This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate consists of 10 games after 7:00 p.m. EST. 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
Plenty of scoring is expected Thursday, with Sabres-Lightning and Oilers-Penguins both checking in at over/under 7.0 goals. Tampa Bay's also the second-largest favorite in this slate, trailing only the Capitals, who will host the Ducks. Other clear favorites include the Wild in Columbus, Bruins in Seattle and Rangers in Detroit.
GOALIES
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at SEA ($8,500): Swayman shut out the Predators in his previous start, improving to 13-4-4 with a 2.21 GAA and .918 save percentage as the league's most effective backup goaltender. Whichever one of Swayman or Vezina Trophy favorite Linus Ullmark ($8,500) gets the nod for this road tilt should keep rolling right along against a Kraken team that was shut out by the Sharks on Monday.
Darcy Kuemper, WAS vs. ANH ($8,200): Kuemper's mired in an ill-timed, four-game losing streak, but he should have a golden opportunity to turn things around here. The Capitals should get a major morale boost from Alex Ovechkin's (personal) return, while Kuemper should benefit from a home matchup against Anaheim's league-worst offense (2.45 goals per game). Kuemper's 10 shutouts since the start of last season are second-most behind Ilya Sorokin's 12 over the span.
Filip Gustavsson, MIN at CLS ($8,000): With the Wild battling for a playoff spot, Minnesota has abandoned the timeshare between Gustavsson and Fleury in favor of riding the more effective goalie. The 24-year-old Swede has gone 4-0-1 in his last five starts, holding the opposition to just eight goals over that span, and he's likely to be tabbed for a fourth consecutive start against a feeble Columbus offense that's averaging 2.54 goals – fourth-fewest in the NHL.
James Reimer, SJ vs. NSH ($7,600): Reimer's doing his best to make a strong impression on potential trade suitors before March 3 so that he can get off the sinking Sharks ship and onto a playoff contender. He shut out Seattle on Monday and will face a Predators offense that's scoring 2.80 goals per game, which is seventh-fewest in the league.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor McDavid, EDM at PIT ($9,500): The reeling Penguins have allowed 14 goals during their three-game regulation losing streak, and Pittsburgh's porous defense is unlikely to have an answer for McDavid, who leads the league in both goals (44) and points (105). If you can find enough values elsewhere to afford him without hollowing out the remainder of your lineup, McDavid should be worth building around as usual.
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN at CLS ($7,400): Kaprizov is in the top 10 league-wide in goals (33), as well as top 15 in both points (67) and shots (213). The productive power forward easily lads the Wild in all of those categories, and Kaprizov should climb those leaderboards by the time he's through with a Columbus team that's surrendering 3.70 goals per game.
Artemi Panarin, NYR at DET ($5,800): Panarin had a seven-game point streak snapped by Connor Hellebuyck's heroic 50-save effort in the Rangers' previous game, but he still has a 6-5-11 line over his last five games. The league's 20th-leading point producer (65 in 57 games) is a strong value at just $5,800 against the middling Detroit defense.
Nino Niederreiter, NSH at SJ ($4,400): Niederreiter has been bumped back into the top six with Filip Forsberg ($6,400) sidelined by an upper-body injury, and El Nino has made the most of the opportunity with a goal in each of the past two games. He's four goals from reaching 20 for the third consecutive season and seventh time in his career, and Niederreiter has a nice chance to pull closer to that milestone against the Sharks, who are allowing 3.59 goals per game.
Dawson Mercer, NJ vs. LA ($3,700): Mercer's a nice value in a top-line role for the Devils. The second-year forward's on a four-game goal streak, with a 5-1-6 line over that span, and he's poised to keep rolling on home ice against a Kings team that's allowing 3.34 goals per game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Sabres
Steven Stamkos (C - $7,100), Anthony Cirelli (W - $4,500), Alex Killorn (W - $3,800)
There's plenty of scoring expected in this one, and Tampa Bay's more affordable second line should get in on the fun alongside the Lightning's top line against a Sabres team that's allowing 3.49 goals per game. Stamkos is averaging more than a point per game with a 25-34-59 line through 56, and he leads the Lightning with 190 shots on goal. Killorn has three multi-point performances in his last six games, while a move from center to wing has helped unlock Cirelli's offense to the tune of a 4-3-7 line over his last six outings.
Capitals vs. Ducks
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $4,900), Tom Wilson ($4,200), Sonny Milano (W - $2,700)
Ovechkin ($8,800) is back with the team but has yet to be officially activated. If the team's leading scorer (32-22-54 in 54 games) returns, he'll likely bump Milano off this line and should be worth locking in despite the rust. Regardless of Ovechkin's status, Milano's a low-risk, high-reward play at just $2,700 against a Ducks team that's allowing a league-high 4.19 goals per game. Kuznetsov has been held back by a career-low 6.9 shooting percentage, but he's still comfortably second on the team in points with 45. Wilson has a two-game goal streak going and offers a rare mix of power and skill.
Blues vs. Canucks
Robert Thomas (C - $4,700), Jordan Kyrou (W - $7,300), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $5,200)
The Blues have traded away substantial scoring depth, but they still have a productive top line that's more than capable of capitalizing on a visit from a Canucks team that's allowing 4.02 goals per game. Kyrou's averaging a point per game and leads the Blues in both goals (25) and points (54). Thomas has chipped in 48 points through 54 games. Buchnevich is averaging over a point per game with 43 in 42 appearances, and he's expected to return from a lower-body injury for this one.
DEFENSEMEN
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at SEA ($6,200): The biggest difference between these two teams is the penalty kill, as Boston's is the best in the league at 86.5 percent while Seattle's is the second-worst at 72.5. McAvoy quarterbacks the Bruins' top power-play unit and should capitalize on Seattle's inability to deny opposing man advantage opportunities, as his 16 power-play points in just 43 games are third-most on the team.
Quinn Hughes, VAN at STL ($5,700): Vancouver's shoddy defense is well known, but St. Louis hasn't been all that much better, allowing 3.65 goals per game. Hughes should have no trouble getting on the scoresheet in this one, as he's fourth among defensemen in points with 54 through 53 appearances.
Erik Gustafsson, WAS vs. ANH ($4,800): While the Capitals are expected to get Ovechkin back, they remain without John Carlson (face), so Gustafsson continues to man the top power-play unit. After a nondescript start to the season, Gustafsson has a 7-24-31 line in his last 45 games, and he should remain productive against Anaheim's league-worst defense.
Alec Martinez, VGK vs. CGY ($3,700): Martinez is a nice low-cost option for those looking to clear cap space for the likes of McDavid and Ovechkin. Shot blocking is Martinez's calling card, as he leads the league with 161 blocked shots. Martinez should get plenty of chances to add to that total against a Flames team that loves to throw the puck at the net, averaging the second-most shots in the league at 35.7.
