DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

There's an 11-game DraftKings slate tonight starting at 7 p.m. EST with eight games firing up at the same time. Six of the games will have rematches Sunday, so it's essential to keep an eye out for goalie confirmations, as plenty of No. 2 netminders will get the starting nod. 

The Blues and Panthers are the top favorites, coming in at (-170) on the betting markets. The Bruins vs. the Capitals is even money. We'll be targeting the Panthers in net as such, but fading the Blues may be a wise choice in this situation. Furthermore, leaning on the Bruins should be far more dependable than the Caps based on the current makeup of each team, including the possible return of David Pastrnak

GOALIES

Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA at DET ($8,200): Bobrovsky hasn't been very good to start the season despite winning both of his starts so far. He should be back in net Saturday, and the matchup couldn't be better. The Red Wings continue to struggle, rounding out as last in the league with 1.65 xGF/60. In total, they've scored just 14 goals through eight games.

Jaroslav Halak, BOS at WAS ($7,500): The Capitals are typically a daunting matchup, but they're merely mediocre when Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov are out of the fold. Halak has been superb so far this year with a .938 save percentage, and he could get David Pastrnak back for added offensive support.

John Gibson, ANH vs. STL ($6,900): The Ducks have looked decent so far, but Gibson is the only reason they're still above water at 3-2-2. The 27-year-old has posted a .942 save percentage and a 1.87 GAA. The Blues are still viewed as a formidable opponent, but they win games in a low-scoring fashion, ranking 25th in the league with 1.88 xGF/60. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG vs. VAN ($5,900): After four straight 20-goal seasons, Ehlers looks like he's reaching another level with five goals and six helpers through seven games. He won't keep up the 20.8 shooting rate for long, but he typically hovers around 13 percent and has enough shot volume to stay productive. 

Chris Kreider, NYR vs. PIT ($4,400): Kreider surpassed the 20-goal mark in five of the last six games, but he's been a bit cold to start the year with just two tallies through seven games. His shot volume (11) is down despite getting plenty of playing time, particularly with the man advantage. The Penguins provide a substantial opportunity to get back on track, having allowed opponents to score on 26.9 percent of power-play chances. 

Anthony Duclair, FLA at DET ($3,800): Duclair racked up 23 goals last year but has yet to light the lamp. Instead, he's stacked up five apples through four contests, all of which were at even strength. Whether he scores or not, the offensive opportunities should be plentiful, as the Wings have given up 3.63 goals per game.

Jordan Kyrou, STL at ANH ($3,800): Kyrou is the Blues' leading scorer with seven points in as many games, including three goals and 20 shots on net. The 22-year-old continues to skate on the second line. He seems to be the lifeblood of this team, and his minutes should soon increase from its current 13:04 average.

Blake Coleman, TB vs. NSH ($3,500): Coleman is off to a decent start with the Lightning, accruing three points through four games. He's not getting power-play time, but this matchup is quite intriguing despite that. The Predators have given up 3.2 goals per game this year, 

LINE STACKS

Oilers vs. Leafs

Connor McDavid (C - $8,400), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $7,300), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $4,300) 

McDavid is up to his usual tricks, while Nugent-Hopkins and Puljujarvi have combined for nine points in as many games. The trio has recorded 4.53 xGF/60 while skating together. Now, they have an excellent opportunity to capitalize, as the Maple Leafs rank 25th in the league with 2.37 xGA/60.

Islanders at Flyers

Mathew Barzal (C - $6,500), Jordan Eberle (W - $5,200), Anders Lee (W - $5,800) 

Carter Hart's tough stretch (which was followed by an epic stick destruction) wasn't all his fault. But his subsequent bounce-back win over the Devils doesn't mean things are back to normal for the Flyers. They've still given up the 2.37 xGA/60 -- the eighth-most in the league -- so far, including 15 goals over the past four games. The team is on a collision course with this Islanders' line, which has stacked up 15 points through eight contests. 

Canucks at Jets

Bo Horvat (C - $6,600), Nils Hoglander (W - $3,700), Tanner Pearson (W - $3,500) 

While Connor Hellebucyk was the Vezina Trophy winner last season, he's been quite inconsistent this season, finishing with worse than an .890 save percentage in three of five starts, all of which he let up three-plus goals. Meanwhile, the Canucks' top line, driven by Horvat, has stacked up six goals over 10 games and 76:42 of ice time together.

DEFENSEMEN

Adam Fox, NYR vs. PIT ($6,400): Four of the five points that Fox has picked up have been on the power play, and he's averaged a whopping 23:55 of ice time thus far. He's been stellar defensively with 16 blocked shots as well. This adds a solid opportunity, especially against the Penguins' struggling PK.

Quinn Hughes, VAN at WPG ($5,700): The Penguins' PK is pretty bad, but the Jets' is even worse, rounding out at 68.4 percent. These are the situations where Hughes can come through, as he's accrued 11 points -- five on the power play -- through 10 contests. 

Charlie McAvoy, BOS at WAS ($4,900): It took McAvoy a few days to get going, but he's heating up with five points over the last three games. With Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara gone, he's averaged 25:05 per contest, adding 12 blocked shots and nine shots on net in that stretch. Washington's lowly PK (71.1 percent) is the only barrier to success.

Neal Pionk, WPG vs. VAN ($4,200): Pionk is back at it, accruing five helpers through the first seven contests. He's a fixture in the top four, and the matchup against the Canucks is quite appealing, as they've given up three or more goals in five of 10 games.

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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