Category: NHL

Four games are on tap for the NHL’s Wednesday night slate.

The pregame narrative: Two teams with Stanley Cup aspirations square off in Denver, where I’m backing Nikolaj Ehlers to notch a point for the Winnipeg Jets. I also have fades on Boston’s Morgan Geekie and New Jersey’s Dougie Hamilton.

Check out my NHL prop picks for Jan. 22.

NHL prop picks

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Best bet: Geekie under 0.5 points (-155)

Geekie has been a nice depth piece for the Bruins’ forward group.

Since coming over from the Seattle Kraken, he’s recorded 61 points in 119 games for the B’s.

I mention those numbers because that isn’t top-line production, even though that’s where he currently plays in the lineup.

You can get this price on Geekie mainly because of his linemates, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. But Geekie only plays a little over 15:00 a night and skates on Boston’s No. 2 power-play unit.

New Jersey ranks in the top 10 in nearly every defensive category. This isn’t exactly the slump-busting opponent Geekie is looking for:

• 5th in goals allowed/game (2.53)
• 3rd in shots allowed/game (25.6)
• 8th in penalty kill (82.1%)

Key stat: Geekie has recorded just two points in seven career games versus the Devils.

Quick picks

Hamilton under 2.5 shots (-114): Hamilton’s offensive numbers are down across the board this season.

Two years removed from his 74-point campaign, Hamilton is on pace for just 50 points this year.

He’s taking fewer shots and his 4.3% shooting percentage is a career low, after back-to-back seasons with a shooting percentage of 8.0% or greater.

Hamilton’s regression is the backbone of this pick, but the matchup plays a role, too.

Boston still has a stifling defence that takes away time and space. Four of its six starting defencemen are 6-foot-3 or taller.

This bet has cashed in six straight games.

Ehlers over 0.5 points (-157): Ehlers has been humming lately, and I want in on the fun.

The Great Dane has 13 points in his last 12 games and is averaging a point per game this season.

He’s also scoring on 14.0% of his shots, which is 2.2 percentage points above than his career average (11.8%).

Ehlers plays on the top unit of the league’s No. 1 power play, which has a 32.1% success rate.

Although Colorado’s goaltending issue has improved with the addition of Mackenzie Blackwood, it still ranks toward the bottom of the NHL at 3.1 goals allowed per game (19th).

Picks made at 11:30 a.m. ET on 01/22/2025.

The Edmonton Oilers host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.

The pregame narrative: Two powerhouses square off in Western Canada tonight, as Washington hopes to extend its win streak to five games. I’m backing Leon Draisaitl to score a point on the power play while fading Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael.

Check out my Capitals vs. Oilers props for Jan. 21.

Capitals vs. Oilers prop picks

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Best bet: Draisaitl over 0.5 power-play points (+140)

Edmonton has been rolling in the new year, picking up seven wins in nine games. Draisaitl paces the Oilers with 13 points over that stretch.

After a sluggish start to the season, Edmonton’s offence has been one of the league’s best:

• 7th in goals/game: 3.28
• 2nd in shots/game: 31.9
• 7th in power-play percentage: 24.6%

The two-headed monster runs the typical Oilers power play in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. With McDavid’s suspension, Draisaitl will be the focal point of Edmonton’s No. 1 unit.

The German scored on the man-advantage on Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Capitals have a bit of a chippy side to them this season. They average over eight penalty minutes per game.

Key stat: Draisaitl has 59 points in 57 career games without McDavid.

Quick picks

McMichael under 1.5 shots (-104): Dissimilarly to previous Oilers seasons, Kris Knoblauch has turned the Oilers into one of the league’s best defensive teams to go with their high-powered offence.

• T6th goals allowed/game (2.74)
• 5th in shots allowed/game (26.4)
• 2nd in expected goals against per 60 (2.65), per Natural Stat Trick

Despite the Capitals’ offensive success this season, they only average 27.4 shots per game (T21st in NHL).

McMichael is having a breakout year, already setting a new career high in points (34) just over halfway through the campaign.

I imagine playing alongside one of the best goal-scorers of all time gives McMichael a more pass-first mindset, as opposed to feeling the urge to shoot for himself.

This bet has cashed in five straight games and in seven of the last eight.

Wilson under 0.5 points (-136): Washington’s spark plug might need to recharge tonight.

