The NHL is back with a four-game slate on Wednesday, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, following a three-game opening night slate on Tuesday. It’s a new season, and what better way to get back into the groove of things than playing fantasy hockey on DraftKings?
Let’s dive into my favorite NHL DFS targets and values for Wednesday’s slate.
Make your DraftKings NHL DFS picks here: NHL $100K Poke Check [$20K to 1st]
Forwards
Stud
Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings, $7,000 – It’s hard to ignore such a generous price tag for Jack Eichel, who is coming off a career-best 94-point season. He also has a new linemate, Mitch Marner ($6,700), who is affordable and worth stacking with Eichel in your lineups tonight. While it’s only the second game of the season and fatigue shouldn’t be an issue yet, the Kings played against the Avalanche on Tuesday night and had to travel to Vegas for tonight’s tilt. Eichel has totaled four points in the last five games against the Kings, and the opportunities on the first line will increase even more with Marner on the ice. The 28-year-old ranked seventh in assists per 60 and 10th in points per 60 in 2024, and will look to build off his career season in the Golden Knights’ home-opener.
Value
Aliaksei Protas, Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins, $4,300 – The 24-year-old winger posted a career-best season in 2024, in which he totaled 30 goals and 36 assists. The Capitals’ 2024 season was magical, from Alex Ovechkin ($7,100) and his record-setting goal to nearly half the roster posting career-best seasons. Aliaksei Protas shared a line with Ovechkin and Dylan Strome ($5,700) in 2024, and will do it again this season. That line produced 22 goals last season, and it should pick up where it left off tonight against a Bruins’ squad that will look different under new coaching and some roster shuffling. Protas ranked third on the team in primary assists (25) and fifth in the league in 5v5 points per 60 (2.8).
Other Targets, Values – William Karlsson ($4,200), Matias Maccelli ($3,200)
Defensemen
Stud
Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings, $4,900 – While I’m labeling this my stud play, Shea Theodore carries just a $4,900 price tag and correlates directly to the Golden Knights’ first line stack I mentioned above. Theodore isn’t a huge shot-blocker like his line-mate, Brayden McNabb (3,200), but he is a meaningful contributor on offense and figures to lead the team in ice time per game, with Alex Pietrangelo lost for the season. The 30-year-old posted a career-high 50 assists in 2024, ranking fifth in primary assists (28) and points per 60 (2.32) among defensemen. Vegas is filled with elite playmakers at both levels of the ice, and if Eichel, Marner and Co. are producing, I’d be willing to bet that Theodore is involved.
Value
Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs, $4,800 – Just $100 cheaper than Theodore, Lane Hutson is a great pivot and worth stacking in a Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens-focused lineup. Much like Theodore, Hutson isn’t going to rack up many blocked shots, but he is going to contribute offensively, primarily in the assists department. I hyped up Theodore’s playmaking abilities and rankings in specific metrics, but the 21-year-old is right there behind him. Hutson was tied for the second-most assists among defensemen last season with 60, while ranking eighth in primary assists (25) and third in assists per 60 (1.93). He totaled two assists in four games against Toronto last season.
Other Targets, Values – Rasmus Andersson ($4,700), Charlie McAvoy ($4,500), Mattias Ekholm ($4,100)
Goaltenders
Stud
Anthony Stolarz, Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens, ($8,000) – You’re almost always going to have to pay up at the goaltender position, and Anthony Stolarz stands out the most. Ideally, correlating your goalie to your forward line stacks is the way to go, but Vegas has yet to announce its starter as of writing, and well, I simply like Stolarz the most. The 31-year-old posted a career-best .926 save percentage to go along with an impressive 2.14 GAA in 2024, but his season was derailed due to injuries. He is now healthy, just signed a contract extension a few weeks ago, and is ready to continue his strong play in Toronto’s season-opener against a young Montreal squad that is still going through some growing pains.
