This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are 11 games on tap Thursday. Florida visits Carolina, Detroit hosts Colorado, the Rangers travel to New Jersey, Dallas is in Ottawa, Montreal takes on Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay hosts Washington, the Islanders visit St. Louis, Boston plays in Calgary, Seattle hosts Vancouver, Toronto plays in Vegas and Nashville visits LA. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL at OTT ($7,600): Oettinger is 7-0-2 in his last nine starts, although his peripherals (a 2.83 GAA and a .904 save percentage) are just okay. Oettinger has plenty to prove against the Senators as he gave up two goals without making a save Dec. 15, before he left the game with a lower-body injury. Oettinger is having his worst season in the NHL, despite a 20-9-4 record. Despite all this, Oettinger is a great price in FanDuel and his performance since entering the league in 2020, makes him a good pick Thursday.
Juuse Saros, NSH at LA ($6,900): Saros is coming off a fine effort in St. Louis on Saturday, stopping 35 shots in a 5-2 win. Saros is also having a tough season -- compared to previous years – but that seems to be a problem among goaltenders this season as Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin and others, have hit bottom this season compared to others. Saros is 21-21-2 with a 3.02 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Saros is 1-1-0 versus the Kings this season, giving up four goals on 57 shots.
VALUE PLAYS
Vladimir Tarasenko, OTT vs. DAL ($5,100): Tarasenko has been a steady performer for the Senators this season, finding the back of the net on 15 occasions while adding 22 assists in 51 contests. He is seeing second line action alongside Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto as the Senators are 10th in NHL scoring, averaging 3.34 goals. Tarasenko could be on the trade block if Ottawa doesn't make a run for a postseason berth in the next two weeks, so he could be showcasing himself for a contender.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, LA vs. NSH ($4,600): It has been a tough season for the 25-year-old, but Dubois seems to be snapping out of it lately. He had a pair of goals Tuesday in a 5-1 win over Columbus, giving him five points in his last four outings. Dubois has only 13 goals and 26 points in 54 games with the Kings, but he is capable of so much more as he has back-to-back 60-plus point seasons in his last two years.
Max Pacioretty, WAS at TB ($4,400): Pacioretty looks to have finally played himself into game shape after missing the first 35 games recovering from Achilles surgery. He has a goal and nine assists in 19 games, but he has helpers in each of his last two contests. Pacioretty has had six 30-plus goal seasons in his 15 big league seasons, so he should start finding the back of the net in the near future.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche at Red Wings
Nathan MacKinnon (C-$10,900), Mikko Rantanen (W-$9,300), Jonathan Drouin (W-$4,600)
The Avalanche are led by the great MacKinnon, who is in the hunt for his first Hart Trophy. MacKinnon is on a four-game point streak, scoring once and adding six assists. The center has 33 goals and 92 points, good for second place in the NHL scoring race. Rantanen is also having an outstanding year, as he is 10th overall in scoring with 71 points. Drouin is the third member of the line. He has 10 goals and 32 points, but has been exceptionally strong since Dec. 13, as he has seven goals and 24 points in just 29 contests. Drouin's low price makes the line worth taking Thursday.
Penguins vs. Canadiens
Sidney Crosby (C - $8,900), Bryan Rust (W - $6,800), Rickard Rakell (W - $5,000)
With Jake Guentzel (upper body) on the sidelines for the next three weeks, Rakell has moved back to the first line. He has taken full advantage of his promotion with three assists in three games. The 30-year-old has only five goals and 21 points in 41 games this season, after a 60-point campaign in 2022-23. Rust is having a nice season with 15 goals and 32 points in 40 games. The star of the line is -- of course -- Crosby. Although he is 36 years of age, Crosby still has 31 goals and 55 points in 53 games, including 13 points on the power play. All three see first-unit time on the power play and that will only help their stats.
DEFENSEMEN
Torey Krug, STL vs. NYI ($5,100): Krug scored only his second goal of the season a week ago, but he has been on fire offensively of late with a goal and eight assists in his last five games. It was helped by a five-assist performance Feb. 11 in Montreal, giving the veteran blueliner, 29 points in 55 games. Krug quarterbacks the top power play, where he has chipped in with nine helpers.
Aaron Ekblad, FLA at CAR ($4,800): Ekblad has two goals in his last three games, giving the 28-year-old four goals and 15 points in 38 contests. He has struggled since returning Nov. 16 from offseason shoulder surgery, missing the first 16 games of the 2023-24 campaign. But it finally looks like he is returning to the offensive prowess he has shown in previous seasons as he has had double-digits in goals in eight of his nine years in the NHL.
Luke Hughes, NJ vs. NYR ($4,600): Hughes received a big break earlier in the season when Dougie Hamilton suffered a torn pectoral muscle Nov. 28 that eventually required surgery. Hughes became the quarterback of the first power play and has embraced the role with four goals and 12 points with the man-advantage. The rookie has eight goals and 27 points in 55 games.
