Ten games round out Saturday’s NHL slate, and it’s quite a variety pack to analyze. Three of the matchups pit the underdog at +250 or lesser odds on the Moneyline, while there are plenty of games that will likely require an overtime period to produce a winner. Edmonton hosts Tampa Bay, and St. Louis will travel down to Nashville after disposing Igor Shesterkin (G – NYR) on Thursday’s 6-2 rout. The greater the number of teams, the more imperative it becomes to roster players capable of producing a point or two while ensuring their floor is intact via blocked shots and shots on goal. The good news is that the salary tends to dip on bigger slates, instilling value all across the board.
Thursday’s recommended prospects yielded quite a few assists, but goal-scoring was absent. Jack Eichel (C – VGK) was stifled in his return to Buffalo, and Igor Shesterkin was pulled after surrendering four goals to the Blues in the opening period. These were the biggest busts on the slate, with Ilya Sorokin (G – NYI) emerging as the star player by earning his sixth shutout of the season in a 6-0 win against Columbus. Erik Karlsson (D – SJ) proved to be an excellent value as well, adding two assists in a 5-4 overtime win against Los Angeles, ending the Sharks’ three-game losing skid. The remaining five prospects all netted an assist and a few shots on goal, generating enough value to be assets in most DFS lineups.
Big slates can become overwhelming with the number of options. Fortunately, finding prospects capable of providing a significant return on investment is my primary job. I’ve scoured the slate and have settled on eight high-value prospects who will help launch your lineups into green by the end of Saturday night. Here we go!
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Patrice Bergeron (C – BOS): $7,500
Boston has finally hit its stride, going 8-1-1 in their previous ten games and subsequently rising up the Atlantic Division rankings. They are led by veteran Patrice Bergeron, who has spent nearly two decades with the Bruins. The 36-year old has 16 goals and 28 assists this season and is constantly put in plus-scoring situations alongside Brad Marchand (LW – BOS) on the first-line attack. Bergeron also earns minutes on the Bruins’ top powerplay unit, where he’s netted 13 assists and scored seven goals. Bergeron enters Saturday’s matchup against the red-hot Arizona Coyotes with a strong showing in his last game against Chicago, racking up a pair of assists with seven shots on goal. Bergeron has increased his shot volume across the previous week, so investing in him at $7,500 remains a solid value. The Coyotes’ win streak will not continue much longer, especially with Scott Wedgewood (G – ARI) defending the crease. Wedgewood has surrendered at least four goals in each of his previous three starts, so Bergeron should light the lamp or find the assist column with relative ease. So plug him in and don’t look back.
Alex DeBrincat (LW – CHI): $6,800
24-year old Alex DeBrincat is a goal-scoring machine. He earns his minutes on the Blackhawks’ first-line attack and top powerplay unit, which has seen him score a goal in five consecutive games. What’s more impressive is the number of multi-point games that have occurred during this stretch. DeBrincat has three multi-point finishes, including three assists and a goal against Anaheim on March 8th, so you’re getting arguably the hottest scorer in the league in your lineups. DeBrincat is unconscious in the offensive zone right now, and the Blackhawks will be evenly matched on the road against the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg (G – OTT) has been playing very well in the net, but DeBrincat has too much momentum and is the primary scorer for Chicago, racking up a dizzying 34 goals in 59 games played. At under $7,000, DeBrincat is a massive value, so plug him into lineups with confidence.
Ben Chiarot (D – MTL): $4,900
Montreal has quietly rattled seven wins across their last ten games played, and Ben Chiarot has been a piece of the engine driving the offense. Earning his minutes on the first defensive line and second powerplay unit for the Canadiens, Chiarot has been more consistent providing assists as of late. He also racks up a couple of blocked shots and shots on goal per game, raising his floor for a cheap defenseman on an underrated offense. While he’s seldom a goal-scorer, Chiarot did turn in a two-goal outing against Calgary on March 3rd. He was held without a point against Vancouver and only attempted one shot on goal in his last game played, which is why he’s available to roster at under $5,000. Take the value as he will face a Seattle Kraken team that lacks defensive prowess and firepower. Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer (G – SEA) allowed five goals in his last start, so Chiarot is due for a big night. Avoid paying up for a defenseman and add an underrated, high-value prospect like Chiarot into your lineups.
