Category: NHL

The Vancouver Canucks head east to face the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

The pregame narrative: Winnipeg looks to stay atop the Western Conference standings as they welcome the struggling Canucks into town. I’m backing Joshua Morrissey and Quinn Hughes to get on the scoresheet tonight. I also have a play on Jake DeBrusk.

Check out my Canucks vs. Jets prop picks for Jan. 14.

Canucks vs. Jets prop picks

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Best bet: Morrissey to score 1+ points (-150)

Winnipeg enters Tuesday’s contest as one of the best home teams in the league.

• 16-4-3 record
• +35 goal differential

Home vs away splits aside, the Jets offence has been historically good this season.

• 3rd in goals/game: 3.55
• 1st in power-play percentage: 32.3%
• 3rd in shooting percentage: 12.7%

Whenever these teams square off against each other, you can expect goals.

In the previous eight meetings, they’ve combined for nearly seven goals per game.

The Calgary native leads all Jets players in time on ice (24:11) and power play time (2:55) per game.

Key stat: Morrissey is 5-0 against this line in his past five games.

Quick picks

Hughes over 0.5 power-play points (+150): Vancouver’s season hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

The 2023-24 Pacific Division champs find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff seeding this year.

One thing that has remained consistent is Hughes’ play. Here are his ranks among Canucks players:

• 1st in points (47)
• 1st in assists (38)
• 1st in time in ice (25:16)
• 1st in plus-minus (+15)

Despite Vancouver’s woes, their 14th-ranked power play has been sufficient — and it’s led by the reigning Norris Trophy winner.

Hughes paces all Canucks in power-play points (19) and power-play ice time (3:41/game). He has eight more power-play points than the next Canucks player.

The 2018 seventh-overall pick has three power-play points in his last five games.

DeBrusk under 1.5 shots (+115): DeBrusk has been productive in his first season with Vancouver. The former Boston Bruin has picked up 17 goals and 29 points in 42 games this season.

However, he’s been on a cold stretch lately, scoring just three goals in his last 14 games, with only 21 shots on goal over that stretch.

Vancouver ranks 31st in shots/game (25.2), and per Natural Stat Trick, fifth-worst in high-danger chances per 60 (9.88).

DeBrusk has failed to record two-plus shots in five of the last six games.

Picks made at 2:20 p.m. ET on 01/14/2025.

A loaded 13-game NHL slate on Tuesday includes the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Dallas Stars.

The pregame narrative: Toronto aims to avoid a three-game skid as it squares off against one of the strongest defensive-minded teams in the NHL. I’m fading Morgan Rielly’s and John Tavares’ shots props, while backing Evgenii Dadonov to score 1+ points.

Check out my Maple Leafs props vs. Stars for Jan. 14.

Maple Leafs props vs. Stars

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Best bet: Rielly under 1.5 shots (-114)

I took this same pick on Jan. 9 when the Leafs faced the Hurricanes. Rielly had one shot on goal with less than 19 minutes of ice time.

The 12-year veteran has averaged 22:10 time-on-ice throughout his career. However, he’s played fewer than 20 minutes eight times this season. Perhaps the highest-paid Leafs defenceman’s lack of offence and -14 rating isn’t going over well with Leafs first-year head coach Craig Berube.

• Over his past 18 games, Rielly has just 22 total shots and a 4.5% shooting percentage.
  
• Compare that to his first 18 games of the season when Rielly put up 35 shots with a 14.4% shooting percentage.

These two teams squared off Dec. 18. On that night Rielly recorded zero shots on goals in a winning Leafs effort.

Key stat: Rielly has cashed this bet in 10 of his past 13 games, including five straight heading into tonight’s matchup.

Quick picks

Tavares under 2.5 shots (-124): Tavares is proving he wants to remain a Maple Leaf when his contract expires at the end of this season.

The 34-year-old has 42 points in 43 games this year while playing some of his best hockey in years.

