This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's the last Saturday of January, and also the day of the Royal Rumble. There are some rumbles also going on around the NHL. In addition to a few afternoon games, we have six contests starting at 7 p.m. ET or later. The countdown has hit zero, so it's time to get to the DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
The two worst teams in terms of scoring goals and preventing them are both in action - and that would be the Canadiens and Coyotes. Arizona's also on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Red Wings will also be playing for a second straight night, though they're at home.
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. NJD ($8,100): The Devils are just below average at 2.83 goals, but Andersen and the Hurricanes have been so good I like him at home in any matchup against a team outside the top-10 in offense. Carolina has only allowed 28.3 shots on net, which is partially why Andersen has produced a 2.05 GAA. The other reason is due to his .928 save percentage.
Mikko Koskinen, EDM at MON ($7,900): The Canadiens have averaged a paltry 2.21 goals, so It doesn't get much easier for a netminder. Koskinen has put together three consecutive solid starts with a 2.22 GAA and .933 save percentage. It's only three, but I'm expecting it to be four.
VALUE PLAYS
Clayton Keller, ARI vs. BUF ($6,900): Keller has been a rare bright spot for the Coyotes with 34 points, including 17 in his last 15 contests. Even on the second leg of a back-to-back, I like Keller against the Sabres and their 3.48 GAA while allowing 35.0 shots on net. They also currently have six goalies who are out or questionable, which means it's possible we'll see a seventh-stringer.
Michael Bunting, TOR at DET ($4,800): Bunting has gotten to spend the bulk of the season on Toronto's top line, which has meant spending a lot of time alongside Auston Matthews. That's helped Bunting to 24 points. Alex Nedeljkovic will likely be in net as the Wings' top goalie, but he's struggled over his last 11 outings with a 3.22 GAA and .900 save percentage.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Oilers at Canadiens: Connor McDavid (C - $10,400), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $7,000), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $4,000)
Do you hesitate when it comes to putting so much salary on a single player? Do you worry about a stack being a little high? This is a case where that shouldn't matter. The Canadiens have a 3.79 GAA. They've allowed 34.9 shots on net per contest. They also maintain a bottom-five penalty kill. Right now, there may be no easier matchup out there, and two of these players are on Edmonton's top power-play unit. Yes, you have to save some salary elsewhere, but you should get bang for your buck from this line.
That includes McDavid, by the way. He's recorded 58 points, including 24 on the power play and is on a three-game point streak for good measure. Nugent-Hopkins has just returned to the lineup, but has produced two assists and seven shots. He's also notched 14 points with the extra man in 32 contests. Yamamoto may only have 14 points this year, but eight of them have come in his last 11 games.
Hurricanes vs. Devils: Vincent Trocheck (C - $5,400), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $7,100), Martin Necas (W - $4,500)
The Devils enter with a 3.43 GAA. Mackenzie Blackwood wasn't playing well, but he's now on injured reserve. That leaves Jon Gillies as the top healthy goalie. He has a 3.05 GAA and .907 save percentage, but he also hadn't played in the NHL since 2017-18. I'm skeptical he can even keep playing at this poor level, and that bodes well for Carolina's second line.
Trocheck is riding a four-game point streak, giving him 29 points on the campaign. And last year, he recorded 43 in 47. Svechnikov was held without a point in his last outing, but that ended a streak of notching two points in five straight. Necas hasn't been quite so hot, but he's still racked up 22 points.
DEFENSE
Darnell Nurse, EDM at MON ($6,400): Nurse has posted an assist in back-to-back games. However, his 2.5 shooting percentage is a potential sign of bad luck. Nurse has put 120 shots on net, but somehow only has three goals. It wouldn't be surprising if that changes in this matchup. After all, the Habs have allowed 34.9 shots on net and 3.79 goals per game.
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at ARI ($5,800): This is the Dahlin we expected after his first couple seasons. The Swedish defenseman has 28 points, including 11 with the extra man. He's averaged 23:51 in ice time, and all that time against the Coyotes should bode well. The Coyotes are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Karel Vejmelka has allowed six goals in each of his last two starts.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. VAN ($5,200): Andersson has averaged 2:56 per game on the power play and that's helped him tally nine PPPs. I'm highlighting that here because the Canucks come in with the league's worst penalty kill. Also, Thatcher Demko only just returned from COVID-19 protocols.
