This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's a very busy night in the NHL on Thursday as there are 12 games on tap. LA travels to Ottawa, Tampa Bay plays in Columbus, Carolina takes on the Rangers in New York, Washington hosts the Islanders, Florida is in Detroit, Toronto faces Boston, Minnesota is home to New Jersey, Seattle hosts Nashville, Dallas is in Edmonton, Montreal plays in Arizona, Winnipeg travels to Vegas and Vancouver finds its way to San Jose. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Jonas Johansson, TB at CLS ($8,300): Johansson is 4-1-3 this season, with a 2.73 GAA and .922 save percentage. Johansson had back-to-back shutouts before giving up four goals on 43 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to Seattle on Monday. Johansson has another three weeks or so as the starter, before Andrei Vasilevskiy (back surgery) is expected to return to action so every game counts for Johansson. Johansson will face the Blue Jackets, who are 23rd in NHL scoring, having found the back of the net 23 times in nine games.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. TOR ($8,400): Swayman is off to a perfect 4-0-0 start this season, giving up only five goals on 115 shots. He has been splitting the net with Linus Ullmark and Thursday's tilt against Toronto marks Swayman's turn between the pipes. Swayman won his only start last season against the Maple Leafs, stopping 31 shots in a 2-1 win at home. Swayman has been making a great case to be the Bruins' No. 1 goaltender, and a win over Toronto won't hurt his cause.
VALUE PLAYS
Aleksander Barkov, FLA vs. DET ($6,900): Barkov has a pair of goals and six assists in seven games this season and has scored on each of his last two shots. Barkov centers the top line as well as the Panthers' first power-play unit. The talented Finn had four assists in three games against Detroit last season.
Matthew Boldy, MIN vs. NJ ($5,500): Boldy returns to the Wild lineup after missing the last seven games with an upper-body injury. Boldy had a goal and an assist in his first two games of the season, after a 31 goal, 32 assist 2022-23 campaign. He will start on the second line with Marcus Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek, and see time on the first power play.
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR at NYR ($3,600): Svechnikov has an assist in two games since returning from knee surgery that kept him out of the lineup since March 3. The talented winger is seeing time on the first line Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, as well as second-unit power-play time. He is a must in DFS on Thursday.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Devils at Wild
Jack Hughes (C-$10,400), Tyler Toffoli (W-$7,300), Timo Meier (W-$6,800)
The Devils' top line has been the best in the NHL this season. Hughes has been the best player in the NHL thus far with five goals and 13 assists in just eight games. He has three goals and 10 points on the power play as he has been a stud with the man-advantage. Toffoli has picked up just where he left off last season, when he had 34 goals and 73 points for the Flames. He came to the Devils in the offseason and has seven goals and 10 points in eight games. Meier has a five-game points streak in which he has a goal and six assists. He started the season pointless in his first three games, but has hit his stride of late. The Devils are expected to face Filip Gustavsson, who has given up 22 goals in his last four starts.
Stars at Oilers
Jason Robertson (W - $8,500), Roope Hintz (C -$8,000), Joe Pavelski (W - $8,200)
If you are looking at another line stack, then the Stars' top line is for you. Dallas takes on the Oilers, who have had trouble keeping the puck out of the net this season. Robertson has two goals and seven points in his last six games, after failing to pick up a point in his first two games. He did have 46 goals and 109 points last season, so the pedigree is there. Hintz has three goals and five assists in seven games, while Pavelski also has three goals and seven points, but in eight contests. All three also play on the first power play unit.
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski, CLS vs. TB ($5,400): Werenski is off to a nice start this season with a goal and four assists in seven games. He missed a couple of games early in the season after suffering a quad contusion Opening Night. Werenski has been an offensive force throughout his NHL career, hitting double-digits in goals in five seasons, including 20 markers in the 2019-20 campaign.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. WPG ($5,100): Pietrangelo has only two assists in five games this season as he missed five contests with an upper-body injury. Pietrangelo had seven assists in seven games versus the Jets last season, including five helpers in five playoff games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Jake Sanderson, OTT vs. LA ($5,300): Sanderson has taken his offensive game to a new level in his sophomore campaign, scoring three times while adding four assists in eight games. He had four goals and 32 points in 77 games during his rookie campaign. Sanderson was selected fifth overall in 2020 and is showing why he may be the best player selected in the Draft.
