This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are only three games on tap in the NHL on Wednesday as the schedule winds down. All six teams did not play Tuesday and are rested. Montreal is in New York to play the Islanders, Dallas travels to St. Louis while Calgary hosts San Jose. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. MON ($8,500): The Islanders were handed a huge bonus Tuesday when Chicago upset Pittsburgh. The loss by the Penguins allows the Islanders to advance as the second wild card with only a tie. Sorokin is only 2-3-0 in his last five games, but he has been great between the pipes, giving up only 10 goals on 137 shots. Overall, Sorokin is 30-22-7 with a 2.35 GAA and .924 save percentage. He comes into the game with six shutouts this season and will face the Canadiens, who are 26th in NHL scoring, averaging 2.76 goals per game.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. SJ ($7,100): The Flames have been eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff action and will play their last game of the season. It has not been a good season for Markstrom, who enters the game with a 23-21-12 record, to go with a 2.92 GAA and .892 save percentage. He has played very well in his last three games, giving up only five goals on 97 shots. Unfortunately, the Flames have not been able to find the back of the very often and Markstrom has gone 1-0-2. He faces a Sharks team who do not score a lot, despite the presence of Erik Karlsson, finding the back of the net only 231 times, 25th best in the NHL.
VALUE PLAYS
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY vs. SJ ($4,800): It has not been a good season for Huberdeau, who has only 15 goals and 55 points in 78 games. He will set an NHL record for the biggest drop in points – without suffering an injury -- from a previous year, as he had 115 in 2021-22. The good news is that Huberdeau has hit the scoresheet in 12 of his last 15 games, picking up three goals and 10 assists. He is nicely priced to fill out your roster.
Kasperi Kapanen, STL vs. DAL ($4,300): Kapanen has been solid since his trade to the Blues, scoring eight goals and adding six assists in 21 games. He struggled in Pittsburgh, finding the back of the net seven times in 43 games as he was relegated to a bottom-six role. He is seeing almost five minutes of ice time more with St. Louis than with the Penguins. Kapanen has a point in each of his last two games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars at Blues
Jason Robertson (W - $9,800), Roope Hintz (C -$7,400), Joe Pavelski (W - $7,300)
The Stars' top line is led by 23-year-old Robertson, who has surpassed the 100-point mark for the first time in his NHL career. He has 46 goals and 60 assists in 80 games and is seventh in NHL scoring. Robertson has a goal in his only game versus the Blues this season. Hintz surpassed his career high in points Monday with a goal and three helpers, giving the talented center, 36 goals and 74 points in 71 games. Pavelski has been on a goal-scoring tear of late, finding the back of the net 11 times in his last 15 games. The 38-year-old has 27 goals and 49 assists in 80 games this season. The Stars are still battling the Avalanche for first place in the Central Division, leaving the top line with plenty to play for Wednesday.
Flames vs. Sharks
Elias Lindholm (C-$6,200), Tyler Toffoli (W-$7,400), Dillon Dube (W-$4,300)
The Flames' season ends Wednesday as they will miss the playoffs. Lindholm had plenty of regression this season, scoring 22 goals after lighting the lamp 42 times last season. He has 64 points in 79 games as he had his second-best playmaking season in his career. Toffoli has had an outstanding season, smashing his previous career bests, as he has 34 goals and 73 points in 81 games, with a career high 261 shots. Dube is well priced as the third member of the top line. He has 18 goals and 45 points this season. The great news is that the threesome has had great success against the Sharks this season. Dube has two goals and one helper in three games, while Lindholm has two goals and five assists. Toffoli was a stud, as he found the back of the net five times in three games, while chipping in with a pair of assists. This is a good time to take the Flames top line.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, SJ at CGY ($8,200): It has been a season for the ages for Karlsson, who became the first defenseman since Brian Leetch in the 1991-92 campaign to reach the 100-point mark. Karlsson is only the sixth defenseman to hit the lofty mark, joining Bobby Orr (six times), Paul Coffey (five times), Al MacInnis, Leetch and Denis Potvin. Karlsson has 25 goals and 75 helpers this season, managing five assists in three games against the Flames in the 2022-23 campaign.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at STL ($7,100): Heiskanen equaled the Stars' record for most points by a defenseman Monday, as he picked up a pair of assists to give him 71 points. He tied Sergei Zubov's team record, set in the 2005-06 season. Heiskanen has been hot of late, with nine assists in his last six games. The defensemen picked are expensive, but worth it.
