This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Your heart-shaped boxes of chocolate have been raided, and your roses are beginning to wilt. Why not turn your attention from romance to hockey? There are nine NHL games Saturday night. Here are my recommendations for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, TOR at ARI ($8,200): Andersen has a 2.57 GAA and .923 save percentage, and he's picked up a win in five straight starts. As per usual, the Coyotes have been largely punchless on offense. They have only averaged 2.60 goals per game, so even on the road I have faith in Andersen.
CENTER
Dylan Strome, CHI vs. CLM ($5,000): Strome is finally showing why he was the third overall pick in 2015, if not with the team that drafted him. After being dealt from the Coyotes, Strome has 31 points in 34 games for the Blackhawks, and he's already earned a second-line center role. Meanwhile, since the start of 2019, Sergei Bobrovsky has struggled in net. He's posted a 3.30 GAA and .882 save percentage in 12 outings.
Bryan Little, WPG vs. OTT ($4,700): Mark Scheifele is the clear top center for the Jets, but Little is a solid secondary option. He's picked up 14 goals in 58 games, after all. However, I'm mostly interested in the matchup against the Senators. Ottawa has a whopping 4.35 GAA on the road, worst in the league by a sizable margin.
WING
Patrik Laine WPG vs. OTT ($6,300): Laine has surprisingly struggled to score goals recently. He still has 25 goals in 58 games, but this is a guy who has never failed to notch at least 36 goals in a season. The Finn has also put 191 shots on net, and his shooting percentage is well below his career average. As previously mentioned, the Senators have a 4.35 road GAA. On top of that, they've given up 36.7 shots on net per contest in those games. This could be the night Laine looks like himself again.
Josh Bailey, NYI vs. EDM ($4,800): Bailey isn't going to notch 31 points with the extra man as he did last season, but he has 12 power-play points in 57 games. Plus, he has 42 points total. Don't be surprised if he has success with the man advantage in this one too. The Oilers have the 30th-ranked penalty kill, and they are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back as well.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, CLM at CHI ($3,500): Bjorkstrand hasn't looked like he did last season, when he tallied 40 points in his first full season. He only has 19 points this year, but 10 of them have been goals. Additionally, he has a point in five of his last seven games, so he's been playing as good as at any point this year. Perhaps he can keep it going against a Blackhawks team with a 3.63 GAA, second highest in the NHL.
DEFENSE
Seth Jones, CLM at CHI ($5,900): Jones also has a point in five of his last seven games, but that's less surprising. The defenseman has 35 points in 47 games, including nine with the extra man. He's not going to have 24 power-play points as he did last year, but he could definitely add to his power-play total against a Blackhawks team with the league's worst penalty kill.
Jacob Trouba, WPG vs. EDM ($5,900): Trouba has eight points in his last 10 games, including four with the extra man. He also has 120 blocked shots in 58 games, so he can add fantasy value on that front. However, that may not be necessary against the Oilers. Edmonton is on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, and what they will do in net is up in the air with Mikko Koskinen having played Friday and Cam Talbot now in Philly.
