This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's a fine Saturday night of NHL action. Whether you are watching hockey or hoops of the college variety, you can still have NHL DFS lineups in the mix gunning for victory in FanDuel contests. There are seven games on the schedule starting at 7 p.m. ET or later. These are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Friday was a light night, so just one team is on the second leg of a back-to-back. That would be the Hurricanes, who are visiting the Bruins. However, Carolina is excellent defensively, Frederik Andersen is in line to start, and Boston is in a tailspin. I'm not inclined to roster Canes and Bruins, all things considered.
GOALIES
Joey Daccord, SEA at SAN ($7,900): Daccord had been in a Bruins-esque tailspin of his own, but he just blanked the Canucks, a much-needed show of quality from the netminder. That's just one start, I grant you, but that's enough for me heading into this matchup. The Sharks have averaged 2.57 goals per game, 31st in the NHL. Also, they rank last in GAA, increasing Daccord's odds of earning a win.
Sam Montembeault, MON vs. PHI ($7,700): The Canadiens are, surprisingly, in the hunt for a playoff spot. That's the sort of thing that can give a team clarity and a sense of purpose, two things the Flyers lack at present. All they have is the relief of not having John Tortorella around any longer. I would not say Montembeault has been good this year, but at home he has a 2.67 GAA and .907 save percentage. Those are numbers that I can work with in the right matchup, and the Flyers have averaged 2.79 goals and 27.0 shots on net per game.
VALUE PLAYS
Valeri Nichushkin, COL at STL ($6,700): This is a little tricky because the return of Martin Necas or Jonathan Drouin (or both) will alter the allotment of power-play time. Nichushkin has 31 points in 39 games, but he's averaged 2:58 minutes per contest with the extra man and tallied seven power-play points. This is where my focus is because, for as hot as the Blues have been, they still have a bottom-five penalty kill on the season.
Kaapo Kakko, SEA at SAN ($5,300): Credit where it is due, Kakko has made something from his change of scenery. It wasn't working out with the Rangers, but in 43 games with the Kraken he has 10 goals and 17 assists. Now, he has a matchup with a Sharks team that has a 3.73 GAA, comfortably highest in the NHL.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets
John Tavares (C - $8,200), William Nylander (W - $8,200), Bobby McMann (W - $5,300)
I know fitting Tavares and Nylander onto your DFS roster means sacrifices elsewhere, salary wise, but there are times such a decision is worth it. The Blue Jackets are in the bottom 10 in GAA, shots on net allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage. Tavares and Nylander are staples of Toronto's top power-play unit, which helps make this stack more palatable regardless of your salary outlay.
It also helps that Tavares has been on fire. He has 21 points in 16 games since the start of March, getting him up to 70 points on the season. Don't forget he missed some time, so that's in only 68 games. For the third season in a row, Nylander has hit the 40-goal mark. He also remains an elite producer on the power play, having tallied 30 points with the extra man. McMann is not on the level of his linemates, but don't think he is merely along for the ride. He has 20 goals himself, and he's put 29 shots on net over his last nine games.
Lightning at Sabres
Anthony Cirelli (C - $6,000), Brandon Hagel (W - $7,500), Nick Paul (W - $5,200)
I didn't feel like I could get away with suggesting you stack Tampa's incredible top line after suggesting Toronto's robust second line. So, instead, today's recommendations feature two of the best second lines in the league. Also, two favorable matchups. The Sabres, having dealt away talent at the deadline and playing out the string once again, have a 3.54 GAA. They will finish in the bottom four on that front. Tampa has plenty to play for, and this line will be looking to play its part in the quest for another Cup.
Once vaunted for his defensive play first and foremost, Cirelli has had his best offensive season of his career. Maybe that'll get him his first Selke trophy even if it shouldn't play a role! As to his numbers, the center has 26 goals and 53 points, both already personal highs. Hagel is a top-level offensive player on a team that just happens to have four such players. He has at least one point in 10 of his last 12 outings, and he's now up to 34 goals and 48 assists. With his second 20-goal season in a row, Paul has provided fine complementary scoring. Interestingly, in five of his last 10 games he's put exactly four shots on target.
DEFENSEMEN
Lane Hutson, MON vs. PHI ($6,000): There is a lot of fretting over what Hutson's ceiling is as an NHLer, which is fair given his status as a diminutive defenseman. However, my focus here is on DFS, so I will keep my eye on the stat sheets and let others sweat the Brady Tkachuks of the world working him over. As a rookie, Hutson has 62 points in 75 games, including two three-point outings in his last three contests. The Flyers have a 3.42 GAA, and their top goalie, Samuel Ersson, has a career .887 save percentage.
Adam Larsson, SEA at SAN ($4,800): I will admit to not intuitively turning to Larsson for this recommendation. Sure, I wanted a Kraken defenseman, what with the Sharks being last in GAA and 31st in shots on net allowed per game. So, I figured I'd see what the guys other than Brandon Montour and Vince Dunn have been up to. Well, over his last eight games Larsson has seven points and 18 shots on net. Skating with Dunn as the top pair he's averaged 21:15 per contest in ice time this season. That offers up a lot of opportunity against the woeful San Jose defense.
