This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate will feature plenty of action, with nine games on tap after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Thursday's largest favorite by far is Tampa Bay against Arizona in a battle between a consensus top-three team going into the season and a consensus bottom-three opponent. All the other games are expected to be reasonably competitive, and the second-largest favorites are actually the Sharks, who have been a pleasant surprise early on, against a Canadiens team that has only pleasantly surprised fans of Montreal's rivals. With all of the games having over/unders of 5.5 or 6.0 goals, there aren't many obvious go-to options here outside of the Lightning, but that doesn't mean there isn't value to be found if you know where to look.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. ARI ($8,500): Vasilevskiy's off to a slow start, but he's coming off a strong performance in which he limited Pittsburgh to one goal on 29 shots, and the Russian netminder's still one of the game's best. The Coyotes have been outscored 4.83 to 1.83 on average during their 0-5-1 start, so Vasilevskiy should cruise to victory here.
Craig Anderson, BUF at ANH ($7,500): Anderson and Dustin Tokarski are both averaging 20-plus fantasy points per game in the early going, as the Sabres have allowed just 11 goals through six games. Buffalo's strong defensive start is unlikely to last, but it could certainly keep going for another game against an Anaheim team that's averaging a league-low 2.29 goals per game since the start of last season.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at LA ($7,800): Hellebuyck has quickly corrected course after a rocky start, stopping 96 of 104 shots (.923 save percentage) en route to victories in each of his last three outings. Another strong outing should be forthcoming against a Kings team that's averaging just 2.33 goals per game over the course of a 1-4-1 start.
Philipp Grubauer, SEA vs. MIN ($7,200): If you're hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with a bargain option rather than relying on the expensive chalk play from the Lightning, perhaps Grubauer will come through for you. The Kraken rode the home crowd's support to a 5-1 win over Montreal on Tuesday, and the Seattle faithful will be in the home team's corner against a visiting Wild team that's off to a 5-1-0 start. Grubauer's 1.95 GAA and .922 save percentage with Colorado last season suggest he's capable of stealing a game every now and again, and he'll put your lineup in a great position if he's able to do so against Minnesota.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Steven Stamkos, TB vs. ARI ($7,900): If you're stacking the Lightning in this highly favorable matchup, start with Stamkos. He leads the Lightning with 10 points in seven games and shares the team points lead with Alex Killorn at four. Stamkos is showing no signs of slowing down at age 31, and the five-time 40-goal scorer remains one of the league's most prolific producers.
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR vs. BOS ($7,300): Svechnikov's off to a tremendous start, as his 5-4-9 line through five games is perhaps the leading reason why Carolina's undefeated at this point. The visiting Bruins are a tough defensive team, but Boston might be a step slow as it finishes off a road back-to-back, and the second-overall selection from the 2018 draft is ready to pounce on any Bruins miscues and extend his season-opening point streak to six games.
Evgeny Svechnikov, WPG at LA ($2,600): Evgeny's far less accomplished than his younger brother Andrei, but the 24-year-old Svechnikov seems to have settled in nicely with the Jets. He's been entrusted with a top-six role while some of the team's regulars in those spots go through COVID-19 protocols, and the Russian winger has made the most of the opportunity with a three-game point streak, including a goal in his last game. At just $2,600, you may as well keep locking Svechnikov in until he cools down, and a matchup with a Kings team that's 0-4-1 in its last five presents a nice opportunity to extend his point streak.
Trevor Zegras, ANH vs. BUF ($4,400): Zegras has quietly been generating chances for the Ducks, and the 2019 first-rounder was finally rewarded with a goal and an assist in Tuesday's loss to the Jets. He has put at least four pucks on net in four of the last five games and totaled three shots in the other. Zegras has a nice opportunity to keep building momentum against a Sabres team that's expected to join Anaheim towards the bottom of the standings as we get deeper into the season, though Buffalo's off to a surprising 4-1-1 start.
