This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to get into the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. A four-team tournament with no history? The hockey was good, though, and I ended up enjoying it (though I was not so invested that I was disappointed that the U.S. lost to Canada in the championship). Now, though, it's time to get back to NHL hockey, which I am very much invested in, and you likely are as well.
Injuries and fatigue stemming from the 4 Nations Face-Off will assuredly impact Saturday's games, but the schedule is packed to the brim. There are 14 games on the slate, and a whopping 10 games included in the DFS docket. That's with a starting time of 6:00 p.m. ET, though, which is an hour earlier than usual. Onto the DFS recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
You don't need to be told no team is on the second leg of a back-to-back, right? However, Sunday is also a packed schedule, so we have a ton of teams on the first day of a back-to-back, and that means a lot more goaltending uncertainty than the norm. There's one bit of 4 Nations Face-Off fallout: Eric Comrie is starting for the Jets on Saturday.
GOALIES
Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. ANA ($8,400): Swayman was part of Team USA, but as a third-string netminder who didn't see any action. He'll get back to it Saturday with a great matchup. Not only are the Bruins at home, but the Ducks are last in the NHL in scoring (2.48 goals per game).
Darcy Kuemper, LAK vs. UTA ($8,100): Kuemper dipped out before the break for personal reasons, but he should be back Saturday, and he will bring with him a .918 save percentage. The Kings also happen to be second in shots on net allowed per game. Utah is below average in terms of goals and shots on net per contest, so Kuemper is in good shape.
Joey Daccord, SEA at FLA ($6,900): I quite like Daccord at this salary. He has a 2.49 GAA and a .915 save percentage through 38 games. Though Daccord is visiting the Panthers, a team with a strong offense, if you watched the 4 Nations Face-Off you know the Panthers were well-represented, and also that Matthew Tkachuk is injured.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Connor Bedard, CHI at CBJ ($7,000): Remember when Bedard started the season a bit slow and some started to murmur about a sophomore slump or if he might not even live up to the hype? Well, he has 25 points over his last 25 games and his shooting percentage is now above what it was as a rookie. He's just fine. Bedard is also facing a Columbus team with a 3.30 GAA on Saturday.
Morgan Geekie, BOS vs. ANA ($5,300): Before the break, Geekie found himself in fine form. He's tallied 11 points in his last 13 games and now finds himself on the wing on Boston's first line. The Ducks have allowed the most shots on net per game. While their 3.02 GAA is middle-of-the-road, I do not trust John Gibson and Lukas Dostal to sustain that kind of performance against this many shots.
Vladislav Namestnikov, WPG at STL ($4,000): Namestnikov was on a four-game point streak when the break hit, including three points on the power play. He had moved up to the top power-play unit. If that continues to be the case, that bodes well in this matchup. The Blues rank 30th in penalty-kill percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Blue Jackets vs. Blackhawks
Adam Fantilli (C - $7,400), Dmitri Voronkov (W - $6,800), Kirill Marchenko (W - $6,200)
The Blackhawks have landed where I expected them to be when the season began: In the bottom three in both GAA and shots on net allowed per game. Once Arvid Soderblom's unsustainable start proved unsustainable, Chicago's numbers started to reflect its talent level. Columbus struggles to prevent goals as well, but it knows how to get them. That's especially true of this trio.
Fantilli, the second-overall pick before last season, has benefited from moving to first-line center in the wake of Sean Monahan's injury. He has 17 points in 18 games since the start of the new year and has put 52 shots on net. Voronkov has surpassed his 18 goals and 34 points from his rookie season already, and he's done that in only 47 outings. He started picking up his activity in late December and has tallied 63 shots on net over his last 22 contests. Marchenko will be returning from a three-game absence owing to a jaw injury. He's having a stellar campaign, having notched 55 points in 53 games. Yes, Marchenko has been a point-a-game player.
Blues vs. Jets
Brayden Schenn (C - $3,900), Jordan Kyrou (W - $6,000), Dylan Holloway (W - $4,900)
Comrie is coming off a shutout in his last outing, and he has a .912 save percentage on the season, but that's in only 13 appearances. The 29-year-old has never played in more than 19 games in a season, which doesn't speak to much of an upside. Indeed, Comrie has a .897 save percentage in his career. The Blues' second line gets to avoid Connor Hellebuyck, and that's worth a stack, especially with Josh Morrissey also out for the Jets.
Schenn has 32 points through 56 games, but he also has three assists in his last three outings. He's also not too far removed from a run that bridged the changing of the year in which he tallied 11 points in 11 games. Kyrou has been a 30-goal scorer in each of the last two campaigns, and he has 23 goals already this year. He's also put 159 shots on net through 56 games. Without Morrissey playing his usual minutes, getting pucks on goal should be easier than usual against the Jets. Holloway has thrived in a top-six role for the Blues after being a marginal presence on the Oilers. He has 40 points in 56 games, and he's done that with an entirely sustainable 12.5 shooting percentage.
DEFENSEMEN
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. MON ($5,800): Jake Sanderson came oh-so-close to being an American hockey hero, but before the break, Chabot was no slouch himself. He has seven points and 24 shots on net over his last eight games. With Jakub Dobes getting a dose of reality in his last few outings, Sam Montembeault is likely to retake the reins, but he has a .897 save percentage himself.
Mason Lohrei, BOS vs. ANA ($4,200): First, much love to Charlie McAvoy, who has developed an infection in his already-injured shoulder. Hampus Lindholm has been on long-term injured reserve (LTRI) for good measure. Lohrei is positioned to be playing top-pair minutes for the Bruins, and also to be on the first power-play unit in McAvoy's stead. The first NHLer born in the state of Louisiana has 23 points in 52 games. In addition to allowing the most shots per game in the NHL, the Ducks rank 27th on the penalty kill.
Samuel Girard, CBJ at NAS ($3,800): There is a bit of theorizing here, as both Cale Makar and Devon Toews are coming off of playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game. Maybe Girard, who has 20 points in 54 games, will be in for a larger role. Additionally, the Predators have a 3.31 GAA and Juuse Saros' tough campaign continued at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
