DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

Thursday has 14 games scheduled, consisting of six starts in the 7:00-7:30 p.m. ET window, three getting underway at 8:00 p.m. ET, two 9:00 p.m. ET puck drops and three beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook. 

SLATE PREVIEW 

Minnesota (vs. San Jose), Seattle (vs. Anaheim), Carolina (vs. Detroit), Pittsburgh (vs. Columbus) and Ottawa (vs. Chicago) are the biggest favorites on the Moneline. Blackhawks-Senators, Blue-Jackets-Penguins, Capitals-Maple Leafs and Rangers-Avalanche have the Over/Under set for 6.5 goals. Every other matchup has 6.0 goals except for Golden Knights-Jets and Ducks-Kraken, which have 5.5 goals. 

GOALIES 

Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. NYR ($8,000): Georgiev doesn't have an easy matchup, but could be a good against-the-grain value play. He has gone 23-4-0 on home ice this campaign with a 2.45 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Georgiev has also stopped 159 of 172 shots during his six-game winning streak. 

Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. DET ($8,400): Since returning from a blood clotting issue earlier this month, Andersen has held opponents to two goals or fewer in each of his six victories. He has turned aside 155 of the 163 shots he has faced during that stretch. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS 

Sam Reinhart, FLA vs. NYI ($7,600): Reinhart has provided 12 goals on 41 shots and five assists over his last 14 outings. He has three goals and two assists during a three-game point spree. Reinhart has lit the lamp in each of his previous two contests versus the Islanders this season. 

Travis Konecny, PHI at MON ($6,000): Konecny has produced four goals and five assists in eight games going into Thursday night's action. He has racked up 27 shots on target over that span. Konecny has supplied six goals and 11 points in 15 career appearances against the Canadiens. 

Ryan Hartman, MIN vs. SJ ($5,500): Hartman has plenty of bang for the buck upside thanks to his recent category coverage. He has compiled three goals, five helpers, 30 shots and 14 blocked shots across his past nine outings. 

Matty Beniers, SEA vs. ANH ($4,100): Beniers has struggled offensively during his sophomore season, but seems to enjoy playing against the Ducks. He notched one goal and four assists in two previous meetings with the team this season, giving him four tallies and 14 points in six carer contests versus the Ducks. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS 

Predators at Coyotes 

Filip Forsberg (W - $8,300), Gustav Nyquist (W - $5,800), Ryan O'Reilly (C - $5,500) 

Forsberg has amassed 14 goals and 26 points across his past 15 appearances. He is riding a seven-game point spree, with seven goals and seven assists, heading into Thursday's matchup. Nyquist has three goals and six helpers during his six-game point streak. O'Reilly has one goal and four assists in his last three outings. 

The first line of the Predators stands a good chance of remaining hot on Thursday. The trio of Forsberg, Nyquist and O'Reilly has combined for five goals and nine assists in three previous contests versus the Coyotes this campaign.

Wild vs. Sharks 

Kirill Kaprizov (W - $9,700), Joel Eriksson Ek (C - $8,000), Matt Boldy (W - $7,400)

Kaprizov has failed to hit the scoresheet once in his past 10 appearances, generating 10 goals and 16 points over that stretch. He has 40 shots and three power-play points during that period. Eriksson Ek, who has missed five straight contests, could be ready to return Thursday. He had one goal, five assists and 10 shots in five games before getting hurt. If Eriksson Ek doesn't play, Marco Rossi ($4,500) can be subbed in instead. Boldy has collected one tally, six helpers and 15 shots over his last seven contests. 

The first line of the Wild should be able to stay hot against a Sharks team that has struggled all season to keep pucks out of their net. San Jose sits 32nd in the league in goals against per game (4.03) and shots against per game (35.0) in 2023-24. 

Penguins vs. Blue Jackets 

Sidney Crosby (C - $7,800), Drew O'Connor (W - $3,300), Bryan Rust (W - $6,500)

Crosby has compiled three goals, 12 points and 19 shots in seven games entering Thursday's slate. He has three markers and one assist in two contests versus Columbus this season. O'Connor has picked up two goals, three helpers and 21 shots in his past seven outings. Rust has contributed five goals, two assists and 16 shots over his last seven appearances. 

Pittsburgh's top line offers plenty of upside on Thursday versus a Blue Jackets squad that sits 31st overall in goals against per game (3.67) and shots against per contest (33.8) this campaign.

DEFENSEMEN 

Roman Josi, NSH at ARI ($7,900): Josi has a hefty salary but could be worth spending up for Thursday. He has accumulated four goals and seven assists during a seven-game point streak. Josi has been credited with 28 shots and 12 blocks over that time. 

Jakob Chychrun, OTT vs. CHI ($5,600): Chychrun has earned three goals, one assist, eight shots and four blocks in his last two games. He had one goal, four shots and one block in a 3-2 loss to Chicago on Feb. 17. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Corey Abbott plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: armchair_gm, DraftKings: thenext1, Yahoo: Why.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NHL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NHL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Abbott
Corey Abbott is an avid sports fan who has been writing fantasy hockey for 15-plus years.
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Sunday, December 22
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Sunday, December 22
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Sunday, December 22
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Sunday, December 22
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Sunday, December 22
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Sunday, December 22
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Saturday, December 21
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Saturday, December 21
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Saturday, December 21
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Saturday, December 21
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Saturday, December 21
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Saturday, December 21