This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Hockey and Saturday go hand-in-hand. This is the first one of the NHL season, and the league isn't disappointing with 12 evening games and that gives you plenty of choices for your DFS lineups. Here are the players I would be thinking about to try and maximize my daily fantasy potential.
SLATE PREVIEW
This early in the season, we can't know fully how these teams are going to shake out. You still have to try and use last season to some degree. That data is stronger at this point. Hey, the Blues are playing their first game of the season Saturday. There are also five teams on the second leg of a back-to-back with Columbus, Detroit, Montreal, and Tampa Bay all on the road while the Sharks are at home.
GOALIES
Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. ARI ($8,600): The Coyotes had the league's worst offense last year, and I'll be surprised if that isn't the case again. Linus Ullmark got the first shot in net for the Bruins, so I'm thinking this will be Swayman's turn. Last season, he posted a 2.41 GAA and .914 save percentage. This would be a nice opportunity for the Bruins to get the young goalie off on the right foot.
Darcy Kuemper, WAS vs. MON ($8,400): Kuemper needs a second chance at a first impression as his debut with the Caps didn't go well. However, this is a goalie who was the primary starter for the team that won the Cup last season in Colorado. Over the previous five seasons while playing with three different squads, Kuemper has recorded a 2.42 GAA and .922 save percentage. I think he'll be fine as the Habs averaged 2.66 goals last year and are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. ANA ($8,200): Barry Trotz is gone, but Lane Lambert was one of his assistants and the system may still yield defensive stalwartness. Besides, Sorokin has proven he can handle himself in net with a career 2.33 GAA and .923 save percentage. The Ducks averaged 2.78 goals and 29.2 shots on net last year, and the team has pared down to get younger and rebuild, so that may continue to be their ceiling.
VALUE PLAYS
Rickard Rakell, PIT vs. TAM ($4,600): The Penguins are giving Rakell every opportunity to succeed. That is to say, he's on Sidney Crosby's wing. Rakell didn't register a point in Pittsburgh's opener, but he put seven shots on net. The Lightning are typically not a favorable matchup, but catching them on the second of consecutive nights makes a difference - especially with Brian Elliott in net and his .905 save percentage across the previous six seasons.
Connor Brown, WAS vs. MON ($4,500): With Tom Wilson out, Brown is skating on Washington's top line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. He's also skated 2:40 on the power play. Brown notched 39 points in 64 games last season with the Senators and 21 goals in 56 the previous year. Montreal carried the league's highest GAA last year and didn't make any additions to its goaltending roster.
Max Domi, CHI at SAN ($4,100): Domi steps into a rebuilding Blackhawks team, but that means opportunity he may not get elsewhere. He's centering Chicago's top line, which means playing alongside Patrick Kane. On the second day of a back-to-back, the expectation is Kaapo Kahkonen will be in net for the Sharks with his career .908 save percentage.
LINE STACKS
Blues vs. Blue Jackets
Ryan O'Reilly (C - $6,100), Jordan Kyrou (W - $6,400), Brandon Saad (W - $4,400)
Welcome to the party, St. Louis. This is a nice matchup to step into as an opener. The Blue Jackets are on the road for the second straight night and allowed 35.2 shots on net per game in the previous campaign. Elvis Merzlikins should be starting, but he posted a 3.22 GAA and .907 save percentage last year. The Blues boast two strong lines, but I'm going with their second unit for this stack.
O'Reilly has been super steady over his NHL career as a safe bet for around 20 goals and 60 points. He managed 21 and 58 last season, with 16 points coming on the power play. The speedy Kyrou broke through last year with 27 goals and 48 assists. His 14.4 shooting percentage may also be sustainable based on a 13.5 career mark. In his first season as a Blue, Saad registered 24 goals and 25 assists. He's seemingly turned himself into an elite shooter in terms of accuracy with a 15.2 shooting percentage last year and a 16.4 during the last three campaigns.
Devils vs. Red Wings
Jack Hughes (C - $7,300), Ondrej Palat (W - $5,600), Dawson Mercer (W - $5,300)
There's a lot of excitement about the Wings this year. I should know as I'm a Wings fan and live in Detroit. However, for this one, the Wings are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Ville Husso got to make his Detroit debut Friday, but now Alex Nedeljkovic will presumably be in goal. In his first season with the club, Ned struggled to a 3.31 GAA and .901 save percentage. That's a concern, but not for stacking a New Jersey trio.
Last year, Hughes finally looked like a first-overall pick with 56 points in only 49 games. He's also averaged 3:00 per game on the power play in his career, and there's no reason for the Devils to change his usage on that front. Palat joins the Devils from the Lightning, and clearly they have high expectations putting him on the wing of their franchise center. He also managed over 40 points in his final three seasons with Tampa. As a 19-year-old rookie, Mercer recorded 17 goals and 25 assists. He also opened this year with an assist and six shots on net.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. ANA ($6,300): Dobson is trying to quickly assert his 51 points last season weren't a fluke by starting with a goal and six shots in Game 1. As long as the Ducks keep turning to John Gibson as their starter, this will be a worthwhile matchup to target. He opened this season allowing four goals - admittedly on 48 shots - and has a 3.07 GAA and .904 save percentage the previous three years.
Shea Theodore, VGK at SEA ($5,700): Theodore hasn't racked up a point yet, but has logged 3:26 on the power play. He's also produced double-digit points with the extra man in each of his last three seasons. The Kraken had the 31st-ranked penalty kill last year, and are still building things up as a relatively new franchise. Philipp Grubauer also began the schedule by allowing five goals to the Ducks, which is concerning after his 3.16 GAA and .889 save percentage last season.
Hampus Lindholm, BOS vs. ARI ($5,200): With Charlie McAvoy out long-term, somebody has to step up - especially on the point of the top power play. It appears Lindholm is first in line for that opportunity having skated 21:33 in Boston's opener with 3:16 on the PP. The Coyotes, for their part, slumped to a 3.77 GAA and allowed 35.5 shots on net per game last year.
