This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Jacob Markstrom, VAN vs. DET ($7,800) – I'm telling you, I've seen this Canucks team up close and they're different. Behind Brock Boeser's hat trick and Markstrom's 38 saves against the Penguins, the Canucks have now won six of their past 10 games. This time last year, the Canucks had won only four games with a minus-14 goal differential. Markstrom's been very good in his past five starts with three wins and just eight goals against, including a 4-1 win against the Red Wings. Here's the risk: Andreas Athanasiou has returned since the last time the two teams met, and the Wings shut down a much better offensive team in the Oilers last night, 4-0. The two teams have played up-tempo games in the past; Markstrom is 2-0-1 when he faces at least 30 shots.
CENTER
Auston Matthews, TOR vs. VGK ($8,000) – Matthews comes at a huge premium for a good reason: he's an elite goal scorer going against a team that has allowed 18 goals in their past four games. People in Toronto are panicking with the Leafs losing five of their past six, but Matthews continues to chug along and do what he does best: put pucks on net. He's had 12 shots on goal in his past two games and Maxime Lagace is sporting a 4.43 GAA and .856 save percentage. Matthews feels like a must-pick in this matchup, and the Knights are not deep enough down the middle to cover all three of the Leafs' centers.
Dylan Larkin, DET at VAN ($5,000) – Larkin's scored four points since Athanasiou's return, finally giving the Wings a second scoring line they've desperately needed. With Anthony Mantha on the other wing, they form an incredibly fast and scary line, one that should put the Canucks defense on their heels. The Canucks are playing faster but they don't have any players that can match Larkin's foot speed, and their best bet may be to simply try and contain them in the neutral zone. Larkin was held without a point last night against the Oilers, but had a game-high 10 shots on goal and playing the second half of a back-to-back should not bother the 21-year-old.
WING
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at DAL ($6,900) – He's on a three-game point streak and in their previous meeting just last week the Jets pumped the Stars, 5-2. Ehlers is a dynamic offensive talent and a threat to score every night. Ben Bishop has put up solid overall numbers this season, but he has not been very consistent in his past four starts, allowing at least three goals on three occasions. Even though the Stars have been very good at limiting shots, the Jets are just too talented on offense to get shut out.
Artemi Panarin, CLS at NYR ($6,200) – The Bread Man has been starving with just one assist in five games, and what better way to bust a slump than against a Rangers team that has allowed 14 goals in their past four games? The Blue Jackets are scoring just fine, but as their best offensive player it's just a matter of time before Panarin starts lighting it up again. The Rangers defense shouldn't pose much of a problem, and Panarin's scored five goals in five career games against them.
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. DET ($4,700) – All aboard the hype train!!! Boeser's scored seven points in his past three games, including a three-assist effort against Washington and a hat trick against Pittsburgh. He also logged a season-high 18 minutes against Pittsburgh, and it's a clear sign that his line with Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi is the Canucks' top scoring line. Good scorers tend to do it in bunches, and that's what Boeser's doing right now. He is making a strong case for the Calder Trophy early this season.
DEFENSE
Ryan Suter, MIN at BOS ($5,000) – The joke about Suter is that he floats the most non-threatening shots at the net in the entire league, but once in a while he'll turn in a game where he's the only player you notice. He's at his usual scoring pace with seven points in 12 games, but once again he's also one of Minnesota's best shot blockers. This should be a defensive battle with neither team's offense hitting its stride at the moment.
Nikita Zaitsev, TOR vs. VGK ($3,600) – Zaitsev's a funny one. On some nights he looks like a solid top-four defenseman, but on other nights it looks like he's playing on North American ice for the first time. What is not for debate, however, is Zaitsev's 41 blocked shots, which ranks third in the league. The Knights offense is already much better than anyone gave them credit for, which means Zaistev could be seeing a lot of pucks. The best part of this matchup? Zaitsev has been far more productive at home, where he's scored five of his six points.
