This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There are nine NHL games starting at 7 p.m. EST or later on Saturday. There are three afternoon games starting between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. if you want to play a full slate, but I'm focused on the evening. Additionally, we have lost the Senators-Rangers game to postponement. Let's get to it!
SLATE PREVIEW
There were only two games Friday, and none of those four teams is playing Saturday. That means we have no back-to-backs concluding. In terms of a game that really pops out to me, my eye definitely goes to the high-scoring Oilers hosting the defensively-questionable Blackhawks. The four lowest-scoring teams are all in action as well, which is beneficial for some of the goalies out there. Speaking of which…
GOALIES
Mikko Koskinen, EDM vs. CHI ($8,400): Koskinen has slipped up recently, and now he has a .910 save percentage. However, he's still getting as much offensive support as any goalie in the league, and that's good for picking up wins. Plus, the Blackhawks have averaged 2.25 goals and 28.6 shots on net per contest. This is a chance for Koskinen to find his footing.
Alex Nedeljkovic, DET at ARI ($8,000): Since allowing seven goals to Tampa Bay in the season opener, Nedeljkovic has posted a 2.47 GAA and .922 save percentage in 10 games. That looks more like the goalie who had a .932 save percentage last year. The Coyotes' offense looks truly woeful, as they rank last in goals (1.76) and shots on net (25.2) per game, and I don't see that changing.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY at NYI ($7,600): Somehow, Markstrom already has five shutouts. That's a new career high, and he's only played in 13 games. Can he sustain that? No, but this matchup is favorable to him. The Islanders have only managed 2.23 goals per contest. Maybe Markstrom doesn't get a shutout, but he can at least have another impressive outing.
VALUE PLAYS
Boone Jenner, CLM at VGK ($5,700): Vegas has been a bit porous defensively, as it has allowed 34.1 shots on net per game, which is bottom five in the NHL. Jenner, meanwhile, is shooting plenty in his new role as Columbus' top-line center. He's put 46 shots on goal in 14 games, and nine of them have found the back of the net.
Lucas Raymond, DET at ARI ($5,300): Raymond basically forced the Red Wings' hand in earning a roster spot with the big club, and he's been showing why all season. The 19-year-old has 18 points in 19 games, and he's put 48 shots on goal as well. He's already on the top line and the top power-play unit. In addition to scoring the fewest goals per game, the Coyotes also have the league's highest GAA at 3.82.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at DAL ($4,300): Buchnevich started the season off well, but then he missed a couple games with a suspension and seemed to come back cold. Now, he's found his footing, as the Russian has eight points in his last eight games. Braden Holtby is not expected to be available for this game, which might mean Anton Khudobin in net for the Stars, and he has an .873 save percentage. If they use Jake Oettinger instead, he had a .911 save percentage last season as a rookie.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Oilers vs. Blackhawks: Leon Draisaitl (C - $9,200), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $6,100), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $2,700)
The Blackhawks have a 3.31 GAA. Marc-Andre Fleury has a 3.36 GAA and .901 save percentage. While he's looked good in his last three games, one was at home against his old team the Penguins and the other two were against Seattle and Arizona. Facing the Oilers' offense is a different obstacle entirely, especially on the road.
Since the Oilers use Connor McDavid on one line and Draisaitl on another, there is always going to be a hefty salary in your lineup when you stack with this team. Of course, it also tends to be worth it. I've gone with Edmonton's second line here, but it includes two members of the top power-play unit, which is what really matters. Anyway, Draisaitl has 17 goals and 16 assists in 16 games and I don't need to sell you on him, right? RNH has been having some awful puck luck, as he's only potted one goal on 36 shots on net. His 2.8 shooting percentage is likely to more than triple by season's end. Plus, he has 18 assists, including 12 on the power play. Yamamoto is definitely a step down. He only has three goals this year. However, he still has great linemates and once had 26 points in 27 games, so the upside is there when he's on.
Predators at Canadiens: Mikael Granlund (C - $5,600), Matt Duchene (W - $6,000), Luke Kunin (W - $3,400)
Until Carey Price is ready to play again, the Canadiens are in trouble. They have a 3.53 team GAA, bottom five in the NHL, and their 19-game sample size is as large as any in the league right now. That sample size means even more when it comes to their bottom-five penalty kill. I have two members of Nashville's top power-play unit in this stack.
Granlund only has three goals, and he's not shooting much at all so it isn't necessarily bad luck. That being said, he has 13 assists in 16 games. Duchene is doing the goal scoring, as he has nine goals on the year, including seven since the start of November. Kunin is kind of along for the ride, but he's averaged 16:19 in ice time in November and tallied five points in eight games this month.
DEFENSE
Zach Werenski, CLM at VGK ($7,300): I mentioned that the Golden Knights have allowed 34.1 shots on net per game. Well Werenski leads the Blue Jackets in shots on goal himself. He's tallied 48 of them in 14 games. Also, after a stretch of pointless outing he has at least one point in each of his last three outings.
Torey Krug, STL at DAL ($5,900): Krug has nine points this season, which is even more impressive when you know he's only played in 11 games. He took a step back on the power play from the guy he was in Boston last season, but he's averaged 3:00 with the extra man this year and has four power-play points. Plus, a down year on the power play for Krug meant 13 points in 51 games. Dallas is just outside the bottom five on the penalty kill, and Holtby is also banged up.
Filip Hronek, DET at ARI ($4,200): Moritz Seider is day-to-day, so I want to eschew him here. Hronek is no slouch, though, as he has nine points in 17 contests this season. This comes after he had 26 points in 56 contests last year. Arizona has a 3.82 GAA, and also if Seider doesn't play Hronek will likely see more power-play time than usual.
