This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
After a hearty four-game appetizer in the afternoon, we get to the main course of NHL action Saturday. There are eight games taking place at 7 p.m. EDT or later. To try and make the most of this Saturday, here are some DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Two of the worst teams in the NHL are on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday. The Kraken are on the road, while the Coyotes are at home. Meanwhile, Ottawa is at home on a back-to-back as well, but it is facing one of the worst NHL teams themselves in the Canadiens.
GOALIES
Ville Husso, STL at ARI ($8,500): Well when a goalie is facing the team that ranks last in the NHL in both goals and shots on net per game, it tends to bode well. When they are on the second leg of a back-to-back is even better. Oh, and Husso has been quite good, of course. He has a 2.46 GAA and .923 save percentage.
James Reimer, SAN vs. CHI ($7,800): Reimer has been better at home this year, as he has a 2.73 GAA to go with a .916 save percentage. The Blackhawks have only managed 2.62 goals and 28.7 shots on net per contest. These are both low-scoring teams, but I like Reimer to come out on top of what is likely to be a game lacking in goals.
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. SEA ($7,300): The Kraken are slightly better offensively than the Coyotes, but only slightly. They are also on the road for the second day of their back-to-back, unlike Arizona. Oettinger's .913 save percentage isn't all that great, but it suffices in a matchup like this, and he has a 2.57 GAA as well.
VALUE PLAYS
Tim Stutzle, OTT vs. MON ($5,500): Stutzle didn't end up missing a game with a recent injury, and hopefully he's healthy enough to stay hot. He has 16 points in his last 13 outings. The Senators may be on the second leg of a back-to-back, but the Canadiens have a league-high 3.86 GAA. It's still a great matchup for Stutzle and company.
Matt Nieto, SAN vs. CHI ($2,500): The Sharks have been shaking up their lines recently, and Nieto has gotten a chance to skate on the top line with Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. That's a spot with a lot of upside. Kevin Lankinen is the only healthy goalie for the Blackhawks right now, and he has a 3.61 GAA and .889 save percentage.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Blues at Coyotes: Ryan O'Reilly (C - $4,500), David Perron (W -$5,400), Brandon Saad (W -$3,600)
Think the Coyotes are bad offensively? The defense is just as bad. The 'Yotes rank last in shots on net allowed per game and penalty-kill percentage, and have the third-highest GAA as well. Right now, there is no more-favorable matchup in the NHL. St. Louis has a fantastic first line, but to try and save some salary I'm going with the second line instead.
O'Reilly is over 50 points for the ninth-straight season. He's gotten there with 10 points over his last 13 games. Perron remains a force on the power play, as he's tallied 25 points with the extra man in 64 contests. Saad started off slowly with his new team, but he now has 22 goals and 24 assists in 74 games. He's also notched 10 points in his last 14 games.
Stars vs. Kraken: Jamie Benn (C - $4,400), Tyler Seguin (W - $5,500), Michael Raffl (W -$2,500)
Once again, I am going with a second line to try and save you some salary. The Stars are hosting a Kraken team on the second leg of a back-to-back. Chris Driedger will likely be in net, and he has a 3.05 GAA and .897 save percentage. It's a night to roll out a couple classic Stars names that are maybe not at the forefront any longer.
Benn has revitalized himself a bit this season with 18 goals and 28 assists. This includes 11 points with the extra man. Seguin has been quite active recently. Over his last 13 games he has four goals and five assists, not to mention 46 shots on net. Raffl is admittedly along for the ride on this stack. He only has 16 points this season, but he did score a goal five games ago.
DEFENSE
Justin Faulk, STL at ARI ($5,200): Torey Krug has picked up another injury, which once again means more power-play time for Faulk. Not that he's needed a ton of time with the extra man to excel this season. Only seven of his 42 points have come on the power play. Of course, you don't really need power-play time to succeed against a team with a 3.79 GAA that is on the second night of a back-to-back.
Jeff Petry, MON at OTT ($4,500): Since returning from injury, Petry has five points, 19 shots on net, and 18 blocked shots in seven games. That's a lot of activity. The Senators, who are on the second leg of a back-to-back, have allowed 33.2 shots on goal per contest. Petry will have opportunity against a team with a bottom-10 GAA.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. VAN ($3,900): Andersson is two points away from his first 50-point season. A good chunk of that comes from his 18 power-play points. His power-play success matters in this matchup, as the Canucks have the third-worst penalty kill in the NHL.
