NHL Picks

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The Buffalo Sabres are on a 5-game winning streak and they are 11-2-1 in their last 14 overall as they prepare to host the Nashville Predators on Saturday evening. Since returning from the Olympic break, Buffalo has reeled off recent wins over New Jersey, Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas and Pittsburgh — all in regulation. There is no reason to think that this red-hot team is about to slow down, so my Predators vs Sabres pick is for the home side to prevail. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to be in the net on Saturday, which would be great news for Buffalo. UPL is 14-7-2 this season with a 2.55 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. The Sabres have allowed a grand total of 8 goals during this 5-game surge.

The Predators, on the other hand, were playing poorly prior to the break and nothing has changed upon the resumption of play. They have lost 3 of their last 4 contests and 10 of their last 15. It is expected to be an all-Finnish goalie showdown this weekend, with Nashville likely to start Juuse Saros. He has thoroughly underwhelmed in 2025-26 to the tune of a 3.18 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. The Sabres are 18-8-3 at home this season; the Predators are 11-13-5 on the road. The price on the money line is rather steep, so let’s go with Buffalo to get the job done in regulation.

Predators vs Sabres prediction: Buffalo 3-way ML (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to -125.

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The Florida Panthers are looking to end their road trip on a positive note as they face off against the Detroit Red Wings. Currently, the Panthers are 0-3 on this trip and have lost 4 games in a row. With the trade deadline approaching at 3:00 pm ET today, there’s a legitimate chance that the team may part ways with some key players. Additionally, their goaltending has struggled since returning from the Olympics — and there’s little reason to expect a change tonight.

On the other hand, Detroit is coming off a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite that, the Red Wigs currently hold the third spot in the Atlantic Division and need to continue accumulating points. The Panthers are also playing the tail end of a back-to-back series and their third game in 4 nights, so fatigue may be a factor. Overall, the Red Wings are the stronger team — which should be evident in this matchup. While we might not see a high-scoring game, the Wings should be able to secure a win. I’ll go a step further and predict that they will cover the puck line, although it might take an empty-net goal to achieve that.

Panthers vs Red Wings prediction: Detroit -1.5 (+165) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Colorado Avalanche will take on the Dallas Stars Friday night. The Avalanche are 4-1 since the Olympic break and have outscored their opponents 18-11 in that time. They are currently in 1^st place in the Western Conference, just 3 points above the Stars. On the season, the Avalanche lead to league with 3.82 goals per game while only allowing 2.40. These numbers are incredible, and it is not surprising to see that they are averaging 34.2 shots on goal per game. The Avalanche also rank 1^st in save percentage on the year with their goalies stopping 91% of shots. Overall, the Avalanche are playing great hockey.

For the Stars, they sit in 2^nd place of the Western Conference and are 4-0 since the Olympic break. Through those 4 games, they are outscoring opponents 19-5. This should give them some confidence going into this game against the Avalanche. On the season, they are averaging 3.41 goals per game while allowing 2.66 goals per game. The most impressive statistic for the Stars is that they are scoring on 13.1% of their total shots. In this game, we will see 2 of the best NHL teams face off. I believe that the Stars competition has been weak since the Olympic break and that the Avalanche defense will stop the Stars offense while creating offensive opportunities for the most powerful offense in the NHL. I am taking the Avalanche on the money line.

Avalanche vs Stars prediction: Colorado Avalanche ML (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Vancouver Canucks are starting a short 2-game road trip with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s safe to say that this season has been forgettable for Vancouver, as it currently sits at the bottom of the NHL standings. The team is in the process of moving players out before the trade deadline, with names like Tyler Myers, Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes already changing teams. Unfortunately, the struggles continue — having lost 7 consecutive games and allowing 5 or more goals in 4 out of the last 5 games. While they managed to score 4 goals against the Hurricanes on Wednesday, the Canucks’ overall average is now fewer than 2 goals per game.

