This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate features nine games 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
There are three overwhelming favorites to build around Thursday, as the Flames host the Canadiens, the Panthers host the Senators and the Avalanche travel to Arizona. The Colorado and Florida games are also tied with Wild-Flyers for the highest over/under (6.5 goals), making Minnesota another team worth targeting here. There are plenty of top players in action elsewhere in this slate, and while most of the rest have tough matchups, Edmonton's star duo should find some room to operate in Chicago.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. MON ($8,500): The Vezina Trophy is Igor Shesterkin's to lose, but Markstrom will almost certainly be a finalist for the award given his 25-11-5 record, 2.10 GAA and .927 save percentage, not to mention a league-best eight shutouts. Markstrom will have a nice opportunity to pad his stats on home ice against a Canadiens team that's been tougher of late but is still scoring just 2.31 goals per game — second-fewest in the NHL.
Darcy Kuemper, COL at ARI ($8,400): Kuemper's season hasn't been quite as impressive as Markstrom's, but it's hard to complain about a 27-6-2 record, 2.47 GAA and .919 save percentage. He'll also benefit from a highly favorable matchup against the league-worst Coyotes offense (2.28 goals per game).
Thatcher Demko, VAN at NYI ($7,600): Demko's in the midst of a stellar stretch, having gone 6-1-0 in his last nine appearances, with a pair of solid relief outings mixed in. Only two opponents have mustered more than two goals against him during this run, as Demko has improved to 23-16-2 with a 2.59 GAA and .918 save percentage overall. The affordable Vancouver goalie should stay hot against the bottom-five Islanders offense (2.54 goals per game).
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at VGK ($7,500): Goals will be hard to come by in this battle of strong defensive teams, so Swayman should add to his recent success. The 23-year-old goalie has grabbed the starting job in Boston thanks to a torrid 5-0-1 stretch during which Swayman has allowed just five total goals.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor McDavid, EDM at CHI ($9,100): There's no shortage of star players to pick from Thursday, but McDavid's still as good an option to build around as any. The league's leading point scorer has seven multi-point performances in his last 10 games, and he's added at least five shots on goal in six of those contests. A Blackhawks team that's allowed 14 goals in its last three games is unlikely to slow McDavid down.
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR at WAS ($6,200): Teravainen has a nine-game point streak going, during which the winger has accrued a 4-8-12 line. The most affordable member of Carolina's surging top line will look to build on that recent success against a skidding Capitals team that's suffered three consecutive regulation losses.
Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. MON ($6,100): Lindholm has been held off the scoresheet only once in his last 13 games, delivering a 10-10-20 line over that span. One of the most productive centers in the league isn't priced like it, so take advantage and lock Lindholm in against a Montreal team that's allowing a league-high 3.81 goals per game.
Elias Pettersson, VAN at NYI ($4,300): Pettersson's a bargain at just $4,300, even in what projects to be a low-scoring contest. He just had a five-game point streak snapped but still has a 4-7-11 line in his last six games. Pettersson's 17 goals in 55 games overall include eight tallies in the last 14.
Jake DeBrusk, BOS at VGK ($3,700): DeBrusk's an appealing value option, even against the stout Vegas defense. He's skating on Boston's top line and has a 7-2-9 line in his last six games, so DeBrusk's a low-risk, high-reward play at just $3,700.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche at Coyotes
Nazem Kadri (C - $7,100), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $6,400), Alex Newhook (W - $2,500)
Colorado's second line has been just as effective as the top line recently but costs significantly less to lock in for this juicy matchup with a Coyotes team that's giving up the third-most goals per game (3.60). Kadri leads the Avs in points with a 22-46-68 line in 51 games, and he's kept on chugging along with five points in the past four. Landeskog's team-high 29 goals include six in the last four games, and Newhook's a nice value at just $2,500 considering he has three assists, 12 shots and six blocks in his last four games.
Wild at Flyers
Ryan Hartman (C - $4,900), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $6,900), Mats Zuccarello (W - $5,200)
Minnesota's top line should find success against a Flyers team that's won only three of its last 23 games. Kaprizov's a bargain at $6,900 considering he's top-10 league-wide in both points and shots with a 24-40-64 line and 182 pucks on net over 50 games. Zuccarello's second on the Wild in points with a 17-36-53 line in just 44 appearances. Hartman's mired in a slump, but he's still second on the team with 19 goals.
Panthers vs. Senators
Sam Bennett (C - $5,700), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $7,300), Anthony Duclair (W - $5,200)
Florida has dropped three straight, but the Panthers' league-best offense (4.08 goals per game) isn't to blame for the slump. This recently formed line has one of the league's premier playmakers in Huberdeau working alongside two snipers, which spells trouble for the bottom-10 Ottawa defense. Huberdeau leads the league with 57 assists, and his 75 points in 53 games include a 2-15-17 line during his active 10-game point streak. Bennett could be on the verge of an offensive outburst, as he's scored twice on a whopping 21 shots over the past three games. Duclair has six points in his last five games and a 20-20-40 line in 45 overall.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL at ARI ($6,500): Makar's the cream of the crop when it comes to offense from the blue line. A shooting slump hasn't stopped Makar from racking up 14 points in his last nine games — all via assists — and he still leads all defensemen in goals (18) as well as points (58). Don't expect the Coyotes to extinguish his point streak.
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. VAN ($5,200): Dobson has produced consistently despite the Islanders' struggles on offense, totaling a 3-8-11 line in the last 14 games while laying a nice base of shots and blocks. His eight power-play points are tied with Oliver Wahlstrom for second on the team behind the injured Mathew Barzal's 10. Dobson's involvement with the extra man raises his ceiling against the league-worst Canucks penalty kill (70.4 percent).
Mikhail Sergachev, TB vs. PIT ($4,600): Whether he's setting up goals, flinging rubber at the cage or putting his body in front of opposing shots, Sergachev's finding ways to contribute on a nightly basis. He's totaled at least 11.3 fantasy points in each of his last six games and 9.7 or more in 11 of 12. You'll be hard-pressed to find a higher floor at a sub-$5,000 valuation.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. MON ($4,500): Andersson isn't flashy, but he's been effective as the leader of a deep Calgary defense corps. He's quietly racked up nine points in his last nine games while adding multiple shots on goal in all but one of those outings and contributing multiple blocks in five of them. Another strong performance is likely forthcoming with the lowly Canadiens in town.
