken – who rank 30th with a 3.59 GAA – coming to town, look for this unit to capitalize.
DEFENSE
Jacob Trouba, NYR at ARI ($5,600): Trouba has been a physical force for the Rangers this year, but he's also stacking up impressive fantasy metrics. The 27-year-old has recorded six goals, eight assists, 66 shots on net and 60 blocked shots through 27 games. Trouba provides a solid floor every game, and he'll get a shot against Arizona's 29th-ranked PK (71.9 percent) on Wednesday.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI vs. NYR ($5,100): The 28-year-old is redefining his career in the desert, putting up four goals and 17 points through 27 games while averaging nearly 2 minutes of his time per game and handling PP1 responsibilities. This is an intriguing matchup, especially if Keith Kinkaid starts for the Rangers. Kinkaid played nine games for the Rangers last year and recorded an .898 save percentage and a 2.59 GAA.
Jamie Drysdale, ANH vs. SEA ($4,200): Drysdale's in a bit of a slump with no points over the past five games, but he's still averaging 20:13 of ice time per game while skating on PP1. We should expect him to snap out of his cold spell soon, as Drysdale posted 13 points – five with the man advantage – through the first 25 games.
Nick Jensen, WAS at CHI ($3,800): Jensen is producing at one of the highest rates of his career with nine points through 28 games, and he maintains a decent floor with 39 shots and 38 blocked shots through 28 games. He's a useful addition to the Washington stack at a reasonable salary.
