This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's usually among the busiest days of the week in the NHL, and this one is no exception, with 12 games scheduled after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Rangers are Thursday's biggest favorites at home against a Sharks team that's opened the season with five consecutive regulation losses, though the Flames aren't far behind with the Sabres in town. Other significant favorites include the Golden Knights (vs. Winnipeg), Bruins (vs. Anaheim) and Penguins (vs. LA), all at home. Eleven of Thursday's 12 games come in with an over/under of 6.5 goals, with the exception being Devils-Islanders (6.0).
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. SJ ($8,500): A visit from the lowly Sharks could be a good opportunity to give Shesterkin a night off, though the Rangers don't play again until Sunday. If Shesterkin gets the nod in net, he should cruise to victory against a Sharks team that's been outscored 19-8 en route to a 0-5-0 start. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is off to a slow start by his lofty standards with a 2.68 GAA and .905 save percentage, but those pedestrian numbers can be attributed to the Rangers taking their foot off the gas late in games given his 3-0-0 record.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. BUF ($8,200): Like Shesterkin, Markstrom's off to an unremarkable yet undefeated start on the heels of a terrific 2021-22 campaign. Calgary's netminder has won both of his starts while posting a 2.50 GAA and .891 save percentage behind the sturdy Calgary defense. Markstrom led the league with nine shutouts last year and could be eyeing his first of the season at home against Buffalo.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. NJ ($7,700): Using the goalie from the favorite in what's projected to be the lowest-scoring game of the night is a sensible move. Sorokin's 1-1-0 with a 1.52 GAA and .941 save percentage after going 26-18-8 with a 2.40 GAA and .925 save percentage last season, while the Devils have been outscored 12-8 during their 1-2-0 start.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
David Pastrnak, BOS vs. ANH ($8,600): Pastrnak doesn't come cheap, but the two-time 40-goal scorer should be worth paying up for at home against a Ducks team that's been outscored 21-12 through four games. Anaheim's 5.25 goals allowed per game are second-most in the league, while Pastrnak's off to a phenomenal start with a 3-5-8 line and 24 shots on goal through four games.
Elias Pettersson, VAN at MIN ($6,600): If early trends hold, Pettersson should have no trouble outplaying his $6,600 valuation here. The Swedish center has a 3-3-6 line through four games, and he's chipped in at least three shots in every game for a total of 14. Meanwhile, Minnesota's allowing a whopping 6.67 goals per game while the floundering Marc-Andre Fleury has an 8.37 GAA.
Matthew Boldy, MIN vs. VAN ($4,700): Boldy has been one of the game's most productive young players since getting called up last season, and he's only getting better. The 2019 first-round pick has a 17-27-44 line over his first 50 NHL games, including a 2-3-5 mark through Minnesota's first three games of 2022-23. Lock him in at $4,700 while you can, because Boldy's valuation will likely climb before long.
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK vs. WPG ($4,600): Marchessault leads the Golden Knights with three goals through four games, and his 15 shots are two shy of Reilly Smith's team-leading total. On the heels of his second career 30-goal season, the diminutive winger's showing no signs of slowing down, and he could be drawing the Jets at the right time. After beating Colorado in overtime Wednesday night, the Jets will have tired legs in front of backup goalie David Rittich, who had a 3.57 GAA and .886 save percentage across 17 appearances for Nashville last season.
Lars Eller, WAS at OTT ($2,700): With Evgeny Kuznetsov suspended for one game, Eller's projected to fill in as a top-six pivot and could be in line to center Alex Ovechkin ($8,000) on the top line. Eller isn't flashy, but he can be relied upon to chip in offensively, having scored 12-plus goals in nine of the previous 11 seasons while playing primarily in the bottom six. He has a golden opportunity to build on his 1-1-2 line through four games, and Eller's temporary promotion makes him worth a look at just $2,700 against a Senators team that's allowed 12 goals through three games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Rangers vs. Sharks
Vincent Trocheck (C - $5,300), Artemi Panarin (W - $6,500), Alexis Lafreniere (W - $3,200)
New York's new-look second line is off to a terrific start. Panarin leads the league with 10 points through four games. Trocheck has fit in seamlessly as Ryan Strome's replacement down the middle, racking up a 2-3-5 line while also playing a key role on New York's high-powered top power-play unit. Lafreniere has a 1-2-3 line, and the 2020 first-overall pick is starting to make a couple eye-popping plays per game early in his third season after being limited to occasional flashes in his first two campaigns.
Penguins vs. Kings
Sidney Crosby (C - $7,700), Jake Guentzel (W - $8,100), Rickard Rakell (W - $4,800)
Pittsburgh's top line is one of the best lines in the league, and a Kings team that's allowed 21 goals in five games is unlikely to slow this trio down. Crosby has a 2-4-6 line through three games, and Guentzel's right behind him at 2-2-4. Rakell's contributions have been limited to one goal, but he's getting chances with 12 shots on goal and should continue to see plenty of open ice as defenses focus on Crosby and Guentzel.
Canadiens vs. Coyotes
Nick Suzuki (C - $5,200), Cole Caufield (W - $5,800), Sean Monahan (W - $3,400)
These were the two worst teams in the league last year, but the Canadiens seem a lot closer to respectability than the Coyotes do early in 2022-23. Montreal's young top line gives future-oriented fans something to get excited about, and its members are producing right now. Suzuki has a 2-3-5 line through four games and is coming off an eight-shot performance against the Penguins, while Caufield has a 3-1-4 line on 16 shots, continuing his torrid scoring pace from the second half of last season. Monahan isn't part of the youth movement like the 23-year-old Suzuki and 21-year-old Caufield, but the 28-year-old former Flame seems to have benefited from a change of scenery judging by his 1-1-2 line and 12 shots.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at CGY ($6,700): Dahlin's an against-the-grain option considering his team's facing the Flames, but it's hard not to take notice of his torrid start. The first overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft is finally exhibiting the two-way dominance the Sabres were hoping for when they drafted him. Dahlin has opened the season with a three-game goal streak while adding one assist, 13 shots and five blocked shots, topping 20 fantasy points in every game.
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. NJ ($6,000): Dobson's start hasn't been quite as impressive as Dahlin's, but he's another ascendant young blueliner. After topping the 50-point mark last season, Dobson has compiled a 1-1-2 line during his season-opening three-game point streak while adding 13 shots on goal.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. BUF ($4,900): Andersson quietly reached the 50-point mark for the Flames last season and is on pace to get there again, having chipped in a goal and two power-play assists through three games. His prominent role on the man advantage raises the 25-year-old Swede's ceiling, and Andersson will face a Sabres team that had one of the league's 10 lowest penalty kill percentages in each of the previous three seasons.
Matt Roy, LA at PIT ($4,700): Roy has demonstrated both a high floor and a high ceiling with his two-way game in the early going, averaging 15.7 fantasy points and scoring at least 9.9 in all five of the Kings' games. He has supplemented his stat line with 12 shots and 14 blocks while lighting the lamp three times and dishing a helper.
