This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Will the luck of the Irish be on your side for your daily fantasy lineup? If you follow these recommendations, perhaps it shall. Here are some players to target from Saturday evening's seven NHL games.
GOALIE
Curtis McElhinney, TOR vs. MON ($8,300):Frederik Andersen is banged up, and the Maple Leafs have no reason to rush him back, so let's operate under the assumption McElhinney is going to get his third start in a row Saturday. He has a 2.25 GAA and a .931 save percentage in limited action this season, which is encouraging. Plus, Toronto is 24-8-2 at home, while Montreal is 9-22-4 on the road.
CENTER
Brayden Schenn, STL vs. NYR ($6,100): Schenn's scoring has slowed a bit, but he still has 24 goals and 34 assists in 70 games, including 16 power-play points. Plus, even if Schenn has not been at his best recently, nobody has been struggling more than the Rangers. New York has a 3.57 GAA since the All-Star break, highest in the NHL, and has allowed 38.0 shots on net per contest. This could easily be the game where Schenn turns things around.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, CLM vs. OTT ($5,000): Dubois has started 66.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Blue Jackets. He's also found a little success on the power play, tallying 12 points in 71 games. The Senators have a 3.38 GAA and the 27th-ranked penalty kill, and they will be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back.
WING
James van Riemsdyk, TOR vs. MON ($6,100): Van Riemsdyk has been playing some great hockey recently, as he has five goals and an assist over his last two games. That gives JVR an under-the-radar 31 goals on 205 shots for the season. The Canadiens have a 3.54 GAA on the road, second highest in the NHL. Don't forget they are without Carey Price, leaving them with the tandem of Antti Niemi (3.25 GAA) and Charlie Lindgren (2.85 GAA) in goal.
Clayton Keller, ARI vs. MIN ($5,300): Keller has had an up-and-down season, but the highly touted 19-year-old is definitely on his game at the moment. Over his last eight contests he's tallied seven points, including three on the power play. The Wild have a 3.56 GAA in away games, highest in the NHL, and they are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back to boot.
Wayne Simmonds, PHI at CAR ($4,800): Simmonds has had something of an off year by his standards, but he still has 21 goals in 64 games. He also has averaged 3:29 per game on the power play and notched 11 goals and six assists with the extra man. Carolina has the 23rd-ranked penalty kill, so there is some promise there. Plus, the Hurricanes have a 3.07 GAA and a woeful .893 save percentage. No team is worse in the latter statistic.
DEFENSE
Torey Krug, BOS at TAM ($5,700): Krug has been a prolific shooter recently, tallying 44 shots on net in his last 12 contests. He also added three goals and eight assists in that time. While the Lightning have been one of the best teams in the league this season, things have not gone their way recently. Since the All-Star break they have a 3.48 GAA and have given up 35.1 shots on net per game.
Justin Faulk, CAR vs. PHI ($4,700): Faulk has seven points, all assists, in his last eight games. Four of those have come on the power play, giving him 18 points with the extra man in 70 contests. His power-play acumen should come in handy in this matchup, as the Flyers have the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
