Ready for a busy Saturday of NHL hockey? Of course you are! It's business as usual with 10 games on the slate for DFS purposes. The first pucks drop at 7 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations. Good luck!
SLATE PREVIEW
We have three teams on the second leg of a back-to-back, and all of them face favorable matchups. The struggling Sharks are at home and will be going up against the Penguins, another of the NHL's likely lowest-tier teams. Meanwhile, the Wild visit the Flyers and the Lightning travel to play the Blue Jackets. Were Andrei Vasilevskiy in line to start for Tampa, I'd consider him. In this case, I have a line stack to discuss below.
GOALIES
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. NAS ($7,900): Bold to recommend the reigning Vezina and Hart winner, but sometimes it's worth noting the best goalies with the highest salaries are still decent DFS selections. Hellebuyck's first start went poorly, but he's since posted a 2.00 GAA and .918 save percentage. Nashville has averaged 2.60 goals since the start of last season, which puts them 31st overall.
Anthony Stolarz, TOR vs. SEA ($7,700): As long as Stolarz avoids the Red Wings, he's apparently just fine. His two outings against Detroit were dicey, yet he's only allowed three goals on 60 shots during the other two. Given that Stolarz recorded a .926 save percentage the previous two campaigns, I think he'll be fine. I'm also skeptical about Seattle's start as they've been below-average offensively since the beginning of last year.
Jet Greaves, CLM vs. TAM ($7,400): Is Jet Greaves the real deal? He gets a lot of love, and he's kind of been earning it? While Greaves has only made 13 appearances the last two seasons, he has a .937 save percentage. If he's a good goalie, that's a total game changer for the Blue Jackets. I'd be willing to see just how legit Greaves could be versus a Lightning squad on the road for the second day of a back-to-back.
VALUE PLAYS
Mika Zibanejad, NYR at MON ($6,000): In terms of forwards bound to turn it around, Zibanejad is high on that list. His only point this season is a goal, yet he's struggled to a 4.2 shooting percentage. Zibanejad has also tallied 24 shots while averaging 20-plus minutes. I feel like some people think of Sam Montembeault of a young goalie on the rise, but he's 28 and has never finished a season with a save percentage higher than .903.
Tyson Foerster, PHI vs. MIN ($4,700): Foerster isn't as discussed as other Flyers, yet he's notched at least 20 goals in each of the last two campaigns. He's also registered a point from three of four games with two outings featuring three shots. The Wild are playing for the second consecutive night and rank 31st on the penalty kill since the start of last season. Meanwhile, Foerster has averaged 2:36 on the man-advantage.
Victor Olofsson, COL vs. BOS ($4,200): Olofsson hasn't yet potted a goal yet, though he's got three assists and 14 shots, which puts him third on the Avs. And Boston's two road matchups have featured 36 and 37 shots against.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Penguins at Sharks
Evgeni Malkin (C - $5,900), Justin Brazeau (W - $4,300), Anthony Mantha (W - $4,100)
As noted, the Sharks are on the second day of a back-to-back. They were the worst defensive team last year, and they should once again end up there. A tired team with Alex Nedeljkovic in net doesn't predict for decent defense. Pittsburgh offers a strong first line, though I think their second unit can handle this matchup.
In his elder skatesman years, Malkin has had a tendency to start hot and then burn out. To that end, the future Hall of Famer already has seven points. Brazeau is off to an unexpectedly solid start with four goals. And while his 33.3 shooting percentage can't be sustained, this matchup is too enticing. Last season was a lost year for Mantha as he only appeared in 13 games. He can claim four 20-goal campaigns and has kicked off his Penguins tenure by notching three points.
Blue Jackets vs. Lightning
Adam Fantilli (C - $4,900), Dmitri Voronkov (W - $4,600), Cole Sillinger (W - $3,900)
The thing about the Lightning being on the road for the second straight night is that almost always the start goes to Jonas Johansson. He's in his third season backing up Andrei Vasilevskiy where he's posted an .892 save percentage. Columbus' top trio is a bit cold, but their second line definitely offers some potential.
Fantilli scored 31 goals during his age-19 season, so the sky is the limit. He's only managed one marker and one assist through four games, though there's no need to worry. Voronkov improved in his second year, and seems primed to to top 20 goals and 50 points as he's already at two and four for those categories while firing five shots once. Sillinger isn't on the same level as his linemates, but playing alongside better players has been known to help improve production. He's only got one point - an assist - and tallied three shots on Thursday.
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. TAM ($6,800): Werenski stayed healthy last year and established his second 20-goal campaign while only falling two shots short of 300. It seems like he's really aiming for that mark as he's already provided 22. And if Werenski is doing that against Jonas Johansson, there's a solid chance he finds the scoresheet.
MacKenzie Weegar, CGY at VGK ($6,300): Weegar has only recorded one point, but the Flames are giving him heavy power-play minutes at 4:31 per game after 21 PPPs last year. He'll eventually start contributing while up a man, and facing the Golden Knights may help as they've maintained the 26th-ranked penalty kill since the start of last season.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. CGY ($6,000): Theodore may only have one point, yet he's directed multiple shots on net during four of five outings. He also racked up 57 points in 2024-25, so the offense will come. Dustin Wolf is well thought of, though he's off to a slow start with a 3.77 GAA and .873 save percentage through four appearances.
