Just as everybody expected. The Islanders have won ten in a row. Tampa Bay is under .500. The Oilers are rolling. The Canucks are dominating on the defensive end. The Sharks are sitting dead last in the West in points per games played. This is why they play the games. Let’s dig into another busy Thursday night in the NHL.
Check out today’s Breakaway NHL contest from FanDuel 
Center
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (OTT): $4,400 vs LA
I don’t mean to pick on the LA Kings, I really don’t. They have allowed a whopping 4.00 goals per game thus far this season. At this rate, anyone playing the Kings is worth taking a shot on. Pageau is occupying the top center spot in Ottawa alongside Brady Tkachuk and Anthony Duclair. He has scored three times in his past two games, with three shots in each game as well. I like Pageau to keep things going tonight at home, as LA makes their way through Canada.
Wing
Joel Farabee (PHI): $3,600 vs MTL
The 19-year-old American finds himself on the top line alongside Claude Giroux and James Van Riemsdyk. He is also slotted on the top power-play unit. Farabee has recorded two goals in his last three games and fired 10 shots over that span as well. Montreal is trending as the second-worst penalty-killing team in the league, while Philadelphia boasts a top-five power-play percentage themselves.
Jakub Vrana (WSH): $5,800 @ FLA
Vrana is simply red hot. He has recorded five goals, four assists, for nine points in his last five games. Over that time span, he has also fired 19 shots. He is playing alongside Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson, as well as playing with the second power-play unit. Florida has not been great keeping pucks out of their net, allowing 3.43 per game, which is good for eighth-worst in the league.
Martin Necas (CAR): $3,600 vs NYR
Martin Necas is a 20-year-old Czech that was selected 12th overall by Carolina in 2017. With eight career games under his belt coming into this season, this is really his rookie year. He is skating on the third line with Ryan Dzingel and Lucas Wallmark. More importantly, he is getting top power play time. Necas has a three-game point streak going and will look to continue that against a fluttering Rangers team playing on a back to back. The Rangers are surrendering the second-most shots and fifth-most goals per game in the league right now, so this should be a good spot for Necas to stay hot.
Defense
Nate Schmidt (VGK): $4,400 @ CBJ
I am going back to the well on Nate Schmidt. Schmidt made his return from a month-long injury last Thursday. He immediately found himself playing over 20 minutes a night and running the Golden Knights top power-play unit, which is currently the sixth most efficient in the league. The Maple Leafs penalty kill is currently 26th in the league in efficiency, surrendering a goal on 24.6% of power plays. I like Schmidt to get on the score sheet in Toronto.
Goalie
Jacob Markstrom (VAN): $7,600 @ CHI
Markstrom has not lost a game in regulation in over a month. This season he boasts a 2.45 GAA and a .918 sv%. Quinn Hughes and the revamped Canucks defense look like they are ready to turn things around in Vancouver. Last season, the Canucks were 14th in goals against per game with 3.02. This year they find themselves surrendering the fourth-fewest goals per game in the league, with 2.33. Tonight they will visit the Blackhawks who have been faltering of late, losing six of their last eight games. Markstrom is currently unconfirmed to start, so keep your eyes out. If it were Thatcher Demko, I would play him as well.
Check out today’s One-Timer contest from FanDuel
Chris Genova is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Chris, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyOneTimer.
