This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's a pretty busy Thursday, as there are eight NHL games on the slate. None of the teams are playing the second leg of a back-to-back, so we've got rested players and some interesting matchups. Here are some recommendations as to who to target and avoid…
GOALIE
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. CHI ($33): Hellebuyck has a 2.98 GAA and .907 save percentage, which is concerning as the sample size grows larger. However, he's still the goalie who had a 2.36 GAA and .924 save percentage last season. The Blackhawks have only scored 2.72 goals per game, and they also have a 3-5-2 record in their last 10 contests, so this matchup at least looks good for the Jets' goalie.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Devan Dubnyk, MIN at CLM ($29): Dubnyk has been struggling a bit recently. Over his last eight starts, he has a 3.21 GAA and .881 save percentage. Now he's on the road against a Blue Jackets team that's scored 3.50 goals per game.
CENTER
Matt Duchene, OTT vs. NYR ($20): The Senators have a terrible defense, but their offense has actually been quite good. They've been led by Duchene, who has 31 points in 25 games. That includes 19 points in his last 11 contests. The Rangers have a 3.04 GAA, which is middling, but they've also given up 33.3 shots on net on average.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mathew Barzal, NYI at BOS ($20): Goal scoring hasn't come easy to Barzal in his sophomore season, as he only has three goals this year. It's not going to be easy for Barzal to light the lamp against the Bruins. Boston has a 2.46 GAA as a team, which is second lowest in the NHL.
WING
Chris Kreider, NYR at OTT ($19): If the Senators are playing, you have to get at least one player going up against them. They have a 4.28 GAA and have allowed 38.3 shots on goal per game, both of which are league worsts. Kreider has 13 goals in 25 games.
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG vs. CHI ($18): Ehlers has 12 points through 23 games, though eight of them are in his last 10 contests. He also has a 9.1 shooting percentage, which is lower than his career average. The Dane scored 29 goals last year, so we know what he's capable of. As for the Blackhawks, they have a 3.56 GAA and have given up 33.5 shots on average.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. VGK ($21): Boeser is back from injury, but he didn't score in his return. He was great last year, but 23 of his 55 points came on the power play. The Golden Knights have the fifth-ranked penalty kill, so they may be able to shut Boeser down on that front. Additionally, Vegas has only allowed 27.0 shots on goal per game.
J.T. Miller, TB vs. BUF ($15): Miller has 18 points on the season but only four in his last nine games. They are all assists, and three of them came in the same matchup with the Panthers. It's tougher to score on the Sabres than the Panthers, though. Carter Hutton has a 2.50 GAA and .920 save percentage in his first year with Buffalo.
DEFENSE
Drew Doughty, LAK at EDM ($19): Doughty has always been a force on the power play. He's notched at least 13 points with the extra man in every full season, and he's averaged more than three minutes per game on the power play over his career. This year, he's averaged 3:30 there, notching eight points in that time. That bodes well, as the Oilers have the 27th-ranked penalty kill.
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at TB ($18): It took the first-overall pick a little time to get going, but he's starting to round into offensive form. He has eight points in his last nine games, including four on the power play. With Andrei Vasilevskiy out, Louis Domingue has been shouldering the load for the Lightning. He hasn't quite been up to the task, though, as he has a 3.19 GAA and .903 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Ryan Suter, MIN at CLM ($19): Suter has been racking up the assists (16) but has just three goals. That's not that surprising given his modest 39 shots on net through 24 games. Sergei Bobrovsky got off to a slow start, and his last outing was bad, but in his last 10 games he has a 2.05 GAA and .935 save percentage.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at NAS ($16): There's not a lot of offensive firepower on the Coyotes, but Ekman-Larsson has 12 points from the blue line. However, he's gone scoreless in his last five games. This is not the matchup for him to use to right the ship — the Predators have a league-low 2.40 GAA.
