Getty Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
The NHL regular season will end one week from today, with four playoff spots still up for grabs (two in each conference) and all eight first round matchups still to be determined. Not a single one of the 12 teams that have clinched a playoff spot have secured a specific seed, and each of them have at least four potential opponents in the first round, so there’s still plenty to play for.
All five contenders in the Eastern Conference playoff race are in action tonight, with the Washington Capitals able to overtake the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division standings. If that doesn’t happen, the winner of the Detroit Red Wings–Pittsburgh Penguins matchup could move back into the second Wild Card spot.
Our AI-powered dfsPro model projects a number of individual performances worth keeping an eye on during today’s games. Let’s dive into some of our favorite NHL player props for April 11!
See also: Heavy’s NHL player props from April 10: 5-for-6 (83% accuracy).
Hottest Props: Goals
Dylan Larkin: Anytime Goalscorer (+125, DraftKings)
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin leads his team with 31 goals on the season, and he has three in his last five games. In a game that carries major postseason implications for both teams, our model likes Larkin to step up in a big way against the Penguins, projecting a 51% in his goalscoring potential. In fact, his odds to find the back of the net tonight are higher than those of any player on either team (52%).
Chris Kreider: Anytime Goalscorer (+135, DraftKings)
New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider, who is riding a four-game goal streak dating back to April 3 has the highest odds of any player (55%) to score a goal tonight when the Rangers take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Kreider has found the back of the net just once against the Flyers this season, in the teams’ first meeting on Nov. 24.
Hottest Props: Assists
Kyle Connor: Over 0.5 Assists (+124, DraftKings)
Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor carries a five-game point streak into tonight’s Central Division showdown between Winnipeg and the Western Conference-leading Dallas Stars. He is averaging just 0.39 assists per game this season, but our model projects a 35% uptick in his potential against the Stars tonight, putting him just over the betting line at 0.53.
Tage Thompson: Over 0.5 Assists (+135, DraftKings)
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson is in a situation similar to Connor’s, averaging 0.38 helpers per game. However, our model projects a 38% uptick over his average tonight against the Capitals, placing him over the betting line at 0.53. Thompson put up a three-point performance (1 goal, 2 assists) in Buffalo’s most recent meeting with Washington on April 2.
Matthew Tkachuk: Under 0.5 Assists (+120, DraftKings)
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk is averaging 0.77 assists per game, but he has just one assist in two prior meetings with the Columbus Blue Jackets this season. Our model projects a 41% decline in his potential to dish out a helper when the Panthers host the Blue Jackets tonight, putting him below the betting line at 0.45.
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