This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate offers plenty of selection, with 14 games on the docket after 7:00 p.m. EDT. 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 plenty of lopsided matchups to choose from Thursday, led by the Devils vs. the Blue Jackets and Kraken vs. the Coyotes. Other notable favorites include the Stars vs. the Flyers, Panthers vs. the Senators, Canucks vs. the Blackhawks and Avalanche in San Jose. New Jersey's and Florida's games are tied for the slate's highest over/under at 7.0 goals.
GOALIES
Vitek Vanecek, NJ vs. CLS ($8,500): These games down the stretch still have a lot of meaning for the Devils, who are three points back of the Hurricanes for the Metropolitan Division lead and three clear of the Rangers for home ice in the first round. Vanecek's strong play has helped put the Devils in this position, as he's 31-11-4 with a 2.49 GAA and .909 save percentage. He'll take on the 30th-ranked Columbus offense (2.65 goals per game) and should get plenty of goal support since the Blue Jackets allow 3.97 goals per game.
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. PHI ($8,200): Oettinger's putting the finishing touches on a season that should earn him a few Vezina Trophy votes -- 33-11-11 with a 2.47 GAA and .917 save percentage. He'll have a nice opportunity to bolster his case against a Flyers team that's dropped four straight and is averaging only 2.69 goals per game overall, which is fourth-fewest in the league.
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. CHI ($7,900): Demko's going through a rough patch with 14 goals allowed and a 0-1-2 record in his last three starts, but in the nine outings before that, he went 7-2-0 while allowing no more than two goals seven times. A visit from the Blackhawks presents a nice opportunity for the talented goalie to get back on track, as Chicago's averaging a league-low 2.44 goals per game.
Sam Montembeault, MON vs. WAS ($7,300): Montembeault has actually been pretty good on home ice despite Montreal's overall struggles as a team. He's 8-6-1 with a 2.92 GAA and .911 save percentage at Bell Centre, making Montembeault an appealing value play against a Washington team that just got eliminated from playoff contention. A lack of scoring is what sank the Capitals' playoff hopes, as Washington mustered just seven goals while going 0-3-1 over its last four games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Matthew Tkachuk, FLA vs. OTT ($8,800): Tkachuk has been doing all he can to will the Panthers to the playoffs, producing a 4-2-6 line over the past three games to elevate Florida into a wild card position, tied with the Islanders and one point ahead of the Penguins with four games to play. He'll remain highly motivated against his brother Brady's Senators, who are giving up 3.24 goals per game.
Steven Stamkos, TB at NYI ($7,200): Stamkos should have a little extra motivation playing in his 1,000th NHL game, and he's still going strong with a 33-47-80 line in 77 games this season. He lit the lamp in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Islanders, and with the Lightning already locked into a first-round matchup with the Maple Leafs, Stamkos' teammates will likely put extra emphasis on setting him up in this one.
Joe Pavelski, DAL vs. PHI ($6,200): Pavelski remains the most affordable member of Dallas' top line despite a recent goal binge that's showing no signs of slowing down. He has been held without a goal only once over the past eight games, notching a 7-4-11 line over that span. A Flyers team that's giving up 3.32 goals per game is unlikely to cool him off.
David Perron, DET vs. BUF ($4,700): It's too little too late for Detroit's playoff hopes, but Perron has been one of the league's hottest forwards down the stretch, producing a 6-3-9 line over his last five games. The Red Wings aren't mathematically eliminated yet, so they should continue to give maximum effort here against a Sabres team that's also fallen back in the playoff race due to poor defense -- Buffalo's allowing 3.62 goals per game.
Kaapo Kakko, NYR at STL ($2,600): New York's third line has been dominant in recent games, and Kakko has led the charge with five goals in his last eight games, including a goal in each of his past three outings. At just $100 above the minimum, the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is a low-risk, high-reward play against a Blues team that's surrendering 3.65 goals per game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche at Sharks
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $9,900), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,000), Evan Rodrigues (W - $4,700)
These two teams just played in this same venue Tuesday, and this line unsurprisingly dominated that game, with MacKinnon producing a 2-1-3 line and seven shots, Rantanen dishing two assists to go with eight shots, and Rodrigues chipping in a goal on three shots. MacKinnon has reached the 100-point threshold in just 65 games, while Rantanen's six points away, and 49 of his 94 points are goals. Rodrigues should continue to provide value at his sub-$5,000 valuation while skating alongside those two stars, especially against poor defensive teams like the Sharks, who are allowing 3.75 goals per game.
Devils vs. Blue Jackets
Jack Hughes (C - $8,500), Jesper Bratt (W - $5,400), Ondrej Palat (W - $3,600)
Hughes is enjoying a breakout season in his fourth year after being drafted first overall in 2019, as he ranks in the top 10 in goals (40) and shots (325) while sitting five points outside a top-10 spot with 91. Bratt has added a 31-38-69 line, leaving him one point from a second consecutive 70-point season, and Palat has added 22 points in 46 games. This line should generate plenty of chances against the leaky Columbus defense, which is allowing the second-most goals (3.97) and second-most shots (35.5) per game.
Kraken vs. Coyotes
Matty Beniers (C - $5,000), Jared McCann (W - $5,900), Jordan Eberle (W - $5,000)
Just like Avs-Sharks, this is the second Coyotes-Kraken matchup this week, as Seattle won 8-1 at home Monday. This line led the way in that one, combining for three goals and an assist. McCann remains one of the best values in this large slate, as his two goals against Arizona on Monday bumped him up to 37 on the season. Beniers has a 2-2-4 line in his last four games, and Eberle has a two-game goal streak rolling, while the Coyotes are giving up 3.56 goals per game.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. LA ($6,700): Pietrangelo has been phenomenal as Vegas' No. 1 all-situations defenseman while Shea Theodore recovers from an undisclosed injury. He scored two goals on nine shots in the team's previous game, giving Pietrangelo 17 points in the last 14 games to go with his robust contributions in both shots and blocks.
Brandon Montour, FLA vs. OTT ($6,500): Montour has been right up there with Tkachuk as the two keys to the four-game winning streak that's propelled the Panthers into playoff position. The skilled defenseman has marked the scoresheet in all four games, posting a 1-5-6 line that's raised his season point total to 67, which ranks eighth among all NHL defensemen.
Bowen Byram, COL at SJ ($4,700): Cale Makar (lower body) sat out Tuesday, and Byram capitalized on the bump in role with 14.9 fantasy points in that game against San Jose. Byram has a 3-2-5 line in his last five games and should continue to stay involved offensively against the defensively challenged Sharks, especially if Makar sits again.
Adam Boqvist, CLS at NJ ($4,000): Boqvist has some nice offensive upside, and his defensive struggles aren't penalized in the DraftKings scoring format, which doesn't consider plus-minus rating. He's put multiple pucks on net in each of his last nine appearances while topping 25 minutes of ice time in three of the last five games as Columbus gives the 22-year-old defenseman every opportunity to establish himself as a key piece for the future. Boqvist has a two-goal game over that span, and his average of .54 points per game is above the likes of Aaron Ekblad ($5,800) and Torey Krug ($4,300).
