This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Will the eight NHL games Saturday night get crazy? Perhaps, but all we can do is look at the matchups and the players and then pick DFS lineups. First pucks drop at 7 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations from the 16 teams in action Saturday evening.
SLATE PREVIEW
Only one team is on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Devils, who are in the bottom five in GAA and don't have much in net (I am not a Nico Daws believer at this point). There are a few teams on the first leg of a back-to-back, but those only matter in situations where the backup goalie is decidedly worse than the top guy. If one of those backups gets the nod, that would change things, but I have no indication of that happening for any team at present.
GOALIES
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. WAS ($8,200): It may feel dicey to run it back with Binnington given that he was handled thoroughly by these same Capitals in his last start. However, that one was on the road. This game is in St. Louis, and Binnington has a .912 save percentage in home games, compared to an .895 save percentage in away games. Washington has averaged 2.40 goals and 27.4 shots on net per contest, so this remains a top matchup to target. One start for Binnington doesn't change that.
John Gibson, ANA at SAN ($7,500): This is purely a matchup-based recommendation. Somehow, though 45 games, the Sharks have averaged a mere 1.98 goals and 25.7 shots on net per contest. It's like San Jose is playing at the heyday of the neutral-zone trap! If you care more about who a goalie is facing than how a goalie has played, Gibson is the one to go with.
Tristan Jarry, PIT at VGK ($7,300): Coming off a shutout, Jarry now has a 2.48 GAA and .916 save percentage. Both of these teams have actually been middling offensively, with Vegas having averaged 3.13 goals per game. Pertinently, though, the Golden Knights are currently without Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, and Jack Eichel.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at LOS ($4,600): Playing on the Rangers' high-quality second line, Lafreniere has 26 points and 115 shots on net through 44 games, and he's done that while not being part of the power play. The Kings have the top-ranked penalty kill, so that's notable, but Cam Talbot has been on a slide. Over his last 12 starts, Talbot has a 3.24 GAA and .893 save percentage.
Warren Foegele, EDM at CGY ($4,300): Foegele has been skating next to Leon Draisaitl recently, and he's been part of the Oilers' torrid run of play. He's notched 13 points over his last 13 outings, but also 42 shots on net. The 27-year-old still has an 8.7 shooting percentage on the season as well, so improvement on that front is readily attainable. Jacob Markstrom has missed the last two games for the Flames, and if he's out again, Dan Vladar has a career .895 save percentage.
Jake DeBrusk, BOS vs. MON ($3,800): DeBrusk has been on one of his scoring jags, tallying six goals and five assists over his last 12 games. That includes six points with the extra man. The Canadiens are in the bottom five on the penalty kill, so DeBrusk's run of power-play success could help keep him hot.
FORWARD LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Stars at Devils
Matt Duchene (C - $5,500), Tyler Seguin (W - $4,600), Mason Marchment (W - $4,400)
The Stars have shifted their lineup around a bit recently, but they did not dare to touch their second line, one of the most-pleasant surprises of the 2023-24 season. This trio has excelled, whereas the Devils are in the bottom five in GAA.
Bringing in Duchene from Nashville was perhaps the move of the offseason in the NHL. He's tallied 40 points in 43 games, and his 14.9 shooting percentage is entirely sustainable. Seguin has potted seven goals over his last 10 contests. That gives him 17 goals on the season to go with 17 assists. Marchment's first year with the Stars was a little tough, but he posted an 8.1 shooting percentage. This year, his shooting has picked up, and his 14 goals and 33 points have already topped him numbers from last season.
Ducks at Sharks
Adam Henrique (C - $4,700), Frank Vatrano (W - $6,600), Ryan Strome
Congratulations are in order: San Jose is under a 4.00 GAA. Yes, the Sharks now boast a sparkling 3.98 GAA to go with having allowed 35.4 shots on net per contest and a penalty kill fighting the Wild for last in the NHL. The Ducks haven't made much of a splash this year aside from the Cutter Gauthier trade, but this line is worth stacking at the moment.
Henrique has consistently been good for 40-to-50 points in a season, which is vital secondary scoring but does not wow fantasy-minded folks. Clearly, though, he's a quality second-line center, and he has five points over his last six games. Vatrano has potted seven goals over his last 12 games, giving him 21 on the season. Additionally, eight of those 21 goals have come on the power play. Strome has 23 points in 41 games. That's with a 6.8 shooting percentage that absolutely should improve. You know what may help? Facing the NHL's worst defense.
DEFENSEMEN
Adam Fox, NYR at LOS ($5,400): No other Rangers defenseman has been producing as of late, but Fox remains one of the top point producers from the blue line. He has 30 points this year, but that's in only 34 games. Fox also has seven points in his last 10 contests. With Talbot's struggles (.893 save percentage over his last 12 starts), the Kings aren't the formidable matchup they used to be.
Mario Ferraro, SAN vs. ANA ($4,700): Ferraro, a 25-year-old defenseman who has been playing for the Sharks for half a decade already, is now a first-pair defenseman for a team, shall we say, lacking in other options. He's averaged 22:51 per game in ice time and three times in his last 12 outings he's picked up multiple assists. Yes, the Sharks are so bad offensively I'd roster Gibson, but the Ducks do still have a 3.41 GAA. Also, Ferraro has blocked 131 shots in 45 games. He's had a lot of opportunities for blocks on this team.
Jackson LaCombe, ANA at SAN ($2,700): Pavel Mintyukov is hurt and Jamie Drysdale is a Flyer, so LaCombe is now the young defenseman getting a shot for the Ducks. Over his last four games the 22-year-old from Minnesota has averaged 20:37 per game in ice time, including 2:44 on the power play. San Jose's woeful defense and lackluster penalty kill give LaCombe more upside than he's had arguably all season.
