The holiday season is in full swing, and the NHL is generous enough to continue giving us gifts on the ice. Friday has a light three-game slate without any dominant powerhouse teams competing. The New York Islanders and Minnesota Wild are the two best teams in terms of record, points, and goal scoring, but they will both play inferior opponents, as the Isles will host the Arizona Coyotes, while the Wild get a soft matchup against the league’s lowest scoring team, facing the Chicago Blackhawks.

Tuesday’s slate was once again largely underwhelming with production from my eight recommended players. Naturally, Connor McDavid (C – Oilers) led the way with a goal and three assists in a 6-3 win against Nashville, while Evgeny Kuznetsov (C – Capitals) and Rasmus Dahlin (D – Sabres) each logged an assist in decisive victories for their teams. Timo Meier (LW – Sharks), Johnny Gaudreau (LW – Blue Jackets), and Dougie Hamilton (D – Devils) were held without a point. At the same time, Matt Murray (G – Maple Leafs) ended up sitting in favor of Ilya Samsonov (G – Maple Leafs), who dominated with a 7-0 shutout win against the lowly Anaheim Ducks. Connor Hellebuyck (G – Jets) allowed five goals on 32 shots in a 6-5 loss to Vegas, so neither netminder ended up returning value. Overall, it was another disappointing slate, but we’re learning and moving forward.

Friday’s three-game slate will put some players in a higher salary bracket than we’re accustomed to seeing, but there is still plenty of value to obtain with lesser-known names that receive high usage in the offensive zone for their team. Let’s get right into this slate and identify which players are worth inserting into DFS builds on DraftKings and FanDuel to cash out by the end of the night.

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Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Brock Nelson (C – Islanders): $6,700
The New York Islanders are traveling out to the Desert to face Arizona, where they are -180 favorites to win outright on the moneyline. 31-year-old center Brock Nelson has a lot of appeal on DraftKings at $6,700, as he just netted two assists against Boston in a shootout loss in his last game played. Nelson has only one game without a point in his last five while producing two multi-point outings, including a two-goal burst against the New Jersey Devils, so against Karel Vejmelka (G – Coyotes) on Friday, he’s positioned nicely for at least one point. Plug Nelson into DraftKings lineups with confidence on the road in a plus-matchup.

Matt Boldy (LW – Wild): $5,800
Matt Boldy is in just his second year in the league, but the former 12th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft has settled in nicely with Minnesota. Boldy only averages around 13 to 14 minutes ATOI, however, he is a high-volume shooter, providing a nice floor that could deliver a ceiling finish against the lowly Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. Chicago has allowed at least three goals to be scored against it and is currently on a five-game losing slump, so Boldy is a nice value play against Petr Mrazek (G – Blackhawks) and the Blackhawks at home.

Shayne Gostisbehere (D – Coyotes): $5,400
Arizona hasn’t improved a great deal from last season but it’s slowly reversing course. Shayne Gostisbehere has been reliable as a contributor to the Coyotes’ offense lately, scoring two goals and four assists in his past five games played. The 29-year-old has plenty of experience but is only now carving out a role in Arizona during his second full year with the franchise, attempting anywhere from two to four shots on goal per game, while netting 15 assists and six goals in 27 games. The Islanders have a quality goaltender in Ilya Sorokin (G – Islanders), but he has allowed three or more goals in his previous two starts, so he’s a bit more vulnerable than it looks on paper. Gostisbehere is a solid value play at a volatile DFS position.

Thomas Greiss (G – Blues): $7,700
Thomas Greiss is a cheap netminder who could provide a huge surge in DFS lineups with a road win over Calgary. The Flames are riding a four-game losing skid, getting held to only one goal in two of these losses. St. Louis has not been great on defense this season, but Greiss is a high-value play since he could catch the Flames at the perfect time to improve his record as a starter to 4-4 on the season. It’s a bit risky but I like his prospects, as goaltenders can flood DFS lineups with points if the team gets a win.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Robert Thomas (C – Blues): $5,800
A low-volume shooter with high efficiency, Robert Thomas has three goals and an assist in his previous five games. St. Louis’ offense could start surging on Friday night in Calgary, as the Flames have allowed 14 goals during its four-game losing slump. Jacob Markstrom (G – Flames) is not delivering his best brand of netminding, which means Thomas could pop with his eighth goal or 20th assist of the season. He hasn’t had a multi-point outing recently but Thomas possesses the skillset and finishing ability to deliver a big ceiling, as well as a high floor. There are much worse options at $5,800 on FanDuel, so let’s ride with Thomas’ floor and potential upside as a slight underdog on the road against a team that can’t get out of its way.

Kirill Kaprizov (LW – Wild): $9,800
We’ve finally arrived at the chalk. Yes, Kirill Kaprizov is expensive to roster, but he’s consistently delivering a point and three to six shots on goal per game. All it takes is one opportunity for the Wild’s best player to deliver a point, as he has racked up 17 goals and 19 assists through 29 games this season. Chicago has allowed 105 goals this season and possesses a -39 goal differential, putting Kaprizov in a great position to have a high-ceiling game at home against the Blackhawks. He’s worth the coin, so plug Kaprizov into FanDuel lineups with confidence on Friday night.

Noah Dobson (D – Islanders): $7,000
Defense isn’t a position I love spending up on due to inconsistent production, but Noah Dobson has produced two multi-point games in his last four games played. These both include a goal, while he attempts anywhere from one to five shots on goal. The 22-year-old defenseman also notches a couple of blocked shots per game, elevating his floor, but we’re looking at his ability to finish strong in the offensive zone. $7,000 is pricey but Dobson could pop off against the porous defense and goaltending rostered by Arizona, so let’s strike in a plus matchup.

Marc-Andre Fleury (G – Wild): $8,400
38-year-old veteran netminder Marc-Andre Fleury is 10-7-1 as a starter for Minnesota this season. He does have a 3.05 GAA, which isn’t ideal, but he held Edmonton’s potent offense to one goal on 21 shots in a 2-1 win earlier in the week. Fleury will need help from Minnesota’s offense to return value, but considering how bad Chicago’s offense is, he could wind up handling their attack with relative ease. Oddsmakers strongly believe in Minnesota’s chances to win outright at -390 on the moneyline, so let’s follow their lead and get Fleury plugged into FanDuel lineups.