NHL Line Combinations and Power Play Stacks

Why stack NHL lines

Hockey points come in groups. A goal usually gives the scorer 8.5 DraftKings points and one or two linemates 5 points each for the assists.

That shared scoring makes linemates rise and fall together, so a full line has a much higher ceiling than three unrelated players with the same projections.

Even strength lines vs the power play

Even strength lines play together for most of the game. The first power play unit plays the most valuable minutes when the team has an extra skater.

PP1 often mixes forwards from different even strength lines and adds a defenseman. In GPPs a PP1 stack can beat the top even strength line, because it captures the players who share the power play goals.

Check the differs from F1 flag. It tells you when the power play unit and the top line are not the same players.

How the stack numbers work

We simulate each team 2,000 times at the goal level. Each goal goes to a line or a power play unit, then to a scorer and up to two assisting linemates.

Proj is the average combined score. Ceiling is the 90th percentile. Correlation lift is the ceiling minus what the same players would reach if they scored independently.

Frequently asked questions