This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We have a busy night ahead of us with 14 games on the docket. That's a ton to comb through, so let me help you by offering my recommendations for your FanDuel lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Toronto and Colorado are both playing in the second half of a back-to-back set, so fatigue might be a factor for those squads. For the Avalanche, this is their second straight road game. Meanwhile, Toronto is also playing for the third time in four days. So while there are plenty of fantastic options on both squads, given that there is no shortage of players to choose from, you might want to consider avoiding members of the Maple Leafs and Avalanche on Thursday.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR at SJS ($8,200): Andersen has been starting in every other game recently, and that workload seems to suit him well. He's won his past three starts while allowing just five goals on 73 shots (.932 save percentage). Assuming the rotation continues, he'll draw a favorable matchup tonight against the 18-41-9 Sharks, who rank 30th in goals per game with 2.60.
Adin Hill, VGK vs. BOS ($8,100): Hill has had a couple of rough starts recently, but he's averaged out to be great dating back to Feb. 6, posting a 5-1-1 record, 1.85 GAA and .936 save percentage across a seven-game stretch. Boston seems to be in free fall, having dropped three straight (0-2-1) and posting a 3-8-3 record dating back to Feb. 5, so there's a good chance Hill will win this one.
Darcy Kuemper, LAK at CHI ($8,000): Kuemper has allowed two or fewer goals over each of his past six starts, going 4-1-1 with a GAA of 0.99 and a save percentage of .960 in that span. He'll attempt to stay red hot against Chicago, which ranks 28th in goals per game with 2.69.
Sam Montembeault, MON at NYI ($7,300): If you want to take a chance on a cheaper option, Montembeault is interesting. He has had a rough campaign, posting a 25-21-4 record, 2.84 GAA and .901 save percentage in 50 appearances, but he's won his past three starts while stopping 72 of 78 shots (.923 save percentage). The Canadiens are red hot (8-1-2 over their past 11 games) and need every point they can get in the midst of their battle for a wild-card spot, so expect Montreal to come out strong against the Islanders, who are tied for 26th in goals per game with 2.70.
VALUE PLAYS
Ryan McLeod, BUF at UTA ($4,900): McLeod is on a four-game scoring streak and has been held off the scoresheet just once over his past six outings. He's not a major offensive force – his 15 goals and 37 points in 2024-25 already represent new career highs – but he's worth using while he's hot. It helps that McLeod has averaged 21:12, including 2:15 with the man advantage, across his past six appearances in contrast to his season averages of 16:25 overall and 0:18 on the power play.
David Perron, OTT vs. COL ($4,900): Perron has played a key role in the Senators' battle to secure a wild-card spot, supplying four goals and seven points over his past nine appearances. The veteran hasn't been on the radar much this campaign because he missed time for personal reasons and injury problems, but he's now played in Ottawa's past 20 games, so it seems he's gotten back into a rhythm.
Nils Hoglander, VAN at STL ($4,200): Hoglander has two multipoint efforts over his past three appearances, giving him a goal and three assists in that stretch. Although he still has just 20 points in 64 outings in 2024-25, the 24-year-old is seeing some time alongside Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, which helps Hoglander's fantasy value.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Capitals vs. Flyers
Dylan Strome (C - $6,700), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,870), Tom Wilson (W - $7,000)
Ovechkin is seven goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record and eight shy of breaking it with 14 games left in Washington's schedule. Ovechkin's been pushing hard toward that record by supplying 19 goals over his past 34 appearances, but he's also been helping out his teammates, registering 12 assists across the same span. With the record getting close, Ovechkin has shown no signs of slowing, providing two goals and seven points across his last five appearances.
At the same time, Wilson is having the best season of his career. He's already established new career highs in goals (30) and points (57), and the 30-year-old appears set to further pad those numbers after contributing four goals and 12 points over his past eight outings.
Strome is rolling, too, with four goals and eight points over his last eight games, giving him 22 goals and 67 points in 68 outings overall, so all three members of this unit are great options right now.
Blues vs. Canucks
Brayden Schenn (C - $5,900), Jordan Kyrou (W - $7,100), Dylan Holloway (W - $6,500)
You can't get hotter than Kyrou, who has five goals and eight points over his past three games. He's trying to shove the Blues into the playoffs and will likely come out strong in a key game against the Canucks as the two squads compete for the same wild-card spot.
Holloway should help out Kyrou. The 23-year-old Holloway has two goals and seven points across his active four-game scoring streak, and he's up to 12 goals and 35 points over his last 34 appearances.
Schenn isn't as hot as his teammates, but his four goals and five points over his past six games is nothing to sneeze at, so consider taking him, too, especially given that his price is fair.
Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
Vincent Trocheck (C - $6,500), Artemi Panarin (W - $8,400), Will Cuylle (W - $5,200)
This line is primarily about Panarin. He's having a strong campaign with 30 goals and 73 points in 67 appearances and will enter Thursday's action amid a 10-game scoring streak (seven goals, 14 points).
Cuylle has benefited from playing alongside Panarin. The 23-year-old Cuylle is on a four-game scoring streak in which he's collected a goal and three assists, and Panarin has factored on the scoresheet in each of Cuylle's past three points.
Trocheck is doing well, too, with three goals and four points in his past four outings, bringing him up to 20 goals and 46 points in 69 appearances in 2024-25, so like the other two lines highlighted today, there isn't any major drawback to taking all three members of this trio.
DEFENSEMEN
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. WPG ($6,700): Barring a shocking finish, Bouchard won't match his 82-point outing from 2023-24, but he does seem set to finish the regular season on a high note. He has four goals and nine points across his past nine outings, giving him 13 goals and 54 points in 68 appearances in 2024-25.
Quinn Hughes, VAN at STL ($6,600): Hughes has two goals and five points in four appearances since missing four games due to an undisclosed injury. Hughes has appeared in just 54 of Vancouver's 68 games this campaign, which has cost him in the battle for the blueliner scoring race, but he still leads all defensemen in points per game with 1.20 (65 points, including 16 goals).
MacKenzie Weegar, CAL at NJD ($6,200): Weegar has supplied a goal and eight points over his past seven outings, giving him seven goals and 41 points in 67 appearances this campaign. He's also a solid source of shots (150) and blocks (151), which enables Weegar to still provide you with some value even on nights when he doesn't record a point.
Drew Doughty, LAK at CHI ($5,500): If you're looking for a cheaper defenseman, Doughty seems to be hitting his stride with a goal and three points across his past four outings. Doughty didn't make his season debut until Jan. 29 due to an ankle injury, and he was sluggish offensively when he first came back, but the 35-year-old reached the 50-point mark in each of his previous two years, so he might be a nice discount pick in the final weeks of the season if he's now shaken off that initial rust.
