The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes in a marquee matchup following the break.
The pregame narrative: John Tavares has been playing inspiring hockey since returning from injury and I like the veteran to record a point tonight. Seth Jarvis is also primed for a big showing following a stint with Team Canada.
Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes props for Feb. 22.
Maple Leafs vs. Hurricanes props
Best bet: Tavares to score 1+ points (-129)
The first meeting between the Leafs and Hurricanes this season wasn’t good for Toronto or Tavares.
On Jan. 9, Carolina won 6-3 and the former captain finished with no points and a -1 rating. Two positives to note were his four shots and 18:59 of ice time.
Shortly after that, Tavares would miss multiple weeks with injury. But he was rolling in his four games back before the break.
- 1+ points in 3/4 games.
- Since Dec. 12, Tavares has 22 points in 21 games.
Tavares scored 65 points in 80 games last season and looked like a shell of himself at times. He’s playing much better this year, tallying 45 points in 48 games.
Carolina is a very good defensive team, giving up the sixth-fewest goals (2.7) per game, but Tavares has been extremely consistent in the offensive zone regardless of the matchup.
Key stat: Tavares has at least a point in 32 of 48 games (66.7%).
Quick pick
Jarvis to score 1+ points (-139): Jarvis was on a heater heading into the break.
- He had four points his last time out (vs. Utah on Feb. 8).
- He has 15 points in 13 games since Jan. 13.
The 23-year-old should be beaming with confidence right now after breaking into Canada’s lineup and contributing to the tournament win.
After the Hurricanes traded for Mikko Rantanen, Jarvis now plays with him on the first line alongside another Finn, Sebastian Aho.
That is one of the strongest trios in the entire NHL, and the Canadian winger is benefiting nicely.
Jarvis scored a goal in that first meeting with the Leafs. I expect another strong performance on Saturday.
Picks made at 12:05 p.m. ET on 02/22/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.