This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate consists of just two games 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 come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Sabres are modest home favorites against the Senators, while Bruins-Lightning is a toss-up. Buffalo's game has an over/under of 6.5 goals, while the game in Tampa Bay has an over/under of 6.0.
GOALIES
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF vs. OTT ($8,000): Luukkonen has done all he can to keep Buffalo's faint playoff hopes from being extinguished completely, with a 10-4-1 record in his last 15 starts and three or fewer goals allowed in all but one of those games. Every point is crucial for a Sabres team that's eight points back of the eighth-place Capitals, and Wednesday's home game against a Senators team with the second-fewest points in the Eastern Conference offers a golden opportunity for Buffalo to shrink that gap.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. BOS ($7,800): A lack of depth has held the Lightning back for most of the season, but Tampa has looked reinvigorated since the team's active trade deadline, and Vasilevskiy's recent numbers bear that out. He's 5-0-1 with one shutout in his last six starts. Tampa Bay is also catching Boston at the right time, as the Bruins will be worn out both physically and emotionally after Tuesday's 4-3 win over a physical Panthers team, which moved Boston back atop the Atlantic Division standings.
Linus Ullmark, BOS at TB ($7,600): Ullmark figures to get the second half of Boston's back-to-back after Jeremy Swayman beat the Panthers on Tuesday. While Ullmark has taken a step back after last season's Vezina Trophy-winning campaign, he's still capable of stonewalling any offense behind the stout Boston defense. The Swede is 19-8-7 with a 2.66 GAA and.913 save percentage in 2023-24.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Drake Batherson, OTT at BUF ($5,300): Batherson's sometimes overlooked in Ottawa's talented top six, but he's been consitently productive for more than a month. With two goals and two assists over the last two games, Batherson's up to an 8-8-16 line over his last 17 outings. Batherson's middling valuation makes him an appealing target against a Sabres team that ranks in the middle of the pack defensively with 2.99 goals allowed per game.
Anthony Duclair, TB vs. BOS ($5,000): Consistency has been an issue for Duclair, who has bounced arounf the NHL, but his skill has never been in doubt. When focused and plying in the right situation, Duclair has delivered bursts of outstanding production, and he's in the midst of one now. He got on the scoresheet in each of his last two games with the Sharks and all seven games since being traded to the Lightning, compiling an 8-6-14 line over torrid stretch.
John-Jason Peterka, BUF vs. OTT ($4,000): Peterka's putting the finishing touches on a strong second NHL season. With three goals in his last two games, the 22-year-old winger has bumped his season line up to 24-20-44, and he has a nice opportunity to stay hot against an Ottawa team that's allowing 3.56 goals per game.
Justin Brazeau, BOS at TB ($2,900): Brazeau has been quite the find for the Bruins. The 6-foot-5 forward didn't even have an NHL-eligible contract until recently, but he hasn't looked out of place at all at the highest level. Brazeau has contributed a 4-1-5 line over the past four games while occasionally seeing shifts on Brad Marchand's ($5,700) line.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Bruins
Brayden Point (C - $7,700), Nikita Kucherov (W - $9,600), Brandon Hagel (W - $5,400)
Kucherov's 41-82-123 line has him tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the league points lead, while Point is tied with Kucherov for the team goals lead and ranks second on the Lightning with 80 points in 70 games. Duclair has seen most of the opportunities as the third man on this line lately, but Hagel seems to have been moved back up to the top line, and Hagel's enjoying a career year either way, as he has already tied last season's career high of 64 points. The Lightning gave multiple players the night off against the lowly Ducks in their previous game, but if Point's forced to miss additional time due to what's being termed a lower-body injury, Anthony Cirelli ($4,500) would offer excellent value as Point's replacement on the top line.
Sabres vs. Senators
Tage Thompson (C - $6,500), Alex Tuch (W - $5,500), Jordan Greenway (W - $3,400)
Buffalo's top line will look to capitalize on a favorable matchup against a Senators team that's surrendering 3.56 goals per game -- fourth-most in the NHL. Thompson has had a down year after exploding for a 47-47-94 line last season, but the 6-foot-6 center has found his form lately, compiling a 3-4-7 line during his current six-game point streak. Tuch has a five-game point streak going, with a 1-6-7 line over that span. Greenway's a low-risk, high-reward play skating on the top line, as the physical winger has averaged over 19 minutes of ice time in his last five games.
Bruins at Lightning
Pavel Zacha (C - $4,700), David Pastrnak (W - $9,500), Danton Heinen (W - $3,300)
Kucherov isn't the only superstar set to take the ice in Tampa Bay on Wednesday, as Pastrnak may not be able to match the Russian's point production, but the Czech winger is excelling in his own right with the fourth-most goals (45), fifth-most points (101) and second-most shots (347) in the NHL. Zacha has been rolling with a 6-7-13 line over his last 11 games, and Heinen has three goals in his last six. Tampa Bay has played better lately, but the Lightning are still allowing the ninth-most goals per game overall (3.31).
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF vs. OTT ($6,400): Dahlin should thrive against the defensively challenged Senators. The highly skilled blueliner has at least four shots on goal in each of the last three games, and Dahlin has already produced one multi-goal game during that span. Since the start of last season, Dahlin is fourth among defensemen in goals (32) and seventh in points (125) across 149 appearances.
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at TB ($5,400): McAvoy is Boston's top all-situations defenseman, and his hefty role includes minutes on the top power-play unit. He just posted a goal and an assist Tuesday in Florida, giving McAvoy 44 points in 65 appearances. A third consecutive 50-point season is within reach for McAvoy.
Thomas Chabot, OTT at BUF ($5,200): Chabot has a 3-3-6 line in his last seven appearances. Injuries have held back his counting stats, but Chabot's rate of 0.63 points per game makes him a top-20 offensive defenseman, and he isn't far below the per-game point rates of Dahlin (0.73) and McAvoy (0.68) in 2023-24.
Darren Raddysh, TB vs. BOS ($3,900): Raddysh has thrived on both ends lately, with a 1-6-7 line in his last seven games and multiple blocks in five of the last six. Victor Hedman (lower body) will probably be back in the lineup after missing one game, but if Hedman continues to sit, Raddysh should get a chance to fill in on the top power-play unit.
