DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

Thursday has 11 games scheduled, consisting of six 7:00 p.m. ET starts, two beginning at 9:00 pm. ET and three getting underway at 10:00 p.m. ET. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook.

SLATE PREVIEW 

Vancouver (vs. Arizona), Edmonton (vs. Seattle), Ottawa (vs. Montreal) and Los Angeles (vs. Nashville) are the biggest favorites, according to the Moneyline. The Stars-Flyers, Blackhawks-Sabres, Predators-Kings and Rangers-Golden Knights matchups check in with an Over/Under of 6.0 goals. The Blues-Capitals contest has the lowest at 5.5 goals, while all the other games expect 6.5 goals.

GOALIES 

Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. SEA ($8,300): Skinner has stopped 219 of 231 shots during his eight-game winning streak. He has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his past seven starts. Additionally, Skinner has five wins in seven career contests against the Kraken. 

Jake Oettinger, DAL at PHI ($7,900): Oettinger has won his past two outings, stopping 51 of 53 shots and permitting just one goal in each appearance. He has a 7-3-1 record with a 2.38 GAA and a .925 save percentage on the road this campaign. Oettinger has also gone 3-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .967 save percentage in three career contests versus the Flyers. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS 

William Nylander, TOR at CGY ($8,600): Nylander has gone four consecutive contests without a point, but a breakthrough performance should be just around the corner. He has been hitting posts and has 20 shots on goal during his longest cold spell of the season. Nylander also has eight goals and 24 points through 21 career contests against the Flames, including two markers and four helpers in two outings last campaign. 

Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. ARI ($8,300): Stacking the top line of the Canucks would be a significant salary investment, but including Pettersson in your lineup could be well worth it. He has 10 goals and 15 points in eight contests going into Thursday's matchup. He has also produced five markers and 11 points in his last six outings versus the Coyotes. 

Mika Zibanejad, NYR at VGK ($6,200): Zibanejad has picked up five assists and 18 shots on target during his eight-game goalless slump. However, he stands a good chance of lighting the lamp on Thursday. Zibanejad has eight goals and 14 points in 10 career meetings with Vegas. 

Blake Coleman, CGY vs. TOR ($5,200): Coleman has five goals and three assists during a four-game point spree heading into Thursday night's action. He has found the back of the net in each of those contests. Coleman has been held off the scoresheet on just one occasion over his past nine outings, compiling eight goals and 14 points during that period. 

Casey Mittelstadt, BUF vs. CHI ($4,900): Mittelstadt has two tallies and five assists in his past six outings thanks to three multi-point efforts. He also has one goal and four helpers over his last five appearances versus Chicago. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS 

Bruins vs. Avalanche 

David Pastrnak (W - $9,700), Brad Marchand (W - $6,500), Charlie Coyle (C - $5,200) 

Pastrnak has failed to collect a point just five times across his past 18 appearances. He has 12 goals, 25 points, 92 shots on net and 11 power-play points (five goals, six assists) during that stretch. Marchand has accounted for six goals and two helpers in his last seven contests, while Coyle has accumulated five goals and 11 points in his past 11 games. 

The top line of the Bruins has been all over the scoresheet and they should be able to keep that going against a Colorado team that has surrendered 3.11 goals per game (17th in the NHL) this season. It also helps that Pastrnak has nine goals and 15 points in 15 career appearances versus the Avalanche, while Marchand has eight tallies and 15 points over 19 outings against Colorado. 

Senators vs. Canadiens 

Ridly Greig (C - $3,800), Claude Giroux (W - $5,400), Brady Tkachuk (W - $7,600) 

Greig has two goals and three helpers during a four-game span going into Thursday's slate. Giroux has amassed three goals and seven points over that same period, while Tkachuk has two markers and four assists during that time. 

The first line of the Senators has been hot and could take advantage of a tired Montreal group that will be playing for the third time in four nights. Tkachuk had two goals and five points in four games against the Canadiens last season, while Giroux had three goals and two assists in five appearances versus Montreal in 2022-23. 

DEFENSEMEN 

Roman Josi, NSH at LA ($6,900): Josi has one goal, nine points, 27 shots on net and 12 blocked shots in his past eight outings. He has also piled up five goals and 25 points in 30 career contests against the Kings. That includes seven assists and 20 shots on goal the last seven times he has played versus Los Angeles. 

Morgan Rielly, TOR at CGY ($6,000): Rielly has been red hot, notching three goals, eight points, 24 shots on net and 11 blocked shots across his past seven games. He also has three assists on the power play during that span. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Corey Abbott plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: armchair_gm, DraftKings: thenext1, Yahoo: Why.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Abbott
Corey Abbott is an avid sports fan who has been writing fantasy hockey for 15-plus years.
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