This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There are just two games in the NHL on Friday, which means there are limited options when looking to differentiate your selections. Here are a handful of players across multiple salaries to consider while assembling your DraftKings lineups.
GOALIE
Devan Dubnyk, MIN vs. TAM ($8,200): This salary isn't prohibitive enough to fade the Vezina candidate. Even with his mediocre performance over his past 14 starts (.905 save percentage and 2.78 GAA), Dubnyk has 11 wins. Tampa Bay enters with a 5-9-2 record since the beginning of January while averaging 2.36 goals per 60 minutes. With the likelihood of the Chicago-Winnipeg game turning into a high-scoring bout, taking the best goaltender in the shallow player pool is all the more enticing.
CENTER
Jonathan Toews, CHI at WPG ($6,100): Scorching of late with four goals, 11 points and 21 shots through his past seven games, Toews is also making a hometown appearance Friday. Winnipeg has allowed the third-most goals per 60 minutes (3.08) and owns the seventh-worst team save percentage (.899) in the league. There is also a chance that Toews flies under the radar with Chicago backers turning to the Patrick Kane-Artemi Panarin combo.
Bryan Little, WPG vs. CHI ($6,000): With Corey Crawford struggling (.898 save percentage and 3.13 GAA over his past 13 outings), Little is a nice value centering talented youngsters Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine. The veteran pivot has eight goals and 12 points through his past nine games, and he's combined with Ehlers and Laine for 3.5 goals per 60 minutes this season.
WING
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG vs. CHI ($5,900): After flashing high-end skill during his rookie campaign, Ehlers has translated his elite scoring ability into offensive results this season. His 2.78 points per 60 minutes rank 15th among all skaters with 900 minutes this season, and he's posted 14 goals, 23 points and 65 shots through his past 23 games. This salary doesn't match Ehlers' current form, and the matchup is also cushy.
Nino Niederreiter, MIN vs. TAM ($5,300): Currently skating in a top-line role and as a member of the No. 1 power-play unit, Niederreiter has also rattled off consecutive multi-point showings and has 16 points -- eight goals -- through his latest 14 games. He's also shown an uptick in shot volume (3.14 per game) during that span. The matchup checks out, too, as Tampa Bay's allowed 3.1 goals per 60 minutes since the beginning of January.
Nick Schmaltz, CHI at WPG ($3,600): Projected to skate with Jonathan Toews, Schmaltz scored Wednesday against Minnesota and offers significant cap relief. As noted, there's nothing scary about the matchup, and the first-year professional has been a solid scorer at the lower levels, including posting six goals and nine points through 14 AHL games this
year. It won't take much to meet value in what should be a high-scoring, back-and-forth game against Winnipeg.
DEFENSE
Ryan Suter, MIN vs. TAM ($4,900): With just nine shots and no points through his past seven games, Suter has positive offensive regression ahead. He's averaging 27:13 of ice time (2:43 with the man advantage) for the campaign and provides solid peripheral coverage with 102 shots and 72 blocked shots this season. In fact, Suter could hit value without registering a point, but look for him to snap his seven-game skid against Tampa Bay on Friday.
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. CHI ($3,300): Three outings removed from a solid seven-game stretch (one goal and five assists), Morrissey is finding his game at the highest level. The former WHL standout showed significant offensive upside in juniors and has averaged 20:26 over the past 10 games while slotting into a strong blue-line pair with Jacob Trouba. View Morrissey as an upside source of cap relief for Friday's contests.
