The NHL’s schedule this week is impacted by it being U.S. Thanksgiving, and no games on Tuesday or Thursday means hockey fans get a packed 14-game lineup Wednesday and 15 games on Black Friday, including eight in the middle of the afternoon.
Wednesday’s slate features five of the seven Canadian teams, a handful of notable divisional matchup, plus a number of intriguing player showdown, such as the anticipated one between Norris Trophy contenders Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar when the Vancouver Canucks visit the Colorado Avalanche.
Toronto, Ottawa and Minnesota, all of whom recently played in Sweden, and Los Angeles are the only four teams not in action, which means 20 of the NHL’s top 22 scoring leaders will be jockeying for position in the Art Ross Trophy race.
With that in mind, let’s look at the most prominent player props ahead of Wednesday’s 14 games.
GOAL LEADERS PLAYING WEDNESDAY
Of the 16 players with double-digit goals, all but three are in action Wednesday. Two-time “Rocket” Richard winner Auston Matthews, currently tied with Kyle Connor for the NHL goals lead, is one of the three not on the schedule. However, Connor plus several of Matthews’s Atlantic Division rivals will aim to gain ground or leapfrog the Maple Leafs star.
Kyle Connor (14 goals in 17 GP) anytime odds vs. TB: +125
Nikita Kucherov (13 goals in 18 GP) anytime odds vs. WPG: +105
Sam Reinhart (13 goals in 18 GP) anytime odds vs. BOS: +180
Brock Boeser (13 goals in 19 GP) anytime odds vs. COL: +160
J.T. Miller (13 goals in 19 GP) anytime odds vs. COL: +175
David Pastrnak (12 goals in 17 GP) anytime odds vs. FLA: -125
Sidney Crosby (12 goals in 17 GP) anytime odds vs. NYR: +130
Frank Vatrano (12 goals in 18 GP) anytime odds vs. MTL: +145
Mikko Rantanen (11 goals in 17 GP) anytime odds vs. VAN: -125
Travis Konecny (11 goals in 18 GP) anytime odds vs. NYI: +155
Artemi Panarin (10 goals in 16 GP) anytime odds vs. PIT: +145
Chris Kreider (10 goals in 16 GP) anytime odds vs. PIT: +145
ASSIST LEADERS PLAYING WEDNESDAY
Apple-picking season might be over in most orchards, but it’s always apple season in the NHL when these players are on the ice.
Cale Makar (23 assists, 27 points in 17 GP) vs. VAN:
Over 0.5 assists (-175) | Under 0.5 assists (+125)
Over 0.5 points (-260) | Under 0.5 points (+185)
Quinn Hughes (22 assists, 30 points in 19 GP) vs. COL:
Over 0.5 assists (-175) | Under 0.5 assists (+125)
Over 0.5 points (-230) | Under 0.5 points (+165)
Elias Pettersson (20 assists, 28 points in 19 GP) vs. COL:
Over 0.5 assists (-130) | Under 0.5 assists (-110)
Over 1.5 points (+185) | Under 0.5 points (-260)
J.T. Miller (17 assists, 29 points in 19 GP) vs. COL:
Over 0.5 assists (-110) | Under 0.5 assists (-130)
Over 0.5 points (-220) | Under 0.5 points (+160)
David Pastrnak (17 assists, 29 points in 17 GP) vs. FLA:
Over 0.5 assists (-140) | Under 0.5 assists (+100)
Over 1.5 points (+120) | Under 0.5 points (-160)
Brayden Point (17 assists, 24 points in 19 GP) vs. WPG:
Over 0.5 assists (-110) | Under 0.5 assists (-130)
Over 0.5 points (-250) | Under 0.5 points (+175)
Filip Hronek (17 assists, 18 points in 19 GP) vs. COL:
Over 0.5 assists (+100) | Under 0.5 assists (-140)
Over 0.5 points (-120) | Under 0.5 points (-120)
Artemi Panarin (16 assists, 26 points in 16 GP) vs. PIT:
Over 0.5 assists (-180) | Under 0.5 assists (+130)
Over 1.5 points (+130) | Under 0.5 points (-180)
Jack Hughes (16 assists, 22 points in 11 GP) vs. DET:
Over 0.5 assists (-150) | Under 0.5 assists (+110)
Over 1.5 points (+125) | Under 0.5 points (-175)
Nathan MacKinnon (16 assists, 22 points in 17 GP) vs. VAN:
Over 0.5 assists (-150) | Under 0.5 assists (+110)
Over 1.5 points (+110) | Under 0.5 points (-150)
Leon Draisaitl (16 assists, 22 points in 17 GP) vs. CAR:
Over 0.5 assists (-120) | Under 0.5 assists (-120)
Over 1.5 points (+165) | Under 0.5 points (-230)
Victor Hedman (16 assists, 20 points in 19 GP) vs. WPG:
Over 0.5 assists (+100) | Under 0.5 assists (-140)
Over 0.5 points (-140) | Under 0.5 points (+100)
GOALIE GOAL PROP
Alex Nedeljkovic was called up by Pittsburgh and recorded a shutout versus the Golden Knights this past weekend, just a couple days after scoring an empty-net goal with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Nedeljkovic is expected to back up Tristan Jarry for the Penguins against the Rangers Wednesday but now that the sharp-shooting netminder (it was, after all, his second career AHL goal) is back at the NHL level it got us thinking about one fun ongoing prop:
Will an NHL goalie score a goal at any point this season? Yes: +350
(Odds as of Wednesday and subject to change; goal odds via DraftKings, except Vatrano’s, which are via Bet365; assist/point odds via Bet365; goalie goal odds via Sports Interaction.)
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