Avery Perri

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

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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.

The Toronto Maple Leafs can sweep the Battle of Ontario on Saturday Night.

The pregame narrative: Back-to-back overtime victories from Toronto have the Ottawa Senators on the brink of elimination. Toronto’s top line has been machine-like, and I expect Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies to help put the final nail in Ottawa’s coffin.

Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Senators picks for Game 4 of the opening round.

Maple Leafs vs. Senators picks

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Best bet: Knies to record a point (-120)

Knies scored his second goal of the series on Thursday, tying the game at one apiece in the second period.

Was it pretty? No. But playoff goals often aren’t glamorous, and playing on the top power-play affords these kinds of opportunities.

We saw Knies score similarly in the series opener, banging home a rebound on the man advantage to close out a 6-2 win.

The 6-foot-3, 227-pound power forward is a moose in front of the net. He’ll continue to get good PP looks as long as Ottawa stays undisciplined.

And with the series practically out of reach, I could see tempers boiling over and a tight whistle from the referees on Saturday.

Knies is a natural threat to produce at 5-on-5 as well, riding shotgun with Matthews and Mitch Marner.

That line leads the Maple Leafs in chances (27), high-danger chances (seven), and goals (three) this series, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Key stat: Knies has registered a point in four of his last five games dating back to the regular season.

Game 4 prop prediction

Matthews to record an assist (-108): Matthews took a major step back as a scorer this season, finishing the year with 33 goals after burying a league-best 69 in 2023-24.

I won’t blame him too much, though, considering he missed 15 games with a mystery injury that might still be bothering him to some degree. And Toronto’s captain has found other ways to produce, becoming an elite playmaker down the stretch.

Matthews has 24 assists in 30 games since the 4-Nations Face Off, cashing this bet 18 times (60.0%).

He’s logged a helper in every game this series (four total) and has an assist in four straight playoff games dating back to Game 7 against the Boston Bruins last year.

In an ideal world, Matthew will be feeding Knies for a goal, cashing both bets in one go.

Maple Leafs vs. Senators prop picks made at 12:36 p.m. ET 04/25/2025.

The Edmonton Oilers look for a spark against the Los Angeles Kings as their series shifts north of the border.

The pregame narrative: This isn’t a must-win for Edmonton, which finds itself down 0-2, but it’s pretty close. I’ve got a pair of plus money plays on Connor McDavid igniting the Oilers’ power play and Zach Hyman finding the stat sheet.

Check out my Kings vs. Oilers prop picks for Game 3 of this first-round matchup.

Kings vs. Oilers prop picks

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Best Bet: McDavid 1+ power play points (+120)

Edmonton’s power play was a cheat code last postseason, clicking at a 29.3% rate through Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

That ranked ninth all-time among playoff teams with 15-plus games played and would have been the best mark of any team during the 2024-25 regular season.

But what about this year? The Oilers are 0-5 on the PP in the playoffs so far, and they ranked 12th on the man advantage during the regular season (23.7%). Not nearly as good.

I don’t expect Edmonton to magically return to last season’s form, but I also don’t expect it to get held off the board forever.

The Oilers will throw everything at the wall on Friday night to get back into this series, and I anticipate them drawing plenty of penalties in the process.

And there’s almost no one better than McDavid to back on this market.

Key stat: McDavid has 92 power-play points in the last two seasons (playoffs included). That ranks third behind Nathan MacKinnon (95) and Nikita Kucherov (103).

Quick picks

Hyman 1+ points (-112): In a perfect world, McDavid links up with Hyman on the power play for a goal. That would be nice, but even if that doesn’t happen, I’m bullish on the winger finding the stat sheet at some point.

Hyman scored a goal playing alongside McDavid and Corey Perry in Game 1 and had some shifts alongside Leon Draisaitl and McDavid in Game 2. The latter line generated a 75.0% Corsi rate, per Natural Stat Trick, and should see more ice together.

McDavid will likely get double-shifted on Friday, meaning Hyman will have ample opportunities playing with the game’s best player even if he’s dropped to the second line.

Hyman has 50 points in 55 playoff games with the Oilers.

Kings vs. Oilers prop picks made at 1:29 p.m. ET 04/24/2025.

The Toronto Maple Leafs can put a stranglehold on the Battle of Ontario as the series shifts to Ottawa.

The pregame narrative: Expect the Senators to throw everything at the wall on Thursday night while facing the prospect of going down 3-0. My best bet for Game 3 is the over, and I’m also looking for Jake Sanderson to be involved offensively.

Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Senators best bets for Game 3 of the opening round.

Maple Leafs vs. Senators best bets

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Best bet: Over 5.5 goals (-120)

Ottawa has found itself down early in both games.

A quick lead for Toronto might seem nice for this over, but Craig Berube’s side can clog things up and turn the game into a slog when playing from ahead.

We just saw that in Game 2, when the Maple Leafs put things in neutral after going up 2-0 through eight minutes en route to a 3-2 overtime win.

I’m expecting Ottawa to score first, and for Toronto to return in kind. Or at least for the Senators to respond immediately to a Maple Leafs goal.

With Linus Ullmark struggling (.800 SV% through two games, career .876 playoff SV%), the Sens can’t afford to let the game come to them.

If Ottawa gets up early, this could turn into a legit barn-burner. And if the home team is forced to cheat chasing a lead, Toronto could really lay a beating on its rival.

The Maple Leafs scored the seventh-most goals per game during the regular season (3.26) and have a red-hot power play.

Key stat: Toronto went over a 5.5-goal total in 28 of 41 road games this year.

Quick pick

Sanderson over 2.5 shots on goal (+115): I took this bet in Game 1 and it cashed. I’ll gladly go back to the well on Thursday, and here’s why:

• Toronto had the fourth-worst 5-on-5 Corsi rate (shot attempt differential) in the NHL during the regular season, according to Natural Stat Trick.

• The Maple Leafs have been out-shot (61-45) and out-chanced (148-95) through two games.

Plenty of these shot attempts are low-quality and coming from the outside or at the point. That’s exactly where Sanderson, Ottawa’s top-scoring defenceman, is firing from.

The 22-year-old led the team in ice time (24:26) and was second in shots (195) during the regular season. He’s played a team-high 54:30 through two games.

Sanderson has logged at least two shots in 12 straight games, clearing this line eight times.

Senators vs. Maple Leafs prop picks made at 11:10 a.m. ET 04/24/2025.