DFS Lines to Target: 10/31/19

It’s a quiet Halloween night in the NHL with only two games on the schedule. While it isn’t the typical heavy Thursday slate we are accustomed to, there is still plenty of value to be found. I’ve highlighted my my top high-priced, medium-priced, and value stacks to help you out. Best of luck!

High-Priced

Vegas 2 – Max Pacioretty ($6,600), Paul Stastny ($4,500), Mark Stone ($7,100)

The Golden Knights’ second line has carried the team’s offense this season and has a strong matchup facing a Montreal team that is playing on a back-to-back. All three players in this stack have been consistently good and play on on the power play. Stone is leading the way with seven goals and 16 points in 13 games this season, while Stastny has five goals and nine points. Pacioretty only has two goals, but he’s racked up 11 points. There’s certainly reason to believe he’ll pick up the goal-scoring soon. Pacioretty had seven shots on goal in his last outing against Anaheim and leads the entire team with 54 shots on goal this season. There should also be extra motivation for him facing his former team Thursday.

The Habs are in the middle of a three-game road trip and will be turning to their backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid in Vegas. The 30-year-old was a serviceable backup for the New Jersey Devils prior to being traded to Montreal, but he’s no Carey Price. Kinkaid had a .891 save percentage last season and has gotten off to a rocky start with the Habs. He’s given up nine goals in his two starts this season and is facing one of the NHL’s best trios in the Golden Knights’ second line (59 CF% together). Montreal also has the third-worst PK% in the NHL (71%), while Stastny, Stone and Pacioretty already have a combined nine goals with the man advantage this season. They should be able to produce at both even-strength and on the power play against a tired Montreal squad.

Medium-Priced

Nashville 2 – Filip Forsberg ($7,300), Matt Duchene ($5,500), Mikael Granlund ($4,100)

Nashville is expected to get a big boost with the projected return of Filip Forsberg against the Flames. The dynamic Swedish forward got off to another great start this season with five goals and eight points in six games before missing six contests with a lower-body injury. Forsberg is expected to slot on the second line with Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund. Forsberg and Duchene have been lethal together this season, posting a 58.3 CF% together in just over 70 minutes of ice time. Granlund hasn’t been nearly as productive, but he had seven shots on goal in his last game and is priced nicely tonight.

There’s always concern that a player will be rusty in his first game back, but there’s too much upside to not go with Forsberg tonight. He fired 27 shots on goal in his first six games and has torched the Flames throughout his career with seven goals in 15 career games against Calgary. The Predators second line has a fairly easy matchup going up against Calgary’s third line of Sam Bennett, Derek Ryan and Andrew Mangiapane. It also helps that the Predators are at home and playing some of their best hockey amidst a four-game winning streak. The Flames bring one of the NHL’s best penalty kill units into this game, but Forsberg and Duchene have done the majority of their damage at even-strength and should get on the board tonight.

Value Stack

Nashville 3 – Rocco Grimaldi ($3,400), Nick Bonino ($4,400), Craig Smith ($3,800)

Considering it’s such a light slate, finding value outside the top lines is tougher than usual. I like the upside of Nashville’s third line at home against the Flames. Bonino is coming off a natural hat trick performance against the Blackhawks, while Smith has a goal and three points in his last three games. Rocco Grimaldi brings blazing speed to the line and has had a great start to the season with a goal and seven points in nine games. Bonino and Smith are both known for being streaky scorers, and I like the odds of them staying hot at home against a Flames team that has dropped two straight.

This line has an impressive 66.7 CF% when together this season and should see a mix of Calgary’s first and second lines. This trio generated 16 shots on goal against Chicago and scored the majority of their goals by being relentless in the offensive zone, winning puck battles and going hard to the net. The Flames are allowing over 30 shots on goal per game this season and will be turning to David Rittich in the cage. The Flames’ netminder has had some rough outings this season en route to posting a .910 save percentage. The Preds have outscored their opponents 16-3 during this winning streak and should get some supporting scoring from this red-hot third line against a susceptible Flames team.