This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Halfway through November, we're closing in on the quarter-point of the season. We've seen some things, and we've learned some things, but there is much more to be seen, and even some more to be learned. One cannot look at performances to date and feel assured they will continue. What one can, do, though, is look at the 10 NHL games on the main Saturday night slate and create DFS lineups. I have some recommendations to help with that.
SLATE PREVIEW
Three teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Pittsburgh is at home, and it also gets to face San Jose. The Blue Jackets are on the road but face the Canadiens. Detroit has the most to be concerned about. The Wings are doing the Ducks-and-Kings duet, but that means being on the road and facing the Kings in the second game of that two-fer.
GOALIES
Kevin Lankinen, VAN vs. CHI ($8,400): After being one of the better stories in net to start the season, two of Lankinen's last three games have gone poorly. Although, one was against the Oilers after they got Connor McDavid back. In total, Lankinen still has a 2.60 GAA. Chicago has only averaged 2.41 goals and 26.8 shots on net per game, so this may be more in line with the seven starts in which Lankinen has allowed two goals or fewer.
Jacob Markstrom, NJD at TAM ($7,900): Over his last six starts, Markstrom has a 1.84 GAA and a .930 save percentage. He's also 5-1-0 in part because the Devils have averaged 3.60 goals a night this season and are one of the hottest teams in the NHL. I grant you Tampa Bay has averaged 3.53 goals per game, but that's on a mere 27.0 shots on net per game. It's hard to keep converting goals at the rate Tampa has, especially with an in-form goalie like Markstrom.
Devon Levi, BUF at PHI ($7,400): Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is out, which leaves Levi to start. He's yet to find stability in the NHL, but in his last start, he made 24 saves on 27 shots and got the win. That's what I envision happening Saturday. The Flyers have averaged 2.71 goals and 26.7 shots on goal per contest. Also, Samuel Ersson is out and Ivan Fedotov has been even worse in the NHL than Levi, increasing Buffalo's chances of winning.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
William Nylander, TOR vs. EDM ($7,300): Even with Auston Matthews missing time, Nylander has been doing what he does best. Namely, rack up points with the extra man. He has seven power-play points in his last six games. While the Oilers have gotten McDavid back and picked things up a bit, they still have the league's lowest-ranked penalty kill and have not made much in the way of strides on that front.
Fabian Zetterlund, SAN at PIT ($4,600): Last year, in a lost season for the Sharks, Zetterlund took a step forward and scored 24 goals. This season, he has seven goals and five assists through 18 games. The Penguins, as noted, are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Alex Nedeljkovic will likely be tending goal. He has a .884 save percentage.
Juraj Slafkovsky, MON vs. CBJ ($4,000): The first-overall pick of 2022, Slafkovsky has 11 points in 14 games. That's with a 5.3 percent shooting rate that should improve. Facing the Blue Jackets could help that happen. Daniil Tarasov will likely be in net. He has a career 3.46 GAA and a .900 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Kings vs. Red Wings
Anze Kopitar (C - $5,800), Adrian Kempe (W - $5,600), Quinton Byfield (W - $3,800)
Well, a team with a bottom-five penalty kill is on the road for the second day of a back-to-back. That's a fine starting point for a stack. Two of these three Kings are on the top power-play unit, so this was the line for me to stack against the Red Wings. Even if I am a Red Wings fan. Can't let that get in the way of a good stack.
At this point, we may be in the stage where we call him "the ageless Anze Kopitar." He's 37 and has 20 points in 18 games. Eight of those points have come with the extra man. Fascinatingly, Kempe has seven games with two points. He has recorded 16 points overall this season. Yes, that means 14 of his 16 points have come across seven games. While he only has three power-play points, Kempe had 27 last year playing a similar role, so he'll be fine. Byfield finds himself back on the wing, but also back on the top line. If the hope is to get him going, he does have four points in his last five games. The one-time second-overall pick also has a 5.6 percent shooting rate, which should improve.
Canucks vs. Blackhawks
Elias Pettersson (C - $5,700), Jake DeBrusk (W - $3,600), Kiefer Sherwood (W - $3,000)
Chicago has given up 30.8 shots on net per game – a bottom-10 number. Petr Mrazek has been his usual self in goal, which is to say he has a .906 save percentage. Over the last four years, he has a .900 save percentage. With Brock Boeser out, this trio of Canucks is together and is where I would go for a stack in this matchup.
Pettersson has been a lightning rod for criticism, but in two of his last three games, he has a goal and an assist. Slow start aside, he had over 30 goals in each of his previous three seasons. He had 89 points last year. DeBrusk also had some issues getting this season going having left Boston for Vancouver. However, he has a point in five of his last six games. Sherwood has never carved out a real role in the NHL, but he had a personal-best 27 points last season. He has three goals and four assists as a Canuck this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Mike Matheson, MON vs. CBJ ($5,600): Matheson has managed 10 points in 17 games. That's with him yet to score a goal on 25 shots on net. His 0.0 percent shooting rate is practically impossible once enough pucks hit the target. Given that Tarasov has a career .900 save percentage, there's a good chance Matheson lights the lamp. Also, on the defensive side of things, he's blocked 45 shots.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. EDM ($5,000): Rielly has grabbed his usual spot running the point on Toronto's power play, pushing Oliver Ekman-Larsson into a secondary role. He's notched all seven of his power-play points over his last five games, so I assume Craig Berube will stick with what's working. What's not working, of course, is Edmonton's league-worst penalty kill.
Bowen Byram, BUF at PHI ($3,600): Byram is skating with Rasmus Dahlin as Buffalo's top defensive pairing, and he's also on the second power-play unit. That means he's averaged 22:24 per game in ice time, including 1:43 with the extra man. Over his last nine games, the 23-year-old has tallied eight points. I mentioned Fedotov earlier. In his eight appearances as an NHL goalie, he's managed a woeful .848 save percentage.
