This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are five games on the NHL slate Friday. Carolina visits St. Louis, Chicago hosts Nashville. Arizona travels to Edmonton, Calgary is in Anaheim and Vegas is home to Minnesota. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Juuse Saros, NSH at CHI ($8,500): Saros is projected to face the Blackhawks, a team he's beaten twice this season - including a 21-save shutout on Jan. 2. He's also gone 2-0-1 in his last three starts.
Logan Thompson, VGK vs. MIN ($7,800): The Golden Knights return home after losing all three on the road. Thompson struggled in Arizona and Vancouver as he allowed a combined 10 goals, but he's done well in Vegas with a 14-5-1 record supplemented by a 2.22 GAA and a .921 save percentage. He stopped 32 shots during a 2-1 victory over the Wild in his only meeting against them this season.
VALUE PLAYS
Tomas Hertl, VGK vs. MIN ($5,500): Hertl has produced one assist in two games with the Golden Knights, his first two appearances after coming over from San Jose and having also been sidelined for the previous 26 outings. Vegas really need his scoring touch on the first power play and as the second-line center.
Troy Terry, ANA vs. CGY ($5,500): Terry posted a huge effort against the Flames last week with a goal and two assists. On the year, he's at 20 goals and 53 points, including 13 on the power play.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Hurricanes at Blues
Sebastian Aho (C - $8,800), Jake Guentzel (W - $9,100), Seth Jarvis (W - $7,600)
Aho has registered 10 goals and nine assists across 13 games while setting a career-high in points at 87. He's also reached the 30-goal mark in five of his last six full seasons. Guentzel has fit in well since the acquisition from Pittsburgh with four goals and six assists on his current six-game point streak and a total of 22 points with Carolina. Jarvis just notched his first 30-goal campaign and has accumulated 63 points. This top unit has also combined for 23 goals and 36 assists on the power play.
Flames at Ducks
Nazem Kadri (C - $7,300), Andrei Kuzmenko (W - $5,000), Martin Pospisil (W - $3,700)
The Flames' first line was shut down by the Kings on Thursday, but they'll be going up against the lowly Ducks Friday and their 30th-ranked GAA. This trio totaled two goals and six points against Anaheim earlier this month, led by Kuzmenko's two markers. He's excelled since moving over from Vancouver with 19 points in 25 appearances. Kadri has recorded nine points in his last eight to give him 68 overall. Pospisil is the only one in this group who isn't on the lead PP and he's only at 20 points on the season, though his 224 hits make up for that. These three come in at a fairly reasonable combined salary and that will help if you're looking to fit one of the stars mentioned in this article.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi, NSH at CHI ($8,200): Josi was already doing well leading up to New Year's with 29 points in 37 games, yet he's been even more unstoppable since with 13 times and 38 assists. He eclipsed the 80-point plateau for the second time in his career Tuesday with a pair of helpers and has provided two in two meetings with the Blackhawks this season.
Mattias Ekholm, EDM vs. ARI ($6,400): Ekholm has been doing well over his last 12 matchups by scoring six times while adding 10 assists. The veteran defender has already equaled his career-high of 44 points, and will look to top that on Friday against the Coyotes.
