The Montreal Canadiens sent forward Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames on Monday, which was the first big move ahead of the March 21 trade deadline. While Toffoli’s game should pick up after going from a last-place club to a playoff contender, one of his new teammates stands at the center of Tuesday’s NHL Props offerings, which once again feature a slew of star-studded forwards.
Let’s get to our five favorite NHL Props from Tuesday’s nine-game slate.
Odds via DraftKings and FanDuel updated 3:15 p.m. ET on Feb. 15.
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Tampa Bay Lightning: C Steven Stamkos
The Prop: Score Anytime Goal (at New Jersey)
The Odds: +110
Tampa Bay’s top goal-scorer with 22 on the season, Stamkos also has tormented the New Jersey Devils throughout his illustrious career, with 20 goals and 38 points in 38 contests. That said, Stamkos has failed to light the lamp in two games against New Jersey this season, producing only one assists.
So why take a chance with him putting the puck in the net tonight? Well, for starter, he’s coming off a two-goal game in Friday’s 4-3 win at the Arizona Coyotes.
Steven Stamkos recorded the 81st multi-goal outing of his career, which trails only Alex Ovechkin (155) and Sidney Crosby (86) for the most among active players. And that’s a wrap on Friday night.#NHLStats: https://t.co/PnAyYnlVZR pic.twitter.com/j0CxOxlBvR
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 12, 2022
Also, the first two meetings with the Devils were in Florida. Here’s why that matters: With his performance in the desert Friday, Stamkos has now scored 12 goals in 23 road contests.
Meanwhile, New Jersey is allowing a dismal 3.51 goals per game this year, fourth-worst in the league. And that average has been getting worse, as the Devils have yielded at least four goals in five of their last six contests (26 goals in all).
Top goaltenders Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier remain sidelined with injuries. On top of that, star defenseman Dougie Hamilton isn’t expected to play. Same goes for forwards Jesper Bratt, Janne Kuokkanen, and Andreas Johnsson.
New York Islanders: LW Anders Lee
The Prop: 2.5 Total Shots (at Buffalo)
The Odds: Over +112/Under -148
Lee has struggled this season, with just 17 points (12 goals, five assists) in 37 games. He also has recorded one shot or fewer in four of his last five games. Yet this matchup feels like a slump-busting opportunity for he 31-year-old winger.
After all, despite his dismal recent shot output, he still ranks fourth on the team with 80 shots on goal. And even though the Islanders generate the fifth-fewest shots on goal per game (28.4) leaguewide, that number climbs to 29.7 on the road.
Enter the Buffalo Sabres, who are allowing the second-most shots in the league (34.8 per game). And lately, things have been getting wore, not better, as Buffalo has surrendered at least 32 shots on goal in nine of its last 10 games. And during this stretch, the Sabres have conceded more than 40 shots on goal three times.
Translation: Lee should have some golden opportunities to fire the puck on net. He just needs to pull the trigger, and we’re betting he will.
Editor’s Note: New to NHL props? Check out our complete NHL Props Betting Guide to get up to speed!
Pittsburgh Penguins: RW Bryan Rust
The Prop: 3.5 Total Shots (vs. Philadelphia)
The Odds: Over +110/Under -144
Few players in the league have played better of late than Rust. The dynamic winger has seven goals and two assists in his last five games. In 27 games this season, Rust is averaging 3.37 shots per game, and he’s stepped up offensively with Evgeni Malkin out of the lineup.
Bryan Rust with the fantastic redirect on Letang's shot to give Pittsburgh the lead in the third!#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/WvSTa6CqG4
— Hockey Daily 365 (@HockeyDaily365) February 13, 2022
Prior to being limited to just two shots Sunday against New Jersey, Rust had registered 9, 4 and 5 shots in three consecutive games.
Beyond the shot output, Rust is making the most of his opportunities. He sees the third-most time on ice per game among Penguins forwards and the second-most power-play time on ice per game. With a 71.65% offensive zone start percentage, Rust is a constant threat in the attacking zone.
Philadelphia allows 34.1 shots per game, fifth-most in the league. In their last meeting against Pittsburgh, Rust had two goals and an assist on four shots. Sprint to the books to lock this one in.
Calgary Flames: LW Johnny Gaudreau
The Prop: Score Anytime Goal (vs. Columbus)
The Odds: +125
Remember when Gaudreau was the subject of trade talks, with rumors he wanted out of Calgary to go to the Flyers for a better chance to compete for the Cup? How quickly moods can change in the NHL.
Thanks to a six-game winning streak, the Flames enter Tuesday just one point behind Vegas for first place in the Pacific Division with three games in hand. Gaudreau leads the team with 58 points in 45 games, and is one goal away from 20 on the season, a mark he hasn’t hit since the 2018-19 campaign.
As has been the theme throughout our top five NHL Tuesday props, opportunity is everything. The Blue Jackets allow a league-high 35.1 shots per game, resulting in the third-highest goals-against per contest (3.61). Conversely, Calgary is scoring 3.33 per game, netting a whopping 25 in its last five contests (four or more each time out).
True, Gaudreau has contributed just three goals during the Flames’ winning streak. And he’s only found the net six times in 18 home games this year. But if ever there was a night when Johnny Hockey seemed primed to go off, it’s tonight against a Columbus outfit that has yielded 28 goals in its last seven games.
Edmonton Oilers: C Connor McDavid
The Prop: 0.5 Power Play Points (at Los Angeles Kings)
The Odds: Over +148/Under -184
It’s hard to believe McDavid, who is tied for the NHL lead in power-play points and is arguably the best player in the game today, is a sizeable underdog to record a power-play point on Tuesday. Power-play points account for 26 of McDavid’s 64 for the season, putting him one back of teammate Leon Draisaitl for the league lead.
Oilers Connor McDavid has scored in 3 straight road games for the first time since November 19-23, 2019
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) February 15, 2022
Los Angeles’ penalty kill has floundered this season at 73.4% (74.6% at home), while the Oilers’ power play is converting at a 27.1% clip, third-best leaguewide. The Kings don’t take a ton of penalties, but when they do, they’re not great at 4-on-5 hockey.
Led by McDavid, Edmonton has the firepower to take advantage of L.A.’s big flaw.