The NHL returns with an eight-game slate on Thursday night, with first puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. Below, I’ll go over my favorite NHL player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook.
For up-to-date NHL betting information and data, check out both the DraftKings Sportsbook betting splits page and the DraftKings Sportsbook player props page!
Best NHL props for Thursday 3/5/26
Kirill Marchenko OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal (-115)
Marchenko ranks 30th in the NHL in shots per 60 and 17th in shot attempts per 60. Tonight, he’ll face a spiraling Panthers’ team that has lost three straight and is in the middle of a four-game road trip. Across four outings since returning from the Olympic break, Florida ranks sixth in shots allowed per game, while Columbus ranks 10th in shots per game. Marchenko has been relatively quiet since returning from the break, but tonight is a great bounce-back spot, and puck luck has been involved, as he has averaged six shot attempts per game across his last five outings.
Nikita Kucherov Anytime Goalscorer (+130)
Kucherov has scored in three of four games since returning from the break, and he’ll face a Jets team that hasn’t won back-to-back games since mid-January. Connor Hellebuyck will start between the pipes, and he has been surprisingly worse when playing at home this season, posting a 2.89 GAA and .895 SV%. Kucherov ranks 11th in the NHL in 5v5 goals per 60 and fourth in 5v5 goals above expected. The Lightning have dropped three straight games, but those losses came against quality opponents –– the Jets are not very competitive this season and should be playing from behind all game long, hopefully because of a first-period goal from Kucherov.
Brady Tkachuk OVER 3.5 Shots on Goal (-120)
Tkachuk leads the NHL in 5v5 shots per 60 and ranks eighth in 5v5 shot attempts per 60. Since returning from the break, the Flames have allowed an average of 35.8 shots per game, which ranks second in the NHL. Tkachuk has cleared this line just once since the break; however, this is an elite matchup, and he has cleared in four of the past five road outings. He has also found success against Calgary in the past, clearing three of the past four meetings. Additionally, the Flames have particularly struggled to limit opposing left wingers, allowing the most shots per game, and Tkachuk should look to take advantage.
