DraftKings NHL: Thursday Picks

Written by

Updated on October 13, 2016 11:13AM EST

The NHL eased us in with a four-game slate Opening Night, but the ante's been upped to nine contests Thursday. Here are a number of players to help mitigate the salary cap when assembling your DraftKings lineups.

GOALIE

Al Montoya, MON at BUF ($7,500): With Carey Price nursing the flu, Montoya grabs the opportunity to start against the injury-riddled Sabres. Buffalo is likely to be without Ryan O'Reilly on Thursday, and Kyle Okposo and Jack Eichel have already been ruled out. The Sabres ranked 25th in the league in goals per game last year, and O'Reilly and Eichel were their top scorers. Montoya posted a solid .919 save percentage over his 22 appearances last year, too.

CENTER

Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. CAR ($6,300): On the brink of stardom, Scheifele capped off last year with 34 points over 26 games and is already at top speed following the World Cup of Hockey. He'll receive top offensive minutes in all situations, and Carolina owned the league's 28th-ranked save percentage (.903) last year.

Tyler Johnson, TB vs. DET ($5,400): Injuries derailed Johnson's fantasy value last year, but he's healthy and coming off a point-per-game showing in the playoffs last fall. The pivot also has running mate Nikita Kucherov back for the opener, and the duo has combined for 3.72 goals per 60 minutes over the past two seasons.

WING

David Pastrnak, BOS at CLM ($4,500): Among skaters with at least 1,000 minutes of five-on-five ice time over the past two seasons, Pastrnak ranks 13th in the league in points per 60 minutes (2.24). He's expected to see more ice time and should finally receive consistent power-play looks this year, too. The Blue Jackets aren't exactly known for tight defense or ace goaltending, so the matchup checks out.

Jonathan Marchessault, FLA vs. NJ ($3,000): Expected to fill the void on the No. 1 line with Jonathan Huberdeau sidelined, Marchessault has an opportunity to shine in Sunrise on Thursday. He posted a respectable 1.99 points per 60 minutes last year and has scored 263 points over 306 career games in the AHL.

Teemu Pulkkinen, MIN at STL ($2,700): Projected to start the season on the second line with countrymen Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund, Pulkkinen checks out as an excellent source of cap relief Thursday. He's an accomplished scorer in the AHL (65 goals over 117 games in his final two seasons) and owns an excellent shooting arsenal. It's rare to find a second-liner in this price range.

DEFENSE

Ryan McDonagh, NYR vs. NYI ($4,800): With Keith Yandle out of the picture, McDonagh should quarterback the No. 1 power-play unit. He had the best season of his career (14 goals and 43 points) in that role during the 2013-14 campaign. McDonagh should see an uptick in his shot volume as a result, and for some icing on the cake, he's blocked 408 shots over the past three years.

Nathan Beaulieu, MON at BUF ($3,800): After a strong preseason (a goal and seven helpers, leading all players in points), Beaulieu is set to see a major role alongside Shea Weber early on, and this is an excellent matchup against the Sabres. If his price fits your lineup strategy, Beaulieu should see plenty of offensive chances.

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. Neil Parker plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: naparker77, DraftKings: naparker77.