This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday's 7:30 PM Eastern time NHL slate features just three games, but that doesn't mean there aren't great value plays to be found if you know where to look. Read on to see which players to target and which ones to avoid in the Senators-Rangers, Blues-Blackhawks and Flames-Ducks matchups.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, NYR vs. OTT ($29): Since allowing a pair of first-period goals in Friday's 4-2 win over the Blues, Georgiev has crafted a five-period shutout streak against St. Louis and Philadelphia. He should get plenty of goal support against the league's worst defensive team, and Ottawa's offense has declined since a trade deadline selloff, as illustrated by the Senators scoring two or fewer goals in 13 of their last 20 games.
GOALIE TO AVOID
John Gibson, ANH vs. CGY ($28): While the Flames' offense has burned hottest at home, Calgary has proven capable of lighting up opponents on the road as well. The Flames have started their California trip by outscoring the Sharks and Kings by a combined 12-5 margin, with a 6-1 home win over these very Ducks preceding the trip. Using Gibson against such a dangerous opponent is asking for trouble.
CENTER
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. OTT ($23): Originally selected by Ottawa with the sixth overall pick in 2011, Zibanejad has flourished since moving to Broadway and is in the midst of his finest season -- 30 goals and 72 points through 79 games. New York's best offensive player should continue his productive ways against his former team, especially with Ottawa giving up a league-high 3.66 goals per game.
CENTER TO AVOID
Derek Ryan, CGY at ANH ($17): Ryan moved up the lineup and scored two goals with Mikael Backlund sitting out Monday's win over the Kings for rest purposes, but he'll have trouble living up to his $17 valuation if relegated back to the fourth line as expected for this one. While he's been great for a fourth-liner, Ryan's 13:42 average ice time doesn't yield him as many scoring opportunities as other players in this price range.
WINGS
James Neal, CGY at ANH ($17): Neal is going to fall short of the 20-goal mark for the first time in his 11-year career, but he's providing some nice value down the stretch with two goals, two assists and 10 shots over his past three games. Whether you stack him with some of Calgary's more expensive forwards or use him in lieu of those guys, Neal's a nice option at $17 against a Ducks team with a minus-57 goal differential which only exceeds that of the Kings.
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at CHI ($27): Tarasenko has been on a scoring binge ever since the calendar flipped to 2019, with 20 goals and 20 assists in 36 subsequent appearances. The Russian sniper has also potted 11 of his 31 goals this season with the extra man, setting him up to feast against a Blackhawks team that has the league's most generous penalty kill (73.2 percent) and allows the second-most goals per game overall (3.57).
WINGS TO AVOID
Anthony Duclair, OTT at NYR ($18): Like Calgary's Ryan, Duclair's lack of ice time makes it difficult to produce consistently. He'll be motivated against one of his former teams, but the Duke hasn't skated more than 14:02 in any of his last 10 games.
Elias Lindholm, CGY at ANH ($22): Lindholm's another Flames player best avoided despite the favorable matchup. He's gone ice cold over the past 10 games, totaling just two assists without a goal on a mere 12 shots.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Gustafsson, CHI vs. STL ($19): One of the silver linings in a disappointing season for Chicago has been the breakout of Gustafsson. The 27-year-old blueliner has amassed 17 goals and 59 points in 76 games, including six points and a plus-5 rating in the last three. Even against the defensively sound Blues, the Swede has plenty of upside relative to his $19 valuation.
Mark Giordano, CGY at ANH ($27): Giordano's firmly in the Norris Trophy discussion, ranking in the top five among defensemen in goals (17), points (74), rating (plus-39) and shots (218). The productive blueliner gets a great chance to beat up on an inferior opponent here, and his two-way game gives Giordano as high a floor as anybody in this slate.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Duncan Keith, CHI vs. STL ($17): It makes more sense to pay up the extra $2 for Gustafsson rather than roll with Keith, who has just 38 points this season and no multi-point outings since Feb. 24. If you're going to challenge the Blues, you may as well reach for upside.
Thomas Chabot, OTT at NYR ($19): Chabot needs to score at a prolific rate for a blueliner to make up for his deficiencies in the defensive zone, and he hasn't been doing that lately. He's mired in a 16-game goal drought, adding just seven helpers compared to a minus-15 rating over that stretch.
