Igor Shesterkin is on injured reserve, so Joonas Korpisalo is expected to face Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in only his second game of the season. That puts the Edmonton top power play unit (EDM PP1) at the center of our build, with Devon Levi in net at the other end of the ice. Joseph Woll is the only confirmed goalie on the board, and he is our GPP pick even though Philadelphia played in Calgary last night. With six teams in action, we are happy to share the Edmonton and Islanders stacks with the field.
Last Night
Dan Vladar lost in Calgary, allowing four goals on 26 shots for 3.4 DK points. ANA PP1 hit big: 123.6 DK points, first of the eight PP1 units on the slate. Erik Cernak paid off his $2,700 salary with 13.0 DK points, but Gage Goncalves did not play, so that value pick scored nothing. Since 10/29, our cash goalie is 8-3, the primary stack has hit 7 of 11, the value plays 7 of 22, the blocks picks 4 of 10 and the props 5-4.
Slate Overview
Lock is 8:00 PM ET, when the Rangers and Oilers drop the puck. Switch tabs for the goalies, the injuries and the line matchup edges.
| Game | Total | Favorite | Implied goals | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYR @ EDM | 6.5 | EDM -156 | EDM 3.50, NYR 3.00 | EDM power play ranks 2nd |
| PHI @ VAN | 6.5 | PHI -137 | PHI 3.30, VAN 2.99 | PHI back-to-back with travel |
| NYI @ SJS | 6.5 | NYI -142 | NYI 3.37, SJS 3.01 | SJS third game in four nights |
| Goalie | Status | Win chance | Opp. goals | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon Levi (EDM) | Expected | 58.4% | 3.00 | $8,200 |
| Ilya Sorokin (NYI) | Expected | 55.9% | 3.01 | $7,800 |
| Joseph Woll (PHI) | Confirmed | 55.3% | 2.99 | $8,000 |
| Leevi Merilainen (VAN) | Expected | 44.7% | 3.30 | $7,400 |
| Yaroslav Askarov (SJS) | Expected | 44.1% | 3.37 | $7,600 |
| Joonas Korpisalo (NYR) | Expected | 41.6% | 3.50 | $7,200 |
| Player (team, pos) | Status | Impact (1-10) | Who benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Durzi (NYR, D) | Injured Reserve (lower body) | 6 | Gavrikov, Schneider, Fox |
| Igor Chernyshov (SJS, LW) | Injured Reserve (upper body) | 6 | Celebrini, Smith, Marchment |
| Ryan Pulock (NYI, D) | Out (upper body) | 6 | Stanley, Pelech, Schaefer |
| Frederik Andersen (EDM, G) | Injured Reserve (knee) | 6 | Levi |
| Thatcher Demko (VAN, G) | Injured Reserve (hip) | 6 | Merilainen |
| Igor Shesterkin (NYR, G) | Injured Reserve (knee) | 6 | Korpisalo |
| Line | Players | Edge | Main opponent | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDM F1 | McDavid, Draisaitl, Podkolzin | +6.6 | NYR F1 (47% of 5v5 time) | Full line, 238 min |
| NYI F2 | Schenn, Eklund, Palat | +6.4 | SJS F1 (37% of 5v5 time) | Eklund & Schenn, 155 min |
| NYI F1 | Horvat, Palmieri, Heineman | +6.1 | SJS F1 (44% of 5v5 time) | Full line, 163 min |
Edmonton has the best special teams spot of the night: its power play ranks 2nd in expected goals, and the Rangers kill ranks 14th. Vancouver's kill ranks last, but the Flyers power play sits 18th, so that gap is smaller than it looks. A line edge is the share of 5v5 expected goals a line should win against the lines it will see most, minus 50; we use it as a tiebreaker. You can check every number on the NHL team matchups, NHL injuries and NHL line matchups pages.
Starting Goalies
Devon Levi (EDM, $8,200), cash
Levi is expected to start, not yet confirmed, with Frederik Andersen on injured reserve. The Rangers rank 22nd in 5v5 expected goals and 28th in 5v5 shots, so the volume against him should stay low. He should make about 20 or 21 saves, and his shutout chance is close to 8%. If Edmonton turns to its backup, switch to Woll.
