NHL Building Blocks – April 18
Last slate of the regular season! Still a couple of positions to be settled, but the playoffs are almost here! Let’s dive in!
The premise of each article in this series is to feature starting spots (building blocks) for your lines. These are plays that are cash-viable as well as GPP-worthy and can be considered in all contest formats.
Starting Lineup – April 18
The Goalie: Adin Hill ($8300 DK / $8300 FD)
The Ducks average just 2.46 goals per game on the season, good for 30th in the league, which is great news for Vegas as they try to move up a spot in the Western playoffs. The champs have won three in a row, and while Hill hasn’t been super successful lately, he’s had a good season and will want to have one final warmup before the playoffs begin.
The Center: Jack Eichel ($8700 DK/ $9700 FD)
Three goals (21 shots) and four assists in his last five games and is primed and ready for another Cup run. Averaging over a point per game on the season.
The Wing: Jonathan Marchessault ($6900 DK/ $7800 FD)
Career-high 42 goals to lead the team (also led the team in points). Three points in his last five games.
The Defenseman: Drew Doughty ($5100 DK / $5600 FD)
Goal and three assists in his last five games; second-highest ice time per game (25:49) in the entire league.
The Value: Ivan Barbashev ($3900 DK / $5000 FD)
Has found a home on the champs’ top line; career highs in goals, assists, and points.
The Stack: VGK1 (Eichel-Marchessault-Barbashev)
The champs are playing for positioning here; either with a win or a loss coupled with a Kings loss, they’ll face the elite offense of the Oilers, and with a loss paired with a Kings win, they’ll get the deep and dangerous top-seeded Stars. Vegas has a great matchup at home against the Ducks whose defense is just awful (a 3.60 GAA, 30th in the league, and the 31st-ranked penalty kill at 72.5%). Mix in Stephenson and Karlsson as secondary pieces.
The Builder: VGK/LAK ML parlay
Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) reacts after his shot on goal was unsuccessful during the third period of an NHL preseason hockey game against the Kings at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal)