This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are 12 games on a busy Thursday night in the NHL. Ottawa is home to LA while Tampa Bay faces the Blue Jackets in Columbus. The Rangers host Carolina, the Islanders are in Washington, Florida is in Detroit, Toronto travels to Boston, Minnesota is home to New Jersey, Nashville travels to Seattle, a tired Dallas team is in Edmonton, Arizona hosts a fresh Montreal squad, Winnipeg takes on Vegas while Vancouver is in San Jose. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIE
Joonas Korpisalo, OTT vs. LA ($25): Korpisalo was outstanding Saturday as he stopped 41 Pittsburgh shots in a 5-2 victory. The win got him back on track, as he is 2-3-0 in six appearances with a 3.22 GAA and .902 save percentage. Korpisalo will also be facing a Kings team he performed brilliantly for after the trade deadline last season, posting a 2.13 GAA and .921 save percentage over 11 games while going 7-3-1.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Samsonov, TOR at BOS ($24): Samsonov has really struggled this season, going 2-1-1 with a 3.98 GAA and a .841 save percentage. He has been surpassed on the depth chart by Joseph Woll and needs to really pick up his game to get the net back. Samsonov doesn't have the easiest of opponents though, as the Bruins are one of two teams (Vegas being the other) who have yet to lose in regulation.
CENTER
Jack Hughes, NJ at MIN ($34): The NHL's leading scorer, Hughes has five goals and 18 points in just eight games. He was outstanding last season with 99 points, and the 22-year-old has picked up the pace even more this season. Hughes was held off the scoresheet for the first time Sunday and will look to get back on track against the Wild.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. CAR ($32): Zibanejad has two goals and four points in his last two games, but had only two assists in his previous six games. He faces a tough divisional rival in Carolina on Thursday. I would rather spend the extra few dollars and take Connor McDavid or Jack Hughes at center.
WING
Matthew Boldy, MIN vs. NJ ($21): Boldy returns to the ice for the first time in eight games after recovering from an upper-body injury. He has a goal and an assist in two games this season and was stellar last season, lighting the lamp on 31 occasions while adding 32 assists. Boldy sees first unit power-play time and had eight goals and 26 points with the man advantage last season.
Johnny Gaudreau, CLS vs. TB ($17): My, how the mighty have fallen. Gaudreau had 115 points just two seasons ago and followed it up with 74 points last season, his first with the Blue Jackets. He has yet to find the back of the net in nine games this season and has only four assists, but his pedigree is so good that his bargain salary is hard to ignore Thursday.
WINGS TO AVOID
Alex Ovechkin, WAS vs. NYI ($34): Ovechkin has two goals and eight points in eight games this season, but this salary is hard to justify. He will face the Islanders, who are one of the toughest teams to score against. Ovechkin had only two assists in two games against the Islanders last season.
Brad Marchand, BOS vs. TOR ($30): Marchand has five goals and nine points in nine games but has only a goal and an assist in his last four contests. He had just a goal and an assist in four games against the Maple Leafs last season and was held without a point in his last two contests.
DEFENSE
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. DAL ($22): The blueliner's fantasy value increased exponentially last season at the trade deadline when Tyson Barrie was sent to Nashville, making Bouchard the quarterback of the first power-play unit. He had five goals and 16 points in his last 19 regular-season games last year and has three goals and nine points in eight games to kick off this season, with all three markers coming in his last four contests.
Noah Dobson, NYI at WAS ($23): Dobson is off to a great start with two goals and nine points in eight games. The talented blueliner has four power-play assists as he quarterbacks the Islanders top unit. Dobson had 100 points overall in his previous two seasons and should fly by the 50-point mark in 2023-24.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Brayden McNabb, VGK vs. WPG ($18): McNabb started the season off strong with five assists in his first eight games, but the Golden Knights defenseman has not registered a point in his last two games. He had one assist in three regular-season games versus Winnipeg last season and was held without a point in four playoff games against the Jets.
Kaiden Guhle, MON at ARI ($17): Guhle has three assists in five games this season but has seen his limited power play time evaporate in the last two games. There are better choices for the money than the Montreal defenseman.
