Mark Lammey
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After a light 3-game slate last night, we’re back with 12 games tonight. That means plenty of opportunity and tons of value. With it still being early in the season, however, it can still be difficult to handicap teams. Thankfully, there is always the player prop market, which provides many more markets to target. Breaking down so many games can seem overwhelming, but we’ve analyzed each matchup and found the most valuable spots to help have a profitable Thursday night. Along with our player props, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today’s action.
Let’s take a closer look at my 2 favorite player props.
Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) Over 0.5 assists (+115)
Kirill Kaprizov may have one of the more frustrating names to say and spell, but he’s quietly becoming one of the faces of the NHL. The 25-year-old is coming off a season in which he had the 4th-most points in the league with 108. That was more than guys like Auston Matthews and Steven Stamkos. Such a young star looks set to impress for years to come, and he’s picked up right where he left off. Kaprizov has 5 points in the team’s first 3 games, and his production looks like it’s going to be needed.
Goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury and the Minnesota defense has struggled to start the season and they’re allowing 6.67 goals per game, which is the most in the NHL. That means Kaprizov and company will need to continue to put up big offensive numbers. Normally facing the Canucks wouldn’t be the best matchup, but goaltender Thatcher Demko hasn’t been seeing the puck well either. Vancouver is allowing the 4th-most goals per game, and Kaprizov already cruised through them last season when they looked stronger. He recorded 3 assists in the last 2 meetings against the Canucks, 2 of which were at home. Minnesota was the 2nd-highest scoring team in the league last season, so expect Kaprizov to run wild on Thursday night.
Be sure to check out our Vancouver Canucks vs Minnesota Wild predictions
Nazem Kadri (CAL) Over 0.5 goals (+175)
One of the biggest offseason acquisitions was the Calgary Flames signing Nazem Kadri. He headed up north to Canada after winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. He was an integral part of their title run, and Flames snatched him away after losing Johnny Gaudreau to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kadri fills his shoes well in terms of playstyle, and he’s wasted no time in proving that. He has 4 points in the team’s first 3 games, which is right on par with where he left off last season.
Kadri recorded 87 points in 71 games with the Avs, and performed well against the Sabres. He only faced them twice last season, but he recorded a goal in both matchups. His 8 shots on goal across those meetings also proves that he’s more than comfortable taking his chances. Buffalo allowed the 8th-most goals in the NHL last season and although they’ve looked stronger so far this season, it’s still a small sample size. The Sabres are also in the midst of a tough Canadian road trip and just had to face the Oilers on Tuesday night. The Flames should be feeling hot after their win over the Vegas Golden Knights, and Kadri should help them continue their success.
Be sure to check out our Buffalo Sabres vs Calgary Flames predictions
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