John Gibson (G – ANA): $7,800
Anaheim began the season as one of the best teams in the league, but it’s spiraled into a much more pedestrian unit during the meat of the schedule, going 4-6 in their previous ten games played. The Ducks will deploy John Gibson to defend the crease against New Jersey on the road Saturday night, which is a decent spot for the 28-year old netminder to find himself. In November, during Gibson’s previous start against the Devils, he finished with 28 saves and his lone shutout of the season. Yes, the Devils’ offense has improved since November, but there’s something to be said about Gibson’s familiarity and comfort level, knowing that he shut them out a few months ago. He’s had a rough couple of starts recently, surrendering eight goals across two games with an 0-2 record, so Gibson will be motivated to wash the stink off against an evenly matched opponent like New Jersey. He’s a slight risk, but the value is baked into the salary, so if you want to roster a couple of blue-chip prospects, roll with Gibson and save a few bucks.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Yanni Gourde (C – SEA): $5,000
Yanni Gourde skates on Seattle’s third-line attack and has been consistently delivering assists as of late. This reliability is a massive reason behind rostering Gourde against Montreal goaltender Samuel Montembeault, who has been horrendous for the Canadiens all season. Montembeault surrendered four goals to Vancouver on Wednesday and seven in just two periods to Winnipeg at the beginning of March. The 30-year old earns additional minutes on the second powerplay unit and usually finishes with a solid balance of shots on goal and blocked shots combined to create a decent floor. He could score his 13th goal of the season against Montreal on Saturday night, but if not, Gourde is assuredly due to extend his assist streak to four games. Gourde isn’t a world-beater, but he’s an excellent floor option that gets a plus-matchup, creating value to gravitate towards.
Artemi Panarin (LW – NYR): $7,300
30-year old winger Artemi Panarin is currently the New York Rangers’ point leader, scoring 15 goals and netting 48 assists in 53 games played this season. Panarin skates on their second-line attack, but he earns additional minutes on the second powerplay unit, where he racks up assists. Panarin is a phenomenal skater with elite vision, which he uses to set up scoring possessions in almost every game. He has four assists and a three-game point streak intact, entering Saturday’s road contest in Dallas. Panarin will face Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (G – DAL), who has been good but not great, allowing three goals in two of his previous three starts. This is the first matchup between these two teams, so expect Panarin to waste no time flying through the offensive zone and lasering one of his passes to an open teammate for his 49th assist of the season on Saturday night.
John Klingberg (D – DAL): $4,700
First-line defenseman John Klingberg is highly involved within Dallas’ offense, as seen during a six-shot outing against Minnesota last weekend. This resulted in two assists for the 29-year old, who isn’t afraid to get dirty and dive in front of opposing shots, effectively raising his floor in DFS lineups. Klingberg scored only his second goal of the season in his last game against Nashville on Tuesday, so with four days to rest, expect him to pepper Igor Shesterkin with shots. Shesterkin has been phenomenal and is a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy. Still, he is coming off of his worst performance of the season after allowing four goals to St. Louis in the first period on Thursday. He may bounce back, or he could still be reeling, allowing Klingberg to extend his point streak. Klingberg is a substantial investment at under $5,000 on FanDuel due to his versatility and usage.
Anton Forsberg (G – OTT): $7,200
Ottawa has strung together a mini two-game winning streak, and Anton Forsberg is responsible for some of this success. The 29-year old has earned consecutive wins in his last two starts and has not surrendered more than three goals since February 1st. Forsberg also faces high shot volume, which leads to more points in DFS lineups. He has 30-plus saves in five of his previous six starts and will meet a Chicago Blackhawks team who have dropped seven of their last ten games played. These two teams are far removed from the playoff picture, but Forsberg has momentum and is consistently racking up saves, so at $7,200, he’s a fantastic value. Chicago has only scored more than three goals once in their previous four games played, and they have leaky goaltending, which plays right into Forsberg’s strengths. Add him into lineups and watch the points pile up.
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