This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a very busy night in the NHL on Thursday as there are 11 games on tap. All 22 teams are rested, after only one game in the league Wednesday. San Jose travels to Tampa Bay, Colorado plays in Pittsburgh, Columbus takes on Montreal, Boston hosts Anaheim, Winnipeg is in Detroit, Minnesota faces Philadelphia, the Islanders are home to Ottawa, Dallas hosts Toronto, the Rangers are in Edmonton, Carolina hosts Seattle and St. Louis travels to Calgary. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at DET ($7,100): Hellebuyck got off to a slow start, giving up 13 goals on 83 shots in his first three games. But the netminder has been strong in his last two games, giving up three goals on 60 shots in wins over Edmonton and St. Louis. Hellebuyck faces the Red Wings, who are 5-1-1 this season. The value of Hellebuyck is too goo to overlook, as he is a top-five goaltender in the NHL and you get him at.a low price.
Filip Gustavsson, MIN at PHI ($7,800): Gustavsson is 2-1-1 this season, shutting out the Panthers on Opening Night while stopping 41 shots, but he has stumbled ever since as he has a 3.95 GAA and .897 save percentage this season. The Wild take on the Flyers, who are averaging three goals per game this season. Look for Gustavsson to show his 2022-23 form, when he was 22-9-7 with a 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at DET ($5,000): Ehlers is off to a slow start with only two assists in six games. Ehlers came into this season with a neck injury and suffered another injury Opening Night when he crashed into the end boards. He didn't miss a game after playing only 45 times last season, scoring 12 times while adding 26 assists. Ehlers had a goal and an assist in each of the two games he played against the Red Wings last season.
Tomas Hertl, SJ at TB ($5,900): Hertl is the Sharks' top offensive threat, centering the first line as well as heading the top power play. Hertl has a goal and four assists in six games this season. The 29-year-old had four assists in two games versus the Lightning last season.
Vincent Trocheck, NYR at EDM ($4,300): Trocheck has a goal and an assist in six games thus far, and has been held off the scoresheet the last three games. He had a great season in 2022-23, scoring 22 times while adding 42 assists. While Trocheck centers the third line with Will Cuylle and Blake Wheeler as his linemates, he is averaging 3:17 of power play time on the first unit.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Rangers at Oilers
Mika Zibanejad (C - $6,900), Chris Kreider (W -$7,300), Kaapo Kakko (W - $4200)
The Rangers face the downward trending Oilers, who will be missing their star Connor McDavid with a upper-body injury. The Oilers have been playing poor defensively in the early going, giving up 27 goals in just six contests. This looks to be a great opportunity for Zibanejad, Kreider and Kakko. Zibanejad has yet to find the back of the net this season, but he does have five assists in six games. Kreider is off to a very good start with five goals and six points, while Kakko has a goal and an assist this season. The Rangers top trio are nicely priced, allowing you to play more top priced talent in FanDuel.
Avalanche at Penguins
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,500), Mikko Rantanen (W -$10,300), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $6,600)
MacKinnon has four goals and seven points in six games, and has a whopping 39 shots on goal. MacKinnon is on a three-game goal-scoring streak. Rantanen has been even better with five goals and seven assists in six games. The talented 26-year-old had his first 100-point season in 2022-23, with 55 goals and 50 assists. Rantanen is on his way to an even better season with his red-hot start. Lehkonen has two goals and six points this season, including a four-point night against the Hurricanes on Saturday. The Penguins have given up 20 goals in six games this season and have yet to meet a team with the firepower of the Avalanche.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Dobson, NYI vs OTT ($5,600): Dobson is on a four-game points streak after going pointless in his first game. The 23-year-old has a goal and four assists this season and has a combined 100 points over the last two seasons. The defenseman is a good play at home versus Ottawa.
Zach Werenski, CLS at MON ($4,800): It was a tough 2022-23 season for Werenski, who suffered a separated shoulder and torn labrum last season, forcing him to miss the final five months of the season. He suffered a quad contusion on Opening Night that forced him to miss two games. Werenski has a goal and two assists in three games since returning from injury. He quarterbacks the first power-play and faces a Montreal team that has allowed 21 goals in six games this season.
Torey Krug, STL at CGY ($4,200): Krug has had some big offensive seasons in his 11-year NHL career. He has yet to pick up a point in five NHL games this season, but Krug still quarterbacks the Blues' first power play and that gives him value. Krug had an assist in his only game versus the Flames last season.
