This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Saturday's NHL main slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features eight games. We only get hockey on this date once every four years, so take advantage. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Canucks-Maple Leafs game figures to feature plenty of offense on both sides, while the Penguins remain favored in San Jose despite their recent slide and the Senators could be a surprising source of value against the lowly Red Wings. With the league's three worst penalty kills (Buffalo, Nashville, Detroit) all in action, picking out power-play specialists should also pay off in this slate.
GOALIES
Jordan Binnington ($8,600) has won each of his past five starts, allowing just eight goals in the process. Now that he's back in a groove, the Blues netminder is an appealing option in what figures to be a low-scoring affair against a Dallas team that's averaging just 2.69 goals per game.
Antti Raanta ($8,300) has a 2.65 GAA and .921 save percentage, while Darcy Kuemper ($7,400) owns a 2.17 GAA and .929 save percentage. Whichever Coyotes goalie gets the nod for this home tilt against a Sabres team that fell to 10-17-4 on the road with Friday's loss in Vegas will be well positioned to add to Buffalo's road woes.
Marcus Hogberg ($7,400) has done a good job keeping an often overmatched Ottawa team in games, posting a .909 save percentage while earning at least one point in 12 of 19 decisions. The Senators will be clear favorites for a change with the last-place Red Wings in town, making Hogberg a nice value option against a Detroit offense that's trudging along at 1.97 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Phil Kessel ($5,500) has been a disappointment overall in his first season with the Coyotes, but he remains a premier threat on the power play, leading the team in both goals (nine) and points (17) with the extra man. Those power-play skills should translate to success against Buffalo's league-worst, 74.0 percent penalty kill.
If it wasn't for Buffalo, Nashville would have the league's worst penalty kill at 74.1 percent, and the Predators rank among the 10 worst defensive teams overall with 3.14 goals allowed per game. Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon ($8,700) has tremendous upside in such a favorable matchup, as he ranks fifth in points (85) and fourth in power-play points (29) league-wide.
Tomas Tatar ($6,500) continues to lead Montreal offensively, with team highs in both goals (22) and points (58) through 66 games. The veteran winger has a nice opportunity to add to his scoring totals in this home matchup against a Carolina team that's finishing up a back-to-back set and still without its top two goalies.
Sticking in the Hurricanes-Canadiens game, Carolina's Teuvo Teravainen ($6,600) has taken on more of a shoot-first mentality recently, firing 17 shots on net in the past four games and getting rewarded for it with a two-goal effort Friday against Colorado. Teravainen's 59 points are just three back of Sebastian Aho's team-leading total, but the winger is $1,300 cheaper.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Maple Leafs vs. Canucks
Auston Matthews (C - $8,900), Mitchell Marner (W - $7,200), Zach Hyman (W - $5,100)
Toronto's top line has tremendous upside at home against a Canucks team that's trying to get by without starting goalie Jacob Markstrom (knee). Matthews' 44 goals are good for second in the NHL, Marner has an impressive 15-48-63 line in 54 games, and Hyman has added a 20-16-36 line in 46 games. Meanwhile, interim starter Thatcher Demko has allowed 15 goals in his last four starts for Vancouver.
Penguins at Sharks
Evgeni Malkin (C - $7,800), Bryan Rust (W - $5,000), Patric Hornqvist (W - $5,400)
Pittsburgh comes into this one mired in a five-game losing streak, but the Penguins should snap out of their funk against a Sharks team that's 1-5-0 in its last six games and has been hampered by poor goaltending all season en route to 3.25 goals allowed per game. This is Pittsburgh's most dangerous line, as Malkin leads the team in points (63) and ranks second in goals (21), while Rust leads in goals (24) and ranks second in points (50). They've both reached those totals in just 49 appearances. Meanwhile, Hornqvist is closing out a terrific month of February that's included a 4-6-10 line and 47 shots in 12 games.
Senators vs. Red Wings
Joshua Norris (C - $3,200), Brady Tkachuk (W - $6,200), Bobby Ryan (W - $4,200)
The Senators are a bottom-tier team, but there's a massive gulf between them and the last-place Red Wings, who are allowing 3.79 goals per game. Norris was dominating at the AHL level with a 30-28-58 line in 52 games prior to getting called up, and the 19th overall selection from the 2017 draft hasn't looked overwhelmed at the NHL level, with six shots and a plus-2 rating through two games. Tkachuk is top-three on the team in both goals (18) and points (39), while leading the Senators in shots by 63 with 238. Ryan delivered one of the best stories of the season with a hat trick in just his second game back (and first home game) after an extensive layoff in the league's player assistance program Thursday, and he'll be inspired to follow that effort up with another strong performance here.
DEFENSEMEN
Quinn Hughes ($5,300) just keeps racking up points, as his 8-43-51 line includes 12 helpers in his last nine games. The productive Canucks defenseman's passing ability and vision should allow him to thrive against a risk-taking Maple Leafs team that figures to leave plenty of open ice in its hunt for offense.
Colorado's Cale Makar ($5,400) does much of his damage on the power play, as his 17 points with the extra man rank second on the team behind MacKinnon's 29. Nashville's vulnerable penalty kill will have a hard time containing the talented defenseman.
Neal Pionk ($4,600) has been fantastic for Winnipeg over the past 11 games, totaling a 1-8-9 line along with 38 shots and 14 blocked shots. He's a bargain at $4,600 in Edmonton.
Keep an eye on Pittsburgh's John Marino ($3,500), who is out with an injury to his face but has been traveling with the team and practicing in full capacity. If Marino gets the all-clear to make his return in San Jose, he should provide excellent value at just $3,500 given his 5-20-25 line in 51 games.
