This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Saturday's NHL main slate features no shortage of action, with nine games on the docket after 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are some lopsided matchups and some generally high-scoring ones to take advantage of here. The Panthers will be heavily favored against the Red Wings, while the Canucks (vs. Los Angeles) and Flyers (at San Jose) have some enticing options here as well. Additionally, the Rangers-Maple Leafs and Canadiens-Lightning games are both clashes between top-11 offenses, with the first of those games also featuring bottom-10 defenses on both sides.
GOALIES
The Golden Knights have afforded opposing goalies some opportunities for excellent performances, as they rank third in the league in shots per game (33.9) but below average in goals per game (2.98). With starter Darcy Kuemper week-to-week due to a lower-body injury, Antti Raanta ($8,300) will get the chance to capitalize on this matchup and improve on his 2.70 GAA and .921 save percentage.
Jacob Markstrom ($7,600) had a three-game winning streak going before the Christmas break, and he sports solid season ratios with a 2.66 GAA and .917 save percentage. Vancouver's netminder should pick up right where he left off at home against a bottom-five Kings offense that's potting just 2.55 goals per game.
Florida's Chris Driedger ($7,100) is the cheap upside play of choice in this slate. His previous three NHL starts this season have resulted in a fabulous 1.69GAA and .948 save percentage, and the Panthers will be hosting a league-worst Red Wings club that's averaging 2.16 goals per game while the rest of the league sits above 2.50.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
James van Riemsdyk ($4,900) has vaulted into the Flyers' team lead in goals with 12 thanks to a hot stretch that's seen him light the lamp six times in his last six games. His strong play should continue against a Sharks team that ranks among the three most generous defensively despite possessing the league's stingiest penalty kill. Since only three of JVR's 23 points have come with the extra man, this is a great time to deploy the surging sniper.
Mitch Marner ($7,900) had an eight-game point streak snapped Friday in New Jersey, but he still has a 6-11-17 line in his last nine games. That stretch included a two-goal game against the Rangers, whose bottom-10 defense (3.22 goals allowed per game) the locked-in Toronto winger will face here.
Sticking in the Rangers-Maple Leafs game, top Rangers center Mika Zibanejad ($7,900) has also been on a tear heading into this clash of bottom-10 defenses. Injuries have been the only thing slowing Zibanejad down, but the Swede is in the midst of a healthy and productive stretch that's seen him score seven goals and five assists in his last seven games.
Bryan Rust ($5,700) lit the lamp in Friday's 5-2 road win over Nashville, giving him a 14-12-26 line in 23 games this season. The productive Penguins winger should get right back on the scoresheet when these teams rematch in Pittsburgh.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Panthers vs. Red Wings
Aleksander Barkov (C - $7,400), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $7,400), Evgenii Dadonov (W - $5,400)
The Panthers' top line will be hungry coming out of the Christmas break, and you can expect a feeding frenzy against a Red Wings club that's allowing a league-worst 3.92 goals per game. Huberdeau leads Florida with 48 points through 36 games and is tied with Brett Connolly for the team lead in goals at 14. Barkov is second on the team in points with 40, while Dadonov is one goal behind Huberdeau.
Lightning vs. Canadiens
Anthony Cirelli (C - $4,700), Steven Stamkos (W - $8,600), Alex Killorn (W - $5,100)
Penalty killing has been a major issue for the Canadiens, who rank among the five most generous teams in that category at 75.2 percent. This line is primed to take advantage of that weakness, as Stamkos leads the Lightning with seven power-play goals while Killorn is tied with Brayden Point for second on the team with six. Cirelli has also chipped in a marker with the extra man as part of his 7-15-22 line through 34 games. Stamkos has missed three of the Lightning's 35 games and Killorn has missed two, but that hasn't stopped them from racking up 13-19-32 and 11-17-28 lines, respectively.
Canucks vs. Kings
Bo Horvat (C - $5,900), Tanner Pearson (W - $5,200), Loui Eriksson (W - $3,000)
Formed in the wake of Josh Leivo's knee injury, this line carried the Canucks' offense in the team's last game Monday. Horvat and Eriksson both lit the lamp in that one while Pearson dished out two assists. With 10-18-28 and 9-15-24 lines, respectively, Horvat and Pearson have been Vancouver's two most productive forwards outside of the team's much more expensive top line. Eriksson has mostly been stuck in the press box or a lesser role, but the five-time 25-goal scorer still has the skills to make the most of this promotion into the top six, as he showed Monday. Given Vancouver's edge in talent and freshness against a Kings team that's playing its second road game in as many nights, this affordable line has a great chance of delivering strong bang for the buck.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman ($6,400) should help the Lightning capitalize on Montreal's vulnerable penalty kill. His 32 points through 33 games include a team-high 18 power-play points.
Sticking in the Canadiens-Lightning game, the visitors' Shea Weber ($6,800) should turn into a nice against-the-grain option in what could be a high-scoring affair. The well-rounded blueliner has been a force offensively over the past 15 games, with a 5-8-13 line in that stretch.
Cale Makar ($5,800) recently returned from injury and didn't miss a beat with an assist Friday. That helper raised his season line to 8-21-29 through 30 games, making the rookie Avalanche blueliner a nice option at $5,800 despite a tough matchup in Dallas.
Tyson Barrie's ($4,700) offense has come in bunches, and he's been hot recently with five points in his past five games. He's a strong value play for the Maple Leafs in what should be a high-scoring contest against the Rangers.
