This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EST and features 10 games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
There's no shortage of appealing options to choose from in this slate, but the three heaviest favorites are the Hurricanes (vs. Detroit), Lightning (in Chicago) and Flames (vs. Ottawa). Flyers-Penguins and Maple Leafs-Canucks are tied for the highest over/under at 6.5 goals, but the aforementioned matchups are far from the only attractive targets on this busy night, with plenty of standout picks available at every position.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at CHI ($8,500): Vasilevskiy has won four consecutive starts, logging shutouts in the last three. That recent success improved his season output to a remarkable 13-3-1 record, 1.65 GAA and .942 save percentage. With the Lightning heavily favored in Chicago, the red-hot Vasilevskiy should be worth paying up for as usual.
Semyon Varlamov, NYI vs. BUF ($8,300): Whether it's Varlamov or Ilya Sorokin ($8,100), the Islanders' goalie of choice should find success against the last-place Sabres. Buffalo's 2-8-1 in its last 11 games, and if you take out four meetings with the Devils in that stretch, the Sabres are 0-7-0 with just six goals in those seven games. Meanwhile, Varlamov's 10-4-3 with a 2.10 GAA and .927 save percentage while Sorokin logged a shutout in his last start.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at MON ($7,500): Hellebuyck's a nice value play against a Montreal team that's in turmoil. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is 10-6-1 with a 2.59 GAA and .915 save percentage, while the Canadiens have scored only seven goals in three games under new head coach Dominique Ducharme.
Joonas Korpisalo, CBJ at DAL ($7,400): Dallas has won only once in its last 10 games, losing the last two via shutout. Columbus hasn't been much better lately, but Korpisalo and the Blue Jackets seemed to find their Mojo in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Red Wings while the Stars are still very much looking for theirs. Given that context, Korpisalo's an appealing bargain option against a Dallas team that's scoring only 2.71 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Drake Batherson, OTT at CGY ($4,600): Batherson's goal streak was halted at six games Tuesday in Montreal, but he stretched his point streak to seven. His 7-4-11 line over that stretch includes four goals and an assist in three games against the Flames, and the 22-year-old winger remains worth locking in at $4,600 until he cools down.
Auston Matthews, TOR at VAN ($8,900): Matthews looked like his usual self in his return from a wrist injury Wednesday in Edmonton, firing a game-high seven shots on net. The league's leading goal-scorer with 18 in 21 games has a great chance to add to that total against a Canucks team that's surrendering 3.46 goals per game.
Blake Wheeler, WPG at MON ($6,200): Wheeler's 7-16-23 line through 22 games includes a trio of three-point performances in his last five games. One of those outbursts came against the Canadiens, who are just 2-4-3 in their last nine games and 1-4-1 against teams besides Ottawa in that stretch.
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. BUF ($6,500): Barzal leads the Islanders in points for the fourth consecutive season with an 8-11-19 line through 22 games. The fleet-footed center has a great opportunity to add to that total against the struggling Sabres, who continue to be without top goalie Linus Ullmark (lower body).
Kasperi Kapanen, PIT vs. PHI ($3,800): Kapanen stepped up in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Flyers with Sidney Crosby (COVID-19 protocols) unavailable, potting two goals to bring his season line to 5-7-12 in 18 games. The Finnish winger remains affordable at just $3,800 heading into what's expected to be a high-scoring rematch between these Pennsylvania-based rivals, making Kapanen an enticing value option.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Hurricanes vs. Red Wings
Jordan Staal (C - $4,400), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $5,900), Warren Foegele (W - $3,100)
Carolina boasts arguably the deepest forward corps in the league, and this nominal third line is perhaps the most dangerous of the team's current combinations. Staal and Svechnikov both feature on the top power-play unit — which is important considering Detroit's penalty kill ranks 30th at 70.4 percent — and they have delivered identical 7-10-17 lines in 20 and 22 games played, respectively. Foegele has a modest 4-4-8 line in 19 games, but he has the size and skill to capitalize on a role alongside this pair of productive linemates.
Rangers at Devils
Mika Zibanejad (C - $6,800), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $5,400), Alexis Lafreniere (W - $3,400)
Buchnevich has been solid all season for the Rangers, while his two linemates have both heated up recently and should keep rolling against a reeling Devils team's 1-6-0 in its last seven games. Zibanejad got off to a dreadful start this season after back-to-back campaigns with at least 74 points, but he's starting to find his scoring touch over the last five games, with a 1-3-4 line and three-plus shots in four of those games. His 3.5 shooting percentage is still due for substantial improvement. Only the unavailable Artemi Panarin (18) has more points among Rangers than Buchnevich, whose 6-9-15 line through 20 games includes three goals, four assists and 21 shots over his last seven. After a slow start to his career, Lafreniere's starting to showcase the skills that made him the first overall selection in the 2020 draft. He's riding a three-game point streak and led all Rangers forwards with 18:35 of ice time in the team's last game.
Flames vs. Senators
Mikael Backlund (C - $4,500), Andrew Mangiapane (W - $4,700), Milan Lucic ($3,000)
Ottawa has been better lately, but the team is still allowing 3.80 goals per game, which is neck-and-neck with San Jose for worst in the league. Backlund will be happy to see the Senators on the schedule once again, as he produced four points against them in his last two games following an eight-game point drought. Mangiapane's coming off a stellar month of February, in which he posted an 8-3-11 line over 15 games. Lucic lit the lamp twice in the last three games — all against Ottawa — making the rugged veteran an appealing value option.
DEFENSEMEN
Dougie Hamilton, CAR vs. DET ($6,800): Hamilton has 14 points in 22 games despite scoring just one goal in his 67 shots — which rank second behind Roman Josi. His 1.5 shooting percentage is due to climb at some point, and this matchup with the lowly Red Wings could lead to the start of that positive regression.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. TOR ($5,600): Hughes leads all defensemen with 22 points in 26 games, including a point in each of his three previous meetings with the Maple Leafs. With Toronto playing its second game in as many nights, Hughes should capitalize on the Maple Leafs' tired legs with another productive performance.
Keith Yandle, FLA at NSH ($4,300): Yandle's nine power-play points have him one shy of Jonathan Huberdeau's team lead, and the veteran blueliner has an excellent opportunity to add to that success with the extra man against the 29th-ranked Nashville penalty kill (71.2 percent). His offensive upside is excellent for a $4,300 defenseman.
Ryan Lindgren, NYR at NJ ($3,700): Lindgren's known more for his defensive prowess, but the second-year blueliner has added some offense to his game recently, totaling eight assists in his last 13 games and five in the last five. He has a great opportunity to build on his recent success against a Devils team that's allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing defensemen.
