This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate has 10 games on the docket after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Wild are massive home favorites against the Sabres, who went seven games without a win prior to Tuesday's victory in Winnipeg. Tampa Bay's also heavily favored on home ice against Ottawa, though the Senators are playing their best hockey of the season, with wins in five of the last six games, including a 4-0 shutout of the Lightning. Colorado's league-best offense is likely to overwhelm a Nashville team that's dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, while the Panthers (vs. LA) and Hurricanes (vs. Detroit) are both expected to get it done on home ice. Additionally, the Oilers are in a tailspin, having dropped six straight, but a visit from a Columbus team that's 3-6-1 in its last 10 could be just what Edmonton's star forwards need to get back on track. While the aforementioned group of games is likely to provide the majority of lineup building blocks, there's also value to be found throughout the remainder of Thursday's 10-game slate.
GOALIES
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. LA ($8,300): Bobrovsky should get the nod here after Spencer Knight was lit up by the Senators in his last start. The Russian netminder is in the midst of an excellent season that's included a 12-2-2 record, 2.37 GAA and .920 save percentage, while the visiting Kings have been the league's most fantasy-friendly opponent for goalies. Los Angeles averages the seventh-fewest goals (2.63) and the third-most shots (35.3) per game.
Linus Ullmark, BOS at NYI ($8,200): Ullmark has been locked in of late, allowing exactly two goals in each of his last five starts en route to a 4-1-0 record over that stretch. Both teams are battling some COVID-19 issues, but the Islanders are notably expected to be without top point producer Mathew Barzal. Even if Barzal plays, the low-octane Islanders offense is averaging just 2.13 goals per game.
Thatcher Demko, VAN at SJ ($7,400): The Canucks are a perfect 5-0-0 under new coach Bruce Boudreau, and Demko has been in net for four of those wins, allowing a total of five goals in those games. The Sharks average the sixth-fewest goals (2.62), so Demko's a high-upside bargain option in net given his team's recent turnaround.
Anton Forsberg, OTT at TB ($6,800): If you really want to go against the grain, consider locking in the affordable Forsberg against a Lightning team that's far from full strength due to injuries. Forsberg has won each of his last five starts, holding four of those five opponents to two goals or fewer. That hot stretch includes a shutout win over Tampa Bay last Saturday.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. CLS ($9,600): McDavid has been held without a point in consecutive games and without a goal over the past five, both of which are lengthy droughts by his lofty standards. Despite the recent struggles, he still has a 9-17-26 line in 15 home games this season and should add to that success against a visiting Blue Jackets team that's just 5-9-0 on the road this season.
Nazem Kadri, COL at NSH ($6,400): Kadri would be an appealing play here, even if the Predators weren't diminished by a COVID-19 outbreak. He has a 4-8-12 line during his six-game point streak, and if you stretch back even further, Kadri has been held without a point only once in his last 17 games played, mustering a McDavid-like 10-23-33 line over this productive stretch.
Cam Atkinson, PHI at MON ($4,100): Atkinson's coming off his best game of the season, in which he dominated the Devils to the tune of a hat trick and an assist, as the Flyers suddenly look much more competitive following a coaching change. At just $4,100, it's worth seeing whether the former 41-goal scorer, who's on pace to break 35 for the third time in his career, can back up that terrific performance with another high-scoring outing against a Montreal team that's dropped seven straight to fall to 6-21-3.
Max Domi, CLS at EDM ($2,900): Domi's a terrific value play against a skidding Oilers team that's dropped six in a row. He's undervalued at just $2,900 considering Domi has a 7-8-15 line in 17 appearances this season, and the former 72-point scorer is showing no signs of slowing down, with a 4-2-6 output in his last five games.
Anton Lundell, FLA vs. LA ($3,600): With Florida's usual top two centers unavailable, Lundell's set to center the team's top line. The talented rookie has a 2-3-5 line over his last six games, and he's expected to be flanked by a pair of productive wingers in Jonathan Huberdeau ($7,600) and Sam Reinhart ($5,900). At just $3,600, Lundell's a low-risk, high-reward play.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights at Devils
Chandler Stephenson (C - $3,900), Max Pacioretty (W - $8,800), Mark Stone (W - $5,500)
This has been the most dominant line in hockey over the past few days, so it's amazing that two of its members are still so affordable. These guys have combined for 17 points in the past two games. Stephenson's seven helpers over that span raised his season line to 9-20-29 in 27 games. Stone has added a 1-4-5 line in the past two contests, giving him 15 points during his active nine-game point streak and a 4-17-21 line in 16 appearances overall. Pacioretty has been absolutely unstoppable when healthy, topping a goal per game with a 12-7-19 line in 11, while also adding a bevy of shots. A Devils team that has gone just 2-7-1 in its last 10 games is unlikely to slow this red-hot trio down.
Wild vs. Sabres
Ryan Hartman (C - $6,600), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $7,700), Mats Zuccarello (W - $5,400)
Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has played very well since being called up, but his previous struggles at both the AHL and NHL levels suggest it's only a matter of time until he falls back down to earth. That could certainly happen in this matchup against the heavily favored Wild, whose offense is led by this line. Kaprizov's 10-22-32 line in 28 games has him leading the team in points, while Hartman's second in points and shares the team goals lead with Marcus Foligno courtesy of a 13-10-23 line. Zuccarello's 8-14-22 line is even more impressive considering he's been limited to just 22 appearances this season.
Hurricanes vs. Red Wings
Vincent Trocheck (C - $4,600), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $6,000), Martin Necas (W - $3,200)
With top-line center Sebastian Aho on the COVID-19 list, it will be up to Carolina's high-powered second line to lead the charge offensively against a Red Wings team that had given up 18 goals in three games before holding the struggling Islanders to one goal in their last contest. Svechnikov's 9-12-21 line in 26 games has him leading all available Hurricanes in both goals and points, as he trails only Aho in each. Trocheck's 6-12-18 output includes a 2-3-5 line over his past five games, while Necas has three goals in his last five games.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. OTT ($7,400): If you don't believe the Senators have truly gone from bottom-feeders to contenders overnight, then Hedman's a strong choice here. He's producing at a point-per-game pace through 28, trailing only the idle Adam Fox (31) in points among defensemen. Hedman's impressive point total includes a 3-7-10 line over the past eight games, and his recent offensive surge has been complemented by meaningful contributions in shots and blocked shots, as usual.
Erik Karlsson, SJ vs. VAN ($6,200): Despite their recent turnaround, the Canucks still rank last in the league on the penalty kill at a paltry 66.7 percent. Karlsson's 8-10-18 line in just 23 games includes a team-high six power-play points, so he's primed to capitalize on Vancouver's struggles when shorthanded. He comes in hot as well, with a 5-2-7 line in his last eight games.
Jonas Brodin, MIN vs. BUF ($5,100): Brodin has been an all-around stud over the past eight games. In addition to producing a 1-6-7 line over that span, he's put multiple pucks on net in every game and averaged 2.0 blocked shots as well, delivering value across the board. With the Wild's skill and depth likely to overwhelm the Sabres, Brodin's primed to build on his recent success.
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. BOS ($4,900): Dobson has been the Islanders' best source of offense lately, contributing a 3-2-5 line in his last six games. He has stuffed the stat sheet with 19 shots and 11 blocks over that stretch as well. With Boston missing two-thirds of its top line, the Islanders have a nice opportunity to notch their third win in the last 16 games, and Dobson's likely to be a leading reason why if they manage to do so.