Joseph Woll (PHI, $8,000), GPP
Woll is confirmed. The Flyers flew in from Calgary, but Vladar took that game, so Woll comes in fresh. Vancouver ranks last in the league in both 5v5 shots and 5v5 expected goals, and Woll has the best shutout chance on the slate at 8.2%. He should see about 20 saves, so he needs the win to pay off, and fewer people will play him than Sorokin. Watch our NHL starting goalies page before lock.
Stacks to Target
Each header shows the three-player core we would build around and what that core costs. Switch tabs for the stack summary and our top plays at each spot.
| Stack | Core | Core salary | Big night (full unit) | Field | Contest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDM PP1 | McDavid, Draisaitl, Bouchard | $27,100 | about 98 DK points | Popular | Cash and GPP |
| NYI PP1 | Schaefer, Horvat, Palmieri | $18,600 | about 88 DK points | Chalk | Cash and GPP |
| SJS PP1 | Celebrini, Smith, Marchment | $18,300 | about 84 DK points | Less popular | Large field GPP |
| Player | Pos | Salary | Role | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid (EDM) | C | $9,700 | F1, PP1 | Cash |
| Macklin Celebrini (SJS) | C | $8,700 | F1, PP1 | GPP |
| Leon Draisaitl (EDM) | W | $9,200 | F1, PP1 | Cash |
| Owen Tippett (PHI) | W | $4,000 | F2, PP2 | GPP |
| Michael Misa (SJS) | W | $3,200 | F1, PP1 | Value |
| Victor Eklund (NYI) | W | $3,300 | F2, PP2 | Value |
| Matthew Schaefer (NYI) | D | $7,200 | D1, PP1 | Cash |
| Jamie Drysdale (PHI) | D | $3,800 | D1, PP1 | GPP |
| Devon Levi (EDM) | G | $8,200 | Expected | Cash |
| Joseph Woll (PHI) | G | $8,000 | Confirmed | GPP |
EDM PP1: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard ($27,100 for the core)
Korpisalo is expected for New York, not yet confirmed. At 5v5 the McDavid line wins 55.9% of the shot attempts when it is on the ice, and the Edmonton defense carries a SMASH tag, which means it rates well above the Rangers unit it faces. On the power play the Oilers rank 2nd in expected goals against the 14th-ranked New York kill, and both teams had a day off. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins round out the unit, but the full five costs $39,000, which does not fit under the cap with any goalie on the slate. It costs a lot and the field loves it. We play the core anyway, in every contest size.
NYI PP1: Matthew Schaefer, Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri ($18,600 for the core)
Askarov is expected for San Jose, not yet confirmed. The Islanders power play ranks only 25th in expected goals, but the Sharks kill ranks 31st, and San Jose plays its third game in four nights. The Horvat line wins 51.1% of the 5v5 shot attempts and holds one of the three best edges on the slate. With Ryan Pulock out, Schaefer should play about 27 minutes. Add Brayden Schenn for a four-man piece at $22,800. It works in cash and in large fields.
SJS PP1: Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Mason Marchment ($18,300 for the core, third stack)
Sorokin is expected for the Islanders, not yet confirmed. The Celebrini line wins 48.9% of the 5v5 shot attempts, a little under even, and the Sharks power play (28th) faces a New York kill that ranks 27th. Igor Chernyshov is on injured reserve, so more of the top six work goes to Celebrini, Smith and Marchment. This core is the other half of a game stack with the Islanders. Keep it to large field GPPs. Check every unit on our NHL lines page.
How to Build It
McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard with Levi cost $35,300, so your other five skaters have to average about $2,940. That works in cash if you fill the rest from the value tier, but it does not leave room for a second full line. In large fields, take McDavid and Draisaitl alone ($18,900) and spend the savings on a second stack.
For a 4-3-1 build, start with the four-man Islanders piece ($22,800) and put Woll in net. That leaves $19,200 for four skaters, about $4,800 each, which fits a cheaper three-man line from San Jose or Philadelphia and one skater from a third team. A 3-3-2 build (two three-man stacks plus two one-offs) suits single entry and 3-max contests better, since it spreads your risk across more of the slate. DraftKings needs skaters from at least three teams, so either way one spot goes to a third team.
Chalk and Pivots
Chalk stack: NYI PP1. Pivot: SJS PP1 ($18,300 for the core). The Islanders unit is the most popular stack on the board, and we play it in our main build. The Sharks unit is the second build from the same game, with far fewer people on it.
