This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Before we move ahead, the values from last week performed well again.
Nicklas Backstrom failed to capitalize on his ripe matchup against Edmonton, but bounced back with a nice night against Winnipeg on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the royal duo of Tanner Pearson and Alec Martinez didn't explode, but each found the scoresheet -- Martinez twice.
Stick tap to Shayne Gostisbehere. He remains an excellent value while showing fine form (four points through his first six games), while Tuukka Rask won both his starts last week against the Maple Leafs, including a shutout.
On to the values for the week ahead.
Forwards
C: Pavel Datsyuk, DET ($5,400)
With seven games under his belt since returning from a June ankle surgery, Datsyuk appears to have shaken off any rust. The veteran started slowly, but scored goals in consecutive games Saturday and Wednesday, and has averaged 19:26 minutes of ice time.
He has an incredibly favorable upcoming schedule, too. The Red Wings have the Oilers, Panthers, Sabres and Coyotes on deck, and 15th-ranked Florida is the only team in the top half of the league in GAA.
Datsyuk is playing on an interesting line, too, with Brad Richards and Teemu Pulkkinen, a trio that should avoid the opposition's top defenders. Bottom line, though, the salary is too low given Datsyuk's ability.
W: Kevin Hayes, NYR ($4,200)
The sophomore recently joined Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider at even strength, which is a great spot for Hayes. Including his strong finish last year, Hayes has 17 goals and 25 assists through his past 57 regular-season games.
Additionally, the Rangers play four of their next five games at home, where they've gone 10-2-1 while averaging 3.38 goals per game. Those dates are against Philadelphia, Carolina, Colorado and Ottawa, too, none of which checks out as a daunting matchup.
Defensemen
Duncan Keith, CHI ($5,000)
With a three-game point streak -- two goals and a helper -- since returning from injury, Keith didn't require an adjustment period. And he scored another goal Wednesday after failing to find the scoresheet in consecutive games.
The real draw here is the cap hit, though, as his supporting stats are there and the track record of success dates back 10 seasons. Over his past six games, Keith has 10 shots and nine blocked shots with an average of 26:04 minutes per night. Add Keith's role on the No. 1 power-play unit, and he's a solid starting point for your lineups. Just note that Chicago doesn't have the best upcoming schedule.
Michael Stone, ARI ($3,600)
Stone has quietly patched together a strong run of late. He has registered at least 2.5 DraftKings points in five of his past six games, notching a goal, two assists, 14 shots and nine blocked shots while averaging 21:35 minutes of ice time in that span.
Perhaps most intriguing for Stone is his partner on the blue line, the high-scoring Oliver Ekman-Larsson; the two have gelled well together both offensively and defensively.
Arizona has home dates again Calgary and Ottawa up next, and both are favorable spots to roll out Stone. He offers a nice floor with upside at a cap-friendly salary.
Goaltender
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets, $6,000
At minimum price, any goalie is worth considering in favorable matchups. Hellebuyck will have a legitimate chance to earn a timeshare or better for Winnipeg with Ondrej Pavelec (lower body) out until the calendar turns to 2016.
Hellebuyck has shown standout talent both in his NCAA career with UMass-Lowell and in the AHL. He also was an absolute star at the World Championship last spring, posting a .948 save percentage and 1.37 GAA through eight games.
There will be risk rolling out Hellebuyck, especially in non-favorable matchups. Still, the cap space the goalie opens up will allow for hefty spending elsewhere. The Jets' team save percentage of .899 is less than ideal, and with a strong early showing, Hellebuyck should have a legitimate shot to steal the crease. There could be lasting value here.
