This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Saturday offers a busy day of hockey, which includes a nine-game NHL main slate 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
There are a few lopsided matchups on paper here, as the Penguins, Canadiens and Coyotes will be favored at home against the Kings, Red Wings and Devils. Additionally, there are two separate clashes between top-five offenses, as the Capitals-Lightning and Bruins-Panthers games both have the potential to feature a bevy of goals from both sides. The Canucks also stand out as a team to target against the reeling Sharks, and there are other sources of value to be found in this slate as well.
GOALIES
Tristan Jarry ($8,100) has three shutout wins in his last four starts. Assuming the Penguins give him the nod over struggling alternative Matt Murray, Jarry should have no problem shutting down a bottom-five Kings offense.
Darcy Kuemper ($8,800) has been arguably the best goalie in the league this season with a 14-6-2 record, 1.97 GAA and .935 save percentage. Both ratios rank second in the league behind Jarry in a much larger sample, while Kuemper is only two wins shy of Braden Holtby's league-leading total. Like Jarry, Kuemper will benefit from facing a bottom-five offense with the Devils in town.
Carey Price ($8,500) will face the worst team in the league, as Detroit's 2.18 goals per game are by far the fewest in the NHL. He's won three games in a row while allowing a total of four goals over that stretch, and the big-name goalie is set for further success in this one.
Jordan Binnington ($8,700) has shown that last year's outstanding rookie campaign was no fluke, as he owns a 14-6-4 record, 2.43 GAA and .921 save percentage. While the Blackhawks have been slightly better offensively than the teams taking on the three goalies above, they still rank in the bottom 10 with 2.66 goals per game, making this a highly favorable matchup for the Blues' young stud.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Lightning center Steven Stamkos ($8,500) has looked unstoppable over the past four games, lighting the lamp in each while totaling six goals in that stretch. He's also put at least three pucks on net in each of the past seven games, with 33 shots over that span. While some will be scared off by the Capitals, Stamkos could provide tremendous value in GPP formats considering he just overcame an even tougher matchup with two goals against Boston last game.
Bryan Rust ($5,200) scored the only goal in Thursday's win over the Blue Jackets, bringing his season line to 10-9-19 in just 18 appearances. The Penguins winger should continue his highly productive ways in this home game against a Kings team that has a league-worst 3-12-1 road record.
David Pastrnak ($8,800) has lit the lamp only once in his past six games, but he still leads the league with 26 goals. He's due for a breakout goal-scoring performance, and it could well happen against a Panthers team that's giving up 3.26 goals per game — fifth-most in the league.
Kevin Hayes' ($5,600) Flyers tenure got off to a slow start, but the offseason signing has found his game recently. Hayes is starting to resemble the player who scored 55 points last season to earn a massive payday from Philadelphia in free agency, as he has a 4-4-8 line in his past 11 games. The center is primed to add to his recent success against a Wild team that's allowing 3.28 goals per game — fourth-most in the league.
Robby Fabbri ($4,100) could pay dividends as an against-the-grain play in Montreal. He has five goals in his last six games and 15 points in 16 games since being traded to Detroit. The latter number includes team highs in goals (five) and points (seven) on the power play, and the former Blues first-rounder will have a nice opportunity to add to those totals against a 76.0 percent Canadiens penalty kill that's fourth-worst in the league.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Canadiens vs. Red Wings
Phillip Danault (C - $5,500), Brendan Gallagher (W - $7,600), Tomas Tatar (W - $6,100)
The Red Wings snapped a 12-game losing streak in their last game, but the league's last-place team is likely to return to its losing ways in Montreal, as Detroit still scores the fewest goals (2.18 per game) and gives up the most (3.94 per game). This line features Montreal's three highest-scoring forwards, and they've all been hot recently. Tatar leads the team with 28 points in 32 games, and he's delivered two goals and two assists during an active three-game point streak. Gallagher has two fewer points than Tatar but three more goals, leading the team in the latter category with 14. He's riding a five-game point streak that's included four goals and three assists. Danault's close behind with 25 points, and he's playing at a point-per-game pace over the past 15.
Canucks at Sharks
Elias Pettersson (C - $7,300), Brock Boeser (W - $7,300), J.T. Miller (W - $6,100)
The Sharks are one of three teams allowing at least 3.50 goals per game, and they've lost six in a row by a combined score of 29-10. If Vancouver's going to extend San Jose's skid, the line containing the Canucks' top three scorers in both goals and points is likely to lead the way. Pettersson leads the way with 34 points in 32 games, putting him three points ahead of J.T. Miller. Those two are tied for the team lead in goals with 13 apiece, while Boeser isn't far behind with an 11-18-29 line.
Coyotes vs. Devils
Derek Stepan (C - $4,600), Clayton Keller (W - $5,900), Vinnie Hinostroza (W - $3,900)
This line won't cost as much as more mainstream options, but it should provide excellent bang for the buck against a tired Devils team that's giving up the second-most goals per game in the league. Keller has been dominant recently, with a 3-5-8 line and 33 shots over his past seven games. Hinostroza's coming off a three-point night, while Stepan has always brought his best against the Devils dating back to his days with the Rangers. The veteran center has 13 goals and 27 points in 37 career games against New Jersey, making the Devils the only team that he's scored more than 10 goals against.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Weber ($6,900) is a necessary part of a Canadiens stack against the lowly Red Wings. His 10-16-26 line has him tied with Gallagher for second on the Canadiens in points, and Weber's 95 shots are good for third on the team behind Gallagher (122) and Joel Armia (100).
Quinn Hughes ($4,400) leads the Canucks with 22 assists, and the rookie blueliner's outstanding passing ability should translate to more points against the defensively challenged Sharks.
With the Penguins battling injuries up front, they'll be relying on Kris Letang ($6,700) to provide more offense from the back end. He should be happy to oblige against the Kings' bottom-10 defense, especially since his role on the top power-play unit will allow him to exploit a 73.3 percent Los Angeles penalty kill that's second-worst in the league. Letang has a 7-12-19 line in 24 games, including five points with the extra man.
Alex Goligoski ($4,400) is mired in a five-game point drought, but he's still on pace to top 40 with 17 points through 34 games. The veteran Coyotes defensemen will have an excellent chance to end his drought against the Devils, making this a nice buy-low opportunity.
