The third Thursday of the 2015-16 NHL season is upon us, and the eight-game slate is sure to be a thrilling one. Contenders in New York and Chicago try to hit their stride with home games against cross-conference foes from the South, while the Sharks and Kings battle to be Cali's best, and the Canucks and Capitals look to prove their C-premacy (sorry).
If you're more interested in NHL DFS advice than bad puns, you've (mostly) come to the right place. Two strategies that have proven effective thus far are using players facing their former teams who might be extra motivated and playing just about anyone facing the Blue Jackets, so it's not surprising that Keith Yandle and multiple players on the Wild made the cut. But read on to see the rest of Thursday's picks.
GOALIE
Andrew Hammond, OTT vs. NJD ($33) - The Hamburgler boasts a bargain price and a good matchup in his season debut. New Jersey has scored just 11 goals in six games, and Hammond will be eager to prove his 20-1-2 record from a season ago wasn't a fluke. Hammond's only real red flag is the .898 save percentage he posted in 25 games with the Binghamton Senators before being called up, but he'll give the Devils hell if he's playing anywhere near the level he displayed in Ottawa last season.
Goalies to Avoid:
Antti Niemi, DAL at PIT ($32) - If you're giving Niemi some thought after he shut out Pittsburgh in the season opener, don't. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is almost as good at hockey as he is at whining, and he finally broke out with his first three points of the season Tuesday against the Panthers. Using a goalie who has to face Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin is a risky proposition.
Ryan Miller, VAN vs. WSH ($32) - Since Nicklas Backstrom's return to the lineup, his line with Alex Ovechkin and American hero T.J. Oshie has combined for seven goals in two games. The downside of facing Backstrom's line makes this home matchup about as tricky as it gets for Miller despite his 1.80 goals-against average.
CENTER
Artem Anisimov, CHI vs. FLA ($13) - The defending Stanley Cup champs are off to a pedestrian start, leaving the Russian flying under the radar early. Anisimov has three points and a plus-2 rating through six games, and can be counted upon for solid output as long as he's skating on Chicago's second line with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin. Kane has been lighting it up, and there's no shame in locking down Anisimov and hoping he rides Kane's coattails to glory.
Center to Avoid:
Ryan Johansen, CBJ at MIN ($19) - Johansen's stats (one goal and five assists in seven games) look solid at first, but hidden underneath the decent production is an ugly minus-6 rating. Johansen can't help that the team around him has been atrocious, but he's best avoided in formats that value plus/minus until the Blue Jackets show some signs of competency.
WING
Zach Parise, MIN vs. CBJ ($24) - Parise is the top forward on a Minnesota team playing at home against a Blue Jackets squad that is yet to notch a win this season. The former Devils star has seven points in five games to open 2015-16, and he's bound to add to that total considering his opponent Thursday has surrendered a whopping 34 goals in seven games (4.86 goals per game).
Mark Stone, OTT vs. NJD ($24) - One could argue New Jersey's 2-3-1 record is actually surprisingly good considering the Devils' preseason outlook. You know whose start shouldn't be viewed as surprisingly good? Mark Stone! The 23-year-old's eight points in six games are par for the course considering he tied Alex Ovechkin for third-most points in the NHL after the 2014-15 All-Star break. Ovechkin at $24 against the Devils would be considered a no-brainer -- Stone should be too.
Wings to Avoid:
Daniel Sedin, VAN vs. WSH ($22) - Daniel has opened the season showing excellent chemistry with brother Henrik en route to four points and a plus-3 rating through six games. But it's wise to take a cautious approach with the Canucks as a whole since they face a Capitals team that has obliterated its last three opponents, 14-4. Washington's first line is downright scary, and offseason additions have strengthened a traditionally shaky supporting cast, meaning Sedin will find tough sledding regardless of whether or his minutes are sheltered.
DEFENSEMEN
Keith Yandle, NYR vs. ARI, ($20) - It's rarely a bad idea to roll with a great player facing his former squad, but Yandle's situation on a heavily favored Rangers team provides additional incentive to deploy the 29-year-old defenseman. New York's power-play quarterback has a decent chance of chipping in a point or two and will have plenty of opportunities to deliver in the plus/minus column considering he's logged 20:01 per game and the struggling Coyotes are 0-2-1 in their last three.
Ryan Suter, MIN vs. CBJ, ($16) - Many of the same concepts that applied to teammate Zach Parise also hold true for Suter. He's good at hockey, the Blue Jackets aren't. If Suter spends anywhere near his season average of 25:36 on the ice in this game, solid production should follow.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Sami Vatanen, ANA at NSH, ($19) - The Ducks are better than their 1-3-1 record, but there's nothing fluky about Nashville's 5-1-0 start. Vatanen comes in as Anaheim's most expensive defenseman at $19, and that's too steep a price to pay considering the nightmare road matchup.
