This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Hopefully the luck of the Irish will be with you when making your NHL DFS picks. There are 10 NHL games Thursday night. Here are some recommendations...
SLATE PREVIEW
There is one team on the second leg of a back-to-back, and that's Columbus. The Blue Jackets also happen to have the league's third-highest GAA. That's going to be a nice team to target. Of course, the two teams with higher team GAAs -- Montreal and Detroit -- are also in action.
GOALIES
Vitek Vanecek, WAS at CLM ($8,200): The Blue Jackets aren't as iffy offensively as they are defensively. In fact, they are top 10 in goals per game. That being said, they are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Plus, Vanecek has a 2.36 GAA and .917 save percentage, and the Capitals only allowed 29.2 shots on net per contest. I like Vanecek's chances of picking up a win in this one.
Juuse Saros, NAS at PHI ($8,100): I certainly did not see the Flyers ranking 31st in goals per game this late in the season. And yet, here they are, averaging a mere 2.51 goals per contest. Saros sports a 2.41 GAA and .924 save percentage and he's allowed one goal or fewer in four of his last five starts.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. NYI ($7,900): Yes, Shesterkin's last couple of starts have been iffy. Even so, he has a 2.07 GAA and .938 save percentage in 39 games played. You don't toss aside a likely Vezina finalist because of two off-nights. The Islanders aren't exactly a threat either, as they've averaged 2.70 goals and 29.5 shots on net per contest.
VALUE PLAYS
Matt Duchene, NAS at PHI ($6,100): Duchene is red hot. He has a seven-game point streak, and in five of those games he's had multiple points. The Flyers have a bad offense, but they are almost as bad defensively. They've posted a 3.42 GAA and have allowed 34.0 shots on net per contest.
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. DET ($5,200): Boeser may just be bolstering trade value at this point, but he has 11 points in his last 15 games. He also has 15 power-play points in this campaign. The Red Wings have collapsed defensively, so much so they now have a 3.77 GAA and the 31st-ranked penalty kill.
Kailer Yamamoto, EDM vs. BUF ($): Connor McDavid, the leading scorer in the NHL, has tallied two points in each of his last three games. These days Yamamoto is playing on McDavid's wing, and wouldn't you know it but he has five points in his last three outings? Skating with McDavid is a great place to be, especially against a team with a 3.52 GAA.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Capitals at Blue Jackets: Nicklas Backstrom (C - $4,000), T.J. Oshie (W - $4,500), Anthony Mantha (W – 3,500)
The Jackets, like I noted, are on the second leg of a back-to-back. They've also allowed 35.5 shots on net per contest, most in the NHL. Joonas Korpisalo will presumably be in net, and he has a 3.95 GAA and .883 save percentage. That has me looking to Washington's second line, three guys who have been banged up this year but are all healthy now.
Backstrom has tallied 20 points in 28 games, including nine with the extra man. He's averaged 3:48 per game in power-play time, which is great on a team like this. Since returning from injury, Oshie has three goals and three assists in nine games, and three of his points have been on the power play. Mantha has gotten himself going after a lengthy injury, with three points and 12 shots on goal in his last four outings.
Stars at Canadiens: Roope Hintz (C - $6,100), Jason Robertson, (W - $6,800), Joe Pavelski (W - $6,000)
The Stars have some odd line combinations going on as they try and find depth scoring beyond this elite line, which left me not feeling confident in any line but the top unit. That means a fair amount of your salary will be dished out here, but it could still end up being worth it. The Canadiens have a 3.82 GAA, highest in the NHL, and have allowed 33.7 shots on net per contest/
Hintz is setting career highs all over the place. He has 23 goals on 152 shots on net with 26 assists in 56 games. The Finn also has 17 points with the extra man. Robertson has hit the 30-goal mark, and he's been peppering the net with shots. Over his last 12 games he's put 49 shots on target. Pavelski has at least one points in six of his last eight games, giving him 60 points on the season in 58 contests.
DEFENSE
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. DET ($5,400): I mentioned the Red Wings have the 31st-ranked penalty kill. That may just have Hughes salivating over this matchup. He's established himself as one of the elite power-play producers in the NHL. Hughes has tallied 23 points with the extra man in 57 games.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. BUF ($5,000): With five points in his last five games, Bouchard has 32 points in 59 games this season. He's also put 137 shots on net. The Sabres have given up 34.1 shots on goal per contest, not to mention their 3.52 GAA.
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at EDM ($4,800): Yes, Dahlin doesn't have a point in his last four games, but prior to that he had nine points in 10 contests. Plus, he's been plenty active. In his last game he had five shots on goal and two blocked shots. The Oilers are starting Mike Smith, who has a 3.57 GAA and .891 save percentage this season.
