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DFS: Debate Team - Who Will Be the Top DFS Play on Opening Night?

Gary A Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the NHL season, our team of experts will debate some of the hottest DFS topics out there. In our inaugural edition, Andrew Potter and Ken Conrad discuss who will be the top options on opening night.

Andrew Potter: Well, Ken, here we are: the inaugural edition of Debate Team, theScore's weekly discussion on the NHL's hot-topic DFS news. The first puck drops Wednesday night with a four-game slate that pits some of the league's most storied franchises against each other.

With a small pool to draw from for opening day, nailing your picks will be a major factor in ensuring a payout. Who do you expect to be the highest-scoring player in DFS at the final horn?

Ken Conrad: Opening night is definitely a crapshoot, so allow me to start with this: there are few things in fantasy hockey more exciting than a motivated Alexander Semin, so I look for the enigmatic Russian (I'm sure he's never been called that before) to make a good first impression in his Montreal debut.

Armed with a one year "prove it" contract and a spot on a line centred by fellow breakout candidate Alex Galchenyuk, Semin should also get prime power play minutes on account of his right-handed shot.

Against a Maple Leafs team predicted to be amongst the league's worst despite the arrival of coach Mike Babcock, I'm calling for Semin to put up a goal, an assist, and five shots, cementing his status as the first DFS bargain of the season.

AP: Semin is an interesting choice and he could definitely return value on his bargain salary. My only worry would be that he'll be skating on the second line and it's still unclear how he fits into the Habs' power play. He's streaky but that's part of his allure - one big game can swing your entire lineup.

For my choice, I'm going to start by eliminating players from Toronto and Chicago; going up against a healthy and rested Henrik Lundqvist scares me, and as you've mentioned, the situation in Toronto doesn't call for much optimism.

The goalie that I am excited about stacking against is San Jose's Martin Jones. Jones made his name as an effective back-up to Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles and I think his former teammates will know a thing or two about his tendencies.

Kings' assistant captain Anze Kopitar has 45 points in 52 career games against the Sharks. Kopitar will find himself in the middle of the Kings' offense and is worth his price tag. I hope Jones is given a rude awakening by his old team.

KC: Yes, I thought about the Jones situation and how his ex-teammates may know him best. Kopitar is probably the safest pick on the team, but the Kings worry me for fantasy purposes - they only managed a middling 220 goals last season (Tampa Bay led the league with 262).

I think the highest-scoring opening night game will be Vancouver and Calgary, what with the Canucks' shaky-looking goaltending and the Flames being touted as prime regression candidates, but I couldn't find a skater to focus on. I'm sure Dennis Wideman or Kris Russell will block a bunch of shots and chip in a goal now that I've made Semin my choice.

Semin is talented, plays on a team starved for goals, and from what I've read, will feature on the top power-play unit anchored by P.K. Subban. I can't see him not being given a lot of ice time to start the season. He's in my opening night DFS lineup for sure at his current price.

AP: LA did struggle to find the net last year but with Milan Lucic and Marian Gaborik on his wings, Kopitar now has some diverse tools to work with. Plus, if recent trends can be trusted ... it's their year to win the Cup again! It all starts with game one.

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