This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Saturday's NHL main slate is an expansive one, with nine games on the docket after 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Penguins (at Detroit), Predators (vs. New Jersey) and Flames (vs. Los Angeles) offer the best stacking opportunities in this slate. Those aren't the only enticing options on the docket, though, as teams like the surging Wild and offensively gifted Panthers also present some potential sources of value.
GOALIES
It will be Thomas Greiss' ($7,700) turn to man the crease in the Islanders' alternating goalie rotation when his team travels to Dallas. The German netminder should build on his 10-3-0 record, 2.18 GAA and .931 save percentage in this tilt against a Stars team that's scored only seven goals en route to a 1-4-0 record in its past five games.
Alex Stalock ($7,600) is 6-0-2 in his past eight starts for the Wild. He'll look to keep rolling against a Hurricanes team that's had trouble putting the puck in the net recently, totaling nine goals in its last six games.
Matt Murray ($8,200) has struggled recently, ceding work to a locked-in Tristan Jarry. This matchup with a Detroit team that's scoring a league-low 2.10 goals per game should offer the Penguins an ideal opportunity to get their No. 1 goalie back on track.
A coaching change spurred on a 4-1-0 stretch for the Maple Leafs after they had dropped six in a row, but they've since fallen back into a rut with consecutive losses during which they were outscored 9-2. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington ($8,900) is primed to add to Toronto's recent struggles, as he's a sparkling 13-5-4 with a 2.30 GAA and .925 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Elias Lindholm ($6,100) broke out with a 78-point campaign last season, and he's backed that effort up by leading the Flames with 14 goals through 30 games. Don't expect Lindholm to slow down against a Kings team that's completing a back-to-back and ranks among the bottom 10 defensively.
Nikita Kucherov's ($8,600) bid for a third consecutive season with 100-plus points got off to a slow start, but the Russian winger's making up ground in a hurry now that he's found his groove. He has six goals and 20 points over his past 12 games heading into this home tilt against a Sharks team that ranks among the 10 most generous with 3.27 goals allowed per game.
David Krejci ($6,600) continues to be a can't-miss option while he fills in for the injured Patrice Bergeron on Boston's top line. Even against a tough Colorado team, Krejci has a good chance of outperforming his $6,600 valuation.
A major factor behind Toronto's disappointing start to the season has been a vulnerable 75.5 percent penalty kill, which ranks among the league's five most generous. The Blues player best positioned to capitalize on that weakness is David Perron ($6,700) who leads St. Louis with 15 power-play points while none of his teammates have more than 11.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Penguins at Red Wings
Evgeni Malkin (C - $8,500), Jake Guentzel (W - $8,000), Bryan Rust (W - $5,200)
Both Malkin and Rust have missed significant time due to injuries, but they've made up for lost time when out there. Malkin has a 7-16-23 line in 18 games while Rust is at 9-8-17 in 15 games. Guentzel has managed to stay healthy and leads the Penguins in both goals (15) and points (28) through 29 games, putting him on pace for back-to-back seasons with 40-plus goals. A Red Wings team that's been easily the worst in the league defensively with 3.93 goals allowed per game has little chance of successfully defending this line.
Predators vs. Devils
Kyle Turris (C - $3,700), Calle Jarnkrok (W - $4,300), Daniel Carr (W - $3,000)
This affordable line could deliver tremendous bang for the buck against a Devils team that's giving up the second-most goals per game in the league after Detroit. Turris returned with a vengeance after spending over two weeks as a healthy scratch, contributing a goal and an assist against the Lightning in his only game since being reinserted into the lineup. Jarnkrok's in the midst of a career season with a 10-8-18 line through 27 games, while Carr's failed to produce at the NHL level thus far but has torn it up in the AHL with an 11-10-21 line in 16 games.
Panthers vs. Blue Jackets
Aleksander Barkov (C - $8,100), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $7,400), Evgenii Dadonov (W - $5,700)
Florida's top line is head and shoulders above the other players involved in this contest for either team. Barkov's 32 points through 27 games actually put him on pace to top last season's 96-point output by one, even though he's shooting only 11.4 percent after converting at a 17-percent clip in 2018-19. Huberdeau leads the team in points with 33, while Dadonov's 10 goals have him on pace to finally crack 30 after consecutive 28-goal campaigns. A Blue Jackets team that's been outscored 86-70 through 28 games doesn't have the talent to keep up with this dynamic trio.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi ($5,800) should be worth paying up for on Nashville's blue line in this favorable matchup against the lowly Devils. He's in the midst of another stellar season with a 7-17-24 line through 27 games — a 73-point pace for a player who's averaged 54.8 points over the past five seasons.
Kris Letang ($6,600) is an essential part of a Pittsburgh stack against Detroit. He has three goals on 20 shots over the past five games and a 7-9-16 line in 21 games overall.
Jonas Brodin ($3,900) was tasked with stepping into a bigger role with Jared Spurgeon out due to a broken hand, and he responded with two assists Thursday. That effort gave the affordable defenseman five points in his past four games, so Brodin's worth a flier with the Wild surging.
