This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are six games on the NHL slate Friday. Philadelphia plays in Buffalo, Washington travels to Carolina, Detroit hosts the Rangers, Colorado visits Edmonton, Seattle plays in Anaheim and Arizona hosts Vegas. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF vs. PHI ($7,600): Luukkonen was a bit shaky over two starts where he gave up seven goals on 31 shots, but turned it around on Tuesday by beating Washington. He's been great overall this season, including making 38 saves during a 5-2 win over Philly in November.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at DET ($8,300): Shesterkin allowed three goals against Jersey on Wednesday, though he couldn't be faulted for any of them. He's been excellent over the second half of the season and will face the Red Wings, a team he defeated on Nov. 29.
VALUE PLAYS
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at DET ($5,800): Lafreniere is finally coming into his own. After being selected first overall in 2020, he only managed a combined 91 points through his first three seasons. Lafreniere has been hot of late with eight goals and seven assists from 11 games, highlighted by a career-high five-point performance in Arizona on Saturday.
Shane Wright, SEA at ANA ($3,400): Wright spent most of the season in the AHL, where he posted 20 goals and 23 points across 56 appearances. He came through in his return to the Kraken by scoring his first of the season versus San Jose.
Casey Mittelstadt, COL at EDM ($5,800): Mittelstadt has fared well since moving from Buffalo at the deadline with four goals and four assists over 12 outings. He also comes in at a reasonable salary having mainly filled the Avs' need of a second-line center while participating on the power play.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Sabres vs. Flyers
Tage Thompson (C - $7,400), Alex Tuch (W - $6,700), John-Jason Peterka (W - $5,600)
The Sabres' first line has been on fire since Mar. 9 as Thompson has racked up nine goals and eight assists. Tuch has been equally excellent during the same stretch with 14 points while Peterka has supplied 11. All three also participate on the lead man-advantage, where they've combined for 13 goals and 19 assists.
Hurricanes vs. Capitals
Sebastian Aho (C - $9,000), Jake Guentzel (W - $8,700), Seth Jarvis (W - $7,600)
The Hurricanes added Guentzel to bolster their attack, and he's responded with three goals and 14 assists. He's been helped by the outstanding play of Aho, who's managed 17 points from his last 12 games and has set a new career-high with 85. Jarvis makes up the third member of the line and has contributed has 10 goals and four assists over 13 matchups to give him personal-bests of 29 goals and 62 points. This trio lists a high combined salary, but all three have recently performed well against the Caps.
DEFENSEMEN
Owen Power, BUF vs. PHI ($4,200): Power is starting to show more offense of late with a goal and six points in his last 10 appearances. The first selection from the 2021 Draft has posted six goals and 30 points with 100 shots, making him a nice addition if you need salary cap relief.
Jamie Drysdale, PHI at BUF ($4,000): Drysdale returned to the Philly lineup Monday and promptly picked up an assist on four shots. He's been injury-prone, but is generally an offensive threat when available. Drysdale's fantasy value has also been boosted as he's back to quarterbacking the Flyers' top power play.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. COL ($7,900): Bouchard's career took off after the Oilers dealt Tyson Barrie to Nashville. He was immediately installed on the first man-advantage, where he registered 23 of his 36 points. Bouchard has continued that hot run into this season with 16 goals and 60 assists, including 34 PPPs.
