This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Thursday's NHL slate features nine games after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Most of Thursday's games are expected to be competitive, but the Bruins stand out as the team to build around in this slate with Detroit coming to town, while the second-largest favorite is actually Seattle at home against Buffalo. Capitals-Panthers, Flyers-Penguins and Lightning-Maple Leafs are all projected to be high-scoring matchups with over/unders of 6.0 goals, and Florida has the best odds of winning among those six teams.
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. DAL ($8,000): Even after allowing three goals on just 22 shots to fall to Nashville in overtime in his last start, Markstrom's still 4-1-2 with a 1.56 GAA and .947 save percentage overall while having given up only four goals in his last five outings. A bounce-back effort is likely on home ice against a Stars team that's scoring only 1.89 goals per game -- second-fewest in the league.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at MON ($8,200): Sorokin's 3-2-2 with a 2.26 GAA and .931 save percentage overall, and he has allowed a total of two goals over his last three starts. Montreal's 30th-ranked offense is averaging just 2.00 goals per game, and the stout Islanders defense coupled with Sorokin's effectiveness in net will make it difficult for the Canadiens to pot more than two in this one.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at TOR ($7,500): It's rare to find Vasilevskiy at such a bargain price, but apparently the Maple Leafs represent a daunting matchup; after all, it's not the postseason. Still, considering Toronto ranks 10th from the bottom in goals per game (2.50) and fifth from the top in shots (34.6), this shapes up as a nice opportunity for Vasilevskiy to extend a three-game winning streak over which he has allowed just four goals. After a forgettable start, Vasilevskiy's 5-2-1 with a 2.46 GAA and .915 save percentage overall.
Matt Murray, OTT vs. VGK ($7,200): Whether it's Murray or Filip Gustavsson, Ottawa's netminder of choice will be an enticing value play against the struggling Golden Knights. Vegas still doesn't have a power-play goal, and much like the Maple Leafs, the Golden Knights have helped opposing goalies pad their stats with few goals (2.22 per game) on plenty of shots (33.0 per game). Just be aware that Ottawa's defensive deficiencies could supersede Vegas' offensive issues, so Murray's floor remains low as usual.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Charlie Coyle, BOS vs. DET ($4,100): Whether you're stacking Bruins or looking for a standalone value play, Coyle's a nice option at $4,100 on home ice against the lowly Red Wings. David Krejci's move to the Czech Republic has thrust Coyle into the second-line center role, and Coyle has acquitted himself admirably there, racking up a 3-2-5 line over his past five games. He has at least a share of second on the Bruins in both goals and points, with only Brad Marchand having produced more of each.
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at SJ ($6,600): Since being blanked in the season opener, Tarasenko has compiled a 4-7-11 line over a seven-game point streak. The 29-year-old Russian has potted at least 33 goals five times before and seems poised to do so again, as his 11.8 shooting percentage is actually a tad lower than his career mark of 12.6 percent, suggesting there's nothing unsustainable about this hot start. Another strong outing should be forthcoming against the Sharks, who will likely be playing with a depleted roster due to a COVID outbreak that encompassed a significant chunk of the team.
Michael Bunting, TOR vs. TB ($3,900): Bunting is a local product from Scarborough, Ontario, and he has delivered a different level of play on home ice early in his Toronto tenure, with a 3-2-5 line in six home games and just one assist in four contests on the road. Flanking superstar Auston Matthews on the top line, Bunting has a nice opportunity to add to his production at Scotiabank Arena against the visiting Lightning.
Sean Couturier, PHI at PIT ($7,100): Couturier already has five multi-point performances eight games into the season and a 4-7-11 line overall, putting him on pace to surpass the 76 points he posted each of the last two times the NHL played a full 82-game season. Taking on a Penguins team that has been outscored 13-3 during its three-game losing streak and will once again be without Sidney Crosby, this time due to a positive COVID-19 test, Couturier should establish himself as at least the best center on the ice, if not the best player on either team.