The Blackhawks are also in sell mode and may not be finished, trading players. They have lost 4 of their last 5 games, although it’s worth noting that their recent struggles occurred while on the road — where they have performed particularly poorly. Now returning home, they will look to improve as players have a few weeks to prove themselves for the roster in the 2026-27 season. While Chicago doesn’t boast a high-powered offense, it does have the advantage in net with goalie Spencer Knight. Although he has faced challenges in recent games, he isn’t the main issue for the team. Given both teams’ lack of offensive depth, this game likely won’t see many goals — but let’s trust the Blackhawks to secure a victory in regulation in front of their home crowd.

Canucks vs Blackhawks prediction: Chicago 3-Way ML (+110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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The Anaheim Ducks are in scorching-hot form as they prepare to host the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night. The Olympic break did nothing to slow down the Ducks, who were 9-2-0 in their last 11 games prior to the intermission. Since returning, Anaheim is 4-1-0 after walloping the Islanders 5-1 on Wednesday. There is no reason to think that a downturn in level is coming, so my Canadiens vs Ducks pick is for the home team to prevail. Anaheim has been especially impressive at home, sporting a 21-9-1 record in its own building this season. It is 9-1-0 in its last 10 home games.

Montreal is a solid 33-18-9 this season, but it has not been able to sustain any consistency of late. The Habs have alternated wins and losses over their last 6 outings and they most recently surrendered a ridiculous 7 goals in a setback against San Jose on Tuesday. Sam Montembeault will be in net for this matchup and he has been terrible in 2025-26 (3.37 goals-against average, .874 save percentage). The Canadiens have lost 3 of his last 4 starts and he has allowed fewer than 3 goals only once in his past 6 appearances. It’s surprising that this matchup is priced evenly; Anaheim should without question be favored.

Canadiens vs Ducks prediction: Anaheim ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -130.

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The Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights hit the ice on Friday night for a massive Western Conference matchup in the NHL. These teams float near the top of their respective divisions in the West and are expected to make major noise in the playoffs this season. It is time to get set with our Wild vs Golden Knights prediction.

Because Vegas leads its division, many may forget that this team has accumulated just 29 wins in 62 games (47%). On paper the Knights are a powerhouse — but they have yet to show the consistent dominance as expected. They are 1-3-0 in their last 4, giving up 3.5 goals per game while scoring 2.0. They have won less than half of their games at home and are welcoming in another powerhouse. Minnesota has seen some inconsistency of its own — but in 4 games since returning from the Olympics, they have handled 2 Stanley Cup favorites (Tampa Bay and Colorado) with ease while outscoring them 10-3. A key missing piece in this game will be Vegas captain Mark Stone, who was just placed on injured reserve — thus making this an even tougher task. Even on the road, I am siding with Minnesota on the money line for this Wild vs Golden Knights prediction.

Wild vs Golden Knights prediction: Minnesota ML (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -125.

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The St. Louis Blues continue their road trip with a stop in San Jose to face the Sharks. This marks the first meeting between the two teams, which are experiencing very different seasons. The Blues are unlikely to reach the playoffs and are looking to trade some players ahead of today’s trade deadline. While they have recently won two games in a row, it’s important not to overlook the fact that they are currently last in the Central Division with a road record of 9-17-3.

The Sharks, on the other hand, have shown improvement this year and find themselves in an interesting position. The Pacific Division is still wide open due to its overall weakness, which means San Jose might consider adding players before the trade deadline to improve its chances. They have won three consecutive games, including a convincing 7-5 victory over the Montreal Canadiens just a couple of nights ago. The Sharks’ blue line needs reinforcing, as many teams are also looking to improve in that area. For tonight’s matchup, they are the stronger team on paper and possess the offensive firepower to challenge whoever starts in goal for the Blues. Expect them to come out with energy and aim for another win.

Blues vs Sharks prediction: Sharks ML (-135) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.