DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

We'll be going through a nine-game DFS slate tonight starting at 7 p.m. EDT. Every team that played last night will be playing again Saturday, with the exceptions of the Kings and the Golden Knights. The Stars are the only team on the first half of back-to-back outings. 

There are plenty of low-cost options to make up your lineup, but I'll be specifically targeting the Canadiens with a hopeful matchup against Braden Holtby, who has endured major troubles in Vancouver. 

All advanced statistics are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

GOALIES

James Reimer, CAR vs. CLM ($8,300): If the rotation stands, it's Reimer's turn in net. The 33-year-old is 4-2-0 over his last six starts, recording a .925 save percentage and a 2.16 GAA. He's holding his own with Petr Mrazek (thumb) out. This is an intriguing matchup, too, as the Blue Jackets rank last in the league over the past four weeks with 2.09 xGF/60. 

Jake Oettinger, DAL at DET ($8,300): The Blue Jackets' offense has been bad lately, which is a bit of a surprise. But the Red Wings' offense struggling doesn't surprise anyone, as they rank 30th in the same stretch with 1.83 xGF/60. Keep an eye on Oettinger. He's here to stay.

Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. PHI ($7,900): It's easy to like Sorokin right now. After all, he's won six straight games while putting up a .934 save percentage, a 1.48 GAA and two shutouts. It doesn't hurt that the Islanders still have one of the soundest defensive schemes in the league, which should be a good test for a Flyers team that has been wildly inconsistent in recent games. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Brendan Gallagher, MON vs. VAN ($5,700): Facing off against Braden Holtby provides a massive opportunity for the Canadiens. Gallagher has already been enjoying a great month of March, registering five goals, three assists and 28 shots on net through 10 games. 

Martin Necas, CAR vs. CLM ($4,900): Necas has been remarkable this year, contributing five goals and 16 assists through 26 games. He's taking on a prominent role in the lineup lately, flanking Sebastian Aho on the first line and the first power-play unit. The Blue Jackets' defense holds its own, but their PK (72.6 percent) is putrid.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. NYR ($4,600): Kuznetsov is riding a six-game, seven-point streak, and all of those points have been at even strength. That should make him somewhat immune to the Rangers' third-ranked PK (85.9 percent), and he'll likely take on goaltender Keith Kinkaid, who has flashed upside but should ultimately regress soon enough.

LINE STACKS

Oilers vs. Jets

Connor McDavid (C - $9,100), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $6,800), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $4,000)

McDavid was the only player on this line to notch a point in Thursday's win over the Jets, as he scored both of the team's goals at even strength. Nugent-Hopkins and Puljujarvi have combined for 19 goals this year, though, and they have contributed to a bulk of McDavid's 20 goals. They draw an appealing matchup against the Jets' pitiful defensive scheme that has given up 2.47 xG/60 at even strength over the past month -- the seventh-most in the league. 

Islanders vs. Flyers

Mathew Barzal (C - $6,400), Kieffer Bellows (W - $4,200), Jordan Eberle (W - $5,000)

Bellows has fit right into Anders Lee's (knee) role, scoring three goals over four games on the top line. Being able to play on a line with Barzal takes talent, but it raises your ceiling through the roof if you can accomplish it. They have significant upside tonight, as both Carter Hart and Brian Elliott have been in a brutal slump of late. 

Canadiens vs. Canucks

Nick Suzuki (C - $5,000), Joel Armia (W - $3,000), Tyler Toffoli (W - $7,000)

Over the last month, the Canucks have given up the 2.62 xG/60 at even strength -- the most in the league. Nevertheless, Thatcher Demko recorded a .944 save percentage and a 1.89 GAA in that stretch, while Braden Holtby was barely able to get off the bench. Holtby likely gets the nod Saturday on the second half of back-to-back games, so this could be a productive game for a line that has enjoyed success against the Canucks already this year.

DEFENSEMEN

Dougie Hamilton, CAR vs. CLM ($7,300): Hamilton is red-hot. He's on a 10-game, 12-point streak, and seven of those points came with the man advantage. There are few matchups better fit than this one, as the Blue Jackets rank 28th in the league with a 72.6 penalty-kill percentage. 

Jakob Chychrun, ARI at ANH ($6,100): Chychrun still flies under the radar a bit, but there's no good reason for that. He has blocked shots at a high rate lately, and he's totaled 19 points and 80 shots on net through 30 games. The Coyotes won't have to face John Gibson (lower body), either, so the holes in the Ducks' defense will be more evident Saturday. 

Erik Karlsson, SJ vs. STL ($4,100): Karlsson has mostly been a disappointment this season, but this is a strong opportunity for him to pad his stats. The 30-year-old has posted six points -- three on the power play -- over the last nine games. Meanwhile, the Blues' PK has been pitiful without Colton Parayko in the picture, ranking 25th in the league at 73.7 percent.

Jamie Drysdale, ANH vs. ARI ($2,500): The rookie scored a goal and added an assist in his NHL debut, and there's good reason to ride the hot hand. He took on a significant role, including time on PP2. The Coyotes have given up plenty of opportunities of late, too, ranking 29th over the past month with 2.56 xGA/60.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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