NHL DFS Projections
DraftKings NHL projections for every skater and goalie on today's slate. Each number comes from ice time, per-60 scoring rates, the betting market and the player's line and power play unit. The board updates every 30 minutes.
NJD @ 
WSH
MIN @ 
BOS
PHI @ 
CBJ
OTT @ 
PIT
FLA @ 
STL
DET @ 
TBL
EDM @ 
TOR
COL @ 
MTL
BUF @ 
DAL
SJS @ 
UTA
CGY @ 
LAK
NYI @ 
ANA
665 more players on today's board
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How the NHL projections work
Each skater starts from projected ice time. We blend his last 5 and last 10 regular-season games with a decay-weighted sample of his last 82 games, then move it toward his line slot for tonight. Playoff games from a past season are left out of the ice-time windows.
Ice time multiplies per-60 rates for goals, assists, shots on goal and blocks. The goal rate is 75 percent actual goals and 25 percent shot-location expected goals (xG). Small samples are pulled toward the average for the player's position and ice-time tier.
The game environment comes from the betting market. We convert the moneyline and total into implied goals for each team. Team implied goals move goals and assists with a 0.6 exponent. A game with no betting line uses our NHL game sim instead. We also blend in player prop prices for shots on goal and points.
Skater math was refit on every skater game of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, with the closing betting lines as the game environment. A change went live only if it lowered the projection error in both seasons. Engine v1.6 rebuilt the goalie projection: the win chance comes from the betting market, and each goalie's save percentage from his last 60 starts is pulled toward the current league rate.
A 1,500 game simulation turns those rates into DraftKings points, including the 5+ shots, 3+ blocks, 3+ points and hat trick bonuses.
How to use floor, ceiling and value
Floor is the 15th percentile outcome and ceiling is the 88th percentile outcome. Hockey scoring is spiky, so the ceiling matters more in GPPs than in cash games.
Value is projected points per $1,000 of salary. Use it to find cheap skaters on top power play units.
Goalies only project when they are the expected starter. Check the Starting Goalies page before lock.
DraftKings NHL scoring
Skaters: goal 8.5, assist 5, shot on goal 1.5, blocked shot 1.3, short-handed point bonus 2, shootout goal 1.5, hat trick bonus 3, 5+ shots bonus 3, 3+ blocks bonus 3, 3+ points bonus 3.
Goalies: win 6, save 0.7, goal against minus 3.5, shutout bonus 4, overtime loss 2, 35+ saves bonus 3.
Classic lineups are 2 C, 3 W, 2 D, 1 G and 1 UTIL under a $50,000 cap, with players from at least 3 teams.
Frequently asked questions
How often do the NHL projections update?
Every 30 minutes on game days. Lines, starting goalies, injuries and betting odds refresh on their own schedules and feed each update.
Why does a player project for zero?
He is out, on injured reserve, missing from his team's projected lines, or he is a goalie who is not the expected starter.
Do the projections include DraftKings bonuses?
Yes. The simulation counts the 5+ shots, 3+ blocks, 3+ points, hat trick, shutout and 35+ saves bonuses.
Where do the lines come from?
Game-day lineups first, then Daily Faceoff line combinations and power play units. On game days the lines for that night's teams refresh every 20 minutes.
How are NHL goalies projected?
Only the expected starter projects. The win chance comes from the betting market, or from our NHL game sim when there is no line. Shots against come from the opponent's shot volume and the team's shots allowed. Saves use the goalie's own save percentage from his last 60 starts, pulled toward the current league rate. Goalie scoring is very noisy, so goalie projections sit in a narrow range.
Which engine version is live?
NHL Engine v1.5, live since October 3, 2026. The Model Weights page lists every input and the full changelog.