This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's the first Saturday of November, and we are now stuck in that time between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Fortunately, the NHL can help fill that void. There are 11 games Saturday night, and here are some intriguing names to keep in mind when building your daily fantasy lineups.
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, EDM at DET ($8,300): Talbot hasn't been great this year, but he does have a 2.64 GAA and .911 save percentage over his last eight starts. This is mostly about the matchup, though. The Red Wings have only scored 2.62 goals per game, and managed only 28.2 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Leon Draisaitl, EDM at DET ($6,000): The Wings aren't just bad offensively. They have a 3.69 GAA, and have given up 34.0 shots on net per game as well. That bodes well for Draisaitl, who provides the necessary secondary scoring behind Connor McDavid the Oilers so desperately need. Centering his own line, the German has 14 points in 12 games, including six on the power play.
Erik Haula, VGK vs. CAR ($4,500): After a slow start, Haula has four points in his last five games. He only has one point on the power play, but he had 19 last season in 76 games. That could pay off in this matchup, as the Hurricanes have the league's lowest-ranked penalty kill, and they are also on the road for the second night of a back-to-back.
WING
Tomas Hertl, SAN vs. PHI ($6,200): Hertl has 46 points in two of his last three seasons, but he seems primed to best that this year. The 24-year-old already has 13 points in 13 games, and his 13.9 shooting percentage is certainly sustainable. Meanwhile, the Flyers have struggled mightily in net this year, as they have a league-high 3.85 GAA and a woeful .865 team save percentage.
Mikael Granlund, MIN at STL ($5,800): Granlund has been hot recently, as he's currently enjoying a nine-game point streak. That includes four power-play points in his last three games. The Blues have a 3.82 GAA, and last year their No. 1 goalie Jake Allen had a .906 save percentage, so it's not likely they are going to turn things around too much.
Jaden Schwartz, STL vs. MIN ($4,900): Schwartz is off to a slow start, but he's bound to improve given his unlucky 4.8 percent shooting. The fact he's averaged 3:08 per game on the power play also helps. The Wild have allowed 34.8 shots on goal per game, and they also struggled on the road last season, posting a 3.41 away GAA.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. CHI ($6,500): Not having Dougie Hamilton around hasn't slowed Giordano down at all. He already has 14 points, even though he's only shooting at a 4.3 percent clip. The 34-year-old has put 46 shots on goal in 14 games, which is a lot for a defenseman. The Blackhawks have a 3.64 GAA, and even though some of that is from goalies who aren't Corey Crawford, Crawford only has a .909 save percentage since returning from his lengthy injury absence.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. CAR ($4,200): Theodore has three points in his last four games, but he's been active offensively all season. He's put 35 shots on net through 13 games, and he's played 3:27 per game on the power play. As previously noted, the Hurricanes rank last in penalty-kill percentage. Plus, Scott Darling has the best save percentage on the team, and it's only .903 (and he's only played in one game).
