Here are the top sleeper picks for Thursday's eight-game NHL slate:
G Calvin Pickard, Avalanche (vs. Devils)
Pickard's season stats are pedestrian. He is 1-0-0 in five games played, with a .903 save percentage and 3.46 goals against average. He has stopped 93 of the 102 shots he has faced in 156 minutes between the pipes.
He hasn't yet faced this Devils team. Without C/W Patrik Elias and W Michael Cammalleri, the Devils top-six forward group is bereft of household names. W Kyle Palmieri leads Thursday's roster in points, with 31 in 44 games played. He has just one assist in his past five games.
D Connor Murphy, Coyotes (vs. Red Wings)
Murphy is coming off a game against the Edmonton Oilers in which he logged over 23 minutes for just the second time this season. He is playing his 5-on-5 minutes with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and he plays on the second power-play unit alongside Michael Stone.
He's gone without a point in his past three games, but he has still registered four shots on goal, and he's blocked four shots. The Red Wings are a great matchup for fantasy defensemen, and Murphy logs plenty of minutes with an elite partner while offering cap relief.
W Jayson Megna, Rangers (at Islanders)
Megna has two points in three games this season, with both of those points - a goal and an assist - coming in his first game. He has a total of six shots on goal since joining the Rangers, and he has surpassed 14 minutes in each of his past two games.
He plays the bulk of his 5-on-5 minutes with C Derek Stepan and W J.T. Miller. Those two have combined for two goals, one assist and 11 SOG in their past three games. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs have played in games averaging more unblocked shot attempts for-and-against at 5-on-5 over the past month than the Islanders.
A high-paced game will create opportunities for Megna even in somewhat limited minutes.
C/W Robby Fabbri, Blues (vs. Hurricanes)
Fabbri is yet to fully capitalize on his role with the Blues' top line. Alongside linemates C Jori Lehtera and W Vladimir Tarasenko, Fabbri has one goal, one assist and three SOG - with all of those shots coming in one game. The fact Fabbri has failed to register a single shot in each of his past two games can be partially blamed on Tarasenko's high shooting rate.
The Hurricanes are among the league's best at suppressing opponent shot attempts, but projected starter Eddie Lack and his .894 road save percentage still create hope for their opponents.
