This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
To me, Saturday is synonymous with hockey. Maybe that's because I grew up close enough to Canada to pick up its Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts. There are 11 NHL games Saturday night and there is also an afternoon game not included for daily fantasy purposes, which means you have a lot of lineup options. Here are my recommendations.
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, TOR vs. OTT ($8,400): Andersen has been a steady goalie the last couple of years, despite a heavy workload. He's posted a .918 save percentage in both his seasons as Toronto's starter. The Senators scored 2.67 goals per game last year, but have since lost Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman, so they are even worse on paper. This looks like a win, and an easy night, for the Dane.
CENTER
Mika Zibanejad, NYR at BUF ($6,400): Zibanejad scored 27 goals on 212 shots in 72 games last year. He also averaged 2:59 per game with the extra man, scoring 21 points on the power play. The Sabres have added Carter Hutton in goal, but last season they posted a 3.39 GAA and gave up 32.7 shots on net per game. That's not likely to change overnight.
Kyle Turris, NAS at NYI ($5,100): After being dealt to the Predators, Turris started a team-leading 65.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. He posted 42 points in 65 games, including 17 on the power play. The Islanders ranked last in GAA, shots allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage last year. Although they only allowed one goal in their opener, that required 45 saves from Thomas Greiss.
WING
Mikko Rantanen, COL vs. PHI ($6,900): Rantanen broke out in a major way last season, scoring 29 goals and 84 points, including 35 on the power play. He's already off to a strong start to this season, picking up two points in Colorado's first game. Brian Elliott struggled to a .909 save percentage last year, and only managed a .910 save percentage the previous season in Calgary, so it's been a couple years since he's been described as an above-average goalie.
Patrick Marleau, TOR vs. OTT ($5,800): Age hasn't robbed Marleau of his consistency and talent yet. He scored 27 goals last year, his first with Toronto, after notching 27 in his final season with the Sharks. Thanks to the addition of John Tavares, he now gets to skate alongside Auston Matthews on the second line, which will probably pay off. The Senators slumped with a 3.46 GAA and .895 save percentage last year, and they brought back the same goalies for this season while subtracting Erik Karlsson.
Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. VAN ($5,300): Lindholm has been given a great opportunity with the Flames, as they've stuck him on their top line alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The 23-year-old possesses talent, as he was a fifth-overall pick, and should be able to produce if he keeps those two as linemates. As for the Canucks, they sported a 3.16 GAA last year.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF vs. NYR ($5,300): Ristolainen has scored at least 41 points in each of his last three seasons, and he's also averaged over 25 minutes per game. He's also been a huge power-play contributor, notching over 20 points with the extra man in his last three campaigns. The Rangers really struggled on the road last year, allowing a whopping 37.4 shots on net per contest in away games.
Justin Schultz, PIT vs. MON ($4,800): Schultz's numbers dipped a bit last season, but he's off to a strong start to this season. He picked up two assists in Pittsburgh's opener, and he played 2:55 on the power play. It's that last number that is most important, because if he remains a key part of the power play, it will help his fantasy potential. Though Carey Price is back healthy, the fact remains the Canadiens managed an NHL-worst 3.54 GAA on the road last year.