Jordan Kyrou, STL vs. COL ($5,500): Colorado's off to a surprisingly slow start defensively, as the Avalanche are currently missing Samuel Girard (upper body) and Devon Toews (undisclosed) in addition to having traded away Ryan Graves. Without three of last year's top four defensemen, the Avalanche have surrendered 3.83 goals per game thus far, and Kyrou's primed to add to those struggles. The 23-year-old winger appears to be in the early stages of a breakout season, as he's tied with David Perron ($6,300) for the team points lead with eight through five games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Coyotes
Brayden Point (C - $6,200), Alex Killorn (W - $4,200), Anthony Cirelli (W - $3,500)
Tampa Bay found some of its swagger with a 5-1 road win over the Penguins on Tuesday, and the team's top line should keep rolling against a Coyotes team that was expected to be the league's worst coming in and is delivering on those expectations — Arizona's winless through six games with a minus-18 goal differential. Point got off to a slow start, but the former 41-goal, 92-point scorer has heated up with goals in three of his last four games and likely won't be available at just $6,200 much longer. Killorn's 4-2-6 line through seven games included two goals and two assists during an active three-game point streak, while Cirelli has chipped in a 1-3-4 line to date and could provide more offense on the wing without the defensive responsibilities of playing his usual center position on his shoulders.
Sharks vs. Canadiens
Logan Couture (C - $6,400), Timo Meier (W - $6,600), Jonathan Dahlen (W - $4,400)
Montreal isn't quite Arizona bad, though the Canadiens' 1-6-0 record and minus-14 goal differential suggests they may not be far off. The Sharks were expected to be in the bottom tier as well, but they're off to a 4-2 start, due in large part to this line's strong play. Couture (3-6-9) and Meier (4-5-9) are tied for the team points lead, with Meier also leading the team in both goals and shots (27). Dahlen hasn't looked out of place on the top line, as the 23-year-old rookie has chipped in a 3-2-5 line.
Flames at Penguins
Elias Lindholm (C - $7,100), Johnny Gaudreau (W - $6,700), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $7,800)
Coach Darryl Sutter has shaped the Flames into contenders thanks to a stifling defense and consistent contributions from the team's top scorers. Calgary's 4-1-1 overall and has potted 17 goals over its active four-game winning streak, while the Penguins are coming off a 5-1 loss to the previously struggling Lightning and remain without a few key contributors. The Flames' top line should keep its hot start going here, led by Lindholm, who already has seven goals and an assist. Gaudreau has dished out eight helpers to tie Lindholm for the team points lead, while Tkachuk has a modest 2-1-3 line but should get going before long considering he's a 23-year-old former 34-goal, 77-point scorer. In fact, all three members of this line have reached the 77-point mark, with Gaudreau doing so three times.
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev, TB vs. ARI ($4,300): Sergachev has a 2-3-5 line through seven games and appears set to blow by his previous high of 40 points. Still just 23 and surrounded by talent on the Lightning, Sergachev remains an underrated option at $4,300, especially with the lowly Coyotes coming to town.
Matt Roy, LA vs. WPG ($3,600): Roy has been an excellent source of secondary stats lately, with 10 shots and six blocks in his last three games. The affordable blueliner is still searching for his first point of the season, but his chances of marking the scoresheet have climbed now that he's being deployed as the lone defenseman on the Kings' top power-play unit with Drew Doughty (knee) sidelined. That usage with the extra man could lead to production against a Jets penalty kill that's operating at just 77.6 percent in the early going.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, VAN vs. PHI ($5,600): Ekman-Larsson got out of Arizona just in time, and the offseason trade acquisition has been peppering the net with pucks for Vancouver, averaging 4.0 shots per game through seven. OEL only has a modest 1-1-2 line to show for all that rubber on the cage, but the goals should come for the two-time 20-goal scorer, and a home tilt against a Flyers team that will be playing its second road game in as many nights offers a nice opportunity to pot one.
Jonas Brodin, MIN at SEA ($3,800): Brodin has been perennially underrated, but he's a rock-solid two-way defenseman with more offensive capabilities than he's given credit for. A goal in his last game gave Brodin a 1-2-3 line, and he's averaging 2.0 shots and 2.0 blocks through six contests after quietly leading all Wild defensemen with nine goals last season.