Wilson has just two points in his last six games despite leading all Caps forwards with 18:54 of ice time per game.

The Toronto native is having a solid bounce-back campaign from just 35 points and a -19 rating last year. But it’s not a great matchup for him to find the scoresheet.

I anticipate Wilson playing more of an enforcer role, as Edmonton should be playing with a little extra passion following the suspension of its captain.

Picks made at 3:10 p.m. ET on 01/21/2025.

Eight games are on tap for Tuesday’s NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: The San Jose Sharks head into Nashville as one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. I’m backing Predators forward Filip Forsberg’s shots prop along with Nikita Kucherov and Patrick Kane.

Check out my NHL prop picks for Jan. 21.

NHL prop picks

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Best bet: Forsberg over 3.5 shots (-130)

Forsberg has been a rock for Nashville since his rookie season.

He led the team in points last year (94) and is well on his way again this year, pacing the Preds with 42 points in 45 games.

One thing that’s decreased this season has been his shooting percentage.

Forsberg has only gone below 10.0% once in his career — back in 2020-21 (9.3%) — and is threatening to again this year (9.5%).

The percentage has dipped, but the amount of shots has not. He’s averaging 3.51 shots per game this year, which is well above his 3.14 career average from the 12 years prior.

The Swede has cleared this mark in four of the last five games, including 15 shots in his last two contests.

Key stat: The Sharks are tied for 31st in shots allowed per game (32.2).

Quick picks

Kucherov over 0.5 power-play points (-114): I’ve never seen a power-play point line at minus odds, but being that it’s Kucherov, it makes sense.

Kucherov is a wizard on the power play. In my opinion, he snaps the puck around with finesse and speed better than anyone in the NHL. It’s a pleasure to watch.

The Russian Rifle has picked three power-play points in the last three games and leads the Tampa Bay Lightning with 27 power-play points.

Montreal’s Sam Montembeault gets the start for the Habs, which is great news for the Lightning. Tampa avoids one of the hottest goaltenders in the NHL in Jakub Dobes (5-0-0, 1.55 GAA).

Kucherov has 43 career points against the Canadiens in 37 games.

Kane over 0.5 points (+100): After a slow start to the campaign Kane has come on strong.

Sixteen of his 30 points have come in the last 11 games. Before that, he suffered a nine-game pointless streak.

Kane plays on an all-American line with Andrew Copp and Alex DeBrincat that has picked up chemistry in the past few weeks.

The Red Wings take on the Philadelphia Flyers who allow the fifth-most goals per game (3.36) and own the 20th-ranked penalty kill.

Picks made at 11:50 a.m. ET on 01/21/2025.

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.

The pregame narrative: The Lightning are hot on the Leafs’ heels in the Atlantic Division and can make up some crucial ground with a win. With the way Toronto has played recently, I’m interested in prop picks on Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman and Brandon Hagel tonight.

Check out my Maple Leafs props vs. Lightning for Jan. 20.

Maple Leafs props vs. Lightning

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Best bet: Hedman to record 1+ points (-122)

The big blue-liner is having another great year, recording 36 points in 42 games played.

Toronto started the season with one of the top defensive units in the NHL, but that hasn’t been the case lately.

Since Dec. 15, the Leafs have allowed 3.3 goals per game. That has raised their season-long average goals against from 2.5 to 3.1.

That’s a dangerous way to be playing with the Lightning in town. Tampa Bay leads the NHL in scoring (3.7/game) and has scored four-plus goals in four of the past six contests.

In those six games, Hedman has seven points and is 6-0 against this line.

Key stat: Hedman also has four points across a pair of games against the Leafs this season.

Quick pick

Hagel over 2.5 shots (+100): Nikita Kucherov unsurprisingly leads the Lightning in shots, but Hagel is just behind him.

• Hagel has 129 shots in 44 outings (2.9/game).

• The winger has cleared this line in 7/8 since Jan. 5.

Toronto is a solid defensive team but as mentioned before, the side has been struggling.

The Leafs give up the 10th-most shots per game (29.2), which is part of the reason why their goals against have increased significantly.

In the two previous meetings this season, The Lightning outshot the Leafs by a combined total of 75-58. They recorded 34-plus shots in both games.

Tampa has the offensive talent to once again out-chance Toronto during its poor run of defensive play, and Hagel has an enticing price on his shots prop.

Picks made at 11:45 a.m. ET on 01/20/2025.