Below we’ve got a discussion of the best matchups and potential stacks of the day followed by player rankings for Thursday’s 11-game evening slate of NHL contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.

As always, make sure to check Twitter for any injury news, and check LeftWingLock for starting goalies and line combos.

Game Breakdowns

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Minnesota Wild

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing their second game in as many nights, and if last night’s performance is any indication of how poorly the Leafs can play, Minnesota is THE team to stack.

The Wild struggled to score goals and win games on the road, but at home, they were a completely different team. That shouldn’t change this season. The top line of Zach Parise, Eric Staal and Charlie Coyle is an excellent line stack, but also affordable ($15.900 on DK, $$16,800 on FD). Defenceman Jared Spurgeon joins the trio on the top power play unit, so he’s worth a look if stacking the top power play is your thing.

Behind the paywall you’ll find the rest of today’s NHL DFS game breakdowns and player rankings

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There’s a 99% chance that Devan Dubnyk gets the call in goal for Minnesota tonight. Auston Matthews and company can score goals, but the Wild are a much better defensive team than the Jets and Senators. He’s $7700 on DK and $8200 on FD, which is actually a bit of a discount considering Minny is a -173 favourite to win. There are other goaltending options available on this slate, but Dubnyk is probably top two. Don’t be afraid to fire him out there tonight.

Los Angeles Kings @ Dallas Stars

Los Angeles is a great CF% team, but the loss of Jonathan Quick is hurting this team. Dallas has the firepower to fill the net, and that could very well happen tonight. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are excellent options, but they will cost you a pretty penny to roster. Patrick Eaves joins the pair on the top line, so if you’re looking for some salary relief, he’s probably the way to go.

On the flip side, the Kings themselves aren’t a bad play. The Stars still have a goaltending problem, and Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli are playing together. The pair are joined by Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty  on the top power play unit, so a line stack of Kopitar/Toffoli/Muzzin could be a smart play in cash or GPP. It’s not ideal, but it’s a strategy that could pay off nicely.

Carolina Hurricanes @ Calgary Flames

Let’s keep this section extremely short: Johnny Gaudreau is playing at home and Sean Monahan is his centerman. The duo are elite, but they are also chalk. On this slate, there are other options that make more sense, but that doesn’t mean that the duo should be forgotten. Kris Versteeg joins them on the top line, but he’s been pretty irrelevant up to this point.

Arizona Coyotes @ Montreal Canadiens

There’s a slim chance that All-Star goaltender Carey Price gets the start tonight, but it’s more likely that we see Al Montoya once again, who’s coming off a 4-0 win against the Penguins. Montoya price tag has jumped since the beginning of the season ($8600 on FD, $7800 on DK), but he’s still worth a look in GPPs and in cash games.

Carey Price is confirmed to get the start tonight. He’s been battling the flu for the last week along with fever. He’s been practicing with the team the last few days, but his energy level could still not be there (he’s lost some weight due to the flu). Starting Carey is a risk, but he’s a viable option in GPPs.

Up front, the Habs top line of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher is an option. They will get the home ice advantage and should be able to exploit Arizona’s relative weak defence and goaltending.

On the blue line, Andrei Markov and Shea Weber join the Habs top line on the power play. Weber is still a tad too expensive for my liking, so Markov makes more sense. Jeff Petry has had a strong start to the season, but his price tag also reflects that. He’s an option, but not one I’m willing to pay up for.

Player Rankings

Centers

1. Tyler Seguin–Dallas Stars–DK:$7300–FD:$8000
2. Steven Stamkos-tampa Bay Lightning–DK:$7300-FD:$8400
3. Eric Staal–Minnesota Wild–DK:$4900–FD:$5000
4. Alex Galchenyuk–Montreal Canadiens–DK:$6100–FD:$5900
5. Anze Kopitar–Los Angeles Kings–DK:$6200–FD:$7400
6. Alexander Steen–St. Louis Blues–DK:$6200–FD:$6700 (listed as a W)
7. Sean Monahan–Calgary Flames–DK:$6000–FD:$7000

Wingers

1. Jamie Benn–Dallas Stars–DK:$7500–FD:$8200
2. Zach Parise–Minnesota Wild–DK:$6400–FD:$6900
3. Max Pacioretty–Montreal Canadiens–DK:$6800–FD:$7300
4. Johnny Gaudreau–Calgary Flames–DK:$6900–FD:$7200
5. Charlie Coyle–Minnesota Wild–DK:$4600–FD:$4900
6. Vladimir Tarasenko–St. Louis Blues–DK:$7400–FD:$8000
7. Brendan Gallagher–Montreal Canadiens–DK:$6300–FD:$6200
8. Kyle Palmieri–New Jersey Devils–DK:$4700–FD:$5400
9. Tyler Toffoli–Los Angeles Kings–DK:$6000–FD:$5600
10. Alexander Radulov–Montreal Canadiens–DK:$4900–FD:$5200

Defensemen

1. Ryan Suter–Minnesota Wild–DK:$5300–FD:$5500
2. Shea Weber–Montreal Canadiens–DK:$6000–FD:$5700
3. Oliver Ekman-Larsson–Arizona Coyotes–$6300–FD:$6600
4. Alex Pietrangelo— St. Louis Blues–DK:$5500–FD:$5900
5. Jake Muzzin–Los Angeles Kings–$5000–FD:$5900
6. Jared Spurgeon–Minnesota Wild–DK:$4100–FD:$4600
7. Justin Faulk–Carolina Hurricanes–DK:$5800–FD:$5600

Goalie

1. Ben Bishop–Tampa Bay Lightning–DK:$8300–FD:$9300
2. Devan Dubnyk–Minnesota Wild–DK:$7700–FD:$8200
3. Al Montoya–Montreal Canadiens–DK:$7800–FD:$8600
4. Tuukka Rask–Boston Bruins–DK:$7900–FD:$9100
5. Carey Price–Montreal Canadiens–DK:$8500–FD:$9300
6. Brian Elliott–Calgary Flames–DK:$7500–FD:$7600
7. Antti Niemi–Dallas Stars–DK:$7600–FD:$7900

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