There are 10 games on the NHL DFS slate for Thursday, so there are plenty of strong options at SuperDraft. The slate gets underway at 7 p.m. ET, and we could see a lot of offense as seven of the 10 games have a goal total of at least six.
The highest goal total of the night is in Edmonton as the Oilers host the Columbus Blue Jackets with the total set at 6.5. I never write up Connor McDavid or Leon Draisatil as those two are always in play, especially tonight as the Blue Jackets rank inside the top five in shot attempts, shots, high-danger chances and scoring chances at 5v5/60 since November 1st, according to Natural Stat Trick. They’ve also coughed up a league-high 3.36 GA/60 at 5v5 over that time frame. Don’t be surprised if the Oilers break out of their slump, and if they do, it’ll most likely be because McDavid and Draisaitl.
Below you’ll see a few of my top plays at each position followed by a few others to consider at SuperDraft. The Wild, Oilers and Jets have three of the fourth-highest team implied totals in the NHL tonight, so you can see why their games have a goal total of six.
Center
Chandler Stephenson, Vegas Golden Knights @ NJ (1.95X score multiplier)
The Chandler Stephenson line with Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone is one of the hottest lines going. Stephenson has seven assists in his last two games since returning to the lineup. He has four goals and 13 points in his last nine games. If you’re going to play him, Pacioretty as well as the winger has 10 goals over a current seven-game goal streak. He also has a point in nine straight games and 16 over that span. The Devils have allowed the sixth-most goals at 5v5/60 over the last six weeks (2.94).
Vincent Trocheck, Carolina Hurricanes vs. DET (1.75X multiplier)
Trocheck is someone to consider in larger tournaments as the Hurricanes will be without Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Jordan Staal this evening. Trocheck’s ice time could creep into the 22 or 23 minute mark and he’s been hot of late with two goals and five points in his past five games.
Others to consider: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Sean Couturier, Anze Kopitar, Nazem Kadri, Nicholas Suzuki
Winger
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild vs. BUF (2X multiplier)
Kaprizov’s 5.5 FPPG on SuperDraft ranks second among wingers and he has a 2x multiplier. His 32 points are tied for the eighth most in the NHL and he has one of the best matchups on the board. Minnesota has the highest team implied total as they put their 10-2 record on home ice against the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo checks-in with a 3-7-2 record on the road and they have a -22 goal differential overall compared to the Wild’s +24 mark (third-best in the NHL). Kaprizov has racked up five goals and 14 points in his past nine games.
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche @ NSH (1.6X multiplier)
The Predators will be short their top two centers in Mikael Granlund and Ryan Johansen when they take on the top-scoring team in the league. They could also be without former Avalanche forward Matt Duchene. Colorado has a league-high 3.88 GF/60 at 5v5 since Nov. 1 and 4.94 GF/60 at all strengths. That’s almost a full goal higher than the next closest team in Minnesota (3.98). Andre Burakovsky has five goals and six points over a current three-game point streak, but Rantanen is a much better player and he has a higher multiplier. Both are in play as they’ll skate with Nathan MacKinnon. Nate has a point in all eight games since he returned to the lineup and 14 total over that span. Rantanen has 14 points over his last nine games as well.
Cam Atkinson, Philadelphia Flyers @ MTL (1.65X multiplier)
Atkinson scored three goals on seven shots in his last game, so this may seem like chasing, but he’s in a great spot against the Montreal Canadiens. Since Nov. 1, the Habs have allowed the fourth-most shot attempts, second-most shots, fourth-most high-danger chances and scoring chances. They have a league-high 2.83 xGA/60 at 5v5 over that time frame and third-string goalie Cayden Primeau is in net. He has a 4.82 GAA and .877 SV%. Atkinson leads the Flyers in shots (77) and goals (12).
Others to consider: Max Pacioretty, Ryan Hartman, Mats Zuccarello, Andre Burakovsky, Mark Stone, Claude Giroux, Jonathan Marchessault, Adrian Kempe, Martin Necas, Mike Hoffman
Defense
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche @ NSH (1.5X multiplier)
Makar should be included if you’re stacking Colorado. He has 13 goals on the season and 11 points in his last 10 games. The Avs have won five straight games and they’ve scored 28 goals over that span. They scored seven goals in three of those five wins.
Others to consider: Darnell Nurse, Shea Theodore, Alex Pietrangelo, Victor Hedman, Jonas Brodin, Drew Doughty
Goalie
Cam Talbot, Minnesota Wild vs. BUF (1.2X multiplier)
Talbot has a rock-solid 7-1 record on home ice, and he enters with a .917 SV% overall. He’s coming off his worst start of the season, but he played in Vegas against the high-powered Golden Knights. The Sabres rank in the bottom 10 in goals for at 5v5/60 over the last five weeks and they are massive underdogs in this contest.
Others to consider: Darcy Kuemper, Thatcher Demko, Stuart Skinner (GPP)
This article expresses the personal views of the writer and does not reflect the view(s) of SuperDraft in any way.
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