SLATE PREVIEW
There are three games on the NHL slate Friday. Vegas hosts Colorado, a tired Islanders team travels to Washington and Anaheim is home to a Detroit side that played in LA on Thursday. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
John Gibson, DET at ANA ($7,400): Gibson returns to Anaheim for the first time since being dealt to Detroit during the offseason. He's been strong of late going 4-1-0 with a 2.60 GAA and .902 save percentage across his last five starts.
Logan Thompson, WSH vs. NYI ($8,200): Thompson saw his five-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, yet only allowed one goal. He's compiled a 5-2-0 record on the season with a sizzling 1.44 GAA and save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS
Aliaksei Protas, WSH vs. NYI ($5,100): Protas produced 66 points last year despite only picking up one assist on the power play. He's getting much more man-advantage work (2:02 average) and has already tallied one helper there with nine points overall.
Valeri Nichushkin, COL at VGS ($4,800): Nichushkin is off to a solid start with five goals and three assists. He plays on the Avs' second line and participates on the first power play where he's registered a goal and assist.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Avalanche at Golden Knights
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,000), Martin Necas (W - $7,000), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $5,000)
MacKinnon has been a stud for the last eight seasons and will surely make it nine in a row. having already potted nine goals (tied for the league lead) and eight assists. Necas is ready to explode after signing a new mega contract and has already supplied 13 points. Lehkonen comes in at a low salary while producing four goals and seven assists so far.
DEFENSEMEN
Matthew Schaefer, NYI at WSH ($5,300): Schaefer continues to impress as he potted his third goal of the season on Thursday to get him up to eight points while quarterbacking the Isles' lead man-advantage and sits third on the club with 31 shots.
Jackson LaCombe, ANA vs. DET ($5,000): LaCombe may only have three assists, but all of them - including two on the power play - have come during the last five outings. He continues to run the point while up a man and is coming off a huge 2024-25 where he went off for 14 goals and 29 assists. LaCombe is also averaging 4:10 of power-play time this season.