Chalk goalie: Ilya Sorokin. Pivot: Devon Levi ($8,200). Sorokin draws the most attention, but he faces our third stack. Levi has a better win chance and fewer people on him.
Fades
Elias Pettersson ($5,100). He is one of the more popular skaters on the slate, and the Vancouver forwards carry a TOUGH tag against Philadelphia, which means they rate well below the Flyers defense they face. His power play also runs into a Philadelphia kill that ranks 4th, so we would rather spend that salary in Edmonton.
Skaters
Centers
Connor McDavid ($9,700): cash. He centers the Edmonton top line, runs PP1 and should play about 23 minutes with three shots. His 24% chance at three or more points is the best on the slate, and the field knows it. Pay up anyway.
Macklin Celebrini ($8,700): GPP. Celebrini plays about 22 minutes on the San Jose top line and PP1, and he should get three or four shots. His 31.3% chance at five or more shots leads every skater tonight, and far fewer people will play him than McDavid.
Wingers
Leon Draisaitl ($9,200): cash. Draisaitl plays on McDavid's wing at 5v5 and on PP1 for about 21 minutes. He should get three or four shots, with a 23.4% chance at five or more.
Owen Tippett ($4,000): GPP. Tippett plays on the Philadelphia second line and PP2 for about 15 minutes and should get two or three shots. His line draws the Vancouver top line most of the night, and the Canucks rank last in 5v5 expected goals against. He is a cheap way into the Flyers offense.
Defensemen
Matthew Schaefer ($7,200): cash. He anchors the Islanders top pair and PP1 for about 27 minutes, as much as anyone on the slate. He should get three or four shots, and the Pulock injury keeps his minutes high. In cash we take him over Bouchard, who costs $1,000 more.
Jamie Drysdale ($3,800): GPP. Drysdale plays the Philadelphia top pair and PP1 for about 23 minutes. His power play gets the worst kill in the league, his pair holds a +7.6 edge against the lines it will see, and he has a 15.4% chance at three or more blocks.
Value Plays
Michael Misa (SJS W, $3,200): he plays on the San Jose top line with Celebrini and Smith and stays on PP1, so he scores with our third stack. He is the cheapest way to add a fourth Shark.
Victor Eklund (NYI W, $3,300): he plays on the Islanders second line with Schenn, a line with one of the best edges on the board, and he gets PP2 time on top. He pairs with any Islanders build.
Before Lock
- Levi, Sorokin, Korpisalo, Merilainen and Askarov are all expected, not yet confirmed. If Edmonton goes to its backup, switch to Woll.
- Late swap: the games start at 8:00, 9:30 and 10:00 PM ET. Put an Islanders or Sharks skater in your UTIL spot, so you can still change it if Sorokin or Askarov does not start.
- Philadelphia plays the second night of a back-to-back after travel, and San Jose plays its third game in four nights.
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a game-time call with a head injury. He sits on EDM PP1, so if he is out, check the new unit before you lock the stack.
- Pulock's injury moves Schaefer, Stanley and Pelech up, and Chernyshov's injury does the same for Celebrini, Smith and Marchment.
Final Thoughts
Our cash core is Levi, McDavid, Draisaitl and Schaefer ($34,300), which leaves about $3,140 a spot for the other five. For GPP, build from the Edmonton or Islanders core, add SJS PP1 as the second piece, put Woll in net, use Celebrini, Tippett or Drysdale as one-offs, and skip Pettersson. All the numbers are on our NHL projections page.
NHL DFS FAQ
Why do you stack a forward line in NHL DFS?
A goal in hockey usually gives points to two or three players on the same line, so a line stack scores together. When one forward hits, his linemates often hit with him. Tonight the McDavid line has the biggest edge on the board, which is why it sits inside our main stack.
Should you pair your goalie with your skater stack?
Yes, it can work, because a team that scores a lot usually wins, and a win is a big part of a goalie's score. What you should not do is play a goalie against your own stack. Tonight we pair Levi with the Edmonton stack in cash, and we keep Woll away from any Vancouver skaters in GPP.
Tools used for this slate
Every number in this playbook comes off the BankrollSZN NHL tools: today's NHL DFS projections, the NHL lineup optimizer, NHL line combinations and PP1 stacks, today's NHL starting goalies, and NHL odds and player props.