This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's busy NHL slate features 11 games after 7:30 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
The Hurricanes are Thursday's largest favorites at home against the Flyers, followed by the Rangers in Montreal. The rest of the slate is expected to be quite competitive, but the Bruins and Lightning should ultimately take care of business at home against the Oilers and Golden Knights, respectively. Along with New York's and Boston's games, Stars-Sabres, Devils-Capitals, Sharks-Blues and Senators-Kraken all have over/unders of 6.5 goals.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. PHI ($8,500): Andersen's 5-2-0 in his last seven decisions, and he's allowed just five goals across the five wins. Philadelphia's 29th-ranked offense (2.61 goals per game) is unlikely to knock Andersen off his game.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. EDM ($8,100): Swayman should get this game if he continues to alternate starts with Linus Ullmark ($8,300). The backup's personal four-game winning streak includes a 3-2 victory in Edmonton, and the stout Boston defense should allow Swayman to replicate that effort on home ice, even against the league's highest-scoring offense.
Vitek Vanecek, NJ at WAS ($7,900): Vanecek has been especially strong on the road this season, with a 16-1-2 record, 2.59 GAA and .910 save percentage. He'll be motivated to build on that success against his former team, and the Capitals are just 3-8-0 in their last 11 games.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at PIT ($7,700): Sorokin's recent surge has been the key factor propelling the Islanders into the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but they'll need a win in this game to maintain that position. Sorokin's 5-1-1 record in his last seven outings includes a pair of wins over the Penguins, and he's posted stellar ratios all season, with a 2.33 GAA and .925 save percentage overall.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nathan MacKinnon, COL vs. LA ($9,800): With Connor McDavid ($9,900) facing the league's stingiest defensive team in Boston, MacKinnon seems like the smarter choice for those looking to build around an elite center. MacKinnon's averaging a goal per game over his last 12, and the shaky Kings goaltending is unlikely to keep him off the scoresheet. His 20.0 fantasy points per game this season are second among all skaters behind McDavid's 22.3.
Roope Hintz, DAL at BUF ($6,500): Hintz has a six-game point streak going, during which he's mustered seven goals and two assists. The center on the first line and top power-play unit for Dallas should have no trouble building on that success against the Sabres, who are allowing 3.54 goals per game and have the league's second-worst penalty kill at 72.9 percent. Hintz is averaging over a point per game overall with a 30-29-59 line in 56 games.
Jared McCann, SEA vs. OTT ($5,600): Naysayers have been waiting for McCann to slow down all season, but he continues to convert at an impressive clip. Five goals on 20 shots over his last five games have raised McCann's shooting percentage to 22.0, and he's dished three helpers over that span to bring his season line up to 31-19-50. Seattle's goals leader will look to add to that total against the middling Senators defense.
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR vs. PHI ($4,300): Teravainen backed up a hat trick against the Lightning with an assist in Montreal, giving him some momentum heading into this visit from the lowly Flyers. He's still on pace to fall well short of 60 points after topping that mark in four of the previous five seasons, but the Finnish winger's heating up, and the buy-low window's still open.
Ivan Barbashev, VGK at TB ($3,600): A trade to Vegas has reignited Barbashev's offense, as he has a 2-3-5 line through his first five games with the Golden Knights. The 27-year-old Russian scored 60 points with the Blues last season and is skating on the top line with his new team, making him a sneaky value play against a Lightning team that's 1-5-0 in its last six games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Rangers at Canadiens
Vincent Trocheck (W - $5,400), Patrick Kane (W - $6,400), Artemi Panarin (W - $6,100)
The Rangers have been off since Saturday, which has provided some opportunities for Kane to practice with his new team. The big-name trade acquisition failed to score a point in his first two games with New York, as he and Panarin were forcing passes to each other instead of making the right hockey plays. This trio should start to click against a Montreal team that's allowing 3.56 goals per game, as Trocheck and Panarin have both been rolling lately. Trocheck has a 6-11-17 line over his last 15 games, while Panarin's at 7-12-19 in his last 14.
Blues vs. Sharks
Robert Thomas (C - $4,400), Jordan Kyrou (W - $7,000), Pavel Buchnevich (W - $5,800)
Even as they've skidded well out of the playoff picture with a depleted roster, the Blues have continued to get solid production out of their top line, and that should continue against a Sharks team that's allowing 3.72 goals per game. Buchnevich has at least one point in each of his last six appearances, with a 4-7-11 line over that span. Kyrou's 1-2-3 line over the past three games has been accompanied by 14 shots, and Thomas has a 2-3-5 line in his last five games.
Predators at Coyotes
Thomas Novak (C - $4,300), Luke Evangelista (W - $2,800), Kiefer Sherwood (W - $2,500)
Nashville's affordable second line may not have much name recognition, but this trio could provide substantial value against a Coyotes team that's allowing 3.53 goals per game. Novak has produced a 9-14-23 line in just 30 games for the Predators this season. Evangelista's coming off a two-goal game Tuesday in his fourth NHL game, and the 2020 second-round pick is trying to prove he deserves to stay in the NHL moving forward. Sherwood's the veteran of this group, and the 27-year-old winger has a two-game point streak going.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, SJ at STL ($7,100): Karlsson leads all NHL defensemen in both goals (19) and points (82). He should get plenty of chances to extend those leads against the porous Blues defense. St. Louis is allowing 3.68 goals per game and has dropped eight of its last nine games.
Mikhail Sergachev, TB vs. VGK ($5,900): Sergachev had two power-play assists with Victor Hedman (undisclosed) unavailable in Tampa Bay's last game. The Russian blueliner has been productive all year, as he's just six points from reaching 50, but Sergachev's value will be even higher as Tampa Bay's top all-situations defenseman for the duration of Hedman's absence. If Hedman misses a second game here, look for Sergachev to capitalize again.
Shayne Gostisbehere, CAR vs. PHI ($5,200): Gostisbehere has hit the ground running with his new team, as the trade acquisition from Arizona has a 2-2-4 line through three games with the Hurricanes. All four of those points have come on the power play, so the puck-moving defenseman is being put in position to maximize his offensive output, and he'll be eager to contribute against the Flyers, with whom Gostisbehere began his NHL career.
Justin Schultz, SEA vs. OTT ($3,500): Vince Dunn (upper body) was removed from the Kraken's previous game, and Schultz is the leading candidate for more offensive opportunities, including a spot on the top power-play unit, if Dunn misses further time. Dunn's tied for the team lead with 14 power-play points, while Schultz has contributed 11.
