In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Montreal Canadiens pulled off a stunning 6-2 upset over the Carolina Hurricanes, who were undefeated in the postseason thus far. On Saturday, these two contenders face off again in Raleigh. It’s tough to see this being another blowout, so tune in for what should end up a tightly contested affair between two electric teams.
Below, we’ll take a look at the best NHL player prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the playoff action on Saturday.
For up-to-date NHL betting information and data, check out the DraftKings Sportsbook betting splits page and player props page!
Best NHL player prop bets for Saturday 5/23/26
Frederik Andersen over 20.5 saves (-115)
I think this line may have shifted a little too far to the low end as an overreaction to Frederik Andersen’s poor performance in Game 1 of this series. The Hurricanes’ netminder allowed five goals on 21 attempts, which was by far his worst game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here’s the thing, though. He’s actually been pretty incredible this postseason with a .932 SV% and a 1.51 GAA, seeing plenty of support from the surrounding talent but also playing very well himself. He ranks third among all playoff goalies with more than one appearance in goals saved above expected per 60, and he’s fourth in SV% above expected as well. The veteran has been crucial in only allowing five goals across the entirety of the first and second series, respectively. Montreal is averaging 24.9 shots on goal per game, so I feel pretty confident Andersen sees the volume he needs to exceed this low saves prop.
Juraj Slafkovsky 3+ shots on goal (+135)
The Canadiens had a nice 4-2 lead heading into the third period of Game 1, but Juraj Slafkovsky made sure his team wouldn’t have a doubt by netting a pair of goals in the final frame. The young winger had 73 points in the regular season with 30 goals, and he’s now up to 12 points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’s also in the lead for the Canadiens in shots on goal, putting 44 pucks on the net in 15 games. That’s just shy of a three-per-game average, which is exactly what we want to see on this prop bet. Bettors can get 3+ shots on goal for Slafkovsky at +110 odds, which feels fantastic given his activity as a shooter and that he has hit that mark in eight games, including four straight. Watch for him to be aggressive once again as he’s done lately — it’s no coincidence that the offense as a whole has been performing better over this stretch.
