This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Thursday could have been a super busy day. There could have been 14 games. Unfortunately, four of them have been postponed due to COVID-19. Still, if you do the math, you know that means there are still 10 games happening. That means plenty of choices for your daily fantasy hockey lineup. Let's get to the recommendations!
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NAS vs. DET ($27): The Predators against the Red Wings? It's a classic Central Division matchup for modern times. Rinne's last three starts have been quite impressive, though that still leaves him with a 2.65 GAA and .909 save percentage on the year. Of course, the Red Wings have scored a mere 1.93 goals per game, which is lowest in the NHL. I expect the veteran Finn to stay hot.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Anton Khudobin, DAL vs. CAR ($36): Will Khudobin actually take the ice? He didn't start Dallas' last two games, and he does have a .908 save percentage (admittedly in only six games). Carolina has scored 3.20 goals per game, which is good but not remarkable. What gets me intrigued, though, is that it has also put 32.4 shots on net per contest, which is second most in the NHL.
CENTER
Mikael Backlund, CGY at VAN ($17): Backlund got off to a slow start, but he's picked it up recently. He has five points in his last six games, and also 23 shots on goal. The uptick in shooting is what intrigues me the most. In addition to their 3.94 GAA, second highest in the NHL, the Canucks have allowed 34.7 shots on net per contest.
CENTER TO AVOID
Aleksander Barkov, FLA vs. TAM ($30): Barkov has been picking up points left and right, though weirdly he was held without a point in his last two games, both against the Red Wings. However, the Lightning have been shutting down pretty much everybody this year. Tampa has a 1.82 GAA, which is lowest in the NHL.
WING
Blake Wheeler, WPG vs. OTT ($20): Wheeler has been held without a point in five of his last six games, but I'm still high on him Thursday. First, he has 11 points in 12 contests. Second, he's started 66.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Jets. Third, and most important of all, the Senators have a 4.14 GAA. That's highest in the league.
Anders Lee, NYI vs. PIT ($18): Lee is peppering the net with shots this season. He's notched 37 shots on goal through 11 games. The veteran winger also has averaged 3:13 per game with the extra man. While the Penguins have been good about preventing shots on net so far, their goaltending has let them down. Pittsburgh has a 3.73 GAA, third highest in the NHL.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jake Guentzel, PIT at NYI ($23): Let's flip this matchup around. Guentzel's matchup is not nearly as easy as Lee's, as the Islanders have a 2.45 GAA and have allowed 27.7 shots on goal. When Semyon Varlamov is in net, though, things are even tougher for opponents. The Russian has a 1.88 GAA and .932 save percentage.
Tomas Tatar, MON vs. EDM ($15): On paper, this isn't a bad matchup, but the Canadiens are the one team playing on the second night of a back-to-back Thursday. No other team has to deal with that. Also, Edmonton's 3.47 GAA is owed in part to having the 25th-ranked penalty kill. Tatar is on Montreal's second power-play unit, which means less time with the extra man. With 19 other teams in action, I feel like you can steer clear of Canadiens outside of maybe the top couple of names.
DEFENSE
Tyson Barrie, EDM at MON ($21): I'm focused on the fact the Habs are on the second leg of a back-to-back again. Also, Montreal has a middling penalty kill. Barrie, meanwhile, has averaged 4:20 per game on Edmonton's formidable power play, and he has five points with the extra man. Also, he has six points at even strength, which is surprisingly, and frankly encouraging as well.
Filip Hronek, DET at NAS ($13): Yes, I recommended Rinne in net, because Detroit has a bad offense and a Nashville win is quite likely. However, at this salary I still see plenty of upside in Hronek. He's put 31 shots on net through 14 games but has no goals, which will likely change. More importantly, he's averaged 3:17 per game on the power play and has three points with the extra man. That's not a ton, but it's good for the Wings, and the Predators have the league's worst penalty kill. One power-play goal at this salary and Hronek is a steal.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. ANA ($26): Theodore has a four-game point streak, but I think that streak will likely end Thursday. For starters, he got banged up in the first period of Vegas' last game, returning in the second but missing the third. It's possible he might not be able to play, and if he does, he likely won't be full strength. As for the opponent, the Ducks have the third-ranked penalty kill.
Aaron Ekblad, FLA vs. TAM ($20): Ekblad has three goals through 10 games, which is encouraging given that he had five goals in 67 last season. Of course, that's on 11.1 percent shooting, which is well above his career average. Hot streak or not, Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 1.80 GAA and .936 save percentage. He's the kind of goalie who can shut down even the hottest shooter.
