This is the latest injury to New Jersey's top-six forward group; the Devils have been without left wing Marcus Johansson (ankle) and right wing Kyle Palmieri (foot) for much of the season because of injuries. Palmieri (43 percent owned in Yahoo) practiced Wednesday and will travel to Montreal, but will not play Thursday.
Hischier (C, 33 percent owned) and Bratt (LW/RW, 21 percent) will be showcased even more at even strength and on the power play with Hall out of the lineup, but Butcher may see a dip in fantasy performance for as long as Hall is sidelined. New Jersey's top three point pairs involve Hall; Bratt-Hall has combined for nine team goals with each recording a point, the Hall-Hischier pair has also combined for nine and the Hall-Butcher pair has combined for seven.
Underrated forwards Brian Gibbons (C/LW/RW, 14 percent), who leads the Devils with 12 goals, and Brian Boyle (C/LW, 1 percent), who has five goals over his past nine games and plays on the first power-play unit, each gains fantasy value in all formats with the chance to play left wing on the top line for at least a few games in Hall's absence. If Hall misses an extended period of time, Pavel Zacha (C/LW, 2 percent) could gain a full-time spot in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for three straight games this month.
From a DFS standpoint, the shorthanded Devils will likely have a tough draw against elite goaltender Carey Price on Thursday. That said, Bratt ($4,100) and Hischier ($4,800) form a potential value line stack in DraftKings, and Boyle ($3,200) is an affordable center worth rostering given his power-play exposure to New Jersey's rookie trio and an elevated role at even strength. The Devils are tied for the most road wins in the NHL (10-4-2).
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