3 Daily Fantasy NHL Stacks for Thursday 4/7/22

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.

It's an interesting 10-game slate, with not many teams separating from the pack as clearly the best stacks. Let's see if we can parse through and identify which teams we'll like the most.

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are one of the most fun teams to stack in the NHL. When they hit, they tend to hit in a big way. That happened on Tuesday, and it definitely can happen again tonight.

The Predators have changed up their lines from what they have been for most of the season. It worked like a charm last game, especially on the first line. Ryan Johansen ($5,500) scored a hat trick, and Filip Forsberg ($8,500) had three assists. Philip Tomasino ($3,900) was on this line, as well, and also picked up three points.

It also gives us a solid value stacking option with Matt Duchene ($7,400) now on the second line with Mikael Granlund ($4,500) and Luke Kunin ($3,300). Granlund and Duchene still link up on the top power-play as well.

Whichever stack you play on Nashville, you're likely going to want Roman Josi ($7,700) in it. The star defenseman had another three-point night on Tuesday, bringing him up to a whopping 84 points on the season.

Nashville will play the Ottawa Senators tonight. Ottawa is in the bottom 10 in nearly all defensive metrics and continues to play without top defenseman Thomas Chabot. The Preds were able to beat them 4-1 just last Tuesday and should be able to do more damage in this one.

Nashville has a healthy implied team total of 3.34 goals, and they have explosive upside to blow away that total.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Every game involving the Toronto Maple Leafs has the potential for chaos. In their two games this week, we've seen 21 total goals scored. This creates great fantasy environments, and their first line tends to deliver in those games.

You can easily make the argument that Auston Matthews ($10,300) has been the top fantasy player this season. He's up to 54 goals on the year, four more than any other player. He showed his range on Tuesday, when he didn't score but picked up three assists. Mitchell Marner ($9,800) scored twice in that game and added two assists. Remarkably, that was his seventh-straight game with multiple points. This duo is close to unstoppable, which has helped Michael Bunting ($5,300) become fantasy relevant.

The Leafs are on the road to play the Dallas Stars. It's not the best matchup, but Dallas is right in the middle of the pack in terms of goals against per game, so they definitely can be beaten. With the way this first line has been playing, the odds of a team completely shutting the Leafs down are slim.

Toronto's implied team total is a solid 3.52 goals. It doesn't jump off the page like it would in an easier matchup, but they are still worth stacking.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes were a letdown to some fantasy players on Tuesday. They were one of the biggest favorites on the slate and lost 4-2. Today, they get an immediate chance to avenge that defeat.

The 'Canes had to shake things up a bit after that bad outing. Sebastian Aho ($7,900) and Andrei Svechnikov ($7,200) will be on the top line and power play together. They are Carolina's two leaders in goals and points, and them joining forces at even strength could form a dangerous duo. The other member of this line is Seth Jarvis ($4,100), who's a nice value piece to add to this stack.

The second line is also be a stack to use. Teuvo Teravainen ($6,700) is now playing on this line with Vincent Trocheck ($5,300) and Max Domi ($4,400). Teravainen and Trocheck are still on the first power-play and could combine on a few goals at their affordable salaries.

If you are stacking either of these lines, you should consider Tony DeAngelo ($6,100) on defense. DeAngelo is fourth on the team in points per game and will quarterback the top power-play unit.

Carolina is playing the second leg of a home-and-home series with the Buffalo Sabres. While they scored just two goals in the game on Tuesday, the Hurricanes created 3.33 expected goals and 20 high-danger chances. Now, back at home, they should be able to beat a Buffalo team that allows the ninth-most goals per game and is the seventh-worst on the penalty kill.

The Hurricanes' implied team total is all the way up at 4.16 goals, the highest on the slate. If they are able to exceed that lofty total, it's likely that one of the top two lines pays off nicely for those who roster them.

Others to Consider: Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets

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.