This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate features three 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
Two of Wednesday's three games feature heavy home favorites, as the Blues are looking to keep their slim playoff hopes alive against the Blackhawks, while the Canucks are expected to take care of business against the Coyotes. The third game is a toss-up between the Golden Knights and Oilers in a possible playoff preview from Edmonton. Coyotes-Canucks has an over/under of 6.5 goals, while the other two games come in at 6.0.
GOALIES
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. CHI ($8,400): Binnington hasn't been the most consistent of late, but he's doing enough to win games and keep the Blues within shouting distance of the postseason. He's 6-2-1 in his last nine outings despite allowing multiple goals in all but one of those games. Getting back in the win column will be imperative for St. Louis here, and Binnington has a nice opportunity to post strong personal statistics against a Blackhawks team that's averaging a league-low 2.18 goals per game.
Arturs Silovs, VAN vs. ARI ($8,100): Thatcher Demko (knee) is nearing a return, but while Casey DeSmith ($8,300) has held the fort for most of Demko's absence, Silovs has been a pleasant surprise since getting his shot in net. The Latvian's 3-0-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .909 save percentage, and he held the Coyotes to one goal on 21 shots in a 2-1 win a week ago.
Petr Mrazek, CHI at STL ($7,000): Mrazek has some against-the-grain appeal, as he's been locked in lately despite his team's struggles in front of him. Over his last four starts, Mrazek has allowed just seven goals on 146 shots for a .952 save percentage, but he has just a 2-2-0 record to show for his outstanding efforts.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Leon Draisaitl, EDM vs. VGK ($7,900): Connor McDavid ($9,800) is questionable for this game, but Edmonton's other superstar should remain a strong play regardless of McDavid's status. Draisaitl is tied for seventh in the league with 102 points and tied for 12th with 40 goals, while Vegas may be without top goaltender Adin Hill (lower body) once again.
Connor Bedard, CHI at STL ($7,000): Bedard's play has been one of the few bright spots for the Blackhawks, as the 2023 first overall pick has largely lived up to the hype. Despite dressing in just 63 games, Bedard leads the team in both goals (22) and points (59), while the DraftKings scoring system doesn't punish his minus-38 rating.
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. ARI ($6,100): Boeser has lit the lamp in each of the last two games to reach the 40-goal mark. He'll look to keep rolling offensively against a Coyotes team that's allowing 3.35 goals per game overall and is coming off a 5-0 loss in Seattle on Tuesday.
Nick Schmaltz, ARI at VAN ($5,300): Schmaltz's red-hot finish to the season has seen him post multiple points in five of his last seven outings. The talented winger skates on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit, and Schmaltz leads the Coyotes with 10 power-play goals. The penalty kill has been a sore spot in an otherwise outstanding season for the Canucks, as Vancouver is more generous than league average at 78.0 percent.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights at Oilers
Jack Eichel (C - $8,500), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $6,700), Ivan Barbashev (W - $3,700)
Vegas' top line features two of the league's most productive offensive players. Eichel's 29-34-63 line has come in just 58 games, putting him in the top 25 in scoring rate, while Marchessault's 41 goals are 11th-most in the NHL. Barbashev has chipped in a 3-2-5 line in the last six games. The Oilers have already clinched a playoff spot, while the Golden Knights can't afford to take their foot off the gas just yet, as they sit five points clear of the Blues with five games left for Vegas and four for St. Louis.
Blues vs. Blackhawks
Robert Thomas (C - $6,400), Brayden Schenn (W -$4,100), Zack Bolduc (W- $3,000)
The Blues have four games left and sit five points back of the Golden Knights for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, so they can't afford to take their foot off the gas against the second-worst team in the NHL standings. Thomas has been the Blues' best player all season, with a 24-57-81 line giving him 18 more points than second-place Jordan Kyrou ($7,200). Schenn has come alive during St. Louis' late-season playoff push, with at least one point in nine of his last 12 games, including a 4-1-5 line in his last four. Bolduc is taking advantage of his promotion to the top line, with one goal on seven shots over the last two games.
Canucks vs. Coyotes
J.T. Miller (C - $6,900), Conor Garland (W - $4,400), Dakota Joshua (W - $3,100)
Miller is one of nine skaters to reach the 100-point threshold, having hit that number on the button with a 35-65-100 line. The productive center and his pair of affordable winger should generate plenty of chances against a Coyotes team that's surrendering 3.35 goals per game. Garland has three goals in his last three games and at least one point in 11 of his last 14. Joshua has added a 3-1-4 line in his last five games.
DEFENSEMEN
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. VGK ($6,500): Bouchard is averaging over a point per game with a 17-62-79 line in 76 appearances, and he's showing no signs of slowing down, with 19 points in his last 14 outings. Regardless of McDavid's availability, Bouchard will remain a key piece on Edmonton's lethal power play, which ranks fourth in the league at 26.6 percent.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. ARI ($5,900): Hughes will be motivated to keep producing down the stretch as he pushes for the Norris Trophy. He has three multi-point efforts in his last four games to push his season line to 17-71-88, one point above Cale Makar for the league lead among defensemen. That recent hot streak includes a goal and an assist in Arizona last Wednesday.
Noah Hanifin, VGK at EDM ($4,900): With Alex Pietrangelo (illness) unavailable, Hanifin has stepped up as Vegas' do-it-all blueliner. Hanifin has stepped the stat sheet with a 2-1-3 line (all o the power play), nine shots and 10 blocked shots over the past three games, and he has topped 22 minutes of ice time in each of the past 10 games.
Scott Perunovich, STL vs. CHI ($2,600): Perunovich is getting a look on the top power-play unit with Justin Faulk (upper body) unavailable. At just $100 above the minimum valuation, Perunovich is a low-risk, high-reward play against a Blackhawks team that's allowing 3.47 goals per game. The 25-year-old blueliner has supplied an assist in each of the last two games.
