This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at FLA ($8,000) – In the midst of a breakout season, Hellebuyck is 10-2-2 when he faces more than 28 shots per game — essentially the league's lowest average — and 2-0-2 when he faces more than 35 (coincidentally the number of shots the Panthers average each game, which ranks fourth in the league). Hellebuyck allowed five goals in his previous start, and he's done that three times previously this season, but he seems to always bounce back with a superb performance, going 3-0-0 with just three goals allowed following the blowout losses.
CENTER
Mark Scheifele, WPG at FLA ($7,400) – It's no secret anymore that Scheifele is an elite center, and he'll have the pleasure of facing James Reimer and his .892 save percentage Thursday. The Jets offense is elite with essentially two first lines, while the Panthers have allowed the fourth most goals in the league. This is the type of game where an elite player can pick up a few points in one night to pad his stats against poor teams.
Sean Couturier, PHI at VAN ($6,500) – The prospect of not having Bo Horvat in the lineup with a possible leg injury should be terrifying to the Canucks. Couturier is having the best season of his career; he's seven points away from tying last year's total and just 12 away from setting a new career high, and there's no other center on the Canucks who can take him one-on-one.
WING
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. DAL ($7,300) – Kari Lehtonen will get the start for Dallas, and that's pretty much all you need to know. Seriously, despite having gone six games without a goal, this is a matchup that's just begging for Tarasenko to bust out of his slump. The Stars are a Hitchcock team but they're not built to defend, which means breakdowns can happen more often than not. In his previous appearance against the Blues, Lehtonen allowed three goals in less than 28 minutes of play.
Josh Bailey, NYI at PIT ($5,700) – Expected Pens starter Tristan Jarry is having a nice start to the season, but he had an easy schedule facing the Sabres twice and he allowed four goals in his last start against the Rangers. As long as Bailey sticks with John Tavares, the results will always be good. Fun fact: Bailey has scored 29 points against the Pens in his career, more than any other team.
Tyler Johnson, TB vs. COL ($4,200) – Maybe they were just taking turns. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos got off to quick starts and Johnson fell behind, scoring just 11 points through the first 25 games of the season. But now that the dynamic duo has started to come back down to Earth, it's Johnson who's picked up the slack with three points already in December. The Avalanche are better this year, but they're still not very good.
DEFENSEMEN
John Klingberg, DAL at STL ($5,700) – The Brayden Schenn trade worked out great for the Blues, but it's glossing over the problem that is Jake Allen. For the second straight season, Allen's numbers have taken a dip, and so the Blues have been leaning on their offense to win games. That's good news for Klingberg, who is shooting the puck a lot more this season and has scored four goals in seven games in his career against the Blues.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at VAN ($5,000) – With 13 points in 27 games and 65 blocked shots, sixth in the league, the 20-year-old has already become the clear No. 1 on Philadelphia's defense. The Canucks may be vulnerable without Bo Horvat and they've needed good goaltending to bail them out recently, while Provorov is a high-ceiling defenseman who is worth the risk.
