Allan Fabrykant 
Welcome back to WinDaily’s NHL Between the Benches article. It’s been a long off-season, but we are finally back with some NHL DFS. Between the Benches will be your go-to place for Friday night NHL Slates. Tonight’s 10/13 NHL slate begins at 7:00 pm ET, and we have two games taking place. Don’t forget to lock your lines and check the discord for any updates! Let’s get right into it!
10/13 NHL Stack Report
1. New Jersey Devils 1 (Bratt-Hughes-Toffoli)
— The Devils’ top line is a clear favorite of mine in this slate. They are clear favorites and are a high-scoring team going up against one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Unfortunately, for the Coyotes, their blue line looks just as disappointing as it did last year, with JJ Moser and Matt Dumba leading off as the top pairing. Even though the Devils played last night, I can see them ripping through the Coyotes in this spot. Both last night’s game and tonight’s game are taking place in New Jersey, and I was happy with the Devils’ ability to bounce back after going down early and giving up a tying goal in the third period. Jack Hughes shined last night, and I think we will see a lot more of him this season, including in tonight’s game, where the Devils are coming in with the highest implied total of the slate by far, at 4.1.
Ideal Defensive Partner(s): Dougie Hamilton (Honorable Mention(s): Luke Hughes)
2. Pittsburgh Penguins 1 (Guentzel-Crosby-Rust)
— This game is the far closer of the two games on tonight’s slate. Both of these teams know each other very well, and their rivalry can be highlighted by the presence of each team’s star players: Crosby’s Penguins and Ovechkin’s Capitals. For years, both players played alongside each other and have each cemented great legacies in their own right, whether it be Sid’s three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017) or Ovi’s chase for Gretzky’s elusive NHL goal-scoring record, both back-to-back first-overall picks (2004 and 2005) have cemented a legacy that has guaranteed a place in the Hall of Fame for both superstars.
For this game, Pittsburgh is coming in with the more complete team. Washington is very much a one-man show, whereas the Penguins have a full team of support behind Crosby, with Pittsburgh’s second line being arguably almost as dangerous as the first line. I see Pittsburgh’s depth overwhelming Washington’s thin defence in what will be a close game. I don’t see either team winning by more than two goals, and I can see a lot of goals being scored on both sides of this game. One thing seems clear, in a high-scoring, back-and-forth game, Crosby’s line will get involved.
Ideal Defensive Partner(s): Kris Letang (Honorable Mention(s): Ryan Graves, Erik Karlsson)
Honorable Mention(s): Pittsburgh Penguins 2 (Smith-Malkin-Rakell)
10/13 NHL Goalie Tracker
Best (Goalies to Roster)
- Akira Schmid
- Tristan Jarry
Honorable Mention(s): Karel Vejmelka (DEEP GPP OPTION)
Worst (Goalies to Target)
1. N/A (All goalies are playable today)
Honorable Mention(s): N/A
10/13 NHL Wild Card Targets
Luke Hughes
– The youngest of the three Hughes brothers is playing in his first full season this year. After impressing fans in the playoffs last year with two points over three games, Hughes is ready to make a big splash in his rookie year. Alongside his brother Jack, he will play on the Devils second power-play unit and are set to face off against a Coyotes team who were among the worst in goals allowed per game in 2022-23 at 3.6 GA/G, along with the sixth-worst PK rate in the league at 74.6% of penalties killed. Without any significant offseason improvements, the Coyotes are destined to return to the bottom of the league again this season. As a rookie, Hughes will provide good value in this spot.
Honorable Mention(s): Tom Wilson, Logan Cooley
Core Four: (ALWAYS BE STACKIN’)
Center – Jack Hughes
Winger – Tyler Toffoli
Defenseman – Ryan Graves
Goalie – Akria Schmid
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