This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
The NBA playoffs are nigh and the MLB season just started, but give me the NHL any day. There are nine NHL games Saturday night (plus a college hockey championship game between Denver and Minnesota State), and I have some recommendations to help you make your DFS decisions.
SLATE PREVIEW
Three teams are playing the second leg of a back-to-back. The Avalanche are on the road against the rested Oilers, though Darcy Kuemper and his .925 save percentage will be in net. Also, the Blues are Islanders are facing each other, which limits any potential advantage. If you want to look for favorable spots, four of the bottom five teams in GAA are playing.
GOALIES
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. OTT ($8,400): A Vezina favorite, Shesterkin has posted a 2.10 GAA and .935 save percentage. There has been some handwringing about his recent play, but he's still produced a 2.45/.918 over his last 12 starts and a .936 at home during that stretch. The Senators rank 26th in goals per game, so I'm not sweating it.
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. ARI ($7,900): This is the matchup that stands out above the rest. Arizona is the NHL's worst team, especially now due to trades and key injuries. The Coyotes seem locked into finishing last in goals (2.49) and shots on net (25.8) per game. At this point, I'd take any goalie at home against the Coyotes, and Lehner is better than "any goalie".
Carter Hart, PHI vs. ANA ($6,900): Hart has been slightly better at home with a 2.98 GAA and .908 save percentage. The Ducks have really done some waving of the white flag this season, having gone 1-7-2 in their last 10 matchups while dealing away as much talent as any team at the deadline. Anaheim has also averaged 2.74 goals and 29.6 shots on net, and even that overvalues the current talent level.
VALUE PLAYS
Tomas Hertl, SAN at VAN ($6,500): Hertl has racked up 58 points, but my focus is on the 15 from the power play and the 3:27 he's averaged with the extra man over 16 outings. That matters, because the Canucks carry the league's 30th-ranked penalty kill.
Mathew Barzal, NYI at STL ($6,300): Both teams are on back-to-backs, but they have different goaltending situations. Ville Husso started Friday, so Jordan Binnington will likely be in net Saturday and he's struggled to a 3.26 GAA and .899 save percentage. Barzal recently produced three straight games with two points and has 48 on the season.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Golden Knights vs. Coyotes: William Karlsson (C - $4,900), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $7,000), Michael Amadio (W - $3,900)
The Coyotes aren't just bad offensively. They also maintain a 3.59 GAA, the worst penalty kill in the NHL, and have allowed 35.4 shots on net a night. The Golden Knights are missing three of their top wingers right now, but this matchup is still great and there's enough talent left in Vegas.
Karlsson's 43-goal campaign is a distant memory, but he's registered four points in his last five games. He's also fired 22 shots on net in eight. Marchessault is the star of this line with 58 points and 227, with 19 coming with the extra man. Amadio hasn't done much this year, but he also wasn't this far up the lineup until injuries to Mark Stone and Reilly Smith and has also posted four points in eight outings.
Blue Jackets at Red Wings: Jack Roslovic (C - $3,700), Patrik Laine (W - $7,700), Jakub Voracek (W - $4,900)
The Red Wings have scuffled for months on the defensive end, leaving them with a 3.80 GAA. That's tied for the worst in the league. Columbus' top line features two players who tend to get favorable positioning. Roslovic has started 67.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone while Voracek is at 58.9, ranking first and second on the team among forwards. Laine and Voracek also find themselves on the top power-play unit.
Granted, Roslovic hasn't done a lot this season, but he's centering the top trio and gets the favorable starting ice. It helps that he's got Laine on his wing with the sniper producing 25 goals on 157 shots. Voracek has been really unlucky with a 4.0 shooting percentage, yet has still registered 46 assists and 21 power-play points. Detroit also enters with the 31st-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE
Zach Werenski, CLM at DET ($6,300): Let's stick to the Blue Jackets based on Detroit's defensive deficiencies as already noted. Werenski has recorded a point in eight of his last 11 games and has been peppering the net with 206 pucks on the year.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY at SEA ($5,600): Andersson has notched 43 points, including 12 in his last 16. He's also tallied 16 power-play points this season. The Kraken, meanwhile, come in with a 3.45 GAA and also have the 27th-ranked penalty kill.
Mark Giordano, TOR vs. MON ($5,200): Giordano is playing fewer minutes with the Leafs than when he was with the Kraken, but he has produced four points and 22 blocked shots in nine games in blue and white. On the flip side, the Canadiens have struggled with a 3.80 GAA.
