NHL DFS Picks Tonight: Best Lineup Targets, Stacks and Goalies for Saturday
Saturday is stacked with NHL action, as the playoffs kick off next weekend. Thirty teams are taking the ice Saturday. However, there are a ton of afternoon games, which leaves us with six games for the DFS docket. First puck drops at 7 p.m. ET. Here are my lineup recommendations.
NHL DFS Slate Preview and Best Saturday Lineup Picks
To prime the schedule for the stretch run, there were no NHL games Friday. That means there are no teams on the second leg of a back-to-back. So, you know, that's pretty straightforward.
Top NHL DFS Goalies to Target for Saturday Night
Yaroslav Askarov, SAN vs. VAN ($8,400): Unfortunately for the Sharks, Askarov has not looked like the goalie who was once a vaunted prospect. In fact, it's possible he's going to prove not viable at the NHL level, though he's still young. That being said…the Canucks are terrible. They are far and away the worst team in the NHL. I'd argue they have the worst offense, and there is basically no argument against them being considered the worst defensive team. If nothing else, something has gone awry if Askarov doesn't get a win if he gets the start.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. PHI ($7,200): When I see the reigning Vezina AND Hart winner at this salary, I'm interested. I know Helelbuyck hasn't been up to his usual level of play, but over his last eight outings, he has a 2.14 GAA and .910 save percentage. The Flyers may make the playoffs, but they are also in the bottom 10 in both goals and shots on net per game.
Best NHL DFS Value Plays and One Off Picks
Sam Bennett, FLA at TOR ($6,400): For the second year in a row, Bennett has gotten to 25 goals and 200 shots on net, and his 58 points are a personal best. The Maple Leafs have turned out to be a disaster defensively this year. They have a 3.54 GAA, but they are also last in shots on net allowed per game.
Matthew Coronato, CGY at SEA ($4,100): Coronato is on a three-game point streak. He's notched four power-play points in his last 10 outings as well. The Kings are 30th in penalty-kill percentage at 74.8. Woeful Vancouver is at 71.7 percent…but it ranks 31st. Yes, the Kraken have a worse penalty kill than the Canucks.
San Jose Sharks Stack vs Vancouver Canucks for NHL DFS
San Jose Sharks vs. Vancouver Canucks - 10:00 p.m. ET
Alexander Wennberg (C - $4,000), William Eklund (W - $4,200), Kiefer Sherwood (W - $3,800)
The Kraken have a worse penalty kill than the Canucks. Four teams have allowed more shots on net per game. However, when it comes to ceding goals, nobody is in Vancouver's league. The Sharks are actually 31st in GAA at 3.58. Vancouver has a 3.83 GAA. Macklin Celebrini is a star, but he has a salary higher than everybody other than Nathan MacKinnon, including a higher salary than any goalie. As such, given that the matchup is so good, I'm going with San Jose's second line to save salary.
Wennberg has 10 points in his last nine games. He also has 15 power-play points on the year, and the Canucks have the 31st-ranked penalty kill. With 14 goals and 49 points, Eklund may not hit the 17 goals and definitely won't hit the 58 points he had last season. However, he has set a personal best with 168 shots on net, and that's in 74 outings. Sherwood has cooled down a bit since he had 17 goals in 44 games for these very Canucks. He does have 10 points and 55 shots on net in 24 games with the Sharks, though, and his old team proves a favorable matchup.
Top NHL DFS Defensemen Picks and Matchup Analysis
Brandon Montour, SEA vs. CGY ($5,100): Montour has been really attacking as of late. Over his last nine games, he's notched 34 shots on target. On the campaign, he has 32 points in 60 contests. The Flames are one of three teams to give up at least 30 shots on goal per game, a big reason why they are in the bottom 10 in GAA.
Dmitry Orlov, SAN vs. VAN ($4,200): I have been turning to Orlov a lot as of late, but to be fair, that's because I have continually had reason to. He has 10 points in his last 16 games. Additionally, five times in his last 11 games, he's tallied at least three shots on target. The Russian is at home against the team comfortably, last in GAA, so he may add to both of those totals.
