This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's the home stretch of the NHL regular season. Saturday is busy with six games starting at 7 p.m. EDT or later. These are the matchups that make up the DFS main slate, so that's where these recommendations are pulled from. Good luck!
SLATE PREVIEW
Two teams are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. The Flyers head to Columbus after playing in Buffalo while the Oilers go from home to travel to face the Flames. There are several clubs on the first of two nights, which could flip around some goaltending situations.
GOALIES
Juuse Saros, NAS at NYI ($7,800): As Saros got off to a slow start, he'll probably fall below his career .917 save percentage. However, he's still managed a .918 over his last 28 outings. The Islanders rank 23rd in goals, so this should be a favorable matchup for Saros.
Jet Greaves, CLM vs. PHI ($7,300): It's a gamble, but I think Greaves is a gamble worth taking. Elvis Merzlikins has been declared out for Saturday and Daniil Tarasov left the last game with an injury. That leaves Greaves, a 23-year-old goalie with a career .923 save percentage…in five appearances. The sample size may not be robust, though the Flyers are 24th in goals and will be on the road for the second straight day. I'd roll the dice.
VALUE PLAYS
Viktor Arvidsson, LOS vs. VAN ($6,000): After missing a long time with injury, Arvidsson has produced six points and 26 shots in eight games. He's also averaged 3:21 with the extra man. The Canucks maintain a just-below-average penalty kill, yet they also don't have Thatcher Demko. Casey DeSmith enters with an .895 save percentage, so he's not exactly doing a Demko impression.
Erik Haula, NJD at OTT ($4,600): The idea with Haula is that his linemates are way too good for him to fail. After all, he's centering a unit between Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Haula admittedly only has four points in his last 15 games, but he's directed 36 shots on net during that stretch. The Senators have struggled to a 3.49 GAA, putting them in the bottom-five. If Haula can take advantage of his elite wingers, that's where he becomes a nice value.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Predators at Islanders
Ryan O'Reilly (C - $6,700), Filip Forsberg (W - $9,500), Gustav Nyquist (W - $7,000)
This is one of the NHL's best first lines. They also make up the forward trio on the top power play. The Islanders maintain the league's worst penalty kill. The end. Except for, you know, all the stuff below.
With 63 points, O'Reilly is having his best season in a while. Moving to Nashville and skating with Forsberg has helped. So has the power play. O'Reilly has averaged 3:22 with the extra man with a whopping 14 power-play goals. Forsberg is the best forward in the history of the Nashville franchise, and he's enjoying his best season with 43 goals on a staggering 313 shots with 44 assists and 28 power-play points. (Martin Erat could not be reached for comment.) Nyquist is another new addition to the Predators, and he's also enjoyed a career year with 71 points, including 22 PPPs.
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. PHI ($7,400): Werenski has been a bright spot for the Blue Jackets, which was to be expected as long as he could stay healthy. By his standards, he has with 49 points and 191 shots through 64 appearances. The Flyers don't allow a lot of shots, but they'll be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. When shots get to Samuel Ersson, he's posted an .891 save percentage.
Luke Hughes, NJD at OTT ($5,100): Hughes is on a five-game scoring streak. Only two of those points have come on the power play, though 23 of 43 this year have come with the extra man. Hughes has come to the right place in Ottawa with their 30th-ranked penalty kill.
