This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
With Washington on the wrong end of back-to-back games, the Rangers and Canadiens playing without key cogs, and Buffalo the only team not headed to the postseason, this is a wild Wednesday in the NHL. The daily grind must churn on, though, so here are a handful of recommendations for your FanDuel lineups.
GOALIE
Robin Lehner, BUF vs. MON ($7,800): A contrarian flier, Lehner has been hit-or-miss all season and was pulled in the first period of his latest outing against Toronto. He sports a solid .920 save percentage for the season, and Montreal could be complacent with the Atlantic Division title clinched. Counting on a bounce-back showing from Lehner is a high-risk, high-reward pursuit. Should Anders Nilsson ($7,600) start, the outlook is the same.
CENTER
Jack Eichel, BUF vs. MON ($7,800): The sophomore snapped a two-game point drought against the Maple Leafs on Monday, and he's now up to 24 goals, 56 points and 239 shots for the campaign. Eichel is also logging oodles of ice time (20:03 per game with 3:05 on the power play), and he has 10 goals and 24 points with the man advantage. Montreal will be playing without Shea Weber (lower body), too.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. NYR ($5,500): Currently in a cold funk, Kuznetsov has missed the scoresheet in eight of his past 10 games, collecting just two goals and an assist during that stretch. However, his price matches the offensive drought, and the Rangers are without a number of key players; they've also allowed the sixth-most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (11.71) through the past 25 games.
WING
Chris Kreider, NYR at WAS ($5,800): With a goal in consecutive games, look for Kreider's size-speed combo to present problems with the Capitals on the second leg of a back-to-back set. Additionally, due to multiple injuries that New York is dealing with, he could see an increased offensive role in all situations. Add Kreider's solid 2.51 points and 8.83 shots per 60 minutes, and he offers a high floor in a small player pool.
Marcus Johansson, WAS vs. NYR ($5,300): With career-best totals in the goals (23) and points (56) columns, Johansson is a sneaky daily target Wednesday. He presents an affordable stack option alongside Kuznetsov, with whom he plays at even strength, but Johansson's role on the No. 1 power-play unit offers added upside. Johansson's point-per-game pace over the past 13 outings also helps.
Pavel Buchnevich, NYR at WAS ($3,500): The rookie has been in and out of the lineup lately, but his 2.41 points per 60 minutes highlight his upside. He's projected to skate opposite Chris Kreider in a first-line role Wednesday, too. With that in mind, expect Buchnevich to be a popular low-priced target.
DEFENSE
Kevin Shattenkirk, WAS vs. NYR ($5,700): The deadline acquisition has collected a goal, 12 assists, 36 shots and 23 blocked shots over his past 14 games, so at this salary, the power-play quarterback offers both a high floor and a high ceiling. As noted, the Rangers are far from a defensive juggernaut, and Shattenkirk has begun 63.5 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone since joining the Caps.
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF vs. MON ($5,000): The 22-year-old defenseman has sandwiched a recent three-game suspension with a three-game point drought, so this has the makings of a bounce-back showing. Ristolainen might also prove to carry a lower ownership than he warrants. After all, he moves the needle across all categories with 44 points, 25 power-play points, 180 shots, 158 blocked shots and an average of 26:37 of ice time (3:17 a man up) for the campaign.
