In daily fantasy hockey, stacking is a key strategy in tournaments. We want to correlate our lineups with up to four players to maximize our upside -- if one player on a line is scoring goals, it's likely that his linemates are getting assists, as well.
Ideally, we want players who will get a lot of ice time together on an even-strength line and a power-play line. Two good resources for line combinations are LeftWingLock.com and DailyFaceoff.com, so be sure to check those sites for updated line information.
We've got eight games on Thursday, and we'll try to find three stacks that make sense tonight.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are in first place in the Metropolitan Division again this season after finishing atop the division last year. They had struggled to score goals at some points this season but have solved that problem. They are in a great situation tonight.
The Canes' first line features the Finnish duo that has been a mainstay in this era of Carolina hockey. Sebastian Aho ($8,100) has 10 goals in his last 10 games and leads the team with 23 overall. Teuvo Teravainen ($5,700) wasn't as good away from Aho earlier in the season but now has nine points in his last 10 games. These two will play together on the first power play, as well. They'll be joined by Seth Jarvis ($5,000) at even strength, and the youngster has the talent to contribute on a line like this.
Carolina will play the Montreal Canadiens at home. Montreal is the second-worst team in the East and is poor defensively. They allow the second-most expected goals per 60 minutes, bettering only the lowly Anaheim Ducks.
The Hurricanes have the highest implied total on tonight's slate, and their style of pummeling teams with shot volume should do well in this game.
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets have won three games in a row and have a shot at winning the Central Division. No one expected them to be this good, but when you look at their forward depth and goaltending, it's easy to see them as legit contenders.
The Jets have made a change to their forward lines. They've moved Nikolaj Ehlers ($8,000) up in the lineup to play with Pierre-Luc Dubois ($7,500) and Kyle Connor ($8,700). Ehlers has points in three straight games and is now up to 20 points in 18 games this season. Connor leads the team with 61 points, even if his goal-scoring pace isn't quite as good as it was last season. Dubois should easily clear his career high of 61 points, as he's already at 53 this campaign.
Winnipeg gets a date with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets are a team we always target because they allow a ton of goals. Columbus is still holding Vladislav Gavrikov out of the lineup ahead of an expected trade, which hurts their defense even more.
Winnipeg's top line looks like one of the best stacks on the board in this fantastic matchup.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins were running away with everything -- the division, the Eastern Conference and the best record in the league. Things haven't gone as smoothly of late, but they should be in a great spot tonight and might go overlooked.
With Jake DeBrusk injured and not ready to return, Boston has kept their top line together. Only David Pastrnak ($10,300) has been in good form for this line, as he has 12 points and 41 shots on goal in the last 10 games. Patrice Bergeron ($7,100) and Brad Marchand ($7,800) have struggled in recent games, but both are elite possession players. This trio will all play together on Boston's top power play, as well.
The Bruins will be on the road against the Nashville Predators. The reason Boston might go overlooked on this slate is the perception that Nashville is a good defensive team. They are fourth in expected goals allowed and scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes. A team like the Bruins, one that generates a lot of shots, could really do damage to the Preds.
This is a great spot to buy low on Boston, and we know that this stack has slate-winning upside if it all comes together.
Others to Consider: New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken, Vegas Golden Knights
Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.