The first NHL Saturday is here, and I have two picks from the loaded slate of games.
The pregame narrative: The Minnesota Wild are off to a strong start after winning big in their opener. They look to build on the early success against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Later on, expect the San Jose Sharks to earn their first win of the season.
Check out my NHL predictions for Oct. 11.
NHL predictions: Best bet
Best bet: Wild 60-minute moneyline (-116)
The Wild looked dynamic on opening night, thrashing the St. Louis Blues, 5-0.
It was a full team effort on the road, with four different goal scorers getting on the board to pair with a 27-save shutout for Filip Gustavsson.
Kirill Kaprizov added three assists in the first game after inking a new deal that made him the highest-paid player in the NHL.
Minnesota goes as far as Kaprizov takes them. Just take a look at the Wild’s record last season with and without their superstar.
- With: 25-13-3
- Without: 20-17-4
The Blue Jackets start the season with back-to-back away games and lost the first one to the Nashville Predators.
Nashville was the third-worst team in the NHL last season. Columbus generated 37 shots on net but only 3.0 expected goals.
The Blue Jackets failed to get many high-danger chances and should have an even tougher time against the Wild, who are better than the Preds on both sides of the puck.
Key stat: Minnesota went 2-0 against Columbus last year.
NHL best bet
Sharks moneyline (+100): The Sharks impressed in their opener, taking the Vegas Golden Knights to overtime but ultimately losing.
Thankfully, they get a bit of a soft landing spot in their second game against the Anaheim Ducks.
- Anaheim is 0-1 this season, losing 3-1 to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.
- The Ducks had the fourth-worst goal differential in the Western Conference last season (-42). Vegas had the second-best (+56)
Both Anaheim and San Jose are teeming with young talent, but I have to side with the sophomores on the Sharks.
Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith matched up with the Golden Knights’ top line on Thursday, each playing 20+ minutes.
Neither contributed a point, but the Sharks still managed three goals. The pair of budding stars won’t have to deal with Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel in their second game, which should open up their offensive opportunities.
The supporting cast looks strong, and both Celebrini and Smith appear ready to carry big roles on the top line.
At home, I’ll definitely take a shot on the Sharks at plus money.
NHL predictions made at 4:18 p.m. ET on 10/10/2025.
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.