DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

Thursday has 11 games scheduled, consisting of six games starting in the 7:00-7:30 p.m. ET window, one beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET and four getting away in the 10:00-10:30 p.m. ET slot. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook. 

SLATE PREVIEW 

Tampa Bay (at San Jose), Vancouver (vs. Montreal), Carolina (vs. Philadelphia) and Edmonton (vs. Buffalo) are the biggest favorites on the Moneyline. Vegas (vs. Seattle) and Florida (vs. Nashville) are also heavily favored. The only matchups that check in with the Over/Under below 6.5 goals are Flyers-Hurricanes (6.0), Jets-Devils (6.0), Blackhawks-Ducks (6.0), Kraken-Golden Knights (6.0) and Rangers-Bruins (5.5). 

GOALIES 

Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. PHI ($8,300): Andersen has been excellent since returning to action following a blood clotting issue. He has gone 4-0-0 while stopping 93 of 98 shots for a .949 save percentage and one shutout. Andersen also earned a 3-2 win over the Flyers on Oct. 30 with a 26-save performance. 

Joel Hofer, STL at OTT ($7,500): If he gets the nod, Hofer could make for a good value play on Thursday. He has stopped 62 of 65 shots en route to winning his past two outings. The Senators have been held to two goals or fewer in six of their past seven contests. Jordan Binnington ($7,500) has upside as well should the Blues choose to give him a chance to bounce back from Tuesday's loss to Colorado. He made 32 saves in a 4-2 victory over Ottawa on Dec. 14. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS 

Steven Stamkos, TB at SJ ($6,600): Stamkos has collected three goals and eight assists during his six-game point streak. He has four power-play points (two goals, two assists) and 17 shots on net over that span. 

Timo Meier, NJ vs. WPG ($6,100): Meier has compiled 10 goals on a whopping 48 shots while adding four assists across his past 11 contests. He has netted 14 of his 21 goals on home ice this season. Meier also found the back of the net in a 6-3 loss to the Jets on Nov. 14. 

Tyler Toffoli, WPG at NJ ($5,700): Toffoli has produced four tallies and two assists during a three-game point spree. He has one goal and one helper on the man advantage along with 10 shots during that stretch. Toffoli makes for a good option against his former team on Thursday night. 

Philipp Kurashev, CHI at ANH ($4,800): Kurashev has amassed five goals and seven assists in his past nine appearances. He has two goals and three helpers on the man advantage during that time and has three multi-point efforts in his past four contests. Kurashev also has three goals and two assists in two previous meetings with the Ducks this campaign. 

FORWARD LNE STACKS 

Lightning at Sharks 

Nikita Kucherov (W - $9,500), Brayden Point (C - $7,500), Anthony Duclair (W - $4,200)

Kucherov is riding an 11-game point streak, with five goals and 19 assists, going into Thursday night's action. He has been held off the scoresheet once in his last 22 outings, accumulating 13 goals and 43 points over that period. Point has racked up 13 goals and 21 points across his past 14 appearances. Duclair has three goals and two assists in four games with Tampa Bay since being acquired from San Jose. He should be able to stay hot against his former team. 

The top line of the Lightning will probably be able to continue to fire on all cylinders against a Sharks team that has allowed the most goals per game (3.99) and the most shots per game (35.2) in 2023-24. 

Hurricanes vs. Flyers 

Sebastian Aho (C - $7,400), Jake Guentzel (W - $7,500), Seth Jarvis (W - $5,500) 

Aho has registered two goals and five assists over a three-game point spree. Guentzel has two goals and six helpers during his four-game scoring streak. Jarvis has potted five goals on 13 shots in a four-game goal spree. 

The newly formed top line of the Hurricanes stands a good chance of carrying over their hot play into Thursday's contest. Philadelphia has surrendered 15 goals in their past three outings. 

DEFENSEMEN 

Victor Hedman, TB at SJ ($6,200): Hedman's four-game point streak was halted in Tuesday's win over Vegas, but a return to the scoresheet is a distinct possibility Thursday. He has picked up three goals, 10 helpers, 22 shots on target and 22 blocked shots in his last 10 outings. 

Adam Fox, NYR at BOS ($5,500): Fox has plenty of bang for the buck potential for Thursday's slate. He has three goals and eight assists in his past 11 appearances, including two goals and four helpers over a five-game point spree. Fox also has 12 shots and 16 blocks in that five-game span. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Corey Abbott plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: armchair_gm, DraftKings: thenext1, Yahoo: Why.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NHL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NHL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Abbott
Corey Abbott is an avid sports fan who has been writing fantasy hockey for 15-plus years.
NHL Barometer: Risers and Fallers for the Week
NHL Barometer: Risers and Fallers for the Week
Hutch's Hockey: Midseason Awards
Hutch's Hockey: Midseason Awards
Category Targets: Looking Forward to the Break
Category Targets: Looking Forward to the Break
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Monday, December 23
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Monday, December 23
Frozen Fantasy: Holiday Pickups
Frozen Fantasy: Holiday Pickups
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, December 23
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, December 23