Leon Draisaitl is my best bet to score during Friday’s NHL playoff slate.
The pregame narrative: The Edmonton Oilers need a spark after falling into an 0-2 hole, and I expect the Rocket Richard winner to deliver. Before that, Andrei Svechnikov is a nice plus-money pick to score against the New Jersey Devils.
Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for April 25.
NHL anytime goal picks
Best Bet: Draisaitl anytime goalscorer (+100)
Draisaitl is quite literally one of the best playoff performers of all time.
- 1.46 points per game (fifth)
- 0.56 goals per game (seventh)
The only players to score more goals than Draisaitl in the postseason on a per-game basis are Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy, Barry Peterson, Maurice Richard, Cam Neely and Wayne Gretzky — that’s some pretty good company.
The German winger put the team on his back during the regular season, scoring a league-best 52 goals en route to winning the Rocket Richard trophy.
And with Edmonton’s back against the wall on Friday, I expect him to deliver again.
Draisaitl has scored in both games this series and now has 14 goals in his last 13 postseason games against the Kings. He’s found the net in four of his last five home playoff games vs. L.A.
Key stat: The Oilers have a 71.7% Corsi rate when Draisaitl is on the ice at 5-on-5 this postseason, according to Natural Stat Trick. That’s the best mark of anyone in the series.
NHL prop predictions
Svechnikov anytime goalscorer (+245): Svechnikov has never been an elite scorer, reaching the 30-goal plateau just once in his seven-year career.
But this seems like a great value pick for a player getting plenty of minutes and dominating.
Svechnikov is playing alongside Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Taylor Hall on the team’s second line. That trio is generating a whopping 75.0% of chances and 85.82% of expected goals against its opponents this series.
The Devils are also allowing the most high-danger 5-on-5 chances per 60 (20.17) this postseason.
Svechniknov scored in Game 1 (on an empty net, to be transparent) and is also on the team’s top power play with guys like Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.
Rod Brind’Amour has plenty of reasons to let the Russian winger loose, and I believe increased opportunity will lead to more goals.
NHL anytime goal picks made at 2:32 p.m. ET on 04/25/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.