This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Sergei Bobrovsky, CLS vs. CAR ($8,400): The Canes will likely go with Curtis McElhinney in net, who has been with the team for just three days, and even without having to face Seth Jones, they won't be able to put up 40-plus shots like they did last night. Bob has a career .931 save percentage against them.
CENTER
Pierre-Luc Dubois, CLS vs. CAR ($5,500): He notched an assist, a takeaway, three blocked shots and logged over 21 minutes in a dominant performance in the Jackets' season opener. It'll be an interesting head-to-head matchup with Sebastian Aho, but PLD certainly has the edge in size and quality of linemates. Fatigue shouldn't be an issue even though the BJ's played into overtime last night since it's early in the season.
Adrian Kempe, LA vs. SJ ($3,500): Kempe will take Dustin Brown's spot down low on the first power play unit, which could add a lot of value for someone who will open the season on the third line. Although he's never been an offensive dynamo he scored 16 goals in his rookie season, a total he could easily improve if given the right opportunities.
WING
Evander Kane, SJ at LA ($6,200): Kane does a little bit of everything, and everything he does is a boon. He scored a goal on five shots and dished out three hits with two blocked shots, contributing in nearly every category. It's too bad he's not playing on the top-two lines but that's a testament to his ability to carry a line by himself, and it also means he'll likely never have to face Drew Doughty.
Ilya Kovalchuk, LA vs. SJ ($5,700): Who knows what Kovalchuk will bring to the table, but there's no denying there's a lot of intrigue. He's 35 years old but he was dominant in the KHL and now he's playing with an elite center, perhaps the best he's ever played with. He is a first-line player with big upside but priced like a second-line player.
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR at CLS ($4,400): His NHL debut was fairly uneventful, registering zero points in an overtime loss playing just 11:48. The good news: He registered three shots on net and spent over two minutes on the power play. It might take some time before Svechnikov plays more minutes, but the early signs are pretty good so far and he certainly has the most upside of any fourth liner.
DEFENSE
Zach Werenski, CLS vs. CAR ($6,100): He played over 28 minutes and registered seven shots on goal with two blocked shots, and basically handled all of the power-play duties. John Tortorella is leaning on him a lot with Seth Jones sidelined, and the third pair played less than 10 minutes. He is by far the best defenseman in this matchup.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJ at LA ($4,300): His value is mostly derived from his ability to block shots and pitching in with the occasional assist. Now that Erik Karlsson is his partner, it might be more than just the occasional assist. Both of them were held without a point in the season opener but it shouldn't happen very often.
