In daily fantasy hockey, stacking is a key strategy in tournaments. We want to correlate our lineups with up to four players to maximize our upside, as if one player on a line is scoring goals, it's likely that his linemates are getting assists as well. Ideally, we'll want players that will get a lot of ice time together on an even strength line and a power play line. Two good resources for line combinations are LeftWingLock.com and DailyFaceoff.com, so be sure to check those sites for updated line information.

There are only five games on Friday, but they all have at least some fantasy appeal.

Chicago Blackhawks

Normally, we like to target teams against the Chicago Blackhawks. However, they still have fantasy appeal with some of their skill players and have a perfect spot tonight.

Chicago's top offensive players have been performing well. Patrick Kane ($8,800) has at least three shots on goal in every game this season and has eight points in five games since returning from the COVID list. Alex DeBrincat ($7,000) leads the team with seven goals this season. Kirby Dach ($4,900) is getting his chance with this line as a talented young center with a chance to produce playing with two great wingers.

These guys are all on the same power play unit, as well, along with defenseman Seth Jones ($6,500), who's riding a five-game point streak.

The reason we're interested in Chicago tonight is because of their matchup. They'll take on the Arizona Coyotes in a battle between the two worst teams in the Central Division. Arizona is still allowing over four goals per game, the worst mark in the league. The Coyotes also have the second-worst penalty kill in the league, making the Chicago power play pieces very intriguing.

Chicago is the biggest favorite on the slate tonight despite some of the best NHL teams in action. They also have an implied team total of 3.21, showing how little the market thinks of the Coyotes. The Blackhawks broke a slate against a bad team last week when Kane scored a hat trick and could do the same tonight.

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals came into the week on a losing streak but quickly ended that with two comfortable wins in a row. They'll look to continue that streak on Friday night.

Alex Ovechkin ($9,600) failed to record a shot on goal for the first time this season on Thursday, but he still leads the league with 60 shots on goal and is second in goals with 11. Evgeny Kuznetsov ($7,700) has kept up his fine play this season, with four assists in the last two games. Tom Wilson ($5,600) hasn't made headlines for the wrong reasons yet this season and keeps playing solid hockey with 10 points in 13 games.

Washington's matchup might not look that good at first, but there are reasons for optimism. They'll face the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have been impressive this season. But the Capitals will catch a break with Joonas Korpisalo starting in net instead of Elvis Merzlikins. Elvis has saved 5.47 goals above expected, while Korpisalo is close to neutral at 0.06. The Jackets have allowed the fourth-most expected goals per 60 minutes, so without their star goalie bailing them out, it could get ugly.

The Capitals' implied team total is only the sixth-highest on the slate, which could keep their popularity down. If we get a chance to roster Ovechkin and company while most of the field will not play them, we should take that chance.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have had a great start to the season, winning 10 of their 11 games. Some people doubted that they would be the same solid contender after losing some players in the offseason, but they proved those doubters wrong.

Some successful teams don't like to move their lines around when things are going well, but that's not true of Carolina. Their lines have been shifting for most of the season, including before this game.

Andrei Svechnikov ($8,700) and Sebastian Aho ($8,500) are the team's two leading scorers and are playing together at both five-on-five and on the power play. Martin Necas ($5,200) could be on this line, as well, but he's currently listed as a game-time decision. We could see Seth Jarvis ($3,200) jump up to this line, as he was skating on the top line in practice a few days ago.

If you need more value, you could turn to the second line. Vincent Trocheck ($6,100) and Teuvo Teravainen ($6,200) are both top five in points for the team and play together on the top power play.

Whichever line you decide to stack, Tony DeAngelo ($5,300) is a great option on the blueline, as he has 11 points in 11 games.

Carolina will face the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday. The Flyers aren't allowing as many goals as they did last season, but they have allowed the second-most expected goals and third-most high-danger chances on a per 60 minute basis. With Carolina generating the most expected goals per 60, the matchup greatly favors the Canes in this game.

Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.