This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Saturday is packed to the brim with NHL action. Only two teams, Detroit and Carolina, aren't playing. However, due to a few afternoon games, there are 12 games on the DFS docket Saturday. That gives you a lot of options to sort through, and I'm here to help on that front. First pucks drop at 7:00 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are teams on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday. Notably, none of these teams are playing one another. Chicago, Montreal, San Jose, Utah and Winnipeg are at home, while Los Angeles, Vancouver and Washington are on the road.
GOALIES
Calvin Pickard, EDM at CHI ($8,500): The Oilers have been doing a "two for Stuart Skinner, one for Pickard" rotation, and that would mean Pickard is in line to start Saturday. Pickard only has a .898 save percentage, but he has a 2.46 GAA due to strong Edmonton defense. Chicago is in the bottom five in both goals and shots on net per game and is on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Samuel Ersson, PHI vs. ANA ($8,100): Ersson has not had a good season, but he's at home against a lackluster Ducks team, opening up an opportunity for him and your DFS lineups. The Ducks have only managed 2.51 goals per game, which ranks in the bottom five in the NHL. If Ersson can't handle Anaheim at home, what team can he handle?
Mackenzie Blackwood, COL at WPG ($7,900): The Jets have been good offensively, but they are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Colorado, like Winnipeg, is in the top seven in goals per game, so Blackwood has access to plenty of goal support. Since making the move to the Avalanche, Blackwood has been one of the best goalies in the NHL. In 10 outings, he has a 1.61 GAA and a .940 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Matt Boldy, MIN at SJS ($6,700): Boldy has tallied 35 points in 42 games. He's also been on fire, having put at least four shots on target in each of his last six contests. Though Yaroslav Askarov, who has impressed since being called up by the Sharks, will be in goal, his teammates are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Plus, San Jose has allowed the most shots on net per game.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM at CHI ($4,800): Nugent-Hopkins is on a five-game point streak. Unsurprisingly, he's been doing a lot of his work on the power play as well, having tallied 10 power-play points through 40 outings. The Blackhawks, as noted, are on the second day of a back-to-back, and Arvid Soderblom is in line for a start. He began the year strong but has a .893 save percentage since the start of December.
Owen Tippett, PHI vs. ANA ($4,800): Tippett leads the Flyers with 107 shots on net through 42 games. That tracks, given he's put over 230 shots on target in each of the last two seasons. The Ducks have allowed 31.9 shots on goal per contest; neither Lukas Dostal nor John Gibson is all that imposing in goal.
FORWARD LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Stars at Canadiens
Matt Duchene (C - $5,300), Wyatt Johnston (W - $6,500), Jamie Benn (W - $4,900)
The Canadiens, as noted earlier, are playing their second game in as many days. Sam Montembeault is in line to be in goal for the Habs. He has a career .898 save percentage, which is fittingly also his save percentage this season. This has been the layout of the second line for the Stars due to injuries. With how they have been playing, this trio should be kept together.
After a cold stretch, Duchene has eight points over his last six games. That includes three games with multiple points and four games with at least three shots on target. Only once in his last eight games has Johnston been held off the score sheet. On the year, his shooting percentage is still down at nine percent, so there's still considerable room for improvement. Even at 35, Benn is still going strong. Across his last 33 games, he has not gone multiple games in a row without a point. Right now he's on a four-game point streak.
Blues vs. Blue Jackets
Brayden Schenn (C - $4,200), Jordan Kyrou (W - $6,300), Dylan Holloway (W - $4,400)
The Blue Jackets have been quite good offensively this year, which is a surprise, but they have been as poor defensively as expected. Columbus has a 3.57 GAA, which is the second-highest in the NHL. This line features three guys on the top power-play unit as well, which is good given the Blue Jackets have a bottom-eight penalty kill.
Schenn has six points over his last six games. He also has a 9.4 percent shooting rate, well below his career 13.4 percent number. Kyrou has 19 goals and 19 assists on the campaign. He's also put 130 shots on net in 43 contests, including 30 in his last seven games. The Blues' decision to give Holloway an offer sheet has paid off in a big way. He's been on fire as well, as the former Oiler has notched 13 points and 26 shots on net over his last eight games.
DEFENSEMEN
Colton Parayko, STL vs. CBJ ($5,200): Parayko may not get much in the way of power-play minutes, but he hasn't needed them to produce. He has seven points over his last eight contests. Columbus' 3.57 GAA is poor and not just based on its lackluster penalty kill. Parayko has averaged 24:28 per game in ice time, so he will have plenty of opportunity against the Blue Jackets' defense.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. VAN ($4,700): Rielly has been fairly cold recently, but he has two points over his last three games. On the season, he has 20 points in 43 contests. The Canucks are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back, and Kevin Lankinen has a .904 save percentage.
Ivan Provorov, CBJ at STL ($3,100): Zach Werenski is the star of the show on the Columbus blue line, but you can save some salary and still get a solid defenseman in Provorov. Over his last 10 games, he has a goal and seven assists. While the Blues aren't as bad as the Blue Jackets defensively, Jordan Binnington does have a .896 save percentage.
