This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate features 10 games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite the extensive selection, there actually aren't any prohibitive favorites to choose from, with the Blues (vs. Detroit) and Wild (in San Jose) topping the pack of modest favorites. Red Wings-Blues is also one of just two games with a slate-high over/under of 6.0 goals, along with the Jets-Kraken toss-up. Nonetheless, there are plenty of value options to be found, regardless of whether you're mixing and matching from around the league or building your lineup around a specific team or two.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL at LA ($8,100): The Stars are playing for the second time in as many nights after having a seven-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in Vegas with Braden Holtby in net, but Oettinger should help them start a new streak. The young stud brings a 5-0-0 record, 1.41 GAA and .951 save percentage into this clash with a Kings team that's won only three of its last 10 games and was shut out by the Canucks last time out.
Elvis Merzlikins, CLS vs. ANH ($7,900): Merzlikins has perhaps the widest performance gap between home and road games of any goalie this season. He's 9-1-0 with a 2.20 GAA and .935 save percentage on home ice compared to just 1-4-0 with a 4.87 GAA and .864 save percentage elsewhere. Keep those poor road stats in mind when you're looking for offense the next time Columbus goes away, but since this is a home game, Merzlikins will be an intriguing option in net despite facing the up-and-coming Ducks.
David Rittich, NSH at NYI ($7,200): If Juuse Saros (illness) remains unavailable, it will be either Rittich or Connor Ingram ($7,000) in the visitor's net on Long Island, and either would make for a low-risk, high-reward value play. The Islanders snapped an 11-game winless drought by beating the Senators in their last game, but they haven't beaten a quality opponent in over a month, nor have they won a game at UBS Arena yet. Only the Coyotes average fewer goals than the Islanders' 2.05 per game.
Mikko Koskinen, EDM vs. BOS ($8,100): Koskinen has hit a rough patch after a strong start to the season, but a visit from a Bruins team that's getting almost no secondary scoring should help him get back on track. Boston will have tired legs after falling 2-1 in a shootout to the Canucks on Wednesday, and the Bruins have a below-average offense (2.77 goals per game) despite taking the second-most shots per game (36.7).
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Mark Scheifele, WPG at SEA ($6,700): The last time Scheifele didn't average at least a point per game was 2015-16, so it's no surprise that he's turning things around after a slow start. After totaling only eight points through 16 games, Scheifele has racked up a 4-3-7 line over the last three contests. Winnipeg's first-line center is still short of his customary pace, but he has a great opportunity to keep closing the gap against a Kraken team that's allowing 3.56 goals per game, which is the most among teams in this slate.
Trevor Zegras, ANH at CLS ($6,100): If Merzlikins' home/road splits don't scare you, then by all means, go ahead and lock in this rising star. Zegras dished one of the most memorable assists of the season Tuesday in Buffalo for his eighth helper in the past four games, bringing the 20-year-old center's season line to 6-16-22 through 25 games. Given his recent play, Zegras' valuation might only keep climbing from here.
Michael Bunting, TOR vs. TB ($3,900): This high-profile clash will pit elite offenses against excellent goalies. Committing big money to stars could backfire if the goalies come out on top, but the risk:reward ratio is in your favor with Bunting at $3,900. He's thriving on the top line alongside Auston Matthews, with a 3-8-11 line over his last eight games.
Nino Niederreiter, CAR at CGY ($3,500): Niederreiter has produced recently and earned a promotion to the top line with his strong play, which includes a 2-5-7 line in his last six games. The road matchup with the stingy Flames is a tough one, but Niederreiter's still an appealing option at $3,500 given his current role and productivity.
Nick Suzuki, MON vs. CHI ($5,000): Suzuki has two goals and an assist over the past three games, bringing his season line to 6-12-18 through 27 games. The Canadiens have struggled, but the young center appears to be finding his game just in time for a visit from the Blackhawks, who will likely start Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Fleury's terrible play against Montreal in the most recent postseason was the primary reason the Canadiens were able to upset the heavily favored Golden Knights, and he's been only marginally better for his new team, with a 7-10-0 record, 2.96 GAA and .908 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Blues vs. Red Wings
Brayden Schenn (C - $3,300), Vladimir Tarasenko (W - $5,400), Jordan Kyrou (W - $4,200)
This line is quite affordable, especially given the context that the Blues are arguably the best team to build around Tuesday against a Red Wings team that's allowing 3.19 goals per game. Kyrou's a massive bargain considering he leads the team in points with a 9-16-25 line through 25 games. Tarasenko has added a team-high 89 shots to his 8-13-21 line, while Schenn has a quiet 4-3-7 line through 16 appearances but is a strong buy-low candidate, having topped 50 points in five of the previous six seasons.
Wild at Sharks
Ryan Hartman (C - $6,600), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $7,600), Mats Zuccarello (W - $4,800)
There's no need to fix what's not broken, and those who have been locking in this trio consistently have reaped the rewards, even before Minnesota's seven-game winning streak commenced. Kaprizov's 9-21-30 season line includes a 6-13-19 output over the past 10 games. Hartman also has six goals in his last 10 contests, and a team-leading 13 tallies overall. Zuccarello missed some time due to injury, but he's been better than a point-per-game producer when healthy, with a 7-13-20 line in 19 games. This line should keep rolling against a Sharks team that's given up nine goals over its last two games.
Kraken vs. Jets
Alexander Wennberg (C - $4,000), Jordan Eberle (W - $4,900), Jaden Schwartz (W - $4,600)
The Jets are 3-6-0 in their last nine games, and only two of those nine opponents have failed to score at least three goals, so Seattle's in position to do some damage, led by this underrated top line. Eberle has a 10-3-13 line in his last 13 games. Schwartz has held his point-per-game pace even longer, with a 5-12-17 line over his last 17, while Wennberg comes into this one riding a four-game point streak.
DEFENSEMEN
Moritz Seider, DET at STL ($5,500): Seider has 18 points through 26 games, and the standout rookie is showing no signs of slowing down, with four points in his last three games. Despite Detroit's underdog status, Seider's an appealing option against a Blues team that's starting third-string goalie Charlie Lindgren.
Colton Parayko, STL vs. DET ($4,600): Parayko has been rock-solid lately, reaching double-digit fantasy points in five of his last six games. His all-around contributions give Parayko a high floor relative to his middling valuation — he's totaled four helpers, 12 shots and 18 blocks over this productive six-game stretch.
John Klingberg, DAL at LA ($4,300): Klingberg has dished out six helpers in his last six games, with four of those coming on the power play. Such productive stretches aren't unusual for the surprisingly affordable Swede, who has reached the 40-point mark in five of his previous seven seasons and recorded at least 17 power-play points in each of the past six. Klingberg's prowess on the man advantage should help him build on his recent success against a Kings penalty kill that's operating at just 73.8 percent — sixth-lowest in the league.
Erik Gustafsson, CHI at MON ($3,200): Gustafsson has been pushing the issue offensively of late, with a goal on seven shots over the past two games. The former 60-point scorer's upside far exceeds that of the typical $3,200 blueliner, and it's increased further by facing a Canadiens team that's been the league's second-most generous to opposing defensemen in fantasy.
