Thursday features a three-game main NHL slate starting at 8:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings. In this article, you will find DFS advice for DraftKings lineups, plus some DraftKings Sportsbook bets to target.
DraftKings Sportsbook
Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues over 6.0 goals (-108)
Seven of the last nine Wild games have featured seven or more goals and they’ll be taking on the Blues tonight, who have averaged 3.3 goals over their last 11 games. St. Louis landed four against Minnesota in the first meeting of this season-ending series and the backup goalies for each team are likely to get a start here. Both offenses should be in good position to capitalize on their chances.
Johnny Gaudreau to score a goal +215
Gaudreau has the highest odds in the goal scoring department of any of the Flames’ top-line forwards and I like targeting him for that reason alone here. The Flames have a great matchup against the Canucks (7th in goals against per game) and Gaudreau landed three points in his last contest. He should be looking to end strong after a down year and the odds here are juicy enough to make him a bet if you’re looking to add some player props tonight.
Place your NHL bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Top Line Stack
Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks
Elias Lindholm ($7,000) — Matthew Tkachuk ($6,000) — Johnny Gaudreau ($5,400)
The Canucks begin a five-game, seven-day escapade which will see them play the Flames in four of those contests. Who knows what lines these two teams will be rolling out by the fourth game, but you do have to like the spot for the Flames’ first-line in this first game. The Flames are coming off a 6-1 shellacking of Ottawa, a game which saw both of their top-line wingers amass three points each.
Calgary has been throwing out this trio for over 18 minutes per game despite having been eliminated from the playoffs, and that seems unlikely to change much here. Vancouver has got back some depth on defense but remains a bottom-10 defensive team, allowing the third-most SOG per game and the seventh-most goals against. With Nathan MacKinnon out, we don’t have any big names to pay up for, so using the extra space on at least a couple of these three seems like a good way to start lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy hockey lineups here: NHL $20K Kick Save [$5K to 1st]
Superstar to Target
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues ($7,300)
The Wild got blanked in the first game of this series but it feels unlikely that Minnesota will let two games slide with that poor of an offensive performance. The Wild finished ninth as a team in goals scored and have scored four or more goals in seven of their last 10 games. Over that stretch of play, Kaprizov has landed eight goals himself and comes in averaging a heady 4.0 SOG. Those are elite numbers when we compare him to the best fantasy wingers in the game, and with St. Louis still banged up on the backend and featuring the sixth-worst penalty-kill in the league, there’s no reason to avoid his reasonable $7.3K price tag here.
Refer a friend and get $20 DK Dollars! Head to the DraftKings Playbook Promo page for more details!
Value on Offense
Nils Hoglander, Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames ($4,600)
Hoglander has picked up his production towards the end of the season for the Canucks and comes in averaging 2.4 SOG and with seven points over his last 10 games. Hoglander gets solid first-line minutes alongside Bo Horvat ($5,800), so making him a part of a mini-stack with the Canucks’ best center makes some sense here. He’s the cheapest of the Canucks’ top-line though and has been producing more consistently than either of his linemates, so targeting him as a standalone value is also in play. The matchup with Calgary may not be ideal, but on a three-game slate, and with the Kings playing the Avalanche, he’s certainly a top option at under $5K.
Tyson Jost, Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings ($3,300)
With Nathan MacKinnon out, Jost is going to carry some value here just based on the amount of minutes he’ll get to play in the top-6. He skated alongside Mikko Rantanen ($8,700) for the Avs’ first game against the Kings, while playing over 15 minutes of ice time. Don’t expect anything too crazy, but he’s in a good spot to grab you an assist given the high-end wingers he’s playing with and the fact that Colorado should be going hard for the win here considering first in the division is at stake.
Stud Goalies
Kaapo Kahkonen, Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues ($7,900)
The Wild will almost certainly be resting Cam Talbot here for the playoffs, which means Kahkonen will get the start tonight. The Wild sit as the -120 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook at last check, and the rookie comes in off a four-game win streak. At under $8K, he’s cheaper than the other favorites on the slate and I expect we’ll get a good effort from him (and his team) in what could be his last start for a while.
Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks ($8,100)
The Canucks’ offense has scored one or less in five of their last 10 games, so the potential for a big game from Markstrom seems relatively high here. The Swede has been quite good over his last small stretch, posting a save percentage of .926 or better in three of his last four starts. The Flames are the second-biggest DraftKings Sportsbook favorites on the slate here after Colorado, so Markstrom makes for a good pivot off what should be a chalky Jonas Johansson ($8,500), who is getting the start in net tonight for the Avalanche.
Value on Defense
Sean Walker, Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche ($4,200)
Walker has been extremely consistent for the Kings in limited minutes down the stretch and comes in averaging 2.3 SOG and 1.3 blocked shots over his last 10 games. Walker typically plays in the bottom pairing but does see power-play exposure when Drew Doughty needs a rest, which gives him a boost in the upside department. It’s the last game of the season for these two teams, so don’t be shocked if the Kings give Walker a few extra minutes in a meaningless game. He’s a solid value target here as he can produce in multiple areas and remains adequately priced.
Power-Play Defensemen
Torey Krug, St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild ($4,900)
Krug comes into this game with nine points in his last 10 games, a stretch which has seen him average 2.2 SOG and 1.0 blocked shots per game. Krug is mainly known for his point production and power-play exposure, so the fact he’s doing anything in the other departments is a bonus here. He’s still very cheaply priced after coming back from a long injury layoff and should get consistent minutes in the finale here as the Blues likely want to get him some conditioning before their first round begins. He’s more of a price play given the opponent but a solid one on just a three-game slate.
Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks ($6,700)
Giordano has really taken a step up in production down the stretch for fantasy purposes and comes into this game off a 30.9 DKFP night against the Senators that saw him grab a goal, an assist, and both the SOG and BS bonuses. He’s now averaged 14.1 DKFP over his last 10 games, despite only having five real life points in that span. Still getting ample power-play exposure, the Canucks make for a great target for him to potentially keep the point streak going as they’ve allowed the second-most scoring chances against this season. Expect the Flames’ offense to post some big games as they play out the string here against a bad defensive team in the Canucks, putting Giordano in good position to prosper for fantasy.
Set your DraftKings fantasy hockey lineups here: NHL $20K Kick Save [$5K to 1st]
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is wavegoodbye) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.