DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

Because of the Oilers-Canucks postponement, we have just eight games this evening starting at 7 p.m. EDT. There are a couple of rematches from last night, including Sharks-Kings and Blues-Avalanche. The Panthers-Blue Jackets and Hurricanes-Stars will go again Sunday as well. 

All advanced statistics are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick. 

GOALIES

Igor Shesterkin, NYR at BUF ($8,500): Shesterkin's the easy chalk Saturday. He's won five of his last six starts while putting up a .938 save percentage. The Sabres finally got a win over the Flyers on Thursday, but that just means it's time to start a new streak.

Carey Price, MON at OTT ($8,400): Jake Allen was minutes short of a shutout in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Senators; Price should be back in the blue paint tonight. He enjoyed a fantastic March, posting a .931 save percentage and a 6-1-2 record. The Senators simply haven't been meshing lately, either, recording 1.69 xGF/60 over their last five outings. 

Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. MIN ($7,800): Robin Lehner was outdueled by Cam Talbot's outstanding performance Thursday. Fleury should get a chance to right the ship. It has certainly been a bit rocky for Fleury lately, but the Wild present an unexpected opportunity to get back on track, as they rank 28th in the league with 1.71 xGF/60 at even strength over the last two weeks

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Tomas Tatar, MON vs. OTT ($4,700): Tatar was a healthy scratch earlier this year, but he looks determined to avoid that fate again. The 30-year-old has generated two goals and five assists over the last five games, and he should stay in the top six as long as Tyler Toffoli (lower body) remains out. 

Alexander Wennberg, FLA vs. CLS ($3,600): Carter Verhaeghe has stolen the thunder lately, but Wennberg has been solid, too. Wennberg handles more ice time and works on PP1 with Jonathan Huberdeau as well. That power-play presence puts him in position to exceed his valuation, as the Blue Jackets' PK (75.9 percent) ranks 25th in the league.

Ryan Donato, SJ at LA ($3,400): Donato has produced six points over the last 10 games, and he's no just getting lucky. The 24-year-old leads the Sharks over the last 10 games with 3.06 xGF/60 at even strength, and he's averaged three shots on net per game in that stretch.

LINE STACKS

Rangers at Sabres

Ryan Strome (C - $6,500), Artemi Panarin (W - $8,300), Kaapo Kakko (W - $3,300)

This line has flashed chemistry over the last 10 games. Though it was across just 70 minutes of ice time, they recorded 2.55 xGF/60 at even strength. Panarin's superstar upside here is quite intriguing when paired with a salary-saving option like Kakko, and it doesn't hurt that Buffalo's defense has been pitiful.

Islanders vs. Flyers

Mathew Barzal (C - $6,200), Jordan Eberle (W - $5,100), Leo Komarov (W - $2,500)

Barzal put up three goals and five points against the Capitals on Thursday night, Eberle added two goals and an assist and Komarov notched a helper. It was a fantastic night engineered by Barzal, who has posted eight points over the last three games. Carter Hart -- who has posted an .869 save percentage this year -- will be back in net for the Flyers after getting a few nights off to recalibrate. The young goalie should eventually get back on track, but there's no reason to believe that he's there yet. 

Avalanche vs. Blues

Nazem Kadri (C - $5,800), Andre Burakovsky (W - $4,200), Brandon Saad (W - $3,300)

The Blues are starting Jordan Binnington on Friday, meaning the Saturday start will likely go to Ville Husso, who has given up 6.5 goals above expected this season. He won't have Colton Parayko (back) to ease the defensive woes, either. The ceiling for this line is certainly lower than rolling with MacKinnon, but the cost savings are worth it. After all, this trio has posted 2.68 xGF/60 at even strength over the last 10 games. 

DEFENSEMEN

Cale Makar, COL vs. STL ($6,000): I like Makar for the same reasons I like the Avalanche forward stack. Husso has been rocky this year, and the Blues 26th-ranked PK (74.6 percent) has been troublesome regardless of who's in net. Of Makar's 22 points this year, 10 have been with the man advantage. 

Erik Karlsson, SJ at LA ($4,500): Karlsson has been showing a bit of life lately. He's been skating well and is finally converting with four points in as many games. The Kings provide an appealing chance to keep it rolling, as they've allowed 3.22 xG/60 over the last two weeks -- the most in the league.

Gustav Forsling, FLA vs. CLS ($3,900): Forsling was starting to take on a larger role before Aaron Ekblad's gruesome injury. Now, he's locked into the top pairing. The 24-year-old has impressed lately, too, putting up seven points over the last 13 games. The price is right, and the ceiling is increased against a shaky Blue Jackets squad. 

Nick Leddy, NYI vs. PHI ($3,700): Leddy's daily fantasy salary is a head-scratcher, but perhaps it's because he's more of a distributor than a goal scorer. The 30-year-old posted 11 helpers over 16 games in March, and he's totaled 25 points -- nine with the man advantage -- over 37 outings this year. His ceiling gets a boost against Philadelphia's 29th-ranked PK (73.3 percent). 

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.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NHL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NHL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
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.
Best NHL Bets Today: Stanley Cup Playoffs Parlay Picks for Monday, April 22
Best NHL Bets Today: Stanley Cup Playoffs Parlay Picks for Monday, April 22
DraftKings NHL: Monday Breakdown
DraftKings NHL: Monday Breakdown
FanDuel NHL: Monday Targets
FanDuel NHL: Monday Targets
Nashville Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks, Game 1 NHL Odds, Expert Picks & Predictions for April 21
Nashville Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks, Game 1 NHL Odds, Expert Picks & Predictions for April 21
DraftKings NHL: Sunday Breakdown
DraftKings NHL: Sunday Breakdown
FanDuel NHL: Sunday Targets
FanDuel NHL: Sunday Targets