This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There are two more second-round games slated for Thursday. Beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET, Washington will host Carolina as it attempts to even its series at 1-1. That match will be followed by Edmonton in Vegas, starting at 9:30. The Oilers have a 1-0 lead in that series. Here are my FanDuel lineup recommendations to go along with Thursday's action.
SLATE PREVIEW
FanDuel lists Carolina as the clear favorite against Washington on Thursday with -162 moneyline odds for the Hurricanes. Meanwhile, Vegas (-134) is favored to even its series with Edmonton. In terms of the Over/Under, Edmonton-Vegas is projected to be the higher-scoring game at 6.5 while Carolina-Washington is at 5.5
GOALIE
Logan Thompson, WAS vs. CAR ($7,700): I recommended Thompson for Game 1 of this series, and that didn't quite work out. Thompson held up his end, stopping 31 of 33 shots. However, his team was ultimately outshot 33-14, resulting in a 2-1 overtime loss. Washington is generally a better team than that, and with the pressure on, I'm anticipating the Capitals providing Thompson with more support tonight, so I'm going back to him, hoping for a slightly different result.
VALUE PLAYS
Connor Brown, EDM at VGK ($4,200): Brown has been really impressive lately, collecting four goals and six points across his past five outings. This is an unusual run for Brown, who had 13 goals and 30 points in 82 regular-season games, but he's been averaging a healthy 15:27 of ice time over that five-game stretch, which has helped.
Brandon Duhaime, WAS vs. CAR ($3,700): Although Duhaime plays in a bottom-six role, he's been one of the Capitals' better forwards recently, scoring three goals and four points across his active three-game scoring streak. This run won't last, but as long as it does, he's providing tremendous value relative to his price point.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Oilers at Golden Knights
Connor McDavid (C - $8,400), Leon Draisaitl (W - $8,300), Corey Perry (W - $4,600)
It's hard to go against McDavid and Draisaitl when they're playing together. In terms of playoff points per game, McDavid (1.605) and Draisaitl (1.481) rank third and fourth, respectively, in the all-time list (min. 40 postseason games). The only players better are Wayne Gretzky (1.837) and Mario Lemieux (1.607). Naturally, having two of the very best playoff performers of all time on the same line is quite the luxury.
Looking at the 2025 playoffs specifically, McDavid has two goals and 13 points while Draisaitl has four goals and 12 points across Edmonton's first seven games. When it comes to Perry, the 39-year-old is well past his most productive offensive days, but he did score a goal Tuesday, bringing him up to three markers and four points in seven postseason outings this year. He's worth having in your lineup as long as he's playing with Edmonton's two best stars.
DEFENSEMEN
Evan Bouchard, EDM at VGK ($6,100): Bouchard ranks second among defensemen in the 2025 playoffs with nine points, including four goals. He stood out in Game 1 on Tuesday with two assists in Edmonton's 4-2 victory over Vegas.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. EDM ($5,600): Theodore is on a roll with two goals and four points across his past four appearances. He excelled in the 2024-25 regular season, setting a career high with 57 points in 67 outings.
