This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate consists of two Game 1s from Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Hurricanes are slight favorites at home against the Devils, while Oilers-Golden Knights is a toss-up. The game in Vegas has an over/under of 6.5 goals, while the one in Carolina comes in at just 5.5.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. NJ ($8,000): Antti Raanta ($8,000) started the first five games of Carolina's first-round series against the Islanders while Andersen worked his way back to full health, but a healthy Andersen finished the job in Game 6 by holding the Islanders to one goal on 34 shots. Andersen has gone 22-11-1 with a 2.43 GAA and .906 save percentage between the regular season and playoffs, and he should get the Game 1 nod in Round 2.
Stuart Skinner, EDM at VGK ($7,900): Skinner was up and down in the first round, but he should continue to get plenty of support from Edmonton's explosive offense. Dating back to the regular season, Skinner has won 17 of his last 22 appearances.
Laurent Brossoit, VGK vs. EDM ($7.500): Brossoit has a highly impressive 11-1-3 record between the regular season and playoffs, but his floor is low against the star-studded Edmonton offense. Consider him a high-risk, high-reward option on home ice in Game 1.
Akira Schmid, NJ at CAR ($7,400): Inserting Schmid in net was one of two things that turned the Devils' first-round series against the Rangers around; the other was New Jersey being awarded a power play for Timo Meier running Igor Shesterkin and the Devils subsequently scoring the tying goal in Game 3 on said power play. Schmid was excellent in four of his five appearances against New York, stopping 111 of 113 shots in his four wins, though he also allowed five goals on 29 shots before being pulled in Game 6.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jack Eichel, VGK vs. EDM ($7,100): Eichel has played some of his best hockey head-to-head against Connor McDavid, who was the only man drafted ahead of Eichel in 2015. After posting a 3-2-5 line in the first round, Vegas' best offensive player will likely need to contribute consistently for his team's offense to keep pace with the Oilers.
Sebastian Aho, CAR vs. NJ ($6,300): Aho unsurprisingly led the way for the Hurricanes in the first round when it came to both goals (four) and points (seven). The underrated top-line center has a history of strong playoff production, with a 22-31-53 line in 54 career playoff appearances.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM at VGK ($6,000): Nugent-Hopkins was limited to four helpers in the first round after a 104-point regular season, but perhaps the opportunity to be the main man on his line will get him going, as the Oilers appears poised to deploy McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same line to begin their second-round series. RNH continues to work on the top power-play unit, where he has scored 56 of his 108 points between the regular season and playoffs.
Jesper Bratt, NJ at CAR ($4,800): Bratt was quiet in the first round after topping 70 points for a second consecutive regular season, but perhaps his empty-netter in Game 7 will get the winger going. Bratt's still skating in the top six and on the first power-play unit, so this could be a buy-low opportunity.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers at Golden Knights
Connor McDavid (C - $10,000), Leon Draisaitl (W - $8,400), Evander Kane (W - $5,500)
The Kings focused on taking away McDavid in the first round, so Draisaitl led the way for the Oilers in both goals (seven) and points (11), and McDavid still found a way to rack up 10 points after scoring a league-leading 153 in the regular season. Draisaitl has a 25-45-70 line in just 43 career playoff games, so he's been one of the best postseason performers in NHL history on a per-game basis, and the two superstars should thrive on the same line after skating on separate lines for most of the first round. Kane has put at least three pucks on net in each of the past five games, and he has three goals over that span.
Devils at Hurricanes
Jack Hughes (C - $7,600), Erik Haula (W - $3,600), Ondrej Palat (W - $3,500)
Hughes is the best offensive player in this series, and he's flanked by a pair of veteran wingers who have outplayed their modest valuations so far this postseason. Haula led the Devils in both goals and points with a 4-2-6 line in the first round, while Palat -- who has plenty of playoff experience from his days in Tampa Bay -- added a 2-3-5 line. Hughes contributed a 3-2-5 line of his own after leading the team in both goals (43) and points (99) during the regular season.
Golden Knights vs. Oilers
Chandler Stephenson (C - $4,300), Mark Stone (W - $5,600), Brett Howden (W - $2,600)
This was easily Vegas' best offensive line in the first round. Stephenson (4-4-8) and Stone (3-5-8) tied for the team lead in points across five games against the Jets, and Stephenson also holds a share of the team postseason goals lead with William Karlsson ($3,600). Howden scored only six goals in the regular season, but he added a 2-2-4 line in the first round.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Burns, CAR vs. NJ ($6,200): Burns' five points in six first-round games trailed only Aho's seven, and that production came despite Burns being denied on all of his team-high 27 shots in the first round. He also blocked six shots in Game 6, so Burns is capable of contributing massive numbers on both ends.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. EDM ($6,000): Pietrangelo's being used as a true No. 1 defenseman in the postseason, as he's skating on the top power-play unit in addition to playing a prominent role on the penalty kill and working on the top pair at even strength. He's been stuffing the stat sheet as expected, averaging a point per game in the first round while notching five blocked shots twice in the last three games.
Evan Bouchard, EDM at VGK ($5,300): Bouchard led all defensemen with 10 points in the first round. Eight of those 10 points came on the power play, and Bouchard should continue to get plenty of opportunities to produce while sharing the ice with McDavid and Draisaitl on the top man advantage unit.
Jonas Siegenthaler, NJ at CAR ($3,000): Siegenthaler can provide some value at just $3,000, as he's being deployed on the top pairing alongside Dougie Hamilton ($5,800). In addition to blocking multiple shots every time he suited up in the first round, Siegenthaler chipped in a goal and an assist in Game 4.
