DraftKings NHL: Thursday Picks

DraftKings NHL: Thursday Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

GOALIE

Ben Bishop, DAL at MIN ($7,800): Odds are that Bishop will not post his fourth consecutive shutout, but a win is still possible with the Wild entering the game on a two-game losing skid. The Wild have scored just 49 goals since February, 25th in the league, and they were shut out by the Sharks in their most recent game. The Stars don't provide a lot of goal support for Bishop, either, but the Stars have gone 7-3-0 in their past 10 games and the Wild are 7-8-0-5 in their past 20 games with a minus-11 goal differential. 

CENTER

Evgeni Malkin, PIT at BUF ($7,000): He became the 88th player in NHL history to score 1,000 career points with two assists against the rival Caps, making the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner's omission from the league's top 100 players of all-time all the more glaring. He has an excellent track record against the Sabres with 49 points in 34 career games and one of the better value plays among elite centers available. 

Tomas Hertl, SJ vs. FLA ($6,300): The Shark are 14-3-0-1 since February 1 and Hertl's on a six-game scoring streak in a breakout season. The power center has set career highs across the board and defense and goaltending have been weak points for the Panthers all season. The Sharks spread the offense around but Logan Couture ($6,600) hasn't been as productive and on some nights Hertl's been their best player. 

WING

Filip Forsberg, NSH at LA ($6,600): As Peter Laviolette juggles his wingers to integrate Wayne Simmonds and Mikael Granlund, Forsberg continues to be a fixture on Ryan Johansen's wing and a consistent scorer with three goals in his past three games. He's registered six shots in two of his past three games and the Kings' penalty kill ranks 20th. 

Jared McCann, PIT at BUF ($4,700): That's now 13 points in 20 games with the Penguins and there's going to be a lot more now that he's one more solid performance away from being a permanent fixture on Sidney Crosby's line. His ice time has increased, skating more than 17 minutes in four of his past five games. The Sabres have allowed 70 goals since February 1, third-most in the league. 

Robert Thomas, STL at OTT ($3,100): His first game on the top line in Vladimir Tarasenko's absence produced zero points and zero shots with a minus-1 rating in 18 minutes of play, but Craig Berube sounded upbeat so Thomas will stay there for now. The Sens have been the league's worst team allowing 3.65 goals per game since February 1. Thomas will have an easier time against them than the Coyotes. 

DEFENSE

John Klingberg, DAL at MIN ($5,800): He's been disappointing this season after finishing sixth in Norris Trophy voting last season, but I like this price point for him. He quarterbacks a very talented power-play unit, plays a lot of minutes, and faces a team whose penalty killing – without Mikko Koivu – has stunk over its past 20 games with 18 goals allowed. 

Cody Ceci, OTT vs. STL ($4,300): With Thomas Chabot out with a broken toe, the Sens will experiment with a five-forward power-play unit first, but you wonder how long that will last with Anthony Duclair and Magnus Paajarvi on the points. That means both Ceci and Christian Wolanin ($3,300) could see some more opportunities. Wolanin has a bit more offense but Ceci has more experience and was second only to Chabot in points among defensemen. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NHL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NHL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Chen
Jason won the 2021 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year award, and was also a finalist on 2019. He joined RotoWire in 2013. Jason has also written for Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, The Hockey News, The Hockey Hall of Fame's Legends Magazine, and Centre Ice Magazine.
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NHL Picks Tonight: Best NHL Bets and Player Props for April 17, 2024
NHL Picks Tonight: Best NHL Bets and Player Props for April 17, 2024
Next Year's NHL First-Round Picks: Who Should Be First?
Next Year's NHL First-Round Picks: Who Should Be First?
NHL Best Bets: Flames at Canucks Odds, Expert Picks and Predictions for April 16th
NHL Best Bets: Flames at Canucks Odds, Expert Picks and Predictions for April 16th
FanDuel NHL: Tuesday Targets
FanDuel NHL: Tuesday Targets