SLATE PREVIEW
There are four games on the NHL slate Friday. Detroit hosts the Rangers, the Islanders are home to Minnesota, Chicago travels to Calgary and Winnipeg heads to San Jose. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIE
David Rittich, NYI vs. MIN ($8,000): Rittich will face a tired Wild team on Friday that lost in Carolina Thursday. He's off to a solid start with a 3-1-0 record, 3.01 GAA and .902 save percentage while only allowing two goals in each of his three wins.
VALUE PLAYS
Frank Nazar, CHI at CGY ($5,300): Nazar hasn't registered a point in any of his last four games, though he's accumulated 11 points overall with three of those coming on the power play.
Will Smith, SJ vs. WPG ($4,900): Smith has racked up five goals and eight assists so far. The fourth pick from 2023 also benefits from skating with Macklin Celebrini on the first line and man-advantage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Red Wings vs. Rangers
Dylan Larkin (C - $7,200), Emmitt Finnie (W - $4,500), Lucas Raymond (W - $5,800)
This trio is relatively inexpensive due to Finnie's outstanding value. The former 7th-round selection has produced four goals and four assists, but hasn't found the scoresheet during his last five games. Larkin is among the league leaders at 18 points while Raymond is at 12. All three participate on Detroit's lead power play, though Finnie could move down on Friday if Patrick Kane (upper body) returns to action.
DEFENSEMEN
Matthew Schaefer, NYI vs. MIN ($5,400): Schaefer has been outstanding with five goals and six assists while skating just under 22 minutes a night. He's also notched five points on the power play. Grab Schaefer while his salary is still significantly undervalued.
Moritz Seider, DET vs. NYR ($5,700): Seider saw his four-game scoring streak end on Tuesday. He's registered one goal and five assists on the season, with all five helpers coming while up a man.
