The 2025-26 NHL regular season just kicked off last night, and the action continues on Wednesday with a four-game slate. On deck for this evening are matchups between:
- Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens
- Capitals vs. Bruins
- Golden Knights vs. Kings
- Oilers vs. Flames
All but one of these teams make their season debuts, with the Kings playing the second leg of a back-to-back. Ahead of the action, we’re taking a look at the top NHL player props to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook for Wednesday, October 7.
Best NHL prop bets
Auston Matthews 4+ shots on goal (-125)
This pick is a layup of sorts to pad your stats on betting cards. Auston Matthews is among the NHL’s truly elite goalscorers with at least 30 shots netted in every season of his nine-year career, plus four 40-goal campaigns and a pair with 60-plus. The superstar forward isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so opposing goalies have to fear him whenever he steps on the ice. Matthews averaged 3.89 shots on goal per game last year during an injury-shortened campaign, as well as 4.56 shots a night in the prior year. A premier scoring threat, his net pressure truly sets him apart from other talents and he’ll continue to create havoc in 2025-26. With Mitch Marner now in Las Vegas, Matthews could potentially see even more attempts as well, so he should clear four shots on goal with ease to start his season.
Leon Draisaitl anytime goalscorer (+105)
Frankly, there are few better candidates for anytime goalscorer props you can take than Leon Draisaitl. The German star scored 52 goals last season and has four 50-goal campaigns to his name overall with a low of 41 over the last four years. The Oilers star simply knows how to bury the puck into the back of the net with efficiency, especially with a career shooting percentage of 18.6% and an average of 21.7% last year, tied for a career-best. He’s crafty, creative, and doesn’t hesitate when he sees even the tiniest of slivers to fit the puck through. Draisaitl hit at least one snipe in 52 of 93 contests last season (including the playoffs). Dustin Wolf showed plenty of promise for Calgary last season and recently signed a seven-year extension, but he’s no match for the Edmonton attack.
David Pastrnak 4+ shots on goal (+100)
Coming in at even odds, David Pastrnak brings similar appeal to Matthews as mentioned a couple of paragraphs above. The Bruins’ top talent logged 106 points last year in 82 games despite some less-than-ideal circumstances surrounding him. With the franchise committed to the youth movement, the 29-year-old is in a bit of a no-man’s land as far as his future with the team goes. In the meantime though, he’ll keep pouring attempts on a nightly basis — Pastrnak averaged 3.89 shots on goal per game last season and netted 43 of those tries. He totaled at least four attempts in 47 of his 82 appearances last campaign and should once again do so more often than not, so he’s a nice pick to round out this set of three.
