This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate features 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
Thursday's biggest favorites are the Bruins at home against Buffalo, the Stars in Chicago and the Kings against the Canadiens. Eight of Thursday's games come in with over/unders of 6.5 goals, with the exceptions being the aforementioned Stars-Blackhawks game and Wild-Canucks, both of which have over/unders of 6.0 goals.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL at CHI ($8,400): Oettinger may be called upon for the second time in as many nights with Scott Wedgewood (undisclosed) unavailable. After holding the Coyotes to two goals in Wednesday's win, Oettinger improved to 25-8-10 with a 2.29 GAA and .923 save percentage. The Stars will host a Blackhawks team that's averaging a league-low 2.47 goals per game.
Pheonix Copley, LA vs. MON ($8,300): Copley's 18-4-2 despite a sub-.900 save percentage, and he has a nice opportunity to improve both his record and his ratios in a home matchup against a Canadiens team that's scoring just 2.70 goals per game. Newcomer Joonas Korpisalo ($8,300) would also be a strong play here if he's tabbed to make his Kings debut.
James Reimer, SJ vs. STL ($7,800): Reimer's a high-risk, high-reward play. His floor is low behind the porous Sharks defense, but Reimer has a favorable matchup against a shell of a Blues team that's 0-4-2 in its last six games and likely to continue struggling after a trade deadline selloff.
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. MIN ($7,200): Demko will be an intriguing value play if he gets the nod against a Wild team that's scored more than two goals in regulation only once in its last 16 games. While Demko has been limited by injuries and poor play this season, he was outstanding last season, going 33-22-7 with a 2.72 GAA and .915 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN at VAN ($8,200): Kaprizov has remained productive despite Minnesota's offensive struggles as a team. He's put 14 shots on goal over the last two games, producing a hat trick in one. Kaprizov's tied for fifth overall with 37 goals, and he has a nice opportunity to add to his total against a Canucks team that's surrendering the second-most goals per game (3.97).
Roope Hintz, DAL at CHI ($6,900): Hintz has a three-game goal streak going, and he's put 16 pucks on net during this strong stretch. The top-line center's unlikely to slow down against a Blackhawks team that's giving up 3.58 goals per game and is bringing up the rear in the Western Conference standings.
Patrick Kane, NYR vs. OTT ($6,200): Kane should be highly motivated in his Rangers debut, and he's expected to skate on a line with Artemi Panarin ($6,100). The pair of undersized yet skilled wingers showed extraordinary chemistry in Chicago when Panarin first came stateside, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them reignite that chemistry quickly. Kane had been rolling prior to the trade materializing, with a 7-3-10 line over his last four games as a Blackhawk.
Matt Duchene, NSH at FLA ($5,700): Duchene has a 1-5-6 line over his last three games and five shots on goal in each of the last two, as he's generating plenty of chances while skating on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit. He should continue to lead Nashville's offense against a bottom-10 Panthers defense that's surrendering 3.44 goals per game.
Anthony Duclair, FLA vs. NSH ($4,000): The buy-low window is still open on Duclair, who has hit the ground running since returning from offseason Achilles surgery. In his first two games back, Duclair has a goal, an assist and nine shots. Duclair's valuation is likely to rise from its current $4,000 mark before long, as we're talking about a guy who scored 31 goals last season.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins vs. Sabres
Patrice Bergeron (C - $6,400), Brad Marchand (W - $7,000), Jake DeBrusk (W - $6,500)
Buffalo can score with the best of them, but the Sabres leave a lot to be desired defensively, as they allow 3.51 goals per game. Boston's top line should capitalize on Buffalo's defensive deficiencies. Bergeron has a 3-5-8 line in his last seven games, Marchand has a 3-4-7 line over his last seven, and DeBrusk's at 5-5-10 in his last eight.
Kings vs. Canadiens
Anze Kopitar (C - $5,900), Adrian Kempe (W - $5,700), Quinton Byfield (W - $3,100)
The Kings' top line should keep rolling against a Canadiens team that's giving up 3.58 goals per game. Kopitar's coming off a four-goal game, which gives him a 12-8-20 line across his last 13 games. Kempe's mired in a three-game point drought, but that was preceded by an 8-4-12 line across a seven-game point streak, and he leads the Kings with 28 goals. Byfield has yet to live up to his draft hype, but the Kings are doing all they can to put the 2020 second-overall pick in position to succeed.
Flames vs. Maple Leafs
Elias Lindholm (C - $4,800), Tyler Toffoli (W - $6,000), Dillon Dube (W - $3,900)
Calgary's top line offers some nice value here against a Maple Leafs team that's deploying third-string goalie Joseph Woll. Toronto's just a pedestrian 14-10-4 on the road, while the Flames are 15-11-3 at home. Lindholm's 17-34-51 line through 59 appearances translates to a 70-point pace and he scored 82 points last season, so the center's a bargain at his sub-$5,000 valuation. Toffoli's riding a streak of nine consecutive games with at least three shots on goal, and he's produced a 6-4-10 line over that span. Dube has tacked on a 5-6-11 line over that same nine-game span.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, SJ vs. STL ($7,500): Karlsson should be the best player on the ice for either team in this matchup with the reeling Blues. The Norris Trophy frontrunner is seventh in the entire NHL and easily first among defensemen with 77 points in 61 games, while the Blues are allowing 3.65 goals per game. Both Karlsson's point total and St. Louis' goals against continue to climb rapidly.
Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. BUF ($5,900): McAvoy has a 1-9-10 line over his last eight games, and he's also contributed multiple blocked shots in each of the past five. The strong two-way blueliner's skill set is perfect for what should be an up-tempo matchup against the Sabres. McAvoy's third on the team with 16 power-play points, while Buffalo's 72.4 percent penalty kill is second-worst in the NHL.
Moritz Seider, DET vs. SEA ($5,400): The recent trade of Filip Hronek to Vancouver should open up more offensive opportunities for Seider, including a spot on the top power-play unit, as Hronek has 16 points with the extra man to Seider's 10 this season. Seider will have a prime opportunity to make an immediate impact in his increased role on the man advantage, as Seattle has the league's fourth-worst penalty kill at 73.4 percent.
Calen Addison, MIN at VAN ($3,100): This is an ideal matchup for Addison, who has scored 18 of his 28 points this season on the power play. The affordable blueliner will have a golden opportunity to mark the scoresheet with the extra man against Vancouver's league-worst, 66.7 percent penalty kill.
