Saturday’s NHL slate contains wall-to-wall action, with 11 great matchups stacked on top of each other throughout the day. At 12:30 pm ET, Ottawa hosts Anaheim, while the night concludes with a 10 pm ET puck drop with Calgary hosting Vancouver. Marquee matchups also exist, as Tampa Bay hosts Vegas and San Jose travels to face the Florida Panthers.
Oddsmakers expect many of Saturday’s games to deliver over six total goals, which is always a trend to follow when constructing your DFS lineups. We’ll focus on players in the later slate who possess high usage, hidden value, and whether or not the goaltender they’re facing is a plus-matchup. In hockey, any team can win on any given night, so factoring in back-to-back game schedules, injuries, and reserve goaltending adds extra layers to determining the outcome of a game before it happens.
As always, I’m here to help steer your lineups into the green by highlighting blue-chip and high-upside prospects to target. Let’s construct and cash out during a busy Saturday in the National Hockey League!
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Leon Draisaitl (C – EDM): $8,400
Edmonton has quickly extinguished their losing woes with a three-game winning streak, netting at least three goals during each win. 26-year old Leon Draisaitl may center the Oilers’ second-line attack but he leads the team with a whopping 59 points. This includes scoring 29 goals, eight more than first-line center Connor McDavid (C – EDM). Draisaitl was held without a point for the first time in three games during a 3-2 win over Nashville on Thursday but still fired off four shots on goal. Expect the hyper-talented center to easily produce a point or two against Montreal Canadiens reserve goaltender, Cayden Primeau (G – MTL). He has allowed at least three goals in each of his previous six games, getting pulled from the last two. Draisaitl finds himself in a smash spot, making him a must-add blue-chip prospect in Saturday DFS lineups.
Andrei Svechnikov (LW – CAR): $6,400
21-year old Andrei Svechnikov has been brilliant on the Carolina Hurricanes’ second-line attack this season. Despite his youth, Svechnikov is now in his fourth year with Carolina, which has allowed him to carve out his own role, which includes earning additional minutes on the top powerplay unit. Svechnikov was held without a point against Ottawa on Thursday, ending a five-game point streak, where he racked up two goals and eight assists. He is discounted due to the goose egg against Ottawa, so take advantage and plug Svenchnikov into lineups as a quality value play against New Jersey Devils reserve goaltender, Jon Gillies (G – NJ). Gillies has a 3.05 GAA and is 1-4 as a starter this season, allowing Carolina to pour four goals in during his last start on January 22nd. Svechnikov scored a goal and an assist during this matchup a week ago, so expect more of the same once again on Saturday night down in Carolina.
Shayne Gostisbehere (D – ARI): $4,500
Don’t overpay for a defenseman in DFS. It’s a top-heavy position in terms of the elite producers but players like Shayne Gostisbehere are available at an extreme value and offer incredible consistency. The 28-year old is adjusting to life on the Arizona Coyotes after spending his first seven years playing for the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s actually been a lucrative season for Gostisbehere on an individual level, as he has 20 assists and is second on the Coyotes with 27 points through 42 games played. Gostisbehere has an assist in three straight games entering Saturday’s home game tilt against Buffalo. The Sabres are expected to get their veteran netminder Craig Anderson (G – BUF) back from an upper-body injury that he sustained nearly three months ago. Yes, Anderson started the season off hot, but he trailed off prior to his injury and will be shaking off three months of rust that he collected during injury rehab. Gostisbehere adds a couple of blocked shots per game to raise his floor, making him a high-value player to consider inserting into lineups.
Petr Mrazek (G – TOR): $7,400
Petr Mrazek was involved in the trade that sent Frederik Andersen (G – CAR) to Carolina this offseason, landing on a stacked Toronto Maple Leafs team. Injuries have limited the 29-year old goaltender to only five games this season, where he has ebbed and flowed with success. He has played his best puck in his last two starts, allowing three total goals while facing 46 shots. Detroit has the capacity to score but they are coming off of an emotional win over Pittsburgh on Friday, so expect Mrazek to continue defending the crease with efficiency on the road in the Motor City.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Brayden Point (C – TB): $8,600
Despite playing in 14 fewer games than most of his teammates, 25-year old Brayden Point has scored 16 goals, which is the second-highest on Tampa Bay’s roster. Point centers a potent first-line attack, benefitting tremendously from the surrounding personnel. Point earns additional opportunities on the top powerplay unit for the Lightning and he’s been extremely active on offense as a result, taking at least four shots on goal in four straight games. He has assembled a nice slew of points across his last ten games, only being held without a point once during this stretch. Vegas is certainly a tough opponent and goaltender Robin Lehner (G – VGK) has been stout at times, yet Point is squarely in a top-five offense. His consistency and opportunity are juicy enough to warrant paying $8,600 to add him into lineups at home on Saturday night.
Mitch Marner (RW – TOR): $6,800
One of the slate’s best values is finding Mitch Marner available to roster at under $7,000 on FanDuel. The 24-year old skates on Toronto’s second-line attack and top powerplay unit, earning over 20 minutes average time on ice while burying goals and assists in the process. He’s only played 30 games this season but Marner has seven points in his previous four games entering Saturday’s road contest in Detroit. That’s right. Marner has three multi-point games since returning from a three-game absence two weeks ago due to the league’s Covid-19 protocols. He’s on fire and facing a less than stellar goaltender in Alex Nedeljkovic (G – DET), who allowed Chicago to score four goals in one period during his last start three days ago. Marner should be a lock in all DFS lineups.
Brady Skjei (D – CAR): $5,200
27-year old defenseman Brady Skjei has quietly pieced together a nice season, racking up double-digit assists through 40 games played. While he doesn’t earn any additional minutes on either powerplay unit, the second-line defenseman is capable of rattling off accurate shots on goal in the offensive zone. Skjei has a goal and an assist across his previous three games entering Saturday’s home game against the New Jersey Devils. Based on the matchup against reserve Devils netminder Jon Gillies, Skjei has a solid opportunity to rack up his 17th point of the season. He isn’t going to damage your lineups and possesses a high ceiling in a plus-matchup, making Skjei a fascinating prospect to acquire.
Mikko Koskinen (G – EDM): $7,900
Edmonton has turned around its losing ways with three wins in a row and 33-year old goaltender Mikko Koskinen has played a part in this fortuitous change. After allowing six goals in an ugly 6-0 shutout loss against the Florida Panthers, Koskinen has played much better defending the crease, surrendering just seven goals in his last three starts. This includes performances against good teams like Nashville and Calgary, so facing the anemic offense of the Montreal Canadiens should wind up as Koskinen’s fourth-straight win. At under $8,000 salary, Koskinen is worth taking a shot on, particularly in a plus-matchup with the Oilers riding a winning streak.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.