This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Oh hi there! Welcome back, NHL fans! Yes, the NHL regular season is beginning Friday. Did it sneak up on you? That's OK! After all, there is only one game Friday, and it's taking place in Prague, Czechia. The Predators and Sharks are squaring off to open the NHL regular season in a kind of weird way, but what are you going to do? Play DFS hockey, of course!
These are single-game contest rules. You have $120 in salary to spend on five players. One is your Superstar who earns 1.5 times the points. Puck drops 2:00 p.m. EDT! Here are my lineup recommendations.
SUPERSTAR
Filip Forsberg, NAS vs. SAN ($27): Obviously, this is a new season with new lineups and schemes. We can only take so much from last season. That being said, Forsberg had 42 goals and 42 assists in 69 games last year. He tends to get injured, but when he plays, he's a top goal scorer and shot producer, and he's healthy now. Over his last five seasons, James Reimer has a .909 save percentage.
FLEX
Juuse Saros, NAS vs. SAN ($39): Going with a goalie here. Last season, San Jose was 30th in goals per game. The Sharks didn't really add talent in the offseason, but lost Brent Burns. This is a rebuilding squad in my mind. Saros had a 2.64 GAA last season, but a .918 save percentage. It was his first full season as a starter, and he was up to the task.
Timo Meier, SAN vs. NAS ($23): At times, Meier was the Sharks' offense in the 2021-22 season. San Jose averaged 2.57 goals and 2.93 shots on net per contest, and Meier had 35 goals and a whopping 326 shots on net. This is the first game of the season, and it is on neutral ice. If the offenses are ahead of the defenses and thing get a little sloppy, Meier would be the guy to take care of business for the Sharks.
Logan Couture, SAN vs. NAS ($17): Couture has been a steady presence for years for the Sharks. When he plays over 60 games, he scores at least 20 goals. Last year he also had 17 power-play points. The Predators, for their part, ranked 18th on the penalty kill last season.
Ryan Johansen, NAS vs. SAN ($14): I have questions about Johansen replicated his numbers from last year when he had 26 goals and 37 assists. His 22.0 shooting percentage isn't likely to be replicated. That being said, he is consistently a playmaker, and while he isn't slated to be on Nashville's top line, he will be on the power play. Last season he averaged 3:02 with the extra man and had 24 points on that front. At this salary, that gives him upside potential.
