Counterattack - Saturday's Top Contrarian Plays

Here are the top against-the-grain picks for Saturday's nine-game NHL slate:

C Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings (at Predators)

Datsyuk is showing signs of his former self with 8 points in his last ten games. Though he's only scored once in that streak, he has picked up points in three of his last four.

A matchup against Pekka Rinne on the road makes Datsyuk an unappealing play at first glance, but Rinne has been beatable of late. 4-4-2 in his last ten with a 2.32 goals against, Rinne is not on a hot streak that demands fading all opposition.

W Scott Hartnell, Blue Jackets (vs. Lightning)

Hartnell falls far down the list of wingers on this nine-game slate and along with the struggles of the Blue Jackets, Hartnell's ownership should be quite low.

But with ten points in as many games, Hartnell has become a major contributor to the Blue Jackets' tenuous offense.

The matchup may also work in Hartnell's favor as the Blue Jackets are expected to be playing catchup against the superior Lightning.

G Antti Niemi, Stars (at Blues)

A matchup against the high-powered Blues will cause numerous DFS players to fade Niemi. The matchup is obviously not ideal and Niemi may surrender a goal or two but his recent streak of strong play makes him worth the risk.

Going 7-1-2 in his last ten, Niemi's one loss came to the Blues on December 12, as he gave up three goals on 26 shots. But even so, that ten game streak shines through with a 1.85 goals against and a .929 save percentage.

D Alex Edler, Canucks (vs. Oilers)

After collecting points in three of four games, Edler has gone pointless in his last six games.

Despite this recent cold stretch, Edler still sees 25 minutes of ice time per game and plays in all special team situations. Even when he doesn't find the scoresheet, Edler can still earn points via blocked shots and shots on goal.

In his previous ten games, Edler has 24 blocks and 30 shots on goal to go with his aforementioned offensive production.