This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday is the men's college hockey title game between Denver and Minnesota State, but there's plenty of hockey at the professional level as well. I was tempted to do a full-game slate, since the first game starts at 2 p.m. EDT, but instead I will just focus on the nine games starting at 7 p.m. or later. That's plenty of options! Here are the ones I recommend, and the ones I would avoid.
GOALIE
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. ARI ($31): Since returning, Lehner has had one good start and one bad start. I expect a good outing for him in this one, though. With the Canadiens playing better offensively, the Coyotes are now last in goals (2.49) and shots on net (25.8) per game. There's no easier matchup.
GOALIE TO AVOID
James Reimer, SAN at VAN ($28): Reimer has been playing well, but he got banged up against the Flames in his last start and may not be at full strength in this matchup. The Canucks may only be 20th in goals per game, but they've also put 32.1 shots on net per contest. Since Reimer is on the road, I'm a little skeptical of him here.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET vs. CLM ($24): Larkin has a point in five of his last six games, giving him 67 points in 66 contests. He seems primed to set career highs in goals and points. The Blue Jackets have a 3.71 GAA, and they've also allowed 35.6 shots on net per contest, the latter of which is highest in the NHL.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jared McCann, SEA vs. CGY ($13): McCann has his first 40-point season, and he's going to be the first Kraken to lead the team in goals, but this isn't a team with a ton of offensive talent. The Flames, on the other hand, have quite the talent in net. Jacob Markstrom has a 2.18 GAA and .924 save percentage.
WING
Michael Bunting, TOR vs. MON ($20): Auston Matthews has set a new franchise record for goals in a season. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his linemate Bunting has nine assists in his last 10 games. Montreal has a 3.80 GAA, which is tied with Detroit for highest in the NHL.
Jakub Voracek, CLM at DET ($15): Voracek's woeful 4.0 percent shooting may have limited him to five goals, but he has 46 assists this season, and he also has 21 power-play points on the year. That power-play success bodes well here, as the Red Wings have the 31st-ranked penalty kill.
WINGS TO AVOID
David Perron, STL vs. NYI ($21): Both the Blues and Islanders are on the second leg of a back-to-back. The difference between these teams? The Islanders are in the top five in GAA and penalty-kill percentage. They have the duo of Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin, which gives them little drop off between goalies. That's not good for Perron, especially since 21 of his 49 points have come with the extra man.
Brady Tkachuk, OTT at NYR ($20): If Igor Shesterkin is looking to solidify his Vezina and Hart campaigns, he'll want to come up big at home in this one. Regardless, looking at Shesterkin's 2.10 GAA and .935 save percentage makes me concerned for any Senator facing him in New York. That includes Tkachuk, who also comes with an elevated salary.
DEFENSE
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. ARI ($19): Theodore has four points in his last five games, giving him 41 points this season. He's also put 166 shots on net in 68 games. The Coyotes are in the bottom five in GAA and shots on net allowed per contest, and also have the league's worst penalty kill. Theodore has averaged 2:34 per game with the extra man.
Jamie Drysdale, ANA at PHI ($10): Drysdale has gotten an elevated role since the trade deadline. Over his last eight games he's averaged 20:26 in ice time and 2:16 with the extra man. He also has three points and 19 shots on net in that time. The Flyers, meanwhile, have a 3.48 GAA and have allowed 34.0 shots on net per contest.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. COL ($18): The Avalanche are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but they have a formidable goaltending duo. Plus, Pavel Francouz started Friday, saving Darcy Kuemper (2.40 GAA, .925 save percentage) for this matchup. Nurse has also only averaged 1:16 per game with the extra man, so he's not going to be able to take advantage of a tired penalty kill.
Vince Dunn, SEA vs. CGY ($13): Dunn is playing top-pair minutes with Mark Giordano now in Toronto, and he has eight points in his last 12 games. However, he has zero points in his last five games, and now he has to face Markstrom.
