DFS Lines to Target: 10/24/19

It’s another busy Thursday night in the NHL with 10 games on tap. It’s a clash of NHL superstars when Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals travel to Edmonton to face Connor McDavid and the Oilers. Elsewhere around the league, the Flyers look to continue the momentum in Chicago, while the Canadiens look to keep the offense rolling against a struggling San Jose team. There are several quality options tonight, so I’ve highlighted my my top high-priced, medium-priced, and value stacks to help you narrow it down. Best of luck!

High-Priced

St Louis 1 – Jaden Schwartz ($4,800), Brayden Schenn ($7,000), Vladimir Tarasenko ($7,600)

The Blues top line has been carrying the team’s offense this season and should be in for a productive night against a Kings team allowing 3.78 goals per game. Brayden Schenn is having a very strong start with six goals and nine points in nine games, while Vladimir Tarasenko has 10 points. Jaden Schwartz is also consistently getting on the scoresheet with a goal and seven points on the year. All three of these players are averaging over 17 minutes of ice time per game and are members of the Blues’ top power-play unit.

This line does lots of damage on the power play, but they’re also efficient at even-strength with a 53.7 CF% through nine games. They don’t have too hard of a matchup going up against the Kings’ second line of Tyler Toffoli, Blake Lizotte and Jeff Carter. Tarasenko has torched the Kings throughout his career with 10 goals and 19 points in 20 contests vs LA. Jonathan Quick has improved his play in the last two games, but he still owns a lacklustre .847 save percentage on the season and is going to have his hands full with the Blues’ hot first line.

Medium-Priced

Philadelphia 1 – James van Riemsdyk ($5,600), Claude Giroux ($6,100), Jakub Voracek ($5,200)

The Flyers top line has gotten off to a slow start this season, but there are signs that things are about to pick up. While JVR has been held pointless through seven games, he’s been been firing on all cylinders lately with 27 shots on goal over his last four games. He’s going to be rewarded very soon. Claude Giroux has three points in his last three outings and Voracek has four points in that same span. Giroux has typically performed very well against Chicago with 23 points in 17 career games against the Blackhawks.

Chicago is allowing over 30 shots per game and are also among the bottom-10 in penalty killing percentage (73%). The Flyers are one of the NHL’s best power-play teams with a 27.6 PP%. All three players in this stack are currently playing on the first man advantage unit. The Flyers bounced back from a four-game losing streak with a big 6-2 win at home over the Golden Knights on Monday and have had three days rest to prepare for Chicago. They should carry the momentum into the United Center with the top line leading the charge.

Value Stack

Montreal 2 – Jonathan Drouin ($5,100), Max Domi ($5,900), Joel Armia ($4,700)

Montreal’s second line is priced nicely tonight at home against a San Jose team trying to avoid a third straight loss. Max Domi is currently on a six-game point streak with two goals and five assists in that span, while Drouin has three goals and eight points in nine games on the season. Joel Armia is expected to be back in the lineup tonight after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury. While Armia doesn’t have the raw talent of the other two forwards, he’s an important member of the team’s power play and has already potted two goals with the man advantage this season.

The San Jose Sharks are struggling to keep the puck out of their net and I don’t see that improving against a top-five offensive team in Montreal. Aaron Dell in getting the start in goal for the Sharks and he’s given up seven goals in his only two starts this season. This is a new-look second line for Montreal this season, but Domi and Drouin played together lots last season and had a 51% CF together at 5v5. Both players have tremendous speed and skill and should mesh well together along with a finisher in Armia. The speed and skill of sabres’ forwards Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Casey Mittelstadt gave the Sharks all sorts of problems in their recent home-and-home with Buffalo, and that’s exactly what this Montreal line brings to the table.