The NHL season churns ahead tonight, as the league rolls out a 10-game slate for us to navigate from a betting and fantasy perspective. I’m heading the DFS route, where I’ve locked in the nine-man roster that you’ll find below.
This lineup is playable in DraftKings’ classic $50,000 salary format, but I’ve also listed each player’s price at FanDuel’s $55,000 salary equivalent.
Thursday’s NHL DFS Picks & Advice
The lineup below is based on DraftKings, but FanDuel prices are also listed.
C1: Tim Stutzle (C -OTT) | DraftKings: $6,200/FanDuel: $7,100
Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle has scored 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) this year, which is 30th in the NHL. When putting it that way, it feels like $6,200 is a very reasonable price for this top-line centerman.
Stutzle isn’t just a pass-first center, as he ranks fifth on the roster in shots on goal (SOG) with 77. This is a great matchup for the Sens, as they take on a Sabres squad that’s 27th in GAA (3.12), 28th in SV% (.884), and 21st on the penalty kill (77.78%). Stutzle could have a huge night in front of his home crowd.
C2: Robert Thomas (C – STL) | DraftKings: $6,100/FanDuel: $7,200
St. Louis’ Robert Thomas may be one of the most underrated players in the NHL. The center missed 12 games with an injury but still has 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) across 30 games played. He’s racked up 61 SOG this year, which equates to two shots on goal per game (SOG/G).
Thomas has at least one point in 13 of his last 17 games. He’s registered six multi-point games during the stretch. I like the crafty Thomas to find success tonight against a Ducks squad seemingly always playing in its own zone and that has faced the third-most SOG (1,276) this season.
W1: Zach Hyman (LW – EDM) | DraftKings: $6,300/FanDuel: $6,300
I need to feature at least one Oilers player in my lineup tonight, as they take on one of the league’s worst defenses in the Penguins. Pittsburgh is 31st in GAA (3.40), 25th in SV% (.887) and has faced the eighth-most high-danger shots (150).
Zach Hyman has taken a slight step back from last year’s mammoth 54-goal campaign, but he still has a modest 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 35 games. Also, it could simply be bad “puck luck,” as Hyman ranks 13th in the NHL in expected goals (17.1). The winger should get some quality looks tonight against an abysmal Pens defense.
W2: Kent Johnson (C – COL) | DraftKings: $4,300/FanDuel: $5,600
Columbus’ Kent Johnson is riding a two-game point streak, where he’s registered a helper in each of his last two contests. This streak brings him to 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) on the year, but the winger has also only played in 27 games.
Johnson has added nine power-play points (one goal, eight assists) on the Blue Jackets’ man-advantage unit ranked ninth in the NHL (23.85%). I think the scoring floor is high in this cross-conference game between the Jackets and the Kraken. I like Johnson to make his way onto the scoresheet.
W3: Oliver Bjorkstrand (RW – SEA) | DraftKings: $3,700/FanDuel: $5,600
Keeping it in the same game, Seattle’s Oliver Bjorkstrand is a fantastic value option tonight. The third-line winger may be low on the depth chart, but his 26 points (11 goals, 16 assists) are the third-most on the team.
Bjorkstrand is also fourth on the team in SOG (88), which translates to 2.2 SOG/G. This is a nice matchup for the Danish winger, as he’ll be shooting at a Blue Jackets club dead last in GAA (3.46) and 31st in SV% (.876).
D1: Miro Heiskanen (D – DAL) | DraftKings: $5,300/FanDuel: $5,700
It’s been a disappointing season for Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen, who has just 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) across 39 games. However, considering the matchup against the Flyers tonight, I think it’s worth taking a flier on him. Philly’s defense is still very shaky, ranking 30th in GAA (3.27), 32nd in SV% (.869) and 17th on the penalty kill (78.38%).
Heiskanen still leads the team in time on ice per game (TOI/G) at 25:23 and ranks fifth in SOG (86). He’s also 44th in the NHL in blocked shots (68), so there are plenty of different ways the defenseman can contribute tonight.
D2: Jacob Trouba (D – ANA) | DraftKings: $4,600/FanDuel: $5,200
Speaking of blocked shots, Anaheim’s Jacob Trouba has been a shot-blocking machine this season. He’s second in the NHL in the category (114), looking up at only Toronto’s Chris Tanev (116). As I mentioned in the Robert Thomas section, it seems like the Ducks are always playing in their own end and are constantly under siege.
This benefits Trouba, as he’ll have the chance to block a ton of shots. Trouba is quickly gaining the trust of his new coach, as he’s already eating up 21:13 TOI/G, which leads the Ducks. I like Trouba (zero goals, eight assists) at this cheap price tonight for his defensive abilities.
G: Adin Hill (G -VGK) | DraftKings: $8,400/FanDuel: $7,800
I don’t mind splurging in net tonight to secure a guy like Adin Hill. Hill has been serviceable this season, entering tonight’s contest against the visiting Islanders with a record of 17-6-2 (sixth-most wins). He owns a modest 2.58 GAA (15th) and .904 SV% (20th) and has a pair of shutouts.
Ultimately, I love Hill for this matchup against the lowly Isles, who are 26th in overall offense (2.7 goals per game), 32nd on the power play (11.00%) and 25th in high-danger shots (126). Hill is primed for a big night in front of his home crowd.
UTIL: Tomas Hertl (C – VGK) | DraftKings: $5,100/FanDuel: $6,300
Keeping it in the same game, I’ll round out my lineup with Vegas’ Tomas Hertl as my util-man. The second-line winger is compiling a decent season, racking up 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 40 games.
Hertl is third on the team in SOG (91), averaging 2.3 SOG/G. He’ll be looking to light the lamp against a New York squad that’s a pedestrian 19th in GAA (2.88) and 21st in SV% (.889). They’re also dead last on the penalty kill (63.95%). Eleven (seven goals, four assists) of Hertl’s 26 points have come on the man advantage.