DraftKings NHL DFS picks for Wednesday: top goalies, value plays like Dylan Cozens and lineup stacks for the penultimate regular-season six-game slate.
Updated on April 15, 2026 10:22AM EST
The NHL probably wishes there was more at stake Wednesday, the penultimate day of the regular season. I mean, I was watching the Kings-Kraken game Monday when they announced Blue Jackets-Capitals being on ESPN on Tuesday moments before the Flyers beat the Hurricanes and clinched a playoff spot. However, there are six NHL games to be played Wednesday, and some teams are closing out their seasons. You know, like the Red Wings, who are dead to me. First puck drops at 7 p.m. ET. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
No teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and the two teams on the first leg of a back-to-back are the Sharks and Kraken. So not much to really have to consider there. What’s more likely to have an impact Wednesday comes down to teams looking ahead to the playoffs or looking ahead to next season.
GOALIES
Carter Hart, VGK vs. SEA ($8,500): Hart has started five of the last six games for the Golden Knights, so it seems he will be the choice to start the playoff run, but also will likely get one more start to be vetted and to allow him to round into form after missing months of action. Facing the Kraken at home in a battle between the NHL’s youngest franchises is a good matchup for a tune-up. Seattle is going to end the season in the bottom eight in both goals and shots on net per game.
Linus Ullmark, OTT vs. TOR ($8,300): Intra-province rival or not, I feel like the Maple Leafs are as primed as any team to be wholly checked out Wednesday. The Senators, meanwhile, are gearing up for the postseason. It took Ullmark a bit to get back to full speed after his absence, but over his last 13 outings he has a 2.36 GAA and .910 save percentage. Toronto, meanwhile, has no Auston Matthews, and no reason to be motivated for this game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Pavel Dorofeyev, VGK vs. SEA ($6,400): Tallying 20 goals on a campaign is a solid number to hit in general. Dorofeyev has notched 37 goals, but that includes 20 on the power play. In fact, the Russian has 30 points with the extra man on the campaign. The Kraken, who have been down to fourth-string goalie Niklas Kokko as of late, also may finish last in penalty-kill percentage.
Dylan Cozens, OTT vs. TOR ($5,100): Cozens had a point streak end in his last game, but he still has six points in his last seven outings. He also has 24 shots on net in that time, getting him over 200 shots on the campaign. The Maple Leafs have a 3.60 GAA and have allowed a league-high 32.4 shots on net per game, so Cozens could get back on the score sheet before the playoffs begin.
FORWARD LINE STACK TO CONSIDER
Blackhawks vs. Sharks
Anton Frondell (C – $4,600), Tyler Bertuzzi (W – $4,200), Ilya Mikheyev (W – $3,100)
The Blackhawks and Sharks are two teams that are going to be paired together for a bit, as they are both young teams trying to emerge from rebuilds, they are both loaded with young talent, and they both have first-overall picks as centerpieces. Also, they both still struggle defensively. The Sharks were worse, though. They have a 3.55 GAA and are also likely to finish in the bottom five in both shots on net allowed per game and penalty-kill percentage. Connor Bedard isn’t part of my stack, though, as I have opted for Chicago’s second line.
Frondell is still a teenager, but he’s hit the ground running as an NHLer. Through 11 games he has nine points and a whopping 35 shots on net. The Swede has also averaged 3:35 per contest on the power play. Bertuzzi has set a new personal best with 32 goals. He also has 21 power-play points, and, as noted, the Sharks have a bottom-five penalty kill. In his second season with Chicago, Mikheyev has 18 goals and 18 assists. He is playing well down the stretch, though, as he’s notched nine points in his last 11 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Moritz Seider, DET at FLA ($6,400): Will Seider be checked out Wednesday? Well, the German had nothing to play for against Tampa in his last game, but he still played 25:50 with four shots on net and one blocked shot. Seider has 60 points, 184 shots on net and 179 blocked shots. It’s been a great individual season, and he could be primed to end it on a high note. The Panthers have a 3.37 GAA, and Sergei Bobrovsky has literally been as bad as any regular NHL goalie this season.
Jordan Spence, OTT vs. TOR ($3,400): The Senators are being careful with the health of Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot. Even if one, or both, play Wednesday, it is likely neither plays their usual complement of minutes. Enter Spence, who played 26:36 in Ottawa’s last game while his teammates rested. Spence has been no slouch, as he has 30 points and 106 shots on net in 72 games, including 11 points over his last 16 contests. Toronto’s defensive woes will see it potentially finish 31st in GAA and 32nd in shots on net allowed per game, so Spence might not even need big minutes in this one.
The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Morgan plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: cmorgan3, DraftKings: cmorgan3.
