This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Saturday is about as busy as it gets for the NHL. Only Buffalo and Carolina aren't in action. When it comes to DFS, though, 22 teams are dropping the puck at 7:00 p.m. ET or later. That is where I looked for my DFS lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Though Saturday is busy, only four teams played Friday, and two of those were the Sabres and Hurricanes. That means only two teams are on the second day of a back-to-back. Vegas is in Chicago, which may not impact DFS decisions much, but the Penguins are visiting the Capitals as well.
GOALIES
Marcus Hogberg, NYI vs. SJS ($8,500): Surprisingly, Hogberg has managed a 1.42 GAA and .953 save percentage in five appearances with the Islanders. While he never showed that kind of skill with the Senators, being at home against the Sharks gives me some hope he'll at least stay hot for now. Macklin Celebrini is a legitimate talent, but San Jose has still only managed 2.57 goals and 26.8 shots on net per game.
Darcy Kuemper, LAK at SEA ($7,900): Kuemper has been as hot as any goalie recently with a .971 save percentage over his last five starts. While not sustainable long-term, the Kings have also only allowed 24.8 shots on net per game. The Kraken average 26.8 shots on goal per contest, so it's quite possible Kuemper won't even face 20 shots.
Marc-Andre Fleury, MIN at NSH ($7,600): The Wild have announced Fleury is starting Saturday's game against the Predators. Minnesota is giving him a chance to get a start against the team that ranks 31st in goals per contest. While the future Hall of Famer is not as good as Filip Gustavsson, he does have a 2.54 GAA and .910 save percentage in 14 appearances.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Anders Lee, NYI vs. SJS ($5,700): With seven goals in his last nine outings, Lee has hit 20 goals for the fourth season in a row. There's plenty of time for him to hit 30 for the first time since 2017-18. Given that the Sharks are in the bottom two in GAA and shots on net allowed per game, Lee has a good chance to add to his total.
Tyler Toffoli, SJS at NYI ($4,600): Toffoli has potted a goal in each of his last two games. On the year, he's averaged 3:12 per contest with the extra man and tallied 10 power-play points. Once again, the Islanders have struggled to kill penalties and rank last on that front.
Filip Chytil, NYR vs. CBJ ($3,300): Amidst all the issues the Rangers have had of late, Chytil has managed six points and 20 shots on net over his last seven games. Columbus games have proven quite exciting this year, scoring 3.38 goals per game while allowing 3.42.
FORWARD LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Capitals vs. Penguins
Dylan Strome (C - $5,500), Tom Wilson (W - $5,500), Connor McMichael (W - $5,000)
Let's see, one of the only two teams on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday also happens to be the team with the highest GAA in the NHL. Yeah, that's an obvious choice for a stack. I've opted for Washington's second line, which is overall a better line than the top unit, even if Alex Ovechkin is not involved.
Strome offers remarkable power-play production (which Ovechkin helps make happen). He's tallied 19 power-play points, including seven in his last 11 outings. Though the Penguins are mediocre on the penalty kill, as opposed to terrible, they are also on the second night of a back-to-back and a team featuring a lot of veteran legs. Wilson has notched nine points in his last 11 games, including six goals. He's now up to 19 goals on the season, nine of them coming on the power play. McMichael has been a pleasant surprise this year, with 17 goals and 15 assists through 45 games. He's slowed down, but since the Penguins are the worst defensive team in the NHL, he could get back to that earlier form.
Lightning vs. Red Wings
Anthony Cirelli (C - $6,100), Brandon Hagel (W - $7,600), Nick Paul (W - $4,200)
Under the leadership of Todd McLellan, the Red Wings have picked it up offensively. Defensively, though, things haven't ticked up to the same degree. Detroit is in the bottom eight in GAA and shots on net allowed per game, and 31st in penalty-kill percentage. This may be a barnburner of a game, but that means Tampa's second line could produce.
Cirelli could win the Franke J. Selke Trophy this year, but because his defensive play is now matched with significant production. That's not how it should work, but that's a story for another day. The center has tallied 18 goals and 19 assists through 42 games and has shot more than even this year. Hagel has hit 20 goals for the fourth year in a row, but having done so in only 43 games, his first 40-goal season could be in the offing. That's with zero power-play goals, even though he's averaged 3:18 per contest with the extra man, but that should change. Though Paul only has 25 points, that's in 37 games played. Plus, he has scored a point in five of his last six contests.
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev, UTA vs. STL ($5,600): The Hockey Club brought Sergachev over to be the team's top defenseman and to run the point on the power play. To that end, he's averaged 3:10 per contest with the extra man and tallied 12 power-play points. Jordan Binnington has a .900 save percentage and the Blues have a bottom-10 penalty kill.
John Carlson, WAS vs. PIT ($5,400): It would be imprudent not to return to the best matchup Saturday among the blue liners. Carlson is now sharing the offensive load with Jakob Chychrun, but he remains no slouch. The long-time Capital has 28 points and 98 shots on net through 45 games. He's also averaged 23:52 per contest in ice time. Those minutes will be against the poor Penguins' defense in this one.
Jake McCabe, TOR at MTL ($2,900): McCabe returned from injured reserve with gusto. He picked up two assists, five shots on net and five blocked shots against the Devils. Can he keep that going against the Canadiens? Well, the Habs have a 3.23 GAA, so he very well might.
