This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Saturday is a robust evening for the NHL, which is nice to see. There are 11 games on the slate, giving you a lot of options for your DFS lineups. To try and help you hone in who to select for your squads, here are my Saturday recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
The most-exciting game? That would be the Sabres and Bruins, which features the two top offenses in the NHL per goals per contest. For DFS players, though, what's more notable is that the Penguins are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, while the Maple Leafs are at home to complete their own back-to-back.
GOALIES
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. CLM ($8,400): Sorokin has been impressive since he was a rookie, but he's gotten better season by season. This year he has a 2.09 GAA and .935 save percentage, so he now has a career .925 save percentage. Johnny Gaudreau hasn't boosted the Jackets' offense as hoped, as they have averaged 2.69 goals per game.
Logan Thompson, VGK vs. STL ($8,300): Thompson held his own in his first real taste of NHL action last season, when he had a 2.68 GAA and .914 save percentage. This year? He has a 2.32 GAA and .925 save percentage. The Blues are struggling out the gate from top to bottom, and that includes being last in goals per game at 2.33.
Akira Schmid, NJD vs. ARI ($8,300): This is a big swing, but color me intrigued. Due to injuries in goal, Schmid may be getting the start Saturday. He has not had much NHL success, but he's only 22, and he's only appeared in seven NHL games, and only three have been starts. The Devils have only allowed 24.9 shots on net per game, while the Coyotes have only given up 23.8 shots on goal per contest. Schmid at least should shoulder a light load.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Cole Caufield, MON vs. PIT ($7,200): Caufield is legit, as ever since Martin St. Louis showed up the young winger has been trusted and earned his opportunity. What's encouraging is not only that he has eight goals, but that they have come on 54 shots on net, leaving him with a sustainable 14.8 shooting percentage. The Penguins are on the road for the second day of a back-to-back, and Tristan Jarry is off to a worrying start with a .903 save percentage.
Jake DeBrusk, BOS at BUF ($7,000): Patrice Bergeron didn't retire, Brad Marchand got healthy, and that means DeBrusk gets to be on the wing of this line like last year when he revitalized his season. He doesn't need the boost this time around, as he has five goals and five assists through 13 games. The Sabres have been great offensively, but they have a 3.50 GAA, which is bottom-10 in the NHL.
Philipp Kurashev, CHI at ANA ($2,900): Kurashev wasn't necessarily a notable name coming into the year, but he's now on the second line and has averaged 16:18 per game in ice time. Also, he's put 25 shots on net through 13 games, which is actually third most on the Blackhawks. The Ducks have allowed a staggering amount of shots. I'm talking a league-high 40.4 shots on net per game!
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Devils vs. Coyotes
Jack Hughes (C - $7,400), Jesper Bratt (W - $6,600), Erik Haula (W - $3,200)
The Coyotes have allowed a whopping 35.7 shots on net per contest. They also have a 3.54 GAA. Now, Karel Vejmelka has a 3.06 GAA, but that's with a .915 save percentage. Last year in 52 games he had an .898 save percentage, so I don't know if he can sustain this level of play. This Devils line could make Vejmelka look like his rookie-season self in this one.
Once again, Hughes has a low shooting percentage (6.9), and he's done that in two of his previous three campaigns, so it may just be the kind of players he is. And yet, he has 14 points in 14 games because he has 10 assists and has still managed four goals because he's put 58 shots on net. Bratt has also been playmaking, as he has 13 assists to go with his five goals. This comes after he broke through last season with 26 goals and 47 assists in 76 games. Haula doesn't have a goal yet this season, but he's put 35 shots on net and obviously his shooting percentage won't be a goose egg all year. He has a career 12.0 shooting percentage, and also has four assists in his last nine games.
Canucks at Maple Leafs
Elias Pettersson (C -$7,200), Andrei Kuzmenko (W - $5,100), Ilya Mikheyev (W - $4,000)
The Maple Leafs are in a rough spot. Not just because they are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Matt Murray, Ilya Samsonov, and even Joseph Woll are all out. Erik Kallgren, himself a below-average goalie, started Friday. So what now? Either they start Kallgren again, which is not likely to go well, or Keith Petruzzelli is going to make his NHL debut. Now, he's played well in six starts down in the AHL this year, but this would be a huge step up for Petruzzelli.
Pettersson is the tide that lifts all boats, working well with basically anybody on his wing. This year he has six goals and 12 assists through 14 games. The Swede has also been trusted with a huge role, having averaged 20:14 in ice time, a massive number for a forward. Kuzmenko has been stellar after coming over for the KHL. He has seven goals and four assists, with four of those goals coming on the power play. The Maple Leafs have a below-average penalty kill, and I do not imagine them looking better than usual on that front in this scenario. Mikheyev is also a new addition to the Canucks, coming over after scoring 21 goals in 53 games with the Maple Leafs last year. He has four goals and four assists this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. CLM ($6,400): Dobson has effectively proven last season was no fluke. He's come out of the gate with 10 points and 40 shots on goal through 15 games. Sure, he's started 60.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and averaged 3:31 per contest with the extra man, and that helps, but the production is there. The Blue Jackets are conducive to production, as they have a 4.38 GAA and have allowed 35.4 shots on net per contest.
Quinn Hughes, VAN at TOR ($6,100): I'm jumping right back into that matchup against the Leafs and their depleted depth in net. Hughes doesn't have a goal, and is shooting less than usual, but he has 12 assists through 10 games so I care zero percent. Also a power-play specialist, he's averaged a career-high 4:13 per game with the extra man. Getting a bunch of time on the power play with Petruzzelli possibly in net for the opponent? Count me in.
Caleb Jones, CHI at ANA ($4,000): It's easy to shout "Nepotism!" seeing Caleb on Chicago's roster, given that his brother Seth is the star on the blue line. However, with Seth out, Caleb has stepped up big time. Through his last seven games he's averaged 19:40 in ice time, including 2:59 on the power play. He's honestly earned that with five assists in that time, including two with the extra man. The Ducks are last in GAA, shots on goal allowed per game, and 31st in penalty-kill percentage, so there is arguably no better matchup Saturday.
