This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's the first Saturday of the 2023-24 NHL season, and the league has delivered with 12 games on starting at 7 p.m. EDT or later. Here are my DFS lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
It was a light slate Friday, so the Penguins are the only team on the second leg of a back-to-back and they'll be hosting the Flames. And let's welcome the Islanders and Ducks into the mix with both finally playing their first games of the season.
GOALIES
Adin Hill, VGK vs. ANA ($8,700): The Golden Knights seem primed to split Hill and Logan Thompson's work fairly evenly, though they've already announced Hill will be getting the privilege of hosting the Ducks. It's a great matchup as Anaheim averaged 2.51 goals and 28.4 shots on net last season. Hill posted a 2.49 GAA and .914 save percentage before becoming a postseason hero.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at CLM ($8,600): We also find Shesterkin on the high end. It's early on and sometimes you just want to go with the elite goalie against a favorable opponent. The Russian made 24 saves on 25 shots in New York's opener, which is more of the same from the netminder based on a career .924 save percentage. The Blue Jackets finished 30th in offense last year, and it could be a slow start for the squad with a new head coach.
Devon Levi, BUF at NYI ($7,100): Let's see if the second start goes better for Levi. He was such a big college star that he entered this season with some Calder hype. The Rangers ran him ragged, but the Islanders don't look as robust offensively having finished 22nd in goals and essentially the same roster.
VALUE PLAYS
Elias Lindholm, CGY at PIT ($6,700): Lindholm dropped down to 64 points last season after 82 the previous campaign, though 64 is still pretty solid. He opened this year recording a goal and two assists against the Jets. I could see Lindholm enjoying similar success against the Penguins as they just played Friday and new backup netminder Alex Nedeljkovic has produced a .900 save percentage the last two seasons.
J.T. Compher, DET vs. TAM ($5,900): Compher turned a 52-point campaign with the Avs into a deal with the Red Wings, and he's been given a substantive role having logged 19:56 in the opener along with an assist and two shots. The Lightning are without Andrei Vasilevskiy for now, meaning Jonas Johansson is the lead goalie who lists a career .887 save percentage.
Jonathan Drouin, COL at SAN ($5,300): The Avalanche are giving Drouin all the opportunity to succeed. That is to say, they've slotted him on the wing beside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. If you can't make it there, you can't make it anywhere. In Drouin's first outing, he managed an assist. San Jose also has a new face in Mackenzie Blackwood, who's in line to start Saturday. And he's struggled to an .897 save percentage the last three seasons.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights vs. Ducks
Jack Eichel (C - $7,700), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $6,700), Ivan Barbashev (W - $5,100)
The Golden Knights are off to a strong start of their Stanley Cup defense and get to host the Ducks. Anaheim was last in GAA and comfortably last in shots allowed last year, and no notable changes were madein net. John Gibson is still around and he posted a .902 save percentage the previous four seasons. The Ducks will look to take strides at some point, but it doesn't seem to be happening yet. I'm going to the top of the depth chart and stacking Vegas's first line.
With Eichel, it's just about staying healthy. He registered 66 points last year across 67 games. And through two outings, he's at two points and nine shots. Conn Smythe winner Marchessault has regularly been someone who scores over 20 goals with over 230 shots. And he hasn't disappointed so far with a goal and seven shots. The Golden Knights traded for Barbashev last season and then signed him to keep him around. He's on the first unit and gets power-play time while already potting a goal and directing three pucks on net.
Rangers at Blue Jackets
Filip Chytil (C - $5,500), Artemi Panarin (W - $5,900), Alexis Lafreniere (W - $4,500)
The Rangers have once again split their youngster line, a trio I've had perhaps unreasonably exuberant feelings about. My two favorite two players from that unit now have one of the top points producers alongside. The Rangers visit a Columbus side that finished 31st in GAA and shots on net allowed. Elvis Merzlikins is the Jackets' top goalie with an .898 save percentage the last three campaigns. He faced 35 shots in Columbus' opener, and this one could be more of the same.
Chytil didn't carry the same prospect cache of Lafreniere or Kaapo Kakko, yet he broke out big first with 22 goals and 23 assists last year. In the three full NHL seasons since Panarin joined the Rangers, he's managed over 90 points. He's also recorded over 30 power-play points in each of his last two while the Jackets finished 25th on the penalty kill last year. While Lafreniere hasn't hit the highs some expected when he was selected first overall, he's still only 22 and has improved his scoring every season. He's also been doing it with minimal power-play time having tallied 19 even-strength goals during his sophomore campaign. Lafreniere scored in the Rangers' opener, but also played 2:28 on the man-advantage.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Hanifin, CGY at PIT ($6,000): Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson seem to go back and forth in terms of the most productive blueliner for the Flames, so it feels fitting they're their top defensive duo. As for Hanifin, he opened with an assist, two shots on net, and four blocked shots. He accumulated 38 points last year and 48 the year before. As mentioned, the Pens are on the second leg of a back-to-back and projected starter Alex Nedeljkovic posted a .900 save percentage the last two seasons.
Seth Jones, CHI at MON ($5,600): Jones is sort of the last man standing in terms of high-end Chicago veterans, though that comes with privileges. He's averaged 24:32, including 3:55 with the extra man. While his plus/minus have been woeful, the production has been there with 12 goals last season. Sam Montembeault has been tapped to start for the Habs and enters with a career .896 save percentage.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. ANA ($5,300): I don't always double up with defensemen from teams I'm stacking forwards, but it just makes sense based on the opponent. You know, with the Ducks being last in GAA and shots allowed and bringing Gibson back in goal. Theodore will be facing his old club and notched 41 points in 55 games last season. Alex Pietrangelo is banged up and if he can't go, that would likely mean more minutes for Theodore - especially on the power play.
