This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate is a light one, with just three games on tap after 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Vancouver's players should be popular across the board, as the Canucks will play host to a Kings team that's expected to finish near the bottom of the standings and is skating in its second game in as many nights. The Flyers' top forwards get an excellent opportunity to pile up points against a Devils team that's been outscored 12-6 through two games, and the hot-starting Sabres will look to keep rolling at home against a Canadiens team that's not starting No. 1 goalie Carey Price.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom ($7,700) should be a popular option in net for Vancouver against the visiting Kings. He's winless with a 2.57 GAA and .902 save percentage through two starts, but the hulking Swede gets a nice opportunity to turn things around here against a tired opponent.
Carter Hart ($8,000) of the Flyers is the most expensive goalie in this slate. The second-year netminder posted a .917 save percentage in 31 games as a rookie and turned aside 28 shots in a 4-3 win over the Blackhawks to start his season.
If you're looking for a cheap against-the-grain option in net, Cory Schneider ($7,200) is your guy. He stopped 19 of 21 shots before exiting early in the third period of New Jersey's first game due to cramps, so we haven't seen much of Schneider yet as he attempts to erase his injury-riddled past three campaigns and get back to the form that saw him post a GAA no higher than 2.26 in every season from 2010-11 to 2015-16.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
With a goal and an assist on nine shots through two games, Max Domi ($6,100) seems primed to back up the 72-point breakout campaign he delivered in his first season with Montreal. The Sabres have gotten worse defensively with each game (allowing one goal, then two, then four), so Montreal's best offensive player should provide nice value at his price.
Kings center Anze Kopitar ($6,300) only delivered 60 points last season after producing a career-best 92 in 2017-18, but he's off to a flying start offensively through two games in 2019-20. He opened the season with a three-point effort, then added a helper on Drew Doughty's overtime winner Tuesday night.
Tanner Pearson ($4,900) has been Vancouver's biggest threat offensively with a goal on 13 shots through two games. In addition to being a favorable matchup, this is a revenge game for the winger, who played at least part of every season from 2013-14 to 2018-19 with the Kings.
Another winger off to a hot start is New Jersey's Blake Coleman ($3,900). Coleman has two goals and an assist — including a highlight reel one-handed tally — over the Devils' first two games. His point total climbed from 25 in his first full season in 2017-18 to 36 last year, and Coleman appears to be taking his game to another level once again.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Canucks vs. Kings
Elias Pettersson (C - $5,300), Brock Boeser (W - $5,200), J.T. Miller (W - $3,800)
This line's off to a slow start, but a matchup with Kings goalie Jonathan Quick should help cure its ills, making this a great buy-low opportunity. Quick was once among the league's elite in net, but injuries have sapped his ability, leading to a 3.38 GAA and .888 save percentage last season and six goals allowed on 31 shots in his only start of 2019-20. Pettersson's coming off a 66-point rookie season, Boeser recorded 55-plus points in each of the past two years despite failing to dress for 70 games in either campaign, and Miller's occupying a first-line role for the first time after topping 40 points in each of the last four seasons in lesser roles between the Rangers and Lightning.
Sabres vs. Canadiens
Marcus Johansson (C - $3,200), Jeff Skinner (W - $7,300), Vladimir Sobotka (W - $3,300)
Buffalo's top line is awfully pricey, so the best value against a Canadiens team that's starting backup goalie Keith Kinkaid likely lies in the Sabres' second line. Skinner is clearly the crown jewel of this line. He features on the No. 1 power-play unit and already has two goals through three games after potting 40 last season. Johansson was brought in this offseason to add depth scoring, and the former 58-point scorer has done just that with a goal and an assist through three games. Sobotka is the least enticing member of this line, but he's held his own with five shots through two games.
Flyers vs. Devils
Sean Couturier (C - $6,800), Travis Konecny (W - $6,600), Oskar Lindblom (W - $4,400)
The Flyers have spread out their talent nicely among their top two lines, and the Couturier line is the one that found more success in the team's first game. Couturier didn't get on the scoresheet himself, but it won't be long until he does after totaling 76 points in each of the past two seasons. The 22-year-old Konecny was the star in the opener with two goals and an assist, while the 23-year-old Lindblom lit the lamp as well on five shots. Given New Jersey's early defensive struggles, this line is primed for an even better performance.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Dahlin ($6,000) has opened the season on a three-game point streak (one goal, four assists). The price for the first overall selection from the 2018 draft should continue to climb as the season unfolds, so grab Dahlin at $6,000 against the Price-less Canadiens.
Alexander Edler ($5,500) is Vancouver's No. 1 blueliner, and he's playing like one. Edler has a goal on seven shots to go with four blocks through two games, and he's topped 25 minutes of ice time in each contest.
Drew Doughty ($5,400) is still among the league's best from the back end. He has recorded no fewer than 44 points in each of the past five seasons, and is well on pace to eclipse that total with two power-play goals and two assists through Los Angeles' first two games.
Shayne Gostisbehere ($4,500) is coming off a 37-point down year, but he totaled 65 points in 2017-18. You'll rarely find a defenseman with such a high ceiling available this cheap against such a vulnerable opponent.
