This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
It's a big battle for the bronze as Finland and Slovakia both have quick turnarounds after losing on Friday. Which style of defeat is more likely to impact Saturday's performance with a medal on the line? Finland had a 2-0 lead on Canada, but ended up 3-2 on the other end thanks to a last-minute goal from Nathan MacKinnon. Meanwhile, Slovakia never really challenged the US.
The matchup starts at 2:40 p.m. EST. For your single-game DFS contests, you select six players for your roster with $50,000 in salary to use. One player is your Captain, who earns you 1.5 times the points, but with an elevated salary. You can select a goalie if you want. Here's the lineup I ended up with.
CAPTAIN
Anton Lundell, FIN vs. SVK ($9,600): Picking someone with a mid-tier salary opened up roster possibilities. And you aren't really dipping down Finland's lineup to get to Lundell, who's also Florida's first-line center. He didn't face Italy, though notched a point against Sweden and Switzerland while producing five shots versus Canada. The Finns boast more talent while Slovakia's goalies have been inconsistent, so Lundell makes sense as Captain.
FLEX
Juraj Slafkovsky, SVK vs. FIN ($10,400): Slafkovsky has proven to be worth that first-overall selection with 21 goals for the Canadiens. He's also an international hockey superstar having scored Olympic goals as a 17-year-old while pacing Slovakia at this event with eight points and 22 shots. Slafkovsky is the real deal and will likely get on the scoresheet if Slovakia isn't blanked.
Juuse Saros, FIN vs. SVK ($10,000): Slovakia could get shut out, though. Saros has come up big for Finland after a so-so effort to open the tournament. That was against the Slovaks, yet he's since been solid having only allowed six goals from four outings with a combined 106 saves - including a shutout of Italy. I think Finland wins on Saturday, which would mean a win (and a bronze) for Saros.
Dalibor Dvorsky, SVK vs. FIN ($8,200): Dvorsky isn't a known commodity yet, but was selected 10th overall at the 2023 Draft and recorded 15 points with the Blues this year. His role with Slovakia has been much larger, and he's responded with three goals and three assists. Dvorsky didn't register a point versus the United States, yet posted two against Finland to start the tournament.
Adam Ruzicka, SVK vs. FIN ($6,200): I wasn't intending to include three Slovaks on this roster, but that's the way the salaries worked out. The former NHLer Ruzicka has been steady so far having tallied a single point in all five matchups. I'm not expecting anything big for him on Saturday, though a continuation of his scoring run would work at this salary.
Joel Armia, FIN vs. SVK ($5,600): This salary seems more tied to Armia's role in the NHL than his status and performance with Finland as he's already supplied five points alongside 15 shots. If he found the back of the net against Sweden and added an assist on Canada, it wouldn't be a stretch if he got a goal or helper with a few shots versus Slovakia and end this event on a high note.
