This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
On the one hand, the Ducks and Blue Jackets are playing afternoon games Saturday, so they aren't included in the primary DFS contests. On the other hand, we still have 10 games that are included, so lineup options abound. Here are my recommendations for Saturday to help you get some DFS success.
SLATE PREVIEW
Two teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. However, one of those teams is the Islanders, and Semyon Varlamov has a 2.68 GAA and .916 save percentage. That matchup isn't terribly conducive to the Golden Knights as a result. The only team, though, is the Coyotes, and they are a nice matchup for the Sabres, even if the Coyotes are at home.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM at MON ($8,500): It's the day for elite Russian netminders rounding into form, which will be clearer if you look at the next goalie mentioned. Vasilevskiy has a 2.11 GAA and .930 save percentage over his last 10 starts. The Canadiens have been slightly better offensively than the Flyers, but still ranks 26th in goals per game.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at PHI ($8,200): Shesterkin won the Vezina last season, and he's looking like that guy again recently. Over his last 13 starts he has a 2.36 GAA and .922 save percentage. Interestingly, this year he has a 2.09 GAA and .930 save percentage on the road as well. The Flyers, meanwhile, have only managed 2.39 goals per game.
Craig Anderson, BUF at ARI ($7,900): Anderson has a .921 save percentage, which is incredible given that he is in his age-41 season. Can he sustain that? Probably not, but this matchup is worth targeting. The Coyotes are on the second leg of a back-to-back, as I noted, but it also ranks last in shots on net per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Brandon Hagel, TAM at MON ($5,100): I'm a big fan of the "other guy" on a line with two stars for DFS purposes. Hagel is on Tampa's top line alongside Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. He is also on a four-game point streak. The Canadiens are below average offensively, and also defensively. They have a 3.50 GAA and have given up 33.0 shots on net per game.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at PHI ($3,300): The Rangers have put their "kid line" back together, and of the three Lafreniere has the most upside, and also the best chance of regression toward the mean. He came into the season with a career 17.5 shooting percentage, but has an 8.5 shooting percentage this year. The one-time first-overall pick does have nine assists to go with his five goals as well. On the flip side, Carter Hart has a 3.20 GAA and .892 save percentage over his last 15 outings.
Nick Bonino, SAN at LOS ($3,000): Now playing on San Jose's second line, Bonino has a goal in each of his last four games. Weird! However, this matchup could easily make it five. Jonathan Quick has an .882 save percentage, and he's been so poor that Pheonix Copley has been getting starts, even though the 30-year-old has a career .900 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Sabres at Coyotes
Dylan Cozens (C - $6,000), Jack Quinn (W - $3,500), John-Jason Peterka (W -$3,300)
The Coyotes, as I noted, are on the second night of a back-to-back. This is a team that ranks 30th in shots on net allowed per game, and that's not good when you have sketchy goaltending. Connor Ingram will likely be in net for Arizona on Saturday. He has a career .870 save percentage. Buffalo has themselves a promising second line that can take advantage of this matchup.
If not for Tage Thompson's play, people would be giving Cozens way more love. He has been hot recently, with multiple points in five of his last eight games. Quinn has 17 points in 25 games. He's also averaged 2:01 per contest on the power play and has six points with the extra man. The Coyotes have been below average, but not bad, on the penalty kill, but these circumstances puts them on worse footing than usual. The rookie Peterka has picked up seven goals and eight assists in 30 games. Seven of his points have come in his last 12 outings.
Jets at Canucks
Mark Scheifele (C - $6,400), Blake Wheeler (W - $5,400), Cole Perfetti (W - $4,400)
Spencer Martin, stepping in for the injured Thatcher Demko, has a 3.40 GAA and .894 save percentage. That's partially why the Canucks have the 30th-ranked penalty kill. Only partially, though, because Vancouver ranked 32nd last season. Two of these guys are key cogs in Winnipeg's power play, and Perfetti gets a bit of time with the extra man as well.
Scheifele has potted 18 goals this season, including seven in his last eight games. Oddly, he only has eight assists, but he's had over 40 assists in each of his last four seasons. Things should pick up there. Wheeler has nine goals and 17 assists in 29 games, and he's shooting more these days than usual. Over his last nine contests he's put 33 shots on goal. Getting moved to the first line has worked out well for Perfetti. He has 10 points in his last 13 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Morrissey, WPG at VAN ($5,600): Morrissey has a seven-game point streak. He's averaged 3:30 per game on the power play and has 11 points with the extra man. As I noted, the Canucks have the 31st-ranked penalty kill.
Matt Benning, SAN at LOS ($3,700): Benning has given Erik Karlsson a respite in terms of carrying San Jose's offensive production from the blue line. He has nine points over his last 11 games. The Kings have a 3.64 GAA, but they also have arguably the worst goaltending situation in the NHL.
K'Andre Miller, NYR at PHI ($3,000): Miller has five points in his last five games, giving him 13 points this season. That's with a 2.2 shooting percentage, which is considerably below his career average. As I mentioned earlier, Hart has a 3.20 GAA and .892 save percentage over his last 15 starts.
