This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Saturday has seven games on its evening slate, but it also has an unusually busy afternoon. There are five games included in the early contests, so it seems unfair to completely leave you in the dark about those. Here are some recommendations for the afternoon slate:
GOALIE: Ryan Miller, VAN at BOS ($7,300)
CENTER: Jordan Staal, CAR at DAL ($4,700)
WING: Mike Hoffman, OTT vs. NYI ($5,900), Teuvo Teravainen, CAR at DAL ($3,900)
DEFENSE: Johnny Boychuk, NYI at OTT ($4,500)
Now onto the evening!
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, TOR vs. BUF ($7,900): The Sabres are 9-13-6 on the road, and they've only scored 2.44 goals per game. Buffalo has been strong on the power play, but the Leafs can neutralize it with their eighth-ranked penalty kill. Plus, the Sabres rank dead last in penalty-kill percentage, while the Maple Leafs rank second on the power play, so Andersen should get the goal support he needs to pick up the win. Even if he isn't perfect, getting the win is the most important thing for goalies in DFS.
CENTER
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. COL ($5,800): Zibanejad has only scored two goals since returning from injury, but he has four assists in his last five games. The Rangers have averaged 3.39 goals per game, while the Avalanche have given up a league-worst 3.35 goals per contest. Zibanejad has talent around him, especially as he's currently listed as the top-line center for New York. Even if he doesn't light the lamp Saturday, and given Colorado's defensive woes he definitely could, it wouldn't be surprising in the least to see him pick up another helper or two.
Tyler Bozak, TOR vs. BUF ($4,700): As previously mentioned, the Sabres have the worst penalty kill in the league. Bozak has tallied 11 power-play points while averaging 2:31 per game with the extra man. It hasn't all been power-play production for him either. In four of his last five games, he's picked up an even-strength point.
WING
Phil Kessel, PIT at ARI ($6,400): Kessel has been an outstanding power-play weapon this season, as he's notched 24 power-play points while playing 3:39 per game with the extra man. Arizona has the 26th-ranked penalty kill, which is something he can definitely take advantage of. The Coyotes have also allowed a whopping 33.6 shots on net per game, and Kessel has tallied 149 shots on goal in 53 games.
Mats Zuccarello, NYR vs. COL ($6,100): Zuccarello, who is playing as New York's top line right winger, has an offensive zone start percentage of 33.08, which is fourth-highest on the Rangers. As mentioned earlier, Colorado has allowed 3.35 goals per game, which is worst in the league by 0.18 goals per game. Zuccarello has also been hot recently, as over his last 12 games he's notched 11 points and 41 shots on goal. Additionally, his 7.9 shooting percentage is the worst of his career, so more goals could be on the way. Given the way Colorado has played, perhaps this will be the time for Zuccarello's luck to turn around.
Evander Kane, BUF at TOR ($5,200): Yes, the Leafs' Andersen was selected as the goalie to be highlighted in this article, but there's still reason to be intrigued by Kane. Over his last 15 games, he's tallied 71 shots on goal, which is more than any other player in the NHL over the last 30 days. The results have been solid, as he's notched seven goals and added five assists in that time. Toronto has allowed quite a few shots per game (32.6), so Kane could remain a busy bee. Even if he doesn't score, at this price he doesn't necessarily need to in order to provide good fantasy value.
DEFENSE
Kevin Shattenkirk, STL at MON ($5,100): Despite the presence of Carey Price, the Canadiens actually rank 23rd on the penalty kill, although lately Price could actually be considered part of the problem, as he has a 3.16 GAA and a .897 percentage over his last 17 games. Shattenkirk has a whopping 18 power-play points, and he's averaged 3:06 a game with the extra man. On top of that, he's just as offensively oriented at even strength, as his offensive zone start percentage is 37.71.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI vs. PIT ($4,500): Ekman-Larsson has perhaps not lived up to expectations this season, but he does have eight points over his last 12 games. On top of that, Pittsburgh isn't as strong defensively as they are offensively. The Penguins have allowed 32.2 shots on net per contest, and their penalty kill ranks 22nd in the NHL. Ekman-Larson has averaged 3:51 per game with the extra man, and he's tallied 15 power-play points in that time, so even if the Coyotes are getting shelled by Pittsburgh, his fantasy potential remains high.
