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 have 11 games on Thursday, so plenty of options to choose from when looking to stack.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers now have, in theory, one of the deepest forward groups in the league. However, they've lost their first two games with this group. They've had four days to practice with their new lines and power-play units to get things right.
The Rangers kept things somewhat simple with their line combinations. The first line kept Mika Zibanejad ($8,700) and Chris Kreider ($6,400) together, as they have been a dynamic duo for years. They've added Vladimir Tarasenko ($6,200) to play with them at even strength and on the power play. Tarasenko is really starting to find his feet with the Rangers, recording five real-world points in his last three games.
The second line is also interesting, as it makes up three elements of the first power-play unit. Patrick Kane ($7,500) will be looking for his first point as a Ranger in this game. He's playing with his old buddy, Artemi Panarin ($7,200), who was his linemate when he won the MVP in 2016. Vincent Trocheck ($7,000) has been one of the better Rangers lately, notching 10 points in his last 10 games.
New York will be on the road tonight to face the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal sits second from the bottom in the East and has lost players due to injuries throughout the season. They've allowed the sixth-most goals per game and have a lot of inexperienced players in their lineup.
The Rangers' have the second-highest implied total on tonight's slate, and either of their top two lines has enough upside to stack.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes underwhelmed some people with what they did at the trade deadline. They were ripe for a big move to really go for it this season but made only some moves for depth. Those moves seemed to have paid off, as they have won all three of their games since the deadline. In those three games, they've scored 15 goals.
The first line is centered by the team's leading goal scorer, Sebastian Aho ($7,500). He's tied to the hip of Andrei Svechnikov ($7,300), as they will play together on this line and on the power play. Seth Jarvis ($5,700) is also on this line, and the second-year winger has shown the ability to play well with his elite teammates. Brent Burns ($7,300) is back on the first power-play unit and has six assists in his past four games.
Carolina will face the Philadelphia Flyers at home. The Flyers are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games and are the third-worst team in the Eastern Conference. They will also be without Tony DeAngelo on defense, as he's serving a suspension.
The Hurricanes have the only implied team total that's currently above four goals and are by far the biggest favorite on this slate.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins continue to dominate the NHL. They have won 10 games in a row and have already cleared 100 points for the season. They've scored the second-most goals per game and are tough for any team to slow down.
The Bruins' first line is actually salaried pretty modestly given what they offer.Patrice Bergeron ($7,400) has four points in his last three games. Brad Marchand ($7,200) is second on the team with 54 points this season. Jake DeBrusk ($7,000) is tied for third in goals despite missing 18 games. This line is fully correlated on Boston's top power play, a unit which ranks seventh in the league.
The second line can also be used, as it contains David Pastrnak ($10,300). He's second in the NHL in goals (44) and fourth in points (84). He has two Czech buddies in David Krejci ($6,000) and Pavel Zacha ($5,300) as his linemates. Krejci has more points than Bergeron this year, and Zacha is having the best season of his career in his first year with Boston. These two play together on the second power play, while Pasta is up on the first unit.
The Bruins will host the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton has been a good team this season but still struggles defensively and with their goaltending. Boston will get to dictate the matchups at home and can put Bergeron's line out against Connor McDavid's line. This should allow the second line to play against one of Edmonton's weaker lines.
Boston has a healthy implied team total of 3.56 goals. They are one of the best teams we've seen in the modern NHL, and they should have no problem scoring in this game.
Others to Consider: Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars
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.