Since the start of December, he’s been pacing a point per game but choosing quality of shot over quantity.

In his past 20 games, he’s averaging just 2.2 shots/game while putting up 20 points on a 20.5 shooting percentage. To put that in perspective, his career shooting percentage is 13.0%.

Dallas is also one of the best defensive teams in the NHL.

• 3rd in goals allowed/game: 2.48
• 5th in shots allowed/game: 26.4
• T1st in penalty kill percentage: 85%

Tavares has cashed this bet in six of the last seven contests.

Dadonov to record 1+ points (+116): For a team struggling to find offence, Dadonov has been a bright spot for the Stars.

Despite Dallas’ lack of production on the power play, Dadonov has two goals on the man advantage in the last four games. The Russian winger has 12 points in his past 12 games, including a two-point night against Toronto on Dec. 18.

Dallas is third in the NHL in expected goals per 60 (3.43), per Natural Stat Trick.

Picks made at 11:24 ET on 01/14/2025.

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There are just three games in the NHL on Monday night, and I have a prop bet for each.

The pregame narrative: Two teams struggling offensively square off in Chicago when the Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames. I’m taking the under on Tyler Bertuzzi’s point prop. I also have plays on Connor McDavid and Carter Verhaeghe’s shots props.

Check out my NHL prop picks for Jan. 13.

NHL prop picks

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Best bet: Bertuzzi under 0.5 points (-127)

The Flames and Blackhawks are two of the worst offensive teams in the NHL, and it’s not particularly close.

In the previous four meetings, the average goals per game was 4.75, with Chicago only scoring six out of 19.

Bertuzzi hasn’t fared well in his career against the Flames. In 11 games, the Sudbury native has just eight points and owns a -4 rating.

Key stat: The Blackhawks have the lowest expected goals per 60 (2.49), per Natural Stat Trick.

Quick picks

Verhaeghe over 2.5 shots (-130): Veraeghe’s scoring production is down this season, and has resulted in a third-line demotion.

He’s on pace for just 20 goals this year, after 42 and 34 goals, respectively, in the past two years. And his shooting percentage is a career-low 7.8%.

What hasn’t faltered has been the amount of shots he’s taking. In 2023-24 Verhaeghe had 500 shots attempted, and so far through this season, he’s reached 270 shot attempts.

The Toronto native has cleared this line in four of the five games, including a six-shot performance on Saturday against the Boston Bruins.

McDavid over 2.5 shots (-143): Edmonton is one of the hottest teams in the NHL, scoring at will.

The Oilers have 15 goals in their last four games, with McDavid racking up four points and 15 shots over that stretch.

I’m anticipating a close game tonight, with Edmonton and the Los Angeles Kings being separated by just two points in the Western Conference standings.

The Kings’ goaltending has been terrific this season, leading the NHL with a 2.45 team goals-against average.

Edmonton will have to pepper whoever’s in the net for Los Angeles, and McDavid should be leading the charge.

Picks made at 12:15 p.m. ET on 01/13/2025.

A loaded 15-game NHL slate on Saturday features the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Vancouver Canucks.

The pregame narrative: Matthew Knies has been scorching hot and I like him to pick up a point in the interconference showdown against Vancouver. Additionally, I’m backing Quinn Hughes to produce on the power play and fading Jake DeBrusk’s shots prop.

Check out my Maple Leafs props vs. Canucks for Jan. 11.

Maple Leafs props vs. Canucks

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Best bet: Knies to score 1+ points (-112)

Knies has relished his opportunity on Toronto’s first line, and I expect more production against a suspect defensive team.

His linemates tonight will be Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, who’ve combined for a whopping 90 points at the halfway mark of the season.

Knies has 27 points in 41 games and is on pace to smash his points total from last season (35).

In his last four games, he’s scored five goals and tallied three assists. He also has a staggering 50.0% shooting percentage in that span.

The 22-year-old’s confidence seems to be growing exponentially with the more playing time he gets. His 22.2 SH% on the season exceeded his career average by more than nine percentage points.

