This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are five games on the NHL schedule Friday. Chicago travels to Detroit, Washington hosts Montreal, Vancouver plays in Carolina, Winnipeg is home to Los Angeles and Utah welcomes San Jose.
GOALIES
Karel Vejmelka, UTA vs. SJS ($8,400): Vejmelka is only 1-4-1 in his last six starts, allowing 17 goals on 182 shots (.907 save percentage). But overall, the 28-year-old has come into his own this season, despite his 9-11-3 mark, he has a 2.43 GAA and a .915 save percentage across 25 appearances. He has a firm hold of the top job in Utah, especially with Connor Ingram still out of action with an upper-body injury. Vejmelka will face Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks, who are averaging 2.60 goals per game this season, 28th in the NHL.
Logan Thompson, WAS vs. MON ($8,200): Thompson has been everything the Capitals could have hoped for – and more – after he was dealt from Vegas in the offseason. The 27-year-old netminder is an eye-popping 17-2-2 for the surprising Capitals, with a 2.31 GAA and a .919 save percentage. The Capitals are giving him plenty of rest as they are alternating Thompson and Charlie Lindgren every other game. Thompson will face the Canadiens, who are middle of the pack as far as goal-scoring is concerned, as they are averaging 3.00 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Logan Cooley, UTA vs. SJS ($5,200): Cooley has been flying over the last month of action, as he has four goals and 13 points (including four goals and four assists on the power play) in his last 12 games. Cooley had 20 goals and 44 points in 82 regular-season games as a rookie last season and is poised to smash that mark this season, as he has 11 goals and 35 points in his first 40 contests. Cooley was selected third overall in 2022 and is showing why he was so highly regarded in his draft year.
Conor Garland, VAN at CAR ($5,100): Garland is seeing top-line action with Jake DeBrusk and Pius Suter. He is also on the top power-play unit and is well on his way to a career year as the 28-year-old has 11 goals and 30 points in 40 outings. Garland's career-bests are 19 goals and 52 points in 77 games during the 2021-22 campaign, his first with the Canucks after a trade from Arizona in July of 2021.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, WAS vs. MON ($4,500): Dubois has been on fire of late with three goals and 12 points in his last 11 games. He had a pair of goals Wednesday in a 2-1 overtime win over Vancouver and is putting his sad season with the Kings in 2023-24 behind him. Dubois has seven goals and 33 points in 41 appearances this season, more in line with his 60- and 63-point seasons with the Jets in 2021-22 and the following season, rather than his lackluster 2023-24 campaign with the Kings, when he managed only 40 points in 82 games. He is a great piece to help fill out your roster.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Jets vs. Kings
Kyle Connor (W - $9,000), Mark Scheifele (C - $7,500), Gabriel Vilardi (W - $5,500)
The Jets' top line has been outstanding this season. Connor and Scheifele each have 23 goals with Connor chipping in with 30 helpers, while Scheifele has 25. Vilardi has 19 goals and 37 points in 42 games and is playing against his former teammates from Los Angeles, where he spent the first four seasons of his NHL career before being traded to Winnipeg as part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade in the 2023 offseason. The Jets have 23 power-play goals from the trio, led by Vilardi's 10, one better than Connor. Despite their high price tags, it could be a good matchup as the Kings could be reeling from all the distractions of the wildfires back home.
Capitals vs. Canadiens
Aliaksei Protas (W - $4,500), Dylan Strome (C - $6,000), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,500)
The Capitals are getting a terrific season out of Protas, despite the lack of power-play time for the 24-year-old, who is averaging only four seconds of power-play time per game. Protas still has 18 goals, 18 assists and a +24 rating. Ovechkin has returned to action after missing 16 games with a broken fibula. He has 19 goals and 30 points in just 25 appearances, including five goals and eight points with the man-advantage. Strome has picked up the pace once again, since the return of Ovechkin, as he has a goal and six assists in his last seven games, giving the center 12 goals and 45 points in 41 games. This line is less expensive than the Winnipeg trio, in case you can only afford one complete unit in your lineup.
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev, UTA vs. SJS ($5,800): Sergachev has eight goals and 29 points in 40 games, including two goals and 10 helpers on the power play. Sergachev is having his second-best season in the NHL (he had 10 goals and 54 assists in 79 games two seasons ago with Tampa Bay) and is well worth his affordable price tag.
Quinn Hughes, VAN at CAR ($8,000): You can rarely go wrong taking Hughes. He has been a stud offensively over the past five seasons. He had a career-high 92 points last season, including 17 goals. He is on a better pace this season, with eight goals and 45 points in only 36 appearances. Hughes continues to be one of the few bright spots in a dismal 2024-25 campaign for the Canucks.
