This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate consists of 10 games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
Teams to build around Thursday include the Hurricanes vs. Nashville, Maple Leafs vs. Seattle, Rangers in Montreal and Capitals in Columbus. The Toronto and Washington games both have over/unders of 6.5 goals, as do Blues-Devils and Avalanche-Canucks.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at MON ($8,300): Shesterkin hasn't been as consistently sharp as he was during last season's historically strong campaign, but it's hard to complain about his 18-6-5 record, 2.43 GAA and .917 save percentage, including an 8-2-1 mark in his last 11 decisions. While Shesterkin has been racking up wins lately, the same can't be said of the Canadiens, who are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games.
Carter Hart, PHI vs. ARI ($7,800): Hart's back after missing three games due to a concussion, just in time to face the Coyotes, who are one of eight teams averaging fewer than three goals per game. The Flyers have actually won three straight with Samuel Ersson ($7,800) in net, so whichever goalie gets the nod here will have a confident group of skaters in front of him.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at EDM ($7,200): Sorokin was sensational the last time these two teams met, notching a 49-save shutout Nov. 23. Overall, he has a sparkling 2.29 GAA and .926 save percentage along with a so-so 14-12-1 record for the defensive-minded Islanders, making Sorokin a strong value at $7,200 regardless of opponent.
Jordan Binnington, STL at NJ ($7,000): Binnington's an intriguing against-the-grain play at just $7,000. It hasn't always been pretty, but Binnington has quietly put together a 5-1-3 record over his last nine decisions. Meanwhile, New Jersey will be playing its second game in as many nights and has only three wins in its last 12 games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Martin Necas, CAR vs. NSH ($6,600): Necas has a 4-3-7 line during his current six-game point streak, and he leads the Hurricanes in points overall with a 17-20-37 line through 38 games. He should keep rolling against a Predators team that's won only four of its last 13 games.
Nico Hischier, NJ vs. STL ($6,300): Hischier has a four-game goal streak going, and he's put together a 4-3-7 line in the last five games. Look for the 2017 first overall pick to add to his recent production against a Blues team that's surrendering 3.66 goals per game.
Mathew Barzal, NYI at EDM ($5,400): Barzal has a 5-2-7 line during his current four-game goal streak, and his speed should allow the center to thrive against Edmonton's up-tempo style. The Oilers aren't exactly known for their defensive prowess, as evidenced by Edmonton's 3.36 goals allowed per game.
Michael Bunting, TOR vs. SEA ($4,600): Bunting continues to deliver excellent value at his sub-$5,000 valuation, with nine goals in his last 10 games after back-to-back two-goal outings. In addition to skating on the top line at even strength, Bunting has recently been moved onto the top power-play unit as Toronto has opted to deploy a five-forward lineup. He has a power-play goal in each of the last two games and will have a nice opportunity to add another against Seattle's 68.4 percent penalty kill.
Owen Tippett, PHI vs. ARI ($4,500): Over his last 10 games, Tippett has a 5-4-9 line and 28 shots. He's skating on the top line and should get plenty of opportunities to stay hot against a Coyotes team that's giving up the eighth-most goals (3.64) and third-most shots (34.6) per game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Rangers at Canadiens
Mika Zibanejad (C - $7,300), Chris Kreider (W - $6,000), Kaapo Kakko (W - $3,600)
Montreal's season has gone into a tailspin, as the Canadiens have been outscored 30-10 en route to five consecutive regulation losses. New York's top line should help add to those struggles. Zibanejad has a 4-1-5 line in his last three games, and he ranks 12th in shots (146) as well as 20th in points (43) league-wide. Kreider's 69 goals since the start of last season are tied with Kirill Kaprizov for fifth-most over that span, while Kakko's coming into his own with a 4-5-9 line over his last 10 games.
Avalanche at Canucks
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,000), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,000), Artturi Lehkonen (W - $5,500)
Colorado doesn't get much secondary scoring, but the Avalanche have a top-10 power play at 25.2 percent despite various injuries to top forwards. This top line will likely generate plenty of chances at even strength as well, but its members will be especially dangerous on the man advantage against Vancouver's league-worst, 67.6 percent penalty kill. MacKinnon (1.44) and Rantanen (1.31) are both top-10 in the league in points per game, while Lehkonen has contributed a solid 9-16-25 line in 33 games.
Capitals at Blue Jackets
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $5,300), Anthony Mantha (W - $3,000), Sonny Milano (W - $2,900)
Alex Ovechkin ($9,000) rightfully gets most of the attention among Washington's forwards, but this affordable second line has produced consistent offense recently, and that's unlikely to stop against a Blue Jackets team that's surrendering 3.92 goals per game. Kuznetsov has been held without a point only twice in his last 15 games, producing a 3-15-18 line over that span. Mantha has a 3-7-10 line in his last 13, while Milano's at 3-4-7 over his past eight games.
DEFENSEMEN
Jakob Chychrun, ARI at PHI ($7,100): Chychrun flies under the radar playing in front of three fans a night in Arizona, but he's one of the league's best sources of offense from the blue line. He led all defensemen with 18 goals in 56 games in 2020-21, and after a disappointing 2021-22 campaign cut short by ankle and wrist injuries, Chychrun has hit the ground running since making his return in late November. He has a 4-11-15 line in his last 15 games, and Chychrun should stand out as arguably the top talent on the ice in this clash of bottom-feeders.
Dougie Hamilton, NJ vs. STL ($6,900): Hamilton's enjoying a productive stretch that's seen him notch multiple points in four of the last six games. In addition to his point production, Hamilton's an elite source of shots from the blue line, ranking second among defensemen behind Roman Josi ($8,500) with 131 shots on goal.
Erik Gustafsson, WAS at CLS ($4,500): Gustafsson had his seven-game point streak snapped by the Sabres on Tuesday, but that doesn't mean it's time to give up on the surging blueliner as a fantasy asset. He continues to feature on the top power-play unit with John Carlson (face) on injured reserve, and Gustafsson's 6-7-13 line over the past eight games is about as good as it gets for a $4,500 defenseman. Plus the matchup is nearly ideal here against the league's second-worst defensive team.
K'Andre Miller, NYR at MON ($3,200): Miller's a low-risk, high-reward play against the struggling Canadiens. The 2018 first-round pick has a 2-6-8 line over his last 10 games, and he's just scratching the surface of his offensive potential.
