Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: Best NHL DFS DraftKings Lineup for April 2

With the NHL playoff picture becoming clearer and clearer each day, Thursday is going to be a very important night in the hockey world.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings are currently sitting on the outside looking in, and they will need a victory paired with a Calgary Flames loss to gain some ground in the standings. 

In addition to that, the Boston Bruins are looking to add two more points, and they will also hope that the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators lose in order to inch closer to locking up a playoff spot.

There are a total of nine games on the schedule, and there are a lot of good players who can help out your daily fantasy team.

Finding the right matchups will be key, because you will only have $50,000 to fill out your roster. With the playoffs coming up, top stars are likely to see less ice time, because an injury in a meaningless regular-season game would be catastrophic. With that in mind, here is your best NHL DFS DraftKings lineup for April 2.

POS	PLAYER	OPP	FPPG	SALARY	Key Stat
C	Brandon Pirri	Car@Fla	2.5	$5,100	Eight goals in last 10 GP
C	Kyle Turris	TB@Ott	3.3	$5,200	10 points in last 10 GP
W	Nick Foligno	NYI@Cls	3.7	$5,200	Two goals in two games vs. NYI this season
W	Johnny Gaudreau	Cgy@StL	3.1	$4,900	10 points in last 10 GP
W	Mats Zuccarello	NYR@Min	2.8	$5,100	Three points vs Wild this season.
D	Alexander Edler	Van@Chi	2.8	$4,500	Four power play points in last 10 GP
D	Erik Karlsson	TB@Ott	4.2	$8,300	Three points vs. TBL this season
G	Petr Mrazek	Bos@Det	4.4	$7,400	1.95 GAA over last 10 GP
UTIL	Evgeny Kuznetsov	Was@Mon	1.9	$3,800	Nine points in last 10 GP

Centers: Brandon Pirri, $5,100 | Kyle Turris, $5,200

Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images

Brandon Pirri of the Florida Panthers is having a "Cy Young" kind of season because of his goals-to-assists ratio. The Panthers sniper has 21 goals in only 44 games, and he's heating up as the Cats make a final push for a playoff spot.

Pirri has averaged 4.3 fantasy points over the last 10 games, and that includes eight goals. Florida will take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, against whom Pirri has two points in two games as well as a 4.8 fantasy-points-per-game average.

Jana Chytilova/Getty Images

Kyle Turris is another young pivot who is playing his best hockey as his team makes a final push toward the playoffs. The Senators are within striking distance of the Bruins, and Turris will look to continue his dominance over the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Turris has tallied a goal and three assists during the three meetings vs. Tampa Bay this season, and he's also averaged 4.6 fantasy points per game.

Wingers: Nick Foligno, $5,200 | Mats Zuccarello, $5,100 | Johnny Gaudreau $4,900

Time Period	Record
Last 10 GP	3-6-1
Since All-Star Break	14-13-4

The New York Islanders are a team that has been on the ropes since the All-Star break, and All-Star Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno is a player whom you want on your team. For the value price of $5,200, Foligno will bring consistency to your lineup.

He's tallied eight points in his last 10 games, but his head-to-head success vs. the Islanders this season is why he will give you the most bang for your buck.

Time Period	Goals	Assists	Points	GP
This Season	2	0	2	2
Career	7	6	3	22

The New York Rangers made the wise decision to re-sign Mats Zuccarello before the trade deadline, and their faith in him has paid off. "The Hobbit" has been one of the Blueshirts' best players of late, and in his last 10 games, he has scored three goals and tallied eight points.

Earlier this season, he played a crucial role vs. the Minnesota Wild, tallying a goal, two assists and nine fantasy points during the Rangers' exciting comeback win.

"

New @FlamesNation: http://t.co/IlJDJbgIZG Oddsmakers: Johnny Gaudreau now favoured to win the Calder Trophy pic.twitter.com/6EFG4d5YSt

— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) April 1, 2015"

"Johnny Hockey" is a leading contender for the NHL's Calder Trophy for top rookie, and it is hard to ignore him and his $4,900 price tag. The budding star-winger has 10 points in his last 10 games and a 3.8 fantasy-points-per-game average.

The Calgary Flames have been playing desperate hockey lately, and they should have an edge against a St. Louis Blues squad that may be without a number of top players on Thursday.

Defensemen: Erik Karlsson $8,300 | Alexander Edler, $4,500

Erik Karlsson has been one of the NHL's top defenders this season, and he is playing some of his best hockey while the Senators are in the midst of an intense playoff race. He is by far one of the league's top offensive defenders but has been wrongly criticized for his defensive play.

The fact that Karlsson is simply a one-dimensional player is a misnomer, and there is data to prove that he does a lot of things right.

The Swedish sensation has nine points in his last 10 games, and he's averaged 4.5 fantasy points per game while playing 28 minutes a night. Karlsson is a true workhorse for the Senators, and he will look to improve upon his already impressive head-to-head stats vs. Tampa Bay this season.

Norm Hall/Getty Images

With just 23 points, Alexander Edler has had a down season by his standards, since he has averaged about 37 points a year, but he's put himself in a position to end the regular season on a high note.

The Vancouver Canucks' blueliner has six points in his last 10 games, and he's averaged 3.5 fantasy points per game. He will bring some solid value at $4,500, and saving money at this position will allow you to allocate cap space for other areas of your team.

Goalie: Petr Mrazek, $7,400

Dave Reginek/Getty Images

Petr Mrazek has become the Detroit Red Wings' starter for now, and he's played very well over his last nine starts. The 23-year-old netminder will make his fourth consecutive start on Thursday, and he's 5-3-1 with a 1.95 goals-against average and .933 save percentage during that span. It is very surprising that he'll cost a mere $7,400 against the cap, so take advantage of this amazing value while you can.

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DraftKings stats and details per its official site. Outside statistics via Hockey-Reference, ESPN and NHL.com.