Greetings hockey fans, we’ve finally seen an end to the Jack Eichel saga. The star center has played his final game for the Buffalo Sabres and is headed to the Vegas Golden Knights.
It’s not surprising in the slightest that Eichel ended up with the Golden Knights. This is a franchise that has never been afraid to part with elite-level prospects and draft picks in pursuit of superstars. Vegas has done it in the past with Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, and Tomas Tatar. Now, the Golden Knights are a bit banged up at the moment, but they should be in great shape come playoff time if Eichel is able to suit up.
Eichel’s playmaking ability is going to be a ton of fun to watch on the Golden Knights’ top line once he does return to the ice. This is way more talent than he’s ever been surrounded by throughout his NHL career.
While the Golden Knights aren’t in action on Friday, I have some picks that should make us some money.
All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook
🔥 The Hot Ticket
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🏒 Rangers at Oilers, 9:30 p.m. | TV: NHL.tv
The Pick: Oilers (-145): The Oilers have been one of the most dominant teams in the league through the first month of the season. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are currently one-two as far as the NHL points leaders go. This offense is averaging 4.2 goals-per-game, which is the highest clip in the league. There’s rarely ever a reason to bet against the Oilers’ ability to put the puck in the net and this matchup should be a slam dunk.
It also doesn’t hurt that the Rangers are starting goaltender Alexandar Georgiev in net for this game. In two starts this season, Georgiev has yielded seven goals, including surrendering five against the Washington Capitals. In addition, Georgiev has allowed an average of 2.96 goals per game in his career and had a goals-against-average over three in three of his five NHL seasons.
Key Trend: The Oilers are 5-1 in their last six games as a home favorite
💰 More NHL picks
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🏒 Coyotes at Ducks, 10 p.m. | TV: ESPN+
The Pick: Under 5.5 goals (-135) It doesn’t even seem to be a contest for who is the worst team in the league this season. It’s far and away the Coyotes, who have yet to win a game. This is a team that has been outscored 42-13 in their 10 losses. They’re also averaging just 1.3 goals per game. They are the only team that isn’t averaging at least two goals per contest. There’s really nothing to like about this group.
Now the Ducks aren’t exactly the most consistent team in the NHL, but I love them in this spot. Despite a just a 4-4-3 record, this is a group that is really putting the puck in the net at a very high clip. In fact, the Ducks have the sixth-most goals in the league. One of the biggest positives for the Ducks has been 24-year old center Troy Terry, who has registered a team-high 12 points. Terry has recorded at least one point in nine consecutive games and really excelled on Anaheim’s top line. This is a situation where I could see the Ducks putting up three or four goals and coasting to an easy shutout victory. Take the under in this one.
Key Trend: The under is 4-1 in the Coyotes last 5 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game
🏒 Devils at Kings, 10:30 p.m. | TV: ESPN+
The Pick: Kings (-125): After losing six of their first seven games, the Kings have really found their stride as of late. The Kings have recorded wins in three consecutive games and are coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Blues. Winger Alex Iafallo has been one of the reasons for the team’s recent success as he’s recorded at least a point in four consecutive games while also scoring three goals during that stretch.
Meanwhile, the Devils have really been hampered by the loss of star forward Jack Hughes. Since Hughes went down with a shoulder injury, the Devils have lost four of six and have only scored a total of six goals in those losses. This is a situation where it’s hard to see where the scoring is going to come from on a nightly basis. On top of that, the team hasn’t gotten very good production from between the pipes. The Devils own a 3.00 goals-against-average, which is the ninth-worst clip in the NHL. As of this writing, the starting goaltender hasn’t been announced, but regardless of who it is, give me the Kings at home.
Key Trend: The Devils are 3-9 in their last 12 games as a road underdog