Here are the top sleeper picks for Thursday's seven-game slate:
C Erik Haula, Wild (vs. Flyers)
Thursday's worst-case scenario for Haula is that he plays a third-line role with Ws Jason Pominville and Jason Zucker. His best-case scenario would have him moving into the second-line role with Ws Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter if C Mikko Koivu (undisclosed) is ruled out after being sent to the hospital following Minnesota's previous game.
Haula would likely be in for some power-play time in this second instance. He has three goals and six points, but he has registered exactly two shots on goal in each of his past four games. He also hits and blocks shots, allowing him to return value at the minimum price even without any points.
W Andre Burakovsky, Capitals (at Islanders)
Burakovsky scored his fourth goal of the season Tuesday. His 16:56 of ice time was his second-highest total of the season, and his highest tally since the second game of 2015-16. He has been moved to the Capitals' second line with C Evgeny Kuznetsov and W Justin Williams, giving him an opportunity for offensive success.
The Islanders have allowed five goals in each of their past two games. No team has allowed more shots on goal per game since Dec. 15 and they lead the league in Corsi Events for-and-against in that same span, per WarOnIce.com. They play high-event games, creating even more opportunity for Burakovsky to find the scoresheet.
D Fredrik Claesson, Senators (vs. Panthers)
Claesson has been paired with Senators' All-Star D Erik Karlsson at five-on-five, and he's seen his minutes increase to 20.5 from a mere 12.2 in his Dec. 30 debut. He's yet to register a point, but he tallied two shots on goal, two blocked shots and two hits in his third and most recent game.
He's not yet receiving power-play time, but it can be a power-play style situation whenever he's sharing the ice with Karlsson.
G James Reimer, Maple Leafs (at Kings)
Reimer (groin) has said he's set to return Thursday and though an official ruling on the Maple Leafs' starter hasn't been made, it won't be Jonathan Bernier starting a second consecutive game. Reimer has played just a single period since originally suffering the injury Dec. 3.
It's a tough spot for Reimer to shake off the rust with his teammates on the second half of a back-to-back and going up against a very good Kings team. He owned a save percentage of .936 and a goals-against average of 1.96 prior to his injury. He comes with risk but also upside with the Kings averaging a league-leading 31.3 SOG per 60 minutes of five-on-five play.
