This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
You'll be able to select DFS players from eight games, with the first ones starting at 7 p.m. EST. These are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Devils, in the bottom-five in GAA, are the only team on the second leg of a back-to-back and will be at home. They are one of four clubs with a bottom-10 GAA on Saturday.
GOALIES
Stuart Skinner, EDM at CGY ($8,100): The Battle of Alberta features an Oilers team on the hottest run of any team this season, and Skinner has been part of that with an 1.88 GAA and .930 save percentage over his last 18 outings. Calgary's 3.09 goals per game is mediocre with an average of 31.5 shots, which falls just outside the top-10.
John Gibson, ANA at SAN ($7,900): The Sharks have produced 1.98 goals and 25.7 shots per game. The last time a team finished close to those kind of numbers offensively was the Red Wings in 2019-20. Oh, and San Jose is also last in GAA. Gibson is no Vezina candidate, but this matchup is just too good.
Charlie Lindgren, WAS at STL ($7,000): Fortunately for the Capitals, Lindgren returned from his injury looking no worse for the wear having only allowed two goals in each of his three starts. The Blues are on the fringes of the bottom-10 in shots and are bottom-eight in goals.
VALUE PLAYS
Chris Kreider, NYR at LOS ($8,000): Kreider is usually assumed to be someone who just racks up goals. He does have 20, but he's managed an assist in four of his last five games. The Kings are still top-five in GAA, though things have looked a lot different for a while as Cam Talbot has struggled to a 3.22 GAA and .893 save percentage across his last 13 appearances.
Wyatt Johnston, DAL at NJD ($5,500): The Stars have decided to move Johnston from third-line center to first-line winger next to Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. That certainly is intriguing from a potential production perspective to build upon his 26 points so far. I mentioned earlier the Devils are the one team on the second leg of a back-to-back. And since they're also in the bottom-five in GAA, that bodes well for Johnston.
T.J. Oshie, WAS at STL ($5,100): Talk about coming out guns blazing. In five games since coming back from injury, Oshie has potted five goals with 20 shots. He won't keep converting at that rate, but those shooting numbers are encouraging enough even without the output. The Blues have allowed 32.1 shots and Jordan Binnington lists a .904 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Ducks at Sharks
Leo Carlsson (C - $5,100), Troy Terry (W - $5,700), Alex Killorn (W - $4,700)
I mentioned earlier the Sharks carry the league's highest GAA at a robust 3.98. They're also battling the Islanders for most shots allowed and the Wild for worst penalty-kill percentage. The Ducks' first line hasn't spent a lot of time together, though I'd still stack them Saturday.
Carlsson, the second-overall pick in the 2023 Draft, recently returned from injury. The Swede has recorded 15 points in only 25 games, with seven of those coming with the extra man. Sandwiching a three-game absence, Terry has been on fire with six goals and six assists across 14 outings with a 17.1 shooting percentage that's entirely sustainable considering he once posted a 19.3 over a full season. It took Killorn some time to get in the groove after joining the Ducks, but he's racked up 11 points in 15 matchups. And in Tampa, he notched three 20-goal seasons in each of the NHL's last three non-COVID-truncated seasons.
Bruins vs. Canadiens
Pavel Zacha (C - $5,300), James van Riemsdyk (W - $5,300), Jake DeBrusk (W - $5,100)
Boston's top line, the one with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand on the wings, obviously boasts the most talent and potential. When it comes to salary outlay, I'd prefer the second trio Saturday. The Canadiens enter with a 3.38 GAA while giving up 33.8 shots. They also maintain a bottom-five penalty kill and all three of these players see some power-play time, if only van Riemsdyk is currently on the top unit.
Zacha has registered four points in his last six games. On the season, he's averaged 3:02 with the extra man, so it feels entirely possible he'll be back on the lead group - even as soon as Saturday. JVR's 8.0 shooting percentage has kept his goal total down, yet he's produced 20 assists. He's also tallied 11 points on the power play. I feel like DeBrusk is streaky and if that's true, he's on one of those runs with six goals and five assists over his last 12 appearances.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS at STL ($6,800): Carlson started the season slow, but has seven points from his last eight games. The defenseman also still has a 3.2 shooting percentage, decidedly below his career 6.3 number. Given Jordan Binnington's .904 save percentage, Carlson has an opportunity to improve his goal-scoring accuracy.
Thomas Harley, DAL at NJD ($6,200): Two things are true. One, Harley hasn't been as productive as I hoped for after getting an uptick in minutes and power-play time following Miro Heiskanen's injury. Two, he still has nine goals and 12 assists. So Harley has still been productive, and the Devils are still on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday.
Cam Fowler, ANA at SAN ($4,400): Instead of taking it easy on a rebuilding team, Fowler has averaged 25:21. While his scoring hasn't been consistent, he's managed three points across six outings. Given the Sharks' 3.98 GAA and horrible penalty kill, Fowler is primed to add to his point total.
