This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's modest NHL slate begins at 7:30 PM Eastern time and features only two games. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Maple Leafs-Rangers game features two top-10 offenses, while the Bruins will make life difficult for host Chicago, as Boston owns a top-10 offense and the league's stingiest defense. This will be the second game in as many nights for both the Bruins and Blackhawks.
GOALIES
Boston's Jaroslav Halak ($8,000) is the chalk play in net against a slightly below average Chicago offense that's considerably less dangerous than the three top-10 units in this slate. After watching Tuukka Rask shut out the Canucks on Tuesday, Halak will look to improve on his excellent 13-6-6 record, 2.42 GAA and .920 save percentage.
Igor Shesterkin ($7,400) is living up to the hype early in his NHL career. After dominating the KHL in his native Russia and looking equally impressive in the AHL following his move to North America this season, Shesterkin has forced his way onto the Rangers' roster with his excellent play, leading to a three-man goalie rotation. He hasn't slowed down since reaching the top level, going 3-1-0 with a 2.51 GAA and .927 save percentage in his first four starts. For what it's worth, Shesterkin has also looked quite adept handling the puck and is more likely than most goalies to contribute to the offense — he shot at an empty net with purpose twice in this past Friday's win over the Red Wings but couldn't quite hit the mark.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
William Nylander ($5,600) is on a massive hot streak for Toronto. He has a 6-4-10 line and 34 shots over an active eight-game point streak, as well as a 14-11-25 line in his last 19 games. The 23-year-old winger is primed to keep rolling in this battle of teams that have top-10 offenses but defenses that rank among the 10 most generous.
The Rangers are reshuffling their lines ahead of this one, and 20-year-old pivot Filip Chytil ($3,000) should be the biggest beneficiary of this new arrangement. He's been bumped up into a top-six role to center a line with star winger Artemi Panarin ($6,000), putting Chytil in a great position to add to his 11-6-17 line through 42 games against a Toronto team that's allowing 3.25 goals per game.
David Pastrnak ($8,200) relinquished the league goals lead Tuesday after Alex Ovechkin's latest hat trick bumped the Russian up to 40 goals, but Pastrnak is still one goal clear of Auston Matthews for second with 38 and ranks third league-wide with 75 points. Boston's talented winger is a strong choice as the centerpiece of your lineup.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs at Rangers
Auston Matthews (C - $8,300), Mitch Marner (W - $7,000), Zach Hyman (W - $4,800)
This red-hot line should keep rolling against a Rangers team that's struggled mightily in its own zone, allowing 3.22 goals per game. Matthews has 18 goals, 28 points and 88 shots in his past 19 games. Marner has a 10-25-35 line over his last 23 games, and Hyman has a 4-6-10 line over his past eight. In the first two meetings between these teams this season, Matthews and Marner each produced a two-goal performance.
Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
Mika Zibanejad (C - $6,000), Chris Kreider (W - $4,500), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $4,100)
This game should feature plenty of scoring from both sides, and New York's top line is quite affordable given the circumstances. Zibanejad has a 20-23-43 line in 38 appearances, and he's peppered the net with pucks en route to a 3-5-8 line and 30 shots in his last six games. Buchnevich has three goals on 14 shots in his last four games. Kreider is questionable due to an upper-body injury, but the winger should be worth plugging in if he plays given his point-per-game pace (12-10-22) over his last 22 appearances prior to getting hurt. If Kreider can't go, look for recent call-up Phil Di Giuseppe ($2,800) — who has 14 goals in 43 games with AHL Hartford this season — to take his spot for the second straight game.
Blackhawks vs. Bruins
Kirby Dach (C - $3,200), Patrick Kane (W - $6,800), Brandon Saad (W - $4,000)
If you're going against the grain and targeting the Blackhawks against Boston, this is the line to turn to. Kane had a 12-game point streak snapped Tuesday, but he's still on pace to top 100 points for a second consecutive season with a 25-40-65 line. As for his affordable linemates, Dach has a 1-4-5 line in his last four games, and Saad's at 7-1-8 over his last nine appearances.
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie ($5,100) is the most expensive blueliner in this slate, but not by much, and he should live up to his spot at the top given his recent production. His slow start in a Maple Leafs uniform has become a distant memory, as Barrie's playing at a point-per-game pace over his past 16 appearances.
Torey Krug ($4,900) is on pace to breeze by the 50-point mark for a fourth consecutive season, as he's compiled a 7-30-37 line in 46 appearances. The diminutive defenseman is the clear go-to option if you're looking for offense from the Bruins' blue line.
Jacob Trouba ($4,200) has carved out a high floor for himself with well-rounded production. He ranks in the top 20 with 93 blocks and 12th among defensemen with 132 shots — one spot behind Barrie (135). The well-compensated Rangers defenseman chips in on the scoresheet as well, with a 7-16-23 line on the heels of last year's 50-point campaign with Winnipeg.
