This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
We've got a single NHL game Friday. Arizona hosts Carolina at 9 p.m. Once upon a time, that would have been the Jets hosting the Whalers, but here we are. On DraftKings, you get $50,000 in salary for six players. One is your Captain. They will earn you 1.5 times the points, but have an elevated salary. He's a lineup I landed on.
CAPTAIN
Martin Necas, CAR at ARI ($12,000): Necas at this salary feels like a steal, especially for the Captain of a lineup. The Coyotes are the team to target, especially with Connor Ingram hurt and Karel Vejmelka now in line to start. He has a career .898 save percentage. Since returning from injury, Necas has nine points in nine games, plus a whopping 41 shots on net.
FLEX
Sebastian Aho, CAR at ARI ($10,200): Aho isn't so elite I wanted him as my Captain, but he's Carolina's top offensive player to be sure. He paces the Hurricanes with 19 goals and 57 points, and that's through 49 games. Arizona has the 18th-ranked penalty kill and has allowed 32.1 shots on net per contest as well.
Seth Jarvis, CAR at ARI ($8,200): Second on the Canes in points? That would be Jarvis with 41. He's been scoring points consistently, with at least one point in 10 of his last 12 games. That's impressive, but that is also with Jarvis posting a 6.7 shooting percentage. Yes, he's been productive, but also unlucky.
Lawson Crouse, ARI vs. CAR ($7,800): I didn't want just Hurricanes, but what Coyotes to go with? Well, the Hurricanes are first in shots on net allowed per game, but 12th in GAA. Goaltending has been an issue, and Pyotr Kochetkov has a .902 save percentage. Crouse's 19 goals have come with a 17.0 shooting percentage, and he has a 16.0 shooting percentage over the last three seasons. He's shown he can find success even without a ton of shots.
Michael Bunting, CAR at ARI ($5,800): In his first season with Carolina, Bunting has 32 points in 51 games. That includes 15 points with the extra man. As I noted, the Coyotes have the 18th-ranked penalty kill. That isn't terrible, but it's enough for me to roster Bunting.
Jack McBain, ARI vs. CAR ($5,600): McBain rounds out my roster for a simple reason: He's the first-line center for the Coyotes. That means he skates with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. At this salary, that makes him worth a shot.
