This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's a light weekend of NHL action, but that's factoring in Friday featured two games and Sunday will have one. Saturday is loaded with 11 matchups starting at 7 p.m. EST or later. Now, onto the DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Three of the teams that played Friday are also taking the ice Saturday. Pittsburgh is at home for both games, though they maintain the highest GAA. Buffalo and Winnipeg are on the road. The Jets have been one of the best teams in the NHL, but Connor Hellebuyck started Friday.
GOALIES
Adin Hill, VGK at MON ($8,400): Vegas ranks top-five in goals per game and Montreal is bottom-five in GAA, so the odds of Hill getting a win seem favorable. While he's endured an up-and-down season, he's only allowed two goals in each of his last three starts. Though the Canadiens have averaged 2.84 goals, they've been lucky to score that often having only directed 24.5 shots on net.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. STL ($8,200): Both teams are bottom-10 in offense with the Isles registering 2.45 goals per outing and the Blues at 2.43. I'm leaning heavily in Sorokin's direction, and not just because he's at home. St. Louis has also only averaged 26.2 shots, so Sorokin shouldn't be too busy.
Mackenzie Blackwood, SAN vs. BUF ($7,000): Blackwood has posted a 2.40 GAA and .924 save percentage across his last seven starts. Buffalo may be average in goals, yet they're bottom-10 in shots. The Sabres are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, which is why I'd be willing to take a chance on Blackwood.
VALUE PLAYS
Brad Marchand, BOS at DET ($6,200): The Bruins have started the season slowly, the offense has struggled, and Jim Montgomery has been fired. Marchand can't really be blamed as he's tallied 14 points so far, with his five goals coming on 63 shots. He's also averaged 4:31 on the power play with six points there. The Red Wings sit bottom-five in both shots allowed and penalty-kill percentage, so hopefully Marchand's luck will turn around.
Ivan Barbashev, VGK at MON ($6,200): Skating next to Jack Eichel on the Golden Knights' first line, Barbashev has racked up 19 points in 20 games. After a few scoreless appearances, he picked up two assists during his last outing. The Canadiens list a 31st-ranked 3.68 GAA, so Barbashev is in line to contribute offensively and possibly get back to a point-per-game pace.
Logan Cooley, UTA at PIT ($5,500): I mentioned the Penguins have the highest GAA and also skated Friday. Cooley has 12 points, but that's with a 7.9 shooting percentage. As a rookie, he scored 20 goals with a 13.2 percentage. Alex Nedeljkovic should be in net for Pittsburgh with an .886 save percentage from 10 games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Hurricanes at Blue Jackets
Sebastian Aho (C - $6,400), Jack Roslovic (W - $5,700), Jordan Martinook (W - $5,400)
Though this trio is comprised of one established high-level scorer and a couple of players with spottier track records, the latter two are bolstered by their star center and have done reasonably well of late. Not only that, but the matchup is conducive to success as the Blue Jackets have struggled to a 3.58 GAA and that's while only allowing 28.7 shots per outing. While we have something of a sample size so far, Columbus gave up 34.4 shots last year.
In five of Aho's last six seasons, he's produced at least 30 goals and is currently at 17 points. That's with a 10.0 shooting percentage with a career mark of 15.1. Roslovic has absolutely been lucky, yet also has 11 goals on the campaign - including one in each of his last two matchups. In each of the last two years, Martinook has been good for double-digit goals and slightly over 30 points. Thanks to a run of 10 points from his last 11 games, he's already at 12 and now gets to skate with Aho.
Sharks vs. Sabres
Mikael Granlund (C – $7,200), Fabian Zetterlund (W - $5,800), William Eklund (W - $5,300)
Here's something that doesn't often get said: "I want to try and find a stack from the Sharks for Saturday". The Sabres are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, and the goaltending situation there is bleak enough they just signed James Reimer after he was waived by Anaheim. Reimer, a former Shark, has a .903 save percentage the last seven seasons. And San Jose's first line has actually been pretty good this year.
Granlund has been excellent with 24 points, and that's with a sustainable 13.2 shooting percentage. He also plays the point on the top man-advantage, while the Sabres' penalty kill could struggled on a second straight night. Zetterlund tallied 24 goals on 204 shots last season, and he's at seven goals and seven assists with 11 points over his last 14 outings. Eklund has accumulated 16 points, including six in seven.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi, NAS vs. WPG ($6,600): The Preds have been disappointing and the offense has been awful, yet Josi hasn't been affected with 14 points and 69 shots. That makes him the Nashville player I want against the Jets, who are on the second leg of a back-to-back. They'll also catch Eric Comrie in net, and he's only made 61 NHL appearances across nine seasons with a career .894 save percentage.
Mikhail Sergachev, UTA at PIT ($6,000): Utah brought in Sergachev from Tampa to be their No. 1 defenseman. He's gone on to average 25:37 with 3:16 of that on the power play, which has so far yielded 12 points. Sergachev now gets to face a porous Penguins side who just played on Friday and will start Nedeljkovic with his .886 save percentage.
Ryan Pulock, NYI vs. STL ($5,400): Pulock has notched seven points this season, all assists. None of his 33 shots have gone in, but he's fired at least three shots on target in three of his last five games. The Blues list a 3.38 GAA, and Jordan Binnington comes in with an .888 save percentage.
