Each day I will be providing my recommended player picks for your FanDuel daily fantasy hockey lineups. The goal is to help you build the optimal cash game (50/50s/double-ups/head-to-head) lineup.
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The National Hockey League brings us another exciting Thursday night of hockey action with 10 games on tap. The Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning are the biggest favorites on the board this evening, and we have three teams (Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks and the St. Louis Blues) playing in back-to-back games.
GOALTENDERS
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders NHL Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings, $8,400 – Howard has been sensational for the Detroit Red Wings this season and he is in a great spot tonight. After losing nine straight contests, the Vancouver Canucks finally got a win against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night. The Canucks are not only losing games, they are also having a very difficult time scoring goals. Vancouver is dead-last in goals for this season, averaging a pathetic 1.86 goals per game. The Detroit Red Wings have traditionally been a dominant team at the Joe Louis Arena and I think we see more of the same in this game, as Jimmy Howard cruises to an easy win. Howard is not only a lock for the win, but he is your best shot at a shutout this evening.
Top Mid-Tier Play: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB)
Top Value Play: Connor Hellebuyck (WPG)
CENTERS
Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars, $8,000 - Seguin may not be lighting the world on fire this year, but he is still producing at a high level with 14 points and 54 shots on goal in 13 games. The Calgary Flames are a poor possession team that allows too many scoring chances and goals against. This game sets up well for Seguin offensively, and I think we see him rack up a couple of points in this plus matchup.
Other Top Plays: Steven Stamkos (TB), Mark Scheifele (WPG)
Top Mid-Tier Plays: Sean Monahan (CGY), Henrik Zetterberg (DET)
Top Value Play: Ryan Spooner (BOS), Jori Lehtera (STL)
WINGERS
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames, $6,300 - The Dallas Stars have lost six of their last seven games, surrendering a whopping 28 goals against in the process. The Stars are weak on defense and have below average goaltending, which means we could very well see a shootout in Calgary this evening. Look for Johnny Hockey to do what he does best, which is light up the scoreboard on home ice.
Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets, $5,700 - Patrik Laine had another monster game on Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars, registering a hat trick and four points. Laine may not duplicate his performance from Tuesday night, but he does have multi-goal upside once again facing a weak Arizona Coyotes team. The Desert Dogs have allowed the second-most shots per game this season and they have given up more goals against per game than any other team in the National Hockey League. Adding fuel to the fire, the Coyotes also own the league’s 28th ranked penalty kill. At $5,700, Laine is my top mid-tier play on the board.
Other Top Plays: Nikita Kucherov (TB), Jamie Benn (DAL)
Top Mid-Tier Plays: Nikolaj Ehlers (WPG), David Pastrnak (BOS)
Top Value Plays: Vladislav Namestnikov (TB), Patrick Eaves (DAL)
DEFENSE
John Klingberg, Dallas Stars, $5,100 - I spoke earlier about the Calgary Flames’ defensive issues, but that is not their only problem. The Flames lead the National Hockey League in minor penalties with 70, and Calgary also owns the league’s second-worst penalty kill. John Klingberg is moderately priced and has multi-point upside on the power play alone this evening.
Other Top Plays: Brent Burns (SJ), Kris Letang (PIT)
Top Mid-Tier Plays: Mike Green (DET), T.J. Brodie (CGY), Anton Stralman (TB)
Top Value Plays: Anthony DeAngelo (ARZ), Niklas Kronwall (DET)