We're back! That is to say we're back with NHL DFS contests, and I'm back to giving you lineup recommendations. Saturday has 12 games on the slate, with the first ones starting at 7 p.m. EST. Every team has been off since Tuesday. Let's get right back into it.
SLATE PREVIEW
Nobody is on the second leg of a back-to-back unless somebody was playing shinny on Boxing Day. In terms of teams on the first leg of a back-to-back, the only one with a goalie situation I'd monitor is if the Blackhawks save Spencer Knight for a home game against the Penguins on Sunday and allow Arvid Soderblom to start Saturday. The difference between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonas Johansson is also significant, though it would be wild if the Lightning didn't give Vasilevskiy the nod on Saturday against the Panthers.
GOALIES
Jesper Wallstedt, MIN at WPG ($8,000): The Wild haven't stuck to rotating starts, but Filip Gustavsson started last time out and it would probably enthuse their fans to see Wallstedt in goal coming out of the break based on his 2.10 GAA and .933 save percentage. The Jets also have a high-quality netminder, though they're also below-average in both goals and shots per game.
Dustin Wolf, CGY vs. EDM ($7,000): I'm recommending Wolf against an Oilers team heading into the break with Connor McDavid as hot as anyone in sports. I have my reasons. This salary level helps, to be sure. Wolf has also posted a 2.08 GAA and .928 save percentage across 13 home appearances this season. The Oilers also don't have Tristan Jarry and traded Stuart Skinner, leaving Calvin Pickard in the opposing net for the road side. So there's actually a decent chance Wolf gets a win on Saturday.
Juuse Saros, NAS at STL ($6,800): I can't quite figure out why Saros carries the lowest salary of any Saturday goalie. In terms of matchup, the Blues have averaged 2.50 goals and 25.5 shots. And Saros hasn't been playing poorly with a 2.58 GAA and .917 save percentage over his last nine starts.
VALUE PLAYS
Tage Thompson, BUF vs. BOS ($6,900): The Sabres are riding a seven-game win streak while Thompson has recorded six goals and four assists in his last eight outings. He's also put 125 shots on net overall. The Bruins are one of six teams to have allowed an average of at least 30.0 shots and Jeremy Swayman has give up five or more goals in three of his last nine games.
John Tavares, TOR vs. OTT ($6,800): I know Tavares only has four power-play points so far, yet he's racked up at least 20 during each of the last four seasons while currently averaging 2:59 with the extra man. He's someone you can count on to be productive on that group facing an Ottawa team ranked 31st on the penalty kill.
Luke Evangelista, NAS at STL ($5,200): Evangelista came into this campaign with a career 9.2 shooting percentage, so his 6.2 isn't exactly a result of bad puck luck. He's also tallied 15 points from his last 15 games with at least four shots in each of his last three. The Blues don't allow a lot of shots, but they've still struggled to a 3.39 GAA due to poor goaltending.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Senators at Maple Leafs
Dylan Cozens (C - $6,100), Drake Batherson (W - $6,500), David Perron (W - $4,400)
The Leafs have conceded 31.1 shots per game, which is second-highest in the NHL. While they've gotten some reasonable netminding, they still list a 3.33 GAA. The Sens aren't fully healthy, but enough to carry enough depth to stack their second line.
Cozens is on pace to finish with a double-digit shooting percentage for the second time in his career, and he scored 31 goals for the Sabres the last time he did that. He also has four multi-point efforts over his last eight outings. You can lock Batherson in for over 20 goals and 60 points for the fourth straight year. He'll pass those numbers and then some having registered at least two points from five of his last 10. Perron hasn't been as productive as his linemates on the season, but he's been getting in on the fun as of late by posting 10 points during his last 13 matchups.
Flames vs. Oilers
Mikael Backlund (C - $5,100), Blake Coleman (W - $5,000), Connor Zary (W - $4,000)
I found myself deciding between stacking a line from the Flames or the Canucks, two of the league's lesser attacks. Both are at home and face favorable matchups. I ultimately opted for Calgary as Calvin Pickard comes in with an .861 save percentage and 3.93 GAA and an .887 through 102 NHL outings since he left Colorado a decade ago.
Backlund is on a three-game point run that includes two games with multiple goals. He's also directed at least three shots on net in six straight. Coleman scored 30 goals two seasons ago, though fell to 15 last year thanks to a shooting percentage of 7.7 and has bounced back up to 11.9. He's found the back of the net 10 times to go with seven assists, including four points during his last five games. Even though Zary hasn't managed to log more than 63 games in a season, he's potted at least 13 goals in each of his previous two campaigns. He started cold this year, though eight of his 10 points have come in the last 14.
DEFENSEMEN
MacKenzie Weegar, CGY vs. EDM ($5,800): This season had been a disaster for Weegar, but I speak in the past tense for a reason as he's produced seven points from his last seven games with 29 shots and 22 blocked shots during the last nine. He's projected to face Calvin Pickard (or third-stringer Connor Ingram) on Saturday, so that should help his stat line.
Filip Hronek, VAN vs. SAN ($5,100): With Quinn Hughes in Minnesota, one might assume Hronek is now taking on a large role for the Canucks, though he was already averaging over 24 minutes when the trade went down. His responsibilities haven't really changed, which has helped him post 20 points and he's reached at least 33 during each of the previous four campaigns. As for the Sharks, they're last in GAA and shots allowed.
Bowen Byram, BUF vs. BOS ($4,600): Byram managed two goals and assist last time out, but this is about more than that. He's also produced eight goals and nine assists this season while twice getting to double-digits in the former over his career, which is impressive for a 24-year-old defenseman. The Bruins have fallen into the bottom-10 in GAA and shots allowed. I doubt Byram records another three points, yet could easily get on the scoresheet.
