This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The Western Conference Finals should be fun for fans of new stuff. The Sharks and Blues both have zero Cups to their name, and one of them will get a chance. First, though, they have to get through this series. Saturday's daily fantasy contests are Showdown style, which means picking six players from these two teams (at least one from each team). Here's my idea for a lineup. There will be no goalies. I'm not partial to either of these goalies Saturday.
Tomas Hertl, SAN ($11,200)
It feels like Hertl is somehow under the radar. Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski get attention for their play, and Joe Thornton has the narrative working for him. So just in case you didn't know, Hertl has nine goals and five assists through 14 games. He's tied for second in scoring (Brad Marchand already has his first game of this round in the bank) and first in goals.
Logan Couture, SAN ($10,600)
You know who is tied with Hertl in goals? This is where I say that of course you do, because it's obviously the guy whose name you just read above this paragraph. Jordan Binnington has been good in the postseason, but not at the level that has made him a Calder finalist. The rookie has a .915 save percentage in the playoffs.
Erik Karlsson, SAN ($8,800)
For a guy who is so talented, Karlsson has been weirdly snakebitten. He had a 1.8 percent shooting rate in the regular season, and he's failed to score on 36 shots in the playoffs. Can that continue forever? Even if it does in Game 1, I'm still encouraged by his 12 assists in 14 playoff contests.
Jaden Schwartz, STL ($6,900)
I went with more expensive Sharks and somewhat cheaper Blues for a specific reason. Namely, Martin Jones had an .896 save percentage and the 15th-ranked penalty kill. Schwartz could serve as a reason for optimism with Karlsson. The 26-year-old shot at 6.0 percent this year, but now he's notched eight goals in his last nine playoff contests.
David Perron, STL ($6,600)
Perron tallied 46 points in 57 games, including 20 with the extra man. While he has only one goal in his last eight games, he's taken 26 shots in those contests. He's stayed active, and if Jones reverts to his regular-season form that could pay off.
Vince Dunn, STL ($5,400)
Dunn started 61.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Blues. In the playoffs, that number has actually risen to 70.6 percent, which is still tops (if you don't include Sammy Blais and his two games played). He's also coming off a game where he scored a goal on five shots. I like the upside here for a player who won't cost you much cash.
