This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are just two games on the docket Wednesday. The Oilers will host the Capitals at 8 p.m. EST, and the Canucks will host the Canadiens at 10:30 p.m. EST. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Oilers (-125) and Canucks (-210) are favored at home.
While the Canadiens are turning a corner, it's still tough to trust that team. It may be worth fading them altogether because they're becoming a more popular DFS option, too. The Capitals may be a popular DFS option, as well, but I like siding with the sportsbook on Wednesday and leaning into the Oilers because Ilya Samsonov has struggled immensely this year.
All advanced statistics are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
GOALIES
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. MON ($8,000): Demko has won eight of his last 10 starts, and he has been excellent at home, recording a .931 save percentage, a 2.34 GAA and a 4-1-0 record. The Canadiens have turned things around of late, so this should be a close matchup. I'm favoring the goalie with a longer track record of success rather than the suddenly competent Canadiens.
Mikko Koskinen, EDM vs. WSH ($7,800): Koskinen is an intriguing contrarian option against the high-flying Capitals. His play has been up and down lately, but he has recorded a .910 save percentage, a 2.84 GAA and a 7-2-2 record over the last 12 contests. The Capitals rank 30th in the league since the beginning of February with just 2.11 xGF/60 at even strength.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Evander Kane, EDM vs. WSH (W - $6,800): Kane has been excellent as Leon Draisaitl's sidekick through 18 games. He has posted eight goals and six assists while averaging three shots on net in that span. The matchup against Ilya Samsonov is quite appealing, too.
Bo Horvat, VAN vs. MON (C - $5,900): Horvat is listed on the third line, but it doesn't feel that way because he's averaging more than 19 minutes of ice time per game over the last 11 outings. In that stretch, he posted four goals, six assists and 23 shots on goal. The Canucks captain operates on PP1 as well, and he'll take on Montreal's 29th-ranked PK (74.1 percent).
Anthony Mantha, WSH at EDM (W - $4,700): Mantha will play his third game since missing 45 games with a shoulder injury. Prior to the injury, Mantha has been solid with 14 points through 24 games with the Capitals. While Koskinen is featured in this article, it's easy to see how this game could tilt in the Capitals' favor Wednesday.
LINE STACKS
Canucks 
vs. Canadiens 
J.T. Miller (W - $8,000), Brock Boeser (W - $6,200), Tanner Pearson (W - $4,600)
Miller is riding an 11-game point streak into Wednesday's game, including 19 points with seven on the power play. Boeser and Pearson combined for nine goals and 17 points in that stretch, too, and now they'll take on the Canadiens. While the Canadiens have shown some life of late, goaltender Samuel Montembeault has posted a 4.07 GAA on the road this season.
Oilers 
vs. Capitals
Connor McDavid (C - $10,100), Ryan McLeod (W - $3,500), Zach Hyman (W - $6,300)
McLeod is still developing as a 22-year-old, but he has earned the trust of the best player in the league. McDavid has posted 29 goals and 50 points through 56 games, and Hyman has added 19 goals and 37 points. The Capitals are expected to start Ilya Samsonov – who has posted an .891 save percentage and a 3.48 GAA in 2022 – in the blue paint Wednesday.
DEFENSE
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. WSH ($6,400): Nurse is already handling big minutes on the top pairing, and he could handle even more time because of the injuries on Edmonton's blue line. The 27-year-old blueliner has averaged 3.33 shots on net and nearly two blocked shots per game, providing a solid floor for the salary range.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, VAN vs. MON ($4,500): Ekman-Larsson posted just eight points through the first 42 games, but he has found his game lately with nine points over the last 12 outings. Three of those points were with the man advantage, too, and that should come in handy against the Canadiens' struggling PK.
Ben Chiarot, MON at VAN ($4,500): Chiarot is riding the Canadiens' hot streak with seven points over the last six games while averaging more than 24 minutes per game. I'm going to have trouble fading Demko, but it's worth noting that the Canucks rank last in the league with a 70.2 penalty-kill percentage.
