This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate features eight games and begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
This slate features eight of the league's 11 lowest-scoring teams, but there's still value to be found on offense. The Rangers-Lightning game should be fast-paced, while the league's three most generous penalty kills — Detroit, Los Angeles and Winnipeg — are all there to be exploited.
GOALIES
Darcy Kuemper ($7,700) carries a sub-2.00 GAA and .931 save percentage GAA into this favorable matchup against a Wild team that's been outscored 63-47 through 18 games.
Jacob Markstrom ($7,900) not only gets to face Dallas' bottom-five offense, but he also draws the Stars on the second leg of a back-to-back. Both the Coyotes and Canucks also have outstanding backup goalies capable of capitalizing on these favorable matchups should Kuemper or Markstrom get the night off.
Jonathan Bernier ($7,300) has started Detroit's last three games and won them all, allowing seven goals in the process. If the Red Wings keep riding the hot hand, Bernier could be a nice value play in Los Angeles against one of the three teams below Detroit in the standings.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Anze Kopitar ($6,000) ends up in this section often, as he continues to produce despite a lack of help from his teammates. He has a 6-12-18 line through 18 games, putting Kopitar on a point-per-game or better pace for the second time in the past three seasons. A Red Wings team that's allowing a league-high 3.75 goals per game is unlikely to keep Kopitar off the board.
Anthony Mantha ($6,300) leads the Red Wings with 11 goals and 19 points through 20 games. The power forward should continue to produce against a Kings team that's allowing 3.72 goals per game — second-most behind Mantha's own Red Wings.
Jakob Silfverberg ($5,800) has been Anaheim's best source of offense, as he's tied for the team lead with eight goals and leads the Ducks with 15 points. Look for him to lead the charge offensively against a San Jose team that's among the bottom five defensively with 3.53 goals allowed per game.
Josh Leivo ($3,400) is getting a chance on the top line with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser for Vancouver. The affordable winger is a nice cheap lineup filler against a tired Stars team, especially after Leivo delivered an assist in his last game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Panthers vs. Jets
Aleksander Barkov (C - $6,700), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $7,000), Evgenii Dadonov (W - $6,000)
This line has been among the hottest in the NHL. Overall, Barkov and Huberdeau have 24 points apiece while Dadonov's at 16. Barkov sports a 5-13-18 line in his last 10 games, Huberdeau's at 6-10-16 over that same stretch, and Dadonov has chipped in four goals and five assists. These guys also have 22 combined power-play points through Florida's first 18 games, and that production should continue against Winnipeg's 72.5 percent penalty kill.
Coyotes at Wild
Nick Schmaltz (C - $4,700), Christian Dvorak (W - $3,800), Phil Kessel (W - $5,300)
This line features Arizona's leading scorer in Schmaltz (4-11-15) and the guy who was expected to lead the team in Kessel, who has been better than a point-per-game performer since the start of the 2017-18 season. The affordable Dvorak rounds out this line and has a 6-3-9 line through 19 games. Minnesota's among the seven worst teams offensively and also in that range defensively, allowing 3.50 goals per game.
Lightning vs. Rangers
Tyler Johnson (C - $5,300), Steven Stamkos (W - $7,300), Mathieu Joseph (W - $3,500)
This line has a nice mix of skill and affordability for what should be a fast-paced affair. Stamkos leads the Lightning with 15 points in as many games, Johnson's tied with Stamkos (and Ondrej Palat) for the team lead in goals with five, and Joseph has lit the lamp four times. The Rangers have played better of late, but they're still allowing 3.25 goals and 35.9 shots per game — the latter mark is topped only by Chicago.
DEFENSEMEN
Adam Fox ($4,200) continues to impress offensively for the Rangers. The rookie out of Harvard has a five-game point streak going, including a goal and an assist in his last game for his first career multi-point effort.
Fox has stepped into a similar role to the one Kevin Shattenkirk ($5,300) was asked to occupy on Broadway, while Shattenkirk has taken his offensive gifts to Tampa Bay with great success. Shattenkirk has a 4-9-13 line through 15 games, including six assists in the past four.
Keith Yandle ($5,000) does the vast majority of his damage on the power play — eight of his 13 points this season and 39 of 62 last season came with the extra man. His power-play proficiency makes Yandle the perfect choice against the league's third-worst penalty kill.
Rasmus Dahlin ($4,800) has 12 points through 17 games, and while the standout sophomore has slowed down after a tremendous start, he has the skills to pick things back up. This home game against the Hurricanes offers a potential buy-low opportunity on Dahlin.
