DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

Thursday has 12 games on the schedule, consisting of seven contests in the 7:00-7:30 p.m. ET window, two starting at 8:00 p.m. ET, one beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET and two in the 10:00-10:30 p.m. ET period. 

SLATE PREVIEW 

Minnesota (vs. Montreal) and Florida (vs. St. Louis) are the biggest favorites on the Moneyline, while Colorado (vs. Ottawa), Arizona (at San Jose) and Toronto (at Buffalo) are heavily favored as well. The Devils-Oilers has the highest Over/Under at 7.0 goals, while the Predators-Flyers has the lowest at 6.0 goals. 

GOALIES 

Thatcher Demko, VAN at DAL ($7,400): Demko has stopped 110 of 117 shots during his four-game win streak. He has posted a 7-0-0 record with a 1.86 GAA and a.939 save percentage in seven career contests against Dallas. That includes a 27-save shutout victory over the Stars on Nov. 4. 

Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR at PIT ($7,800): Kochetkov has gone 3-0-1 in his past four outings, having stopped 106 of 112 shots for a .946 save percentage. In two starts against the Penguins last season, he earned a 2-0-0 record with a 1.96 GAA and a .930 save percentage. 

Connor Ingram, ARI at SJ ($8,100): Ingram is a good bounce-back candidate after being pulled early from Tuesday's comeback win over Ottawa. He picked up a 21-save shutout victory against the Sharks last Friday. If Karel Vejmelka ($8,100) plays instead, he is a solid option as well. He has won his past two appearances, stopping all 44 shots he has faced.

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS 

Alex Tuch, BUF vs. TOR ($6,000): Tuch has six goals, 11 points and 28 shots on net over 12 career contests against the Maple Leafs. He potted two goals on five shots in a 6-4 win over Toronto on Nov. 4.   

Pavel Dorofeyev, VGK at TB ($2,700): Dorofeyev has accounted for six goals, 18 points, 35 shots on net and 12 blocked shots in 29 appearances this season. He has plenty of bang for the buck upside on Vegas' second line. 

Nico Hischier, NJ vs. EDM ($5,100): Hischier has collected three goals, five helpers and 18 shots and eight blocks across his last eight outings. He also has 11 points, including nine assists, over 10 career games against the Oilers. 

Adam Henrique, ANH vs. CGY ($3,500): Henrique has potted six goals on 10 shots over the past five games. He has two power-play tallies and a shorthanded marker over that span. If he can keep his heater going for another contest, he has plenty of bang for the buck potential. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS 

Devils vs. Oilers 

Jack Hughes (C - $9,500), Tyler Toffoli (W - $6,100), Erik Haula (W - $4,400) 

Hughes has struck for four goals, one assist and 12 shots on net in three games since going three games without a point. Toffoli has been quiet in his past two outings following a multi-point effort (one goal, one assist) against Columbus on Dec. 16, but he has 13 goals and 31 points in 42 career outings against Edmonton. Haula has one goal, one assist and 11 shots in his past four appearances. 

Hughes is a big part of this stack, but Toffoli and Haula check in with solid salaries because of their recent hiccups offensively. The Oilers rank 27th in the league with 3.45 goals against per game. 

Maple Leafs at Sabres 

Auston Matthews (C - $9,900), William Nylander (W - $8,400), Matthew Knies ($3,600) 

Matthews has registered a multi-point performance in six of his past eight outings. He has 11 goals, five assists, four power-play points (two goals, two assists) and 42 shots on target during that span. Nylander has generated three goals and 11 helpers during a nine-game point spree. He also has four power-play assists and 38 shots on goal over that period. Knies has one goal, one assist and four shots in his past two contests. 

The top line of the Maple Leafs should be able to stay hot against a Buffalo squad that sits 25th in the league in goals against per game (3.42). Matthews scored a hat trick and Nylander had an assist in Toronto's 6-4 loss to Buffalo on Nov. 4. 

DEFENSEMEN 

Roman Josi, NSH at PHI ($7,300): Josi has two goals, 10 points, five power-play helpers, 19 shots and 15 blocks in his past 19 appearances. Additionally, he has 13 assists and 48 shots on goal in 18 career contests against the Flyers. 

Zach Werenski, CLS vs. WAS ($5,600): Werenski has chipped in nine assists, including four on the power play and 24 shots on goal over nine games in December. He also has 18 blocked shots over that stretch. 

MacKenzie Weegar, CGY at ANH ($6,100): Weegar has collected four goals, nine points, 29 shots and 28 blocks across his last 11 outings. He has been held off the scoresheet on just two occasions over 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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