There are only two games on the NHL schedule but no worries, I’ve got one prop pick from each to share.
The pregame narrative: The San Jose Sharks have seemingly handed the keys on offence to Macklin Celebrini and I can’t blame them. I’ll back the rookie to score a point while taking Drew Doughty to do the same in the late-night game.
Check out my NHL prop picks for Feb. 24.
NHL prop picks
Best Bet: Celebrini to score 1+ points (-127)
Since the departure of Mikael Granlund, Celebrini is far and away the best player on this offence and the coaching staff is treating him as such.
Let’s take a look at his stats over the past six games:
- three goals, three assists
- 3.4 shots per game
- 20:53 average time on ice
He played 20-plus minutes in five of those games and logged at least 22 shifts in each contest, per Hockey Reference.
This is arguably the worst matchup in the NHL for an opposing forward as the Winnipeg Jets allow the fewest goals (2.4) per game. But Celebrini has been successful in this spot before.
Key stat: In the Sharks’ first meeting with the Jets, Celebrini had a goal and an assist in just over 18 minutes on ice.
Quick picks
Doughty to score 1+ points (+108): On Saturday, I backed Doughty to score a point at similar odds and he had his best game of the season so far.
The veteran defenceman took the momentum gained from being a part of Team Canada and turned out a three-point performance against the Utah Hockey Club.
Monday’s matchup is more difficult because the Vegas Golden Knights allow the sixth-fewest goals against (2.7).
But the Los Angeles Kings are the NHL’s best home team (18-3-2) and their offence is elite at Crypto.com Arena.
They score 3.3 goals per game at home compared to 2.5 per game on the road.
If L.A. can tally a few goals, I’d be surprised if Doughty wasn’t heavily involved. He has four points in seven games this season and finished with 52 in 80 in 2023-24.
Picks made at 11:13 a.m. ET on 02/24/2025.
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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.