We have a fun NHL DFS Showdown matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks on Friday night. It has been a difficult start to the season for the Canucks as they were expected to compete for a playoff spot, but look more like a lottery team. Vancouver is 30th in goals against per game and last on the penalty kill. The Kings have been pretty good of late, posting a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games. It’s helped keep them in the playoff conversation, but they really aren’t that great of a hockey team. Let's take a closer look at some NHL DFS picks and top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for tonight's Showdown slate matchup between Los Angeles and Vancouver. 

 

NHL DFS Showdown Top Plays

Los Angeles Kings vs Vancouver Canucks

When building my Showdown lineup, I want to make sure my Captain spot is locked down. Bo Horvat has 14 goals in 17 games this season and 44 shots on goal in the last ten games. He is a scoring machine, and it’s unlikely that changes tonight. I want my Captain to have a high floor, and Horvat is as good as it gets. 

If you want to target the L.A. side of things, Viktor Arvidsson is a name to remember. He’s not shooting the puck as much this season, but he has four assists in the last two games and a shocking five blocked shots. Vancouver doesn’t take a ton of shots per game, but I still think Arvidsson can hit value for us. 

As for the rest of my lineup, I’ll look to target players with high upside. Anze Kopitar is the player he once was, but he’s still finding a way to be productive. He has nine blocked shots in the last three games, which is surprising for a player of his calibre. If he can get the bonus and record a point, that should be enough for him to hit value. Sticking with the Kings,  Gabriel Vilardi is going to be popular tonight, but he has 15 points on the season and is just finding a way to score goals. 

On the Vancouver side, J.T. Miller is worth his $9200 price tag on DraftKings tonight. He has goals in the last three games and is playing over 23-minutes per game in that span. The man is on the ice a ton, so good things are bound to happen. Conor Garland completes the Vancouver top line, so if you want to stack the entire line, he’s the missing piece. 

When it comes to defencemen, we are just looking for players who can block shots. I want to focus on players with a floor, and both teams have some options. Luke Schenn, Sean Durzi, Mikey Anderson and Sean Walker are all great options tonight at different price points. Durzi and Schenn are the two best, mainly because they see a good amount of ice time and are capable of also getting a couple of shots on goal. Walker carries the most risk, but his $3600 price tag is respectable and he has seven blocked shots in the last two games. I don’t feel the need to pay up for Quinn Hughes or Drew Doughty tonight. Both players are good, but I’m looking for value at this position and both players might have a hard time hitting that in this contest.

Goalies can be an option on a Showdown slate, but this is not one of those nights. Thatcher Demko has been miserable and I do not trust whoever starts for the Kings on the road. Both teams are going to have a ton of scoring chances, so there’s no point paying a premium for a player that’s going to give up a ton of goals. You could target Jonathan Quick (if he starts) if you’re chasing the win, but they are slight underdogs and I don’t like the idea of spending most of my salary on a below-average goalie. All in all, I’ll keep my lineup focused on scoring goals.

 

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