This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate is a light one, featuring just three games after 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Predators are finishing up a back-to-back set, but their top players should still be in high demand in New Jersey. Both the Kings and Coyotes are playing for the second time in as many nights in what figures to be a low-scoring affair in Arizona, while the Canadiens and Sabres will both be well-rested for their Atlantic Division clash in Buffalo.
GOALIES
Adin Hill ($8,100) should be the chalk play in net. The 23-year-old Coyotes netminder has proven himself ready for the NHL with a 2.40 GAA and .920 save percentage in nine appearances this season, and he'll have an extremely favorable matchup against a Kings team that ranks in the bottom three offensively and is just 7-17-4 on the road.
Pekka Rinne ($8,100) has been inconsistent recently, though he's played well on his best days. Nashville's netminder has split his past six decisions, allowing four total goals in the three wins and 12 in the three losses. He'll have a nice opportunity to post one of his stronger performances against a Devils team that's potting only 2.59 goals per game.
Carey Price ($7,500) has been at his best on the road this season, going 11-6-2 with a 2.71 GAA and .920 save percentage. He'll look to keep that success going when his Canadiens travel to Buffalo to take on a below-average Sabres attack (2.92 goals per game).
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jack Eichel ($8,500) has been by far the most explosive scorer among the players available in this slate. The Sabres' star has a 29-34-63 line in 49 appearances heading into this home matchup against a Canadiens team that's allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to centers.
Taylor Hall ($7,800) is rediscovering the form from his 2018 Hart Trophy-winning campaign. After languishing away on an awful New Jersey club, a move to a Coyotes team that's in the playoff hunt has reignited his game, as Hall has a 4-3-7 line in his past five games and a nice opportunity to stay hot at home against the lowly Kings.
In addition to Nashville's top line below, Filip Forsberg ($6,700) should be a popular pick against a Devils team that's allowing the second-most goals per game in the league (3.51). Despite missing six of the Predators' 49 games, Forsberg leads the team with 16 goals, and his 35 points are (a distant) second to Roman Josi's 49.
Alex Iafallo ($4,000) offers some cheap against-the-grain value for the Kings in Arizona. The first-line winger has been a consistent source of offense recently, mustering a 6-6-12 line over his past 14 games while being held off the scoresheet only three times in that stretch.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Predators at Devils
Ryan Johansen (C - $5,200), Matt Duchene (W - $5,500), Mikael Granlund (W - $4,900)
This entire line has underperformed relative to these players' previous career output, as Johansen has an 11-18-29 line, Duchene's at 10-22-32 and Granlund's at 10-8-18. Duchene has a pair of 70-point campaigns under his belt, including last season. Johansen scored at least 60 points in five of the previous six seasons, and Granlund averaged 63.3 points in the three years prior to this one. Look for these guys to channel their past selves and deliver a productive outing against the league's second-worst defensive team.
Canadiens at Sabres
Phillip Danault (C - $5,800), Tomas Tatar (W - $6,100), Ilya Kovalchuk (W - $5,400)
Tatar leads the Canadiens in both goals (17) and points (44), while Danault ranks second in the latter category with a 12-24-36 line through 51 games. Kovalchuk has been terrific since coming over to Montreal, mustering a 4-4-8 line through nine games with the Canadiens. This top line should continue to produce against a Sabres team that's giving up 3.12 goals per game, but keep in mind that Kovalchuk could be bumped off if Brendan Gallagher (head) is ready to make his return.
Devils vs. Predators
Nico Hischier (C - $6,100), Kyle Palmieri (W - $5,200), Jesper Bratt (W - $3,600)
The Devils hold some against-the-grain appeal in this small slate at home against a tired Predators team that ranks among the 10 most generous defensively. Palmieri has missed four of New Jersey's 49 games but still leads the team with 32 points and is two goals behind Blake Coleman's team-leading total of 19. Hischier ranks second on the team in points with a 12-18-30 line in 44 games played, while Bratt has perked up recently with a 2-6-8 line over his past 11 appearances.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi ($8,100) should be worth paying up for as this slate's most expensive blueliner. The matchup is nearly ideal for the Norris Trophy contender, who's playing at a point-per-game pace through 49. Pairing him with Nashville's relatively inexpensive top line opens you up to a tremendously high ceiling.
While the storyline of taking on his former team will draw attention to P.K. Subban ($4,800), fellow Devils blueliner Sami Vatanen ($3,900) is likely to be the more prudent fantasy play. Subban only has two power-play points this season while Vatanen ranks third on the team with 10 (Palmieri and the since-departed Hall both have 12), making the latter much more likely to capitalize on facing Nashville's bottom-five penalty kill.
Jeff Petry ($5,700) has a 4-9-13 line over his past 16 games, making the veteran Canadiens blueliner a nice fallback option for those who can't afford to drop the extra $1,000 on Shea Weber.
