The NHL campaign is off to a roaring start in 2023, and we’ve seen a ton of exciting action so far. As I do each Saturday, I’m crafting a DFS hockey lineup to consider. I’ve listed the classic $50,000 salary roster from DraftKings (for the final seven games) that I’m rolling with today. I’ve also noted each player’s price on FanDuel as well. Good luck to everyone today!
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Saturday’s NHL DFS Picks & Analysis
The lineup below is based on DraftKings, but FanDuel prices are also listed.
C1: Vincent Trocheck ($4,500 DK, $4,300 FD)
I have four total Rangers in my lineup today, including three skaters. Mainly, it’s because they’re playing the Canucks, who have confirmed that they’ll start back-up goalie Casey DeSmith in net tonight. The Vancouver newcomer has been solid, going 2-0-0 with a 2.73 GAA and .938 SV%. However, I’m not buying the hype on the 32-year-old just yet.
I’ll ride with Vincent Trocheck tonight, who is the third-line center, but also runs the top power play. The centerman has seen two of his three points come on the man-advantage, which were a goal and an assist. I think this crafty New York power play finds success against a backup goalie. I like Trocheck to contribute to at least one goal.
C2: Thomas Novak ($3,800 DK, $4,800 FD)
The other game that I’m keying in on is the Maple Leafs vs. Predators contest in Nashville. While Toronto looks to be a solid contender overall, they don’t appear very sound defensively when Ilya Samsonov is in net. The goaltender is 2-1-0, but owns a 4.33 GAA and 0.831 SV%.
I’ll take a few players from this Predators team, which is sixth in expected goals per 60 minutes (3.57). Tommy Novak, the third-line center, actually leads the team in scoring this year (4G, 1A). He also occupies a spot on the second power play, which is where three of his tucks have come from. I think Novak’s a wise option against this shaky netminder.
W1: Filip Forsberg ($6,800 DK, $7,800 FD)
Filip Forsberg has also notched five points (1G, 4A) this year. The winger is second amongst forwards (O’Reilly, 20:06) in TOI/G at 19:32. He’s also on the main power-play unit, which is cashing in on 20.7% of man-advantage opportunities.
What I love most about playing Forsberg tonight is his persistence to shoot the puck. The winger is fifth in the NHL in SOG (33). We get points for SOG, but I think he’s due to break out at some point in terms of goals scored. This will be a great opportunity.
W2: Artemi Panarin ($6,400 DK, $6,800 FD)
The Breadman comes with the fourth-highest price tag in our lineup, but I still feel like he’s a valuable option tonight. For starters, he leads the Rangers in points so far (3G, 7A). Panarin has already racked up five power-play points (5A) through seven games. He’s a key piece on this New York power play that’s cashing 17.5% of their man-advantage opportunities.
W3: Nino Niederreiter ($3,800 DK, $4,600 FD)
The Jets hit the road tonight where they’ll take on a Canadiens team that feels like they’re in hockey limbo right now. The Habs have been especially bad on the defensive end of the ice, where they’ve posted an expected goals against per 60 minutes rate of 3.63, which is the third-worst in the NHL.
I think a quality, yet inexpensive option for tonight’s card is Nino Niederreiter. The veteran winger has one goal and three assists so far, making him the sixth-highest scorer on Winnipeg’s roster. He also has the fourth-highest shots with 16. He slots in on the third line and second power play, and he should get a few quality scoring chances tonight.
D1: Adam Fox ($5,700 DK, $6,700 FD)
Keeping with a similar theme, I’m taking Adam Fox tonight, who runs point on the New York power play. The defenseman is second on the Ranges in terms of points recorded (2G, 6A). Six of his points have come on the man-advantage (2G, 4A). It’s also worth noting that Fox has posted a TOI/G number of 22:22, giving him the most minutes of anyone on the roster. Good things happen when you’re on the ice… at least in DFS.
D2: Tyson Barrie ($4,000 DK, $3,900 FD)
The final Predator that I’ll add is Tyson Barrie. He’s just fourth on the roster in terms of TOI/G (19:46), but that’s still basically a third of the game. Despite not getting a majority of the playing time, Barrie leads defensemen in terms of scoring with four points (4A). Nashville is still one of the few power plays that opt for two defensemen, which is opportunistic for us. Barrie isn’t just getting pushed to the side by Roman Josi. Instead, he’s joining him, and playing right next to him on the top PP. I like Barrie to pick up at least one point tonight.
G: Igor Shesterkin ($8,100 DK, $8,500 FD)
The final Ranger that I’ll ride with is Igor Shesterkin. The netminder is 3-2-0 with a 2.66 GAA and .897 SV%. While those aren’t the best numbers, he’ll have a favorable matchup against a Vancouver team that has the sixth-lowest expected goals per 60 minutes rate of just 2.67.
Finally, the defense in front of Shesterkin has been solid. The Rangers have the 16th-fewest high-danger shots against (25), eighth-fewest medium-danger shots against (48), and ninth-fewest low-danger shots against (197). I think Shesterkin turns in a solid outing in the crease tonight.
UTIL: Evgeni Malkin ($6,900 DK, $7,300 FD)
Finally, the util position, which I’ll give the nod to Evgeni Malkin. We all know the Penguins are too top-heavy, but we can use that to our advantage in DFS. I’ll take Malkin tonight, who has registered a team-leading nine points (4G, 5A) over seven games. Interestingly, only two of those points (2A) have come on the power play, which means there’s room for growth.
The Pens square off against the Senators, who will likely opt for Joonas Korpisalo. The netminder is 1-3-0 with a 3.49 GAA and 0.886 SV%. Malkin makes a great option to round out our roster tonight.
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