NHL Best Player Prop Bets (November 26)

Join Canada Sports Betting’s Nick Martin as he handicaps the best NHL player prop bets available from Wednesday’s massive 15-game slate.

Best bet-Roman Josi over 2.5 shots on goal: -105

Typically we only touch on two props in these articles, but given today’s monster 15-game slate, it’s a good opportunity to write up three, and therefore a good time to lead with a more brief write-up.

We were on Josi to record over 2.5 shots in Monday’s matchup versus the Florida Panthers, and the Predators captain recorded six shots on goal from 10 attempts. As expected, he played more minutes in his second game back in the lineup, skating 23:01 in a game that was out of reach early in the third period.

In two games since returning to the lineup, Josi has recorded 10 shots on goal from 18 shot attempts, and the Predators have actually spent a lot of time attacking in the offensive zone in his minutes, despite the fact that they have lost both games to a pair of high-quality opponents.

As we touched on Monday, the price for Josi to record over 2.5 shots on goal has typically been much worse than it currently is throughout the previous three seasons. This price has moved from +105 to -105 game-over-game, but I thought we might see a greater adjustment considering the way he has played in two games since returning and his typical volume throughout the majority of his stellar career.

Best bet-Aliaksei Protas over 0.5 points: +120

Protas was our guy last year, as oddsmakers were entirely unwilling to accept his level of production as sustainable, and he was regularly priced north of +105 to record a point despite ultimately finishing with 66 points in 76 games. After recording only one point across a 10-game stretch in which the Capitals as a team were quite unproductive, Protas appears to be regaining his touch with a point in four of the last five games.

While he did have some good luck last season in terms of both his teammates’ shooting percentage while he was on the ice and his own, there is still plenty to love about the mammoth 24-year-old’s skillset. He’s a great skater for his size with one of the longest reaches of any forward in the league and is able to move the puck effectively after getting in on the forecheck.

Another reason for Protas’ strong recent production is that he, Tom Wilson, and Justin Sourdif have formed an extremely effective trio in the handful of games that they have played together. In 66.9 minutes of even-strength play, the Capitals’ newly formed second trio holds a 75.6% expected goal share and have generated 5.56 xGF/60, which are both the best marks in the NHL out of any offensive units to play over 50 minutes together.

Without the services of Connor Hellebuyck, the Winnipeg Jets offer a pretty solid matchup for Protas to remain productive. The Jets have allowed 3.35 xGA/60 over the last 15 games, which is the 14th-highest mark in the NHL. Eric Comrie is a competent goaltender, but he’s obviously still not Hellebuyck, and considering the Jets’ average defensive play, this is certainly a matchup we can live with for Protas.

Best bet-Nico Hischier over 2.5 shots on goal: +128

I’d hear a case for any prop involving the Devils captain in tonight’s matchup versus the Blues, but considering the price of +128, backing him to record three or more shots on goal is my favourite look.

In the five games the Devils have played since Jack Hughes’ freak injury, Hischier has recorded 17 shots on goal from 26 attempts on goal. He’s been rewarded where it counts with four goals and two assists in that span, and it should be a safe bet that head coach Sheldon Keefe continues to lean heavily upon his undisputed top centre for the time being.

Dating back to last season, Hischier has recorded over 2.5 shots on goal in nine of the last 10 games he has played in which Hughes is not in the lineup. There are some salient arguments as to why Hischier is offering greater volume without Hughes, which makes me quite interested in riding this trend at a good price of +128.

With Hughes sidelined, Hischier has more consistently played with Jesper Bratt, who is one of the league’s most dynamic offensive players and a tremendous playmaker. Hischier is expected to play alongside Bratt and Timo Meier in tonight’s matchup on a high-quality top line, and if Keefe is going to keep those three stacked on a unit, it’s a safe bet to assume they will play big minutes.

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