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at FLA ($9,000): No matter what team he's facing, there's always a case to be made for putting Ovechkin in your lineup when he's running hot. His nine goals have Ovechkin tied with Leon Draisaitl for the league lead, and he has also dished six assists and totaled 42 shots through nine games, ranking third in points behind Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, as well as second in shots behind McDavid. With the Oilers off Thursday, Ovechkin can carry your lineup like nobody else, but he'll cost a premium at $9,000.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins vs. Red Wings
Patrice Bergeron (C - $6,300), David Pastrnak (W - $7,600), Brad Marchand (W - $7,300)
Father Time might finally be catching up to the 36-year-old Bergeron, who has just three helpers without a goal this season, but the now-a-bit-short-of-Perfection line still boasts two elite scoring wingers. Pastrnak's 2-3-5 line through seven games comes despite a 6.5 shooting percentage that's less than half of his career 14.1 percent mark, so he's due for some positive regression, while Marchand's 4-4-8 line has him above the point-per-game threshold for a sixth consecutive campaign. Most lineups will likely feature at least one member of this line with the Bruins hosting a Red Wings team that's surrendering 3.40 goals per game -- fourth-most across the league.
Panthers vs. Capitals
Aleksander Barkov (C - $6,400), Carter Verhaeghe (W - $4,700), Anthony Duclair (W - $4,100)
All three members of Florida's top line have chipped in regularly thus far and should continue to do so in what's likely to be a fast-paced thriller against the Capitals. Barkov's 5-5-10 line through nine games ranks second on the team in both goals and points. Jonathan Huberdeau (3-8-11) leads Barkov by one point, while Duclair has scored a team-high six goals and thrown in an assist for good measure. Verhaeghe has been the least productive member of this trio, but his 18-18-36 line in just 43 appearances last season suggests this year's 3-3-6 line through nine games (a 27-goal, 55-point full-season pace) is far from his ceiling.
Kraken vs. Sabres
Yanni Gourde (C - $4,700), Brandon Tanev (W - $3,300), Calle Jarnkrok (W - $2,800)
Buffalo's still off to a surprising 5-3-1 start, but the Sabres have started to lose some steam, having suffered consecutive regulation losses out west. The Kraken will be looking to extend the Sabres' slide in front of the raucous Seattle crowd, and this affordable yet effective second line should help the home team do just that. Gourde's start to the season was delayed by a shoulder injury, but the feisty former 64-point scorer has opened his Kraken tenure with a 1-4-5 line in six games since making his debut. As we all predicted, Tanev is the leading goal-scorer in franchise history with six through 10 games, and considering no healthy teammate has more than two, Tanev's in no danger of relinquishing that lead any time soon. Jarnkrok's a nice buy-low candidate at just $2,800 -- he's still without a point in five games since being activated from COVID protocols, but the responsible two-way forward came into this season on a streak of six consecutive campaigns with double-digit goal totals, and he lit the lamp at least 15 times in four of those.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at OTT ($7,000): It's time for Pietrangelo to put the Golden Knights on his back against a very beatable Ottawa team. Considering he has just one assist through nine goalless games, it's amazing that Pietrangelo has still managed to score at least 9.9 fantasy points in all but two games. Given his substantial contributions in shots (27) and blocks (22), Pietrangelo's primed to deliver a massive fantasy performance if he can just find his offense against a Senators team that's allowing 3.33 goals per game.
Noah Dobson, NYI at MON ($3,600): The Islanders traded away Nick Leddy in the offseason, leaving Dobson as the team's lone proficient puck-mover on the blue line. As a result, the 2018 first-round pick is skating on the top power-play unit. One of Dobson's three assists through seven games has come with the extra man, and he has chipped in a well-rounded 13 shots and 14 blocks, making him an excellent value pick at $3,600 against the underwhelming Canadiens.
Artem Zub, OTT vs. VGK ($5,200): Zub's shot-blocking prowess should be on full display against a Golden Knights team that looks to put the puck on net as often as possible. The 26-year-old Russian has blocked at least four shots in six of nine games, and he has displayed surprising aptitude offensively, as well, dishing out four assists. Zub's strong two-way play hasn't gone unnoticed by Ottawa's coaching staff, as he's averaging 23:54 of ice time, which is second only to Thomas Chabot (27:06) among Senators and 24th-most league-wide.
Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. DET ($5,800): A Bruins stack isn't truly complete without McAvoy. He's off to a slow start offensively with just one goal and two assists through seven games, though the goal came on the power play in Boston's last game. The well-rounded defenseman has averaged 30 points over his first four campaigns but is expected to take a step forward offensively since he's still only 23, and in the meantime, McAvoy has provided 10 shots and 15 blocks to buoy his fantasy value.
