This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
Next Thursday is Thanksgiving, but this Thursday you can stuff yourself with hockey. There are 12 NHL games on the slate, so here are some suggestions when building your lineup…
GOALIE
Minnesota Wild, MIN vs. NAS ($16,000): The Wild have won three in a row, and the Predators five, but Nashville is only 5-4-1 on the road, with most of its success coming at home. The Predators have also only averaged 29.2 shots on net per contest. Devan Dubnyk, meanwhile, has pitched three shutouts (!) in a row.
CENTER
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS at COL ($14,100): Colorado hasn't gotten any better defensively this year after it had the worst team GAA in the league last season. The Avalanche have a team GAA of 3.44, and they've allowed 33.9 shots on goal per game. Kuznetsov is playing career-high minutes, and he's already notched 17 assists in 19 games. He also has seven power-play points.
Bo Horvat, VAN vs. VGK ($10,400): The bloom has come off the rose for Vegas, especially with Max Lagace in net. The Golden Knights' fourth-string netminder has a 4.13 GAA and a .860 save percentage, and if Malcolm Subban isn't ready to return he'll be in net again more than likely. Horvat has notched seven goals and seven assists in 18 games, averaging 3:02 on the power play.
WING
Logan Couture, SAN vs. FLA ($12,300): Couture has averaged 17.68 fantasy points per game, thanks in part to 10 goals and five power-play points. The Panthers have the league's worst penalty kill, so Couture's success with the extra man could definitely continue. On top of that, Florida has given up 36.6 shots on net per tilt, most in the NHL.
Jesper Bratt, NJD at TOR ($9,700): Bratt is one of the young players that have helped to give New Jersey's offense a real punch. He's tallied 13 points through 17 games, including six on the power play. The Maple Leafs have a team GAA of 3.32 and they've allowed 33.1 shots on net per game. This should be a high-scoring shootout between young teams, and Bratt should be a part of that.
Brendan Gallagher, MON vs. ARI ($9,200): Arizona is, once again, a disaster when it comes to goal prevention. The Coyotes have a team GAA of 3.90, worst in the NHL. Their goalies have a collective save percentage of .880 and the team has the 27th-ranked penalty kill. Gallagher has seven goals on 57 shots, and you won't find a better matchup than this.
DEFENSEMEN
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. NJD ($10,900): The Devils have given up 35.5 shots on net per game, which is second most in the NHL. Rielly has put 47 shots on goal, but he also has 13 assists in 19 games. He also has seen his power-play time pick up, and Rielly has notched seven points with the extra man. Rielly should have plenty of opportunities to put pucks on the net, which is a key element to fantasy success.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at MON ($8,500): The Canadiens have a 3.32 GAA, and that's with Carey Price and Al Montoya getting playing time. They are both hurt, which means third-stringer Charlie Lindgren will be starting. He's played well this year, but Lindgren is an unproven commodity who started the year in the AHL. Ekman-Larsson has started 51.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most of Arizona's regular defensemen, and he's tallied 11 points already despite the fact he has a 3.9 shooting percentage.
