This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
It's a busy Thursday for the NHL with 10 games on the docket. Here are some players worth considering…
GOALIE
Nashville Predators, NAS vs. ARI ($16,900): The Predators are 14-4-2 at home, and the Coyotes are 5-14-5 on the road. The Coyotes also have only scored 2.30 goals per game, and they've put a mere 29.8 shots on net per contest. Pekka Rinne has been having a fine year to boot, as he has a .925 save percentage.
CENTER
Paul Stastny, STL at OTT ($11,700): Stastny has at least one point in five of his last six games, and he has eight points overall in those contests. He's also averaged 2:57 per game with the extra man, his highest total since joining the Blues. The Senators have a 3.43 team GAA, third worst in the NHL, and their penalty kill ranks a lackluster 28th as well.
David Krejci, BOS at NYI ($9,300): The Bruins are one of two teams that will be on the second night of a back-to-back Thursday, but this is still a matchup worth trying to take advantage of. The Islanders have the worst team GAA by a wide margin (3.63), and Krejci has seven points in seven games since returning from injury.
WING
Kevin Fiala, NAS vs. ARI ($11,800): Both Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson are out, but Fiala is healthy and in position to take advantage of added opportunities. The Swiss-born winger has started 59.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most of any Predator. The Coyotes have a team GAA of 3.48 and a team save percentage of .891.
James van Riemsdyk, TOR at PHI ($11,600): In the last 11 games, Flyers net minder Brian Elliott has a 3.39 GAA and a .885 save percentage. Additionally, Philly has the 29th-ranked penalty kill. Van Riemsdyk has 12 points with the extra man, so he could definitely take advantage of that fact.
Tyler Toffoli, LOS vs. PIT ($10,400): The Penguins will be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back and have a team GAA of 4.00 in such scenarios. Matt Murray is dealing with a family matter, which means Tristan Jarry may get stuck playing two nights in a row. That bodes well for Toffoli, who already has 18 goals on 139 shots through 44 games.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at NJD ($11,200): Carlson has averaged 26:10 of ice time, including 3:50 on the power play. Both are career highs for the 28-year-old. All those minutes have been paying off recently as well, as he's notched 17 points in 19 tilts since the beginning of December. The Devils have given up 32.7 shots on net per game and have a team GAA of 2.95.
Ryan McDonagh, NYR vs. BUF ($10,200): McDonagh may not have a goal yet, but he does have 20 assists in 40 games. Plus, he's put 61 shots on net, so eventually he should be able to snag a goal. The Sabres have a team GAA of 3.41, so maybe this will be the game where McDonagh finally lights the lamp. Even if he doesn't, the veteran has 104 blocked shots, so he should definitely add some fantasy value defensively.
