It's 2026, and the holiday season is basically over. Saturday is full of NHL games with seven of them on the FanDuel slate beginning at 7 p.m. EST. Here are my DFS lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Two teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, though the goaltending situations are quite different. Minnesota is visiting LA and Jesper Wallstedt will be starting. Vancouver will be at home against Boston, but it's stuck starting Kevin Lankinen. Also pay attention to the Avs as they're traveling to Carolina for the first of consecutive days with Mackenzie Blackwood now on injured reserve. So instead of an incredible duo of Scott Wedgewood and Blackwood, it's currently Wedgewood and Trent Miner.
GOALIES
Logan Thompson, WAS vs. CHI ($8,200): Thompson has recently produced some subpar starts, yet still has a .913 save percentage after a .910 last season. The Blackhawks have averaged 2.78 goals and 25.0 shots, but don't forget both Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are banged up.
Jesper Wallstedt, MIN at LOS ($7,300): I'm willing to recommend starting a goalie on the road behind a team on the second leg of a back-to-back. Part of that is how well Wallstedt has performed with a 2.21 GAA and .928 save percentage through 16 appearances. He's also stepping into a favorable Saturday matchup as the Kings have only managed 2.59 goals per game - the lowest of any team on the slate.
VALUE PLAYS
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. TOR ($6,000): On the one hand, Barzal only has one point in his last five outings. On the other hand, he went off for 11 in the previous nine. Toronto has allowed a league-high 31.5 shots a night. Joseph Woll has posted a .900 save percentage from his last six appearances coupled with a 3.15 GAA.
Elias Lindholm, BOS at VAN ($5,900): After a mini-scoring slump, Lindholm got back on the scoresheet Wednesday with a goal and assist. He's also notched 13 power-play points on the year. The Canucks maintain a bottom-five penalty kill and are on the second day of a back-to-back while Kevin Lankinen - and not Thatcher Demko - will be in goal.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Jets at Senators
Mark Scheifele (C - $7,300), Kyle Connor (W - $7,400), Gabriel Vilardi (W - $6,300)
These three make up Winnipeg's top line and also skate on the lead man-advantage. That last part is enticing as Ottawa is battling it out with Seattle to avoid having the league's worst penalty kill.
Scheifele found out he didn't make the Canadian Olympic roster and then went out Thursday and scored two goals on eight shots with an assist. That gives him 48 points overall, including nine with the extra man. Connor is again on pace to exceed 30 points, 50 assists, and 250 shots. He's also recorded 18 points and 58 pucks on net during his last 16 matchups. For the third consecutive season, Vilardi has tallied double-digit PPPs. He's slightly overshadowed by his linemates, yet can still boast 66 goals and 66 assists in 157 games since joining the Jets.
Capitals vs. Blackhawks
Justin Sourdif (C - $4,000), Tom Wilson (W - $6,600), Connor McMichael (W - $4,800)
That Jets trio is impressive and the matchup is great, though the salary outlay is hefty. As such, I wanted to give you a second option that's easier to work around. The Blackhawks have allowed 30.0 shots per game. Spencer Knight was able to stem the tide earlier on, but that hasn't been the case for a while based on his .892 save percentage from his last 15 outings. And yet, he remains a significant step-up from Arvid Soderblom, whose career mark is .887. Since this is the first night of a back-to-back, either could start Saturday.
I can't argue that Sourdif has been consistent in his production getting his first real taste of NHL action. What I can note is that he's registered two points in each of his last two games and three multipoint efforts across his last eight. Wilson celebrated being named to Team Canada with two goals, an assist, and a fight on Wednesday. He's also delivered at least two points three times through his last eight outings, which just happened to come over his last three. McMichael is at five goals and 16 assists after 26 and 31 last season with a 6.5 shooting percentage that should improve.
DEFENSEMEN
Jakob Chychrun, WAS vs. CHI ($7,000): Chychrun had 20 goals on 179 shots with 27 assists last year. He's built upon that by racking up 15 goals and 16 assists to go with 140 shots that puts him on peak-Brent Burns pace. And as noted, the Blackhawks have allowed 30.0 shots per game.
Hampus Lindholm, BOS at VAN ($4,700): Lindholm picked up a goal and assist on Wednesday alongside five shots. He's now managed at least three pucks on target during five of his last nine appearances. The Canucks sit bottom-eight in shots allowed and will be playing their second game in as many days. Kevin Lankinen is in line to start with an .897 save percentage since joining the Canucks last season.
