This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
We're back to business as usual in the NHL. After the league returned from a three-day break Tuesday, there are five games on the docket Wednesday. There are some interesting matchups, and here are some players that we're particularly positive about.
GOALIE
Steve Mason, PHI at STL ($7,500): Carter Hutton, who has a .893 save percentage, will be in net for the Blues, which gives Mason and the Flyers a better chance of picking up a win. Sure, Mason's overall numbers may not entice you, but he's 8-2-1 with a 2.27 GAA and .923 save percentage in December. Philly only gives up 28.9 shots per game, while St. Louis only puts 28.5 on net. Mason has a solid chance to pick up a win, and at this price, he has the potential to be a steal.
CENTER
Jeff Carter, LOS at VAN ($6,900): Vancouver gives up 3.09 goals per game on 30.4 shots per contest, which bodes well for one of the league's leading goal scorers in Carter. He's notched 19 goals on 111 shots. Yes, his shooting percentage is unusually high, but this matchup is so good it's worth taking advantage of regardless.
Brayden Schenn, PHI at STL ($6,200): Hutton is the most questionable goalie in action Wednesday, and Schenn should be well positioned to take advantage. The 25-year-old has 21 points, with 12 of those on the power play, in 33 games. St. Louis has a potent penalty kill, but things are different with Hutton in net rather than Jake Allen.
WING
Mitch Marner, TOR at FLA ($6,400): Auston Matthews is the Maple Leafs rookie people get the most excited about, but Marner is tied with Matthews for the team lead in points with 26. With eight goals on 85 shots, he's also doing it with a very reasonable shooting percentage. Marner will also cost you quite a bit less than his fellow stud rookie ($7,700).
Alexander Radulov, MON at TAM ($5,900): Tampa netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy has struggled mightily recently, with a 3.84 GAA and a .876 save percentage in his last eight games. That's an encouraging sign for Radulov, who has 23 points, including seven on the power play. Tampa ranks 22nd on the penalty kill, and Radulov plays three minutes a night with the extra man. When you throw Vasilevskiy's struggles on top of that, Radulov looks quite good on paper.
Jaromir Jagr, FLA vs. TOR ($5,200): The cagiest of all cagey veterans, Jagr has 21 points this season, and he's managed to put 88 shots on goal. Frederik Andersen has been formidable in December, but the Maple Leafs do allow 32.4 shots per game. Jagr is pretty cheap, but there's still life left in his legs. His 6.8 shooting percentage is his lowest in the last decade, so he might even have been a bit unlucky to this point.
DEFENSE
Alec Martinez, LOS at VAN ($5,000): Martinez is still actually averaging more DraftKings fantasy points per game than Drew Doughty (3.4 to 3.2). He's put 70 shots on goal while also blocking 70 shots. To be fair, he might not get many chances to block shots against Vancouver's poor offense, but Martinez's own offensive prowess should come in handy. Vancouver is 21st on the penalty kill, and Martinez plays 2:18 a night with the extra man.
Aaron Ekblad, FLA vs. TOR ($4,800): As mentioned, the Leafs give up a lot of shots, but they're also particularly vulnerable to opposing defensemen, and Ekblad's the best one the Panthers have to offer. Ekblad has put a whopping 116 shots on goal, and he plays 23 minutes per game (3:19 on the power play). Given all that, he seems like a potential steal at this price.