Key stat: Vancouver accrues the eighth-most penalty minutes per game (9.4) and ranks 21st in goals allowed per game (3.15).

Quick picks

DeBrusk under 1.5 shots (+135): DeBrusk hasn’t been shooting the puck a ton despite his production this season.

He paces the Canucks in goals (17) but has been on a cold stretch lately, with just three in his last 13 games.

DeBrusk’s career-high 19.5 SH% plays a factor. He’s on track to break his single-season goals record (27) and is shooting the puck at an ultra-efficient rate.

Vancouver has the second-lowest shots on goal per game (25.4), ahead of only the Chicago Blackhawks.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Canucks are fifth-worst in high-danger chances per 60 (9.88).

DeBrusk has cashed this bet in four of the last five games.

Hughes over 0.5 power-play points (+150): Hughes has been Vancouver’s best player this year, and it’s not particularly close.

• 1st in points (45)
• 1st in assists (37)
• 1st in time on ice (25:19)
• 2nd in plus-minus (+12)

Despite the Canucks’ offensive woes, their 14th-ranked power play has been sufficient — and it’s led by the reigning Norris Trophy winner.

Hughes paces all Canucks in power-play points (18) and power-play ice time (3:47/game). He has eight more power-play points than the next Canucks player.

In his past seven games, Hughes has four power-play points.

Picks made at 12:40 p.m. ET on 01/11/2025.

Ten games are featured on Thursday night’s loaded NHL slate.

The pregame narrative: Zach Werenski is one of the hottest players in the NHL, and the Columbus Blue Jackets have a plus matchup tonight, at home, against the Seattle Kraken. I like him to record a power-play point. Additionally, I’m backing Cam Fowler and Connor Brown to get on the score sheet.

Check out my NHL prop picks for Jan. 9.

NHL prop picks

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Best bet: Werenski over 0.5 power-play points (+185)

Don’t look now, but the Blue Jackets hold the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing dead last a season ago.

They’ve won six of their last nine contests, averaging over four goals per game in that stretch. A large part of the recent success is their performance at home this season.

• Home: 13-5-3, +17 goal differential
• Away: 5-12-3, -24 goal differential

Columbus’ offence has been ranked in the top 10 for the bulk of the season, but the power play has caught fire recently, with Werenski leading the charge.

Werenski tallied 15 points in his last nine games. Seven of which have come on the man-advantage.

The former eighth-overall pick is on pace to smash his single-season points record (57) set last year and he’s averaging nearly three minutes per game on the power play.

Key stat: Werenski leads the Blue Jackets in points (46) and power-play points (19).

Quick picks

Fowler to score 1+ points (+123): Sticking to the scoring defenceman theme, I’m taking Fowler to produce against his old team.

Not exactly a pure revenge spot, as parting ways with Anaheim was mutual, but I still expect this one would be circled on Fowler’s calendar.

Fowler has thrived in his new home scoring nine points in 12 games with the Blues, after a measly four points in 17 games with the Ducks.

The Windsor native is pacing a point per game in his last nine with an astonishing 22.2 SH% over that stretch.

The Ducks allow the most high-danger chances per 60 in the league (14.1), according to Natural Stat Trick. They also own the 26th-ranked penalty kill (73.7%).

Brown to score 1+ points (+133): Connor Brown recently got the promotion to Edmonton’s first line, playing with Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

He’s taken advantage of the opportunity, recording six points in his last seven games. That comes after a supremely sluggish 13 points in 33 games to start the year.

It’s no secret the Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled defensively all season.

• Last in goals allowed/game (3.62)
• Last in high-danger goals/allowed per 60 (1.78)
• 29th in shots allowed/game (31.4)

I anticipate Brown to receive opulent opportunity to get on the scoresheet playing with a couple of the league’s premier playmakers.

Picks made at 2:32 p.m. ET on 01/09/2025.