This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate includes eight 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
There are numerous lopsided matchups to choose from Thursday. The Hurricanes are the largest favorites at home against Montreal, but the Flames (vs. Detroit), Golden Knights (vs. San Jose) and Kraken (vs. Philadelphia) are all expected to take care of business on home ice as well. Three of the other four games have clear road favorites, with the Jets in Columbus, Bruins in Nashville and Devils in St. Louis. The New Jersey, Calgary and Vegas games all have over/unders of 6.5 goals, as does the remaining Panthers-Capitals matchup.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. MON ($8,300): Both Andersen and Antti Raanta ($8,300) continue to post strong results despite lackluster save percentages behind the stifling Hurricanes defense. Andersen's 12-4-0 with a 2.61 GAA and .899 save percentage, with Thursday's home game against the bottom-five Montreal offense (2.67 goals per game) offering a nice opportunity for Andersen to bump his save percentage back over .900.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at NSH ($8,200): Assuming the Bruins continue to alternate starters in net, it will be Swayman's turn for this favorable road matchup against a Predators team that's averaging 2.75 goals per game — seventh-fewest in the NHL. Swayman has been overshadowed by Vezina Trophy favorite Linus Ullmark ($8,400), but Boston's No. 2 has been quite successful behind the stout Bruins defense, going 12-4-4 with a 2.33 GAA and .914 save percentage.
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA at WAS ($7,700): Bobrovsky is enjoying his hottest stretch of the season, having gone 3-1-0 in his last four starts with only one goal allowed in each win and 45 saves in the loss. He's catching the Capitals at the right time, as Alex Ovechkin (personal) is away from the team.
Carter Hart, PHI at SEA ($7,500): Hart has some against the grain appeal here. He's kept the Flyers competitive lately, taking only one regulation loss in his past six starts and allowing only five goals over his last four outings. Hart will look to stay locked in against a flailing Kraken team that's 1-3-1 in its last five games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jack Eichel, VGK vs. SJ ($7,800): The Golden Knights have outscored their opponents 17-4 in three games since the All-Star break, with Eichel leading the way. The star center has a 2-2-4 line and 11 shots over that span, and he should keep rolling against a Sharks team that's allowing 3.67 goals per game. On the other end of the price spectrum, second-line winger Michael Amadio ($2,900) is also an appealing option after posting a 2-1-3 line and nine shots since the All-Star break.
Sebastian Aho, CAR vs. MON ($6,900): Even after a two-game drought, Aho still has nine goals in his last eight games. Carolina's best forward should get back on track here against the Canadiens, who are surrendering 3.59 goals per game.
Dylan Larkin, DET at CGY ($6,400): The streaking Larkin has six goals in his last four games and nine points during his current five-game point streak. He'll face a Flames team that's been far less stingy than last year's squad, ranking in the middle of the pack with 3.00 goals allowed per game.
Brad Marchand, BOS at NSH ($5,900): Marchand should thrive against a physical Nashville team. This is a good time to buy low on the veteran winger, who's mired in a five-game point drought following a seven-game point streak. Even after this drought, Marchand's still averaging over a point per game overall.
Ryan O'Reilly, STL vs. NJ ($3,900): In each of his two games since returning from a foot injury, O'Reilly has posted a goal, three shots and a blocked shot. With St. Louis playing a high-scoring, up-tempo style, O'Reilly's a nice value at his sub-$4,000 valuation.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Jets at Blue Jackets
Pierre-Luc Dubois (C - $6,600), Kyle Connor (W - $8,100), Nikolaj Ehlers (W - $7,200)
Winnipeg's priciest line should be worth paying up for against a Blue Jackets team that's allowing a slate-high 3.81 goals per game. Connor and Ehlers are both above a point per game. The former has a 24-37-61 line through 54 games, while the latter has been limited to 18 appearances but has 20 points in those games. Dubois could be at a point per game by the time this one's through, as he has a 23-30-53 line through 54 games.
Flames vs. Red Wings
Elias Lindholm (C - $5,300), Tyler Toffoli (W - $6,300), Dillon Dube (W - $4,200)
Calgary's top line should provide good value against a middling Detroit team that's playing its second game in as many nights. Toffoli and Dube are both on scoring binges. The former has a 7-4-11 line in his last nine games, while the latter's at 5-5-10 in the past eight. Lindholm is tied with Toffoli for the team points lead overall at 48.
Devils at Blues
Nico Hischier (C - $6,800), Jesper Bratt (W - $6,100), Ondrej Palat (W - $5,200)
Jack Hughes ($8,700) could be back from his upper-body injury for this one, but if New Jersey's leading scorer misses another game, this trio should hold down the fort against a Blues team that's allowed 30 goals during its recent 1-5-1 stretch. Bratt's averaging a point per game at 21-32-53 through 53, while Hischier isn't too far off with a 21-26-47 line through 52. Palat has a 2-3-5 line during his current four-game point streak, and he's been held without a point only once in his last 11 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Morrissey, WPG at CLS ($6,200): Morrissey should thrive against the 30th-ranked Columbus defense. He's third among defensemen with 56 points, including a 3-2-5 line over the past three games.
Brent Burns, CAR vs. MON ($6,600): Burns has turned back the clock recently, posting a 5-4-9 line in his last nine games. The 37-year-old blueliner complements his scoring with a nice floor of secondary stats, as he's racked up three-plus shots in 11 of his last 15 games and multiple blocks eight times over that span.
Vince Dunn, SEA vs. PHI ($5,400): Seattle gets balanced contributions up front, but Dunn is the Kraken's go-to guy for offense from the blue line. He's tied with winger Jordan Eberle ($4,900) for the team lead with 40 points.
Adam Boqvist, CLS vs. WPG ($3,200): Boqvist has been quietly productive recently. The affordable blueliner quarterbacks the top power-play unit for Columbus, and he's racked up 11 points in his last 14 games. That total includes six points in the past six games, three of which have come on the power play.
