A handful of NHL teams make their season debuts on Wednesday.
The pregame narrative: David Pastrnak was a bright spot in the Boston Bruins’ down season. He has good value to light the lamp in his first game of a fresh start tonight. Later on, take a shot on Matt Coronato scoring for the Calgary Flames.
Check out my NHL anytime goal picks for Oct. 8.
NHL anytime goal picks
Best bet: Pastrnak to score (+133)
For the third straight year, Pastrnak reached the 100-point mark in 2024-25.
He finished with 106 points, which was the fewest he had totalled in the past three seasons. That means there’s an argument to be made that Pastrnak is due for more production.
I mean, the situation can’t get any worse. The Boston Bruins finished last in the Atlantic Division and were tied for the fewest points in the entire Eastern Conference.
That didn’t hinder Pastrnak much. His 43 goals were the fifth most in the NHL.
The emergence of Morgan Geekie should also benefit Pastrnak’s production. The first-line winger had a career-high 57 points in 2024-25.
He finished the season with 22 points over his final 14 games. I don’t think it’s crazy to expect another career year.
Playing on Geekie’s line, Pastrnak naturally went on his own heater to finish last season.
Key stat: In those 14 games, he had nine goals and 24 points. That is a 52-goal pace over 82 games.
NHL predictions
Coronato to score a goal (+280): I’m predicting a 30-goal season for Coronato, and he has a nice matchup to start the year.
The Edmonton Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year but the blueline and goaltending remain a question mark.
- Their defence ranked outside of the top 10 last season, allowing 2.88 goals per game.
- The Oilers will continue to roll with Stuart Skinner as their starter. The goalie had a pretty dreadful .896 save percentage last year.
Edmonton lost 2024’s opener 6-0 and went on to allow 15 goals over its first three games.
Now let’s focus on Coronato. The winger made strides in his first full NHL season.
- 2023-24: 34 games played, nine points
- 2024-25: 77 games played, 47 points
He scored 24 goals and saw significant opportunities on Calgary’s second line and first power-play unit. Coronato is just 22 years old and should continue to develop as the Flames’ best offensive prospect.
Only Nazem Kadri attempted more shots on the Flames last season.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil start the year on the injured reserve for Calgary, leaving a big hole on the top two lines.
Expect Coronato to take the reins as the clear-cut second-best forward on the Flames. If he starts the season hot, this price won’t be available for many games.
NHL anytime goal picks made at 12:11 p.m. ET on 10/08/2025.
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.