This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's a star-studded player pool Thursday with seven games on the docket. The Bruins are the only club on the second leg of a back-to-back set, and the bouts between Toronto and Tampa Bay, and Winnipeg and Nashville stand as marquee contests
GOALIE
Devan Dubnyk, MIN vs. ANH ($7,700): The veteran has dropped consecutive games to inferior opponents (Detroit and Philadelphia) and allowed five goals in each loss. Facing the Ducks on home ice definitely sets up as a bounce-back spot, though. Anaheim has scored just 1.78 goals on 7.98 high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five in away games this season and also owns a 45.9 Corsi For percentage.
CENTER
Auston Matthews, TOR at TB ($7,700): With a single goal and a 3.3 shooting percentage through his past 10 outings, Matthews is primed for statistical correction. He had three high-danger chances in his last meeting with the Lightning, and former linemates Zach Hyman and William Nylander are projected to return to his flanks for this contest. The trio combined for an impressive 4.09 goals per hour at five-on-five last year, and there's a chance Matthews carries a low ownership percentage with Tampa Bay atop the NHL standings.
Dylan Strome, CHI at NYR ($4,500): While there have been a number of duds in Strome's game log, he's also recorded two goals, eight assists and four multi-point showings through his past 10 contests. Additionally, he continues to show excellent chemistry with linemate Patrick Kane, as the pair have combined for 5.7 goals per 60 minutes this season. This is also a soft matchup with the Rangers allowing the most goals per hour (3.83) in the league since Dec. 1.
WING
David Pastrnak, BOS vs. STL ($7,700): With all the firepower in the winger pool, Pastrnak stands out as a superstar who could fly under the radar. The Blues have been a tough opponent on the road this season with just 2.32 goals against per 60 minutes and the third highest team save percentage (.918) at five-on-five, so it's not an ideal spot. However, the Czech has proven to be a matchup-proof scorer and he's also been dominant at home with 15 goals and 17 assists through 23 games.
Mats Zuccarello, NYR vs. CHI ($4,600): It's been a nice three-game stretch for Zuccarello with three tallies and three assists. He's locked into a top offensive role and draws a favorable matchup against Chicago. The Blackhawks have surrendered 3.92 goals and a league-high 14.25 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes on the road this season.
Luke Kunin, MIN vs. ANA ($3,400): A low-priced flier skating in a top-six role and with the No. 1 power-play unit, Kunin is positioned to succeed. In particular, both his 3.8 shooting percentage and 95.8 PDO are unsustainably low, so look for some statistical correction with Anaheim allowing 12.75 high-danger scoring chances per hour on the road this season.
DEFENSE
Erik Gustafsson, CHI at NYR ($5,200): An outing removed from an eight-game point streak, Gustafsson checks out as a nice value in the noted cushy matchup against the Rangers. The Swede is in the midst of a breakout stretch with three tallies, 13 helpers, 24 shots and 20 blocks through his past 15 contests, and his role quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play rounds out his high-floor, high-ceiling profile.
Kevin Shattenkirk, NYR vs. CHI ($4,600): This is a reasonable price for Shattenkirk. Since the veteran returned from injury Dec. 31, he's recorded a goal, four assists, 20 shots and 16 blocks. He's also resumed quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play unit, which boosts his value in the noted soft matchup against the Blackhawks. Don't forget, his 1.93 points per 60 minutes from 2014-15 to 2016-17 ranked fourth among all regular defensemen.
