DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

A seven-game DFS slate fires up at 7 p.m. EDT. It's expected to be a low-scoring affair, as most of the games have a 5.5 O/U, though the Maple Leafs versus the Oilers has an intriguing 6.5 O/U. 

The Flames-Jets and Coyotes-Sharks games are replays from last night, so the goalies should be fairly easy to project, though Adin Hill may start again for the Coyotes. The Hurricanes-Lightning, Panthers-Stars and Predators-Blackhawks will play again Sunday as well. 

All advanced stats are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick. 

GOALIES

Kevin Lankinen, CHI vs. NSH ($8,100): Lankinen's honeymoon is over, but he's still proven to be solid in the blue paint overall. He's recorded a .920 save percentage through 23 games, and the Predators' lethargic offense should provide a solid floor Saturday.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at CAR ($7,700): The Hurricanes are a difficult opponent on paper, but it's been a tough March for the group, as they rank 20th in the league with 2.08 xGF/60. Vasilevskiy's having another Vezina season, so it's tough to bet against him right now, especially when he's coming in at this type of bargain.

Ilya Sorokin, NYI at PIT ($7,200): Perhaps Semyon Varlamov ($7,400) will start a second straight game, but there's no reason to keep Sorokin off the ice that long. The rookie netminder has won eight straight games while posting a .944 save percentage and a 1.35 GAA. The Penguins are typically a daunting matchup, but this is a good opportunity to target them, as they're missing their entire second line. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Paul Stastny, WPG at CGY ($4,100): Stastny was promoted to the first line March 2, and he's been excellent ever since, recording seven goals, four assists and 25 shots through 13 games. Two of those points were last night, so keep it rolling tonight.

Oliver Wahlstrom, NYI at PIT ($3,400): Wahlstrom's motor keeps on roaring, as the 2018 first-round pick has collected eight goals and six assists across the last 17 games. Six of those points came with the man advantage, so his ceiling is raised against the Penguins' 17th-ranked PK (77.5 percent).

Carl Soderberg, CHI vs. NSH ($3,400): Soderberg has been skating in the bottom six, but he gets time on PP1 next to Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has been capitalizing, too, recording 11 points -- five with the man advantage -- through 16 games. Going up against Nashville's 30th-ranked PK (70.9 percent) provides major bang for your buck tonight.

LINE STACKS

Maple Leafs vs. Oilers

Auston Matthews (C - $8,900), Mitch Marner (W - $8,000), Wayne Simmonds (W - $3,400)

The Oilers will be playing their first game in a week. They haven't been bad defensively, but the Maple Leafs have been far better, ranking fourth in the league with 1.87 xGA/60 in March. This game has a 6.5 O/U, so we'll want to target one of the teams. The Maple Leafs fit the bill, and Simmonds' presence on the top line keeps the price of this line reasonable. Simmonds can contribute, too. Before his wrist injury, he posted five goals through 12 games. 

Sharks at Coyotes

Logan Couture (C - $5,600), Kevin Labanc (W - $4,000), Evander Kane (W - $7,100)

This unit has been creating chances and converting lately, recording 11 goals and nine assists through the last 10 games. This is an intriguing matchup since the Coyotes' defense has been brutal of late, ranking last in the league with 2.7 xGA/60 at even strength over the last month. The Coyotes and Sharks played last night, too, so either Adin Hill will start again or Ivan Prosvetov will make his NHL debut. 

Flames vs. Jets

Sean Monahan (C - $5,400), Elias Lindholm (C - $5,900), Johnny Gaudreau (W - $5,500)

This line rarely plays together, but they have the talent and have predictably been productive together, generating roughly one scoring chance per minute of ice time together. The opportunity is high against the Jets, who have given up 2.48 xG/60 in the month of March -- the fifth-most in the league. Even with Connor Hellebuyck in net, we've seen this defense get bad enough that the Vezina winner can't overcome it. Keep in mind that there are two centers on this line. 

DEFENSEMEN

Darnell Nurse, EDM at TOR ($6,000): Nurse has been fantastic lately, recording nine even-strength points over his last eight games. He adds a steady floor in teas of shots and blocked shots, but we also know he has plenty of upside on the power play. The Maple Leafs have given up eight power-play goals over the last 10 games -- the ninth-most in the league.

Noah Hanifin, CGY vs. WPG ($3,800): Hanifin dished out two assists last night, bringing his total to three goals and four assists through the last 11 games. His shot volume has been staying high, too, providing a solid floor at a manageable salary. He's the perfect addition to the aforementioned Calgary stack, too, as they all skate on PP1.

Nick Leddy, NYI at PIT ($3,300): Leddy has dished out eight assists across the last 10 games. He typically plays around 22 minutes per night, and he's garnered consistent power-play time, too. The Penguins' PK (77.5 percent) should raise his upside, and Leddy is a strong placeholder to allow you to spend up elsewhere regardless.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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