Monday’s slate is loaded with value, and these are our top NHL player prop bets today—built around fresh season-opening form, proven volume, and clear role upgrades. Macklin Celebrini already has five points through two games as San Jose’s new captain, Egor Chinakhov looks locked into a featured role after signing a fresh extension in Pittsburgh, and Brandon Hagel remains one of the league’s most reliable shot-generators on Tampa Bay’s top line. Here’s the breakdown of each pick at the best NHL betting sites and the reasoning behind it.
Macklin Celebrini over 1.5 points
San Jose opens its season with heightened expectations after naming Macklin Celebrini team captain last month, making him the youngest captain in franchise history. The 20-year-old enters the season coming off a 115-point campaign that broke Joe Thornton’s single-season franchise record, a performance that also made him the cover athlete for EA Sports’ NHL 27 video game.
Celebrini finished fourth in NHL scoring last season with 45 goals and 70 assists across 82 games, and he was far from a one-man show in garbage time—he recorded 13 three-point outings, second-most in the league behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. He also represented Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, helping the team to a silver medal, and was named best forward at the World Championship.
With the Sharks positioning themselves as a legitimate playoff contender for the first time in years, Celebrini figures to see heavy ice time in all situations against Dallas, including power-play duty where he set up a significant share of his points a year ago. A multi-point game is well within his range on a given night, making the over on 1.5 points a reasonable target seeing as he already has five points (all assists) over his first two games of the seasons while averaging 22 minutes of ice time per contest.
The 0-2 Stars will have No. 1 goalie Jake Oettinger in between the pipes, but they’re 0-2 this season and have been outscored 6-1 by the mediocre Blues and Predators to open the campaign.
Egor Chinakhov to record a point
Chinakhov enters his first full season in Pittsburgh after the Penguins acquired him from Columbus at the end of December in a deal that sent Danton Heinen the other way. The move proved to be a catalyst for the winger, who finished the season with 36 points in 43 games with Pittsburgh—an 18-goal, 18-assist pace that was far better than anything he produced in Columbus.
Chinakhov was especially hot down the stretch, posting 22 points in his final 18 games with the Penguins. That production earned him a three-year, $18.75-million contract extension in July, cementing his spot in Pittsburgh’s top six heading into this season.
Facing a Winnipeg team that finished last season among the league’s stronger defensive units, Chinakhov will need to earn his chances, but his shooting touch and improved role give him a reasonable floor for point production. A goal or a primary assist would be enough to clear this mark, and his recent track record suggests he is unlikely to go pointless in consecutive games for long stretches.
The Penguins will avoid suspended Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and will be shooting at recent waiver-wire pickup Clay Stevenson on Monday night, which should bode well for Pittsburgh from an offensive perspective.
Brandon Hagel over 2.5 shots on goal
Hagel remains one of Tampa Bay’s most dependable volume shooters, and that trend should continue against Philadelphia. The winger set a career high with 36 goals last season, finishing with 74 points and 214 shots on goal across 71 games—a rate of just over three shots per outing.
Hagel typically plays alongside Nikita Kucherov on Tampa Bay’s top line, a role that consistently puts him in high-danger scoring areas and keeps his shot totals near the top of the lineup. He’s topped three shots in six straight games dating back to last season, and with the Lightning expected to control large stretches of play at home, Hagel should see no shortage of opportunities to get pucks on net.
Philadelphia’s penalty-killing units have been inconsistent in recent seasons, and if Tampa Bay’s power play finds early success, Hagel’s shot total could climb quickly given his typical role playing the point on the man advantage.
