Kyle Connor, Cole Caufield and Wyatt Johnston are three players I’m backing to find the net on Thursday night. Here’s why they stand out among the anytime goal scorer options on DraftKings Sportsbook.
NHL Anytime Goal Scorer Picks at a Glance
| Player Prop | Matchup | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Connor Anytime Goal Scorer | Canucks at Jets | +115 |
| Cole Caufield Anytime Goal Scorer | Mammoth at Canadiens | +155 |
| Wyatt Johnston Anytime Goal Scorer | Stars at Blue Jackets | +180 |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
Best NHL Anytime Goal Scorer Picks for November 5
Kyle Connor Anytime Goal Scorer (+115)
Vancouver has been the league’s most miserable defensive team thus far, allowing the most goals (4.53) and shots (31.4) per game, and it’s also giving up the most 5v5 goals and xGoals per 60. This is a dream matchup for Connor, whose 13 goals lead the Jets by seven and are tied with Leon Draisaitl for second in the NHL.
Among skaters with at least 100 minutes of ice time, the 29-year-old ranks seventh in shots on goal per 60 (11.71) and T-21st in xGoals per 60 (1.47), and he’s coming off a two-goal performance on eight shots in Tuesday’s 5-4 wild overtime win over Montreal. With 41 and 39 goals in the past two seasons, Connor has a long track record of finishing at this rate, and he’ll skate on the top line and first power-play unit again tonight against a poor goaltending team.
Cole Caufield Anytime Goal Scorer (+155)
Utah does a great job limiting its opponents’ quality chances, allowing the fewest high-danger shots per 60 in the NHL, but its goaltending hasn’t exactly held up its end of the deal. Sebastian Cossa is expected to start between the pipes tonight after posting an .875 SV% and 2.95 GAA through five starts, and his -3.3 GSAx ranks 62nd among 74 goaltenders, while his -1.33% SV% above expected ranks 61st. Karel Vejmelka has been even worse, ranking 73rd in GSAx (-7.6) and 57th in SV% above expected (-1.26%).
These goaltending struggles will be a problem against Caufield, who is coming off a career-high 51-goal season and already leads the Canadiens with 10 goals across 15 games. Eight of those have come over his past 10 outings, including a pair of power-play goals in Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to Winnipeg. His 2.14 goals per 60 rank ninth, and his four high-danger goals are T-13th, so he shouldn’t need too many looks to cash in.
Wyatt Johnston Anytime Goal Scorer (+180)
Johnston has just three goals in 13 games after missing two in October with an illness, but his underlying numbers suggest that he has been far more dangerous than that. The 23-year-old has generated 6.51 xGoals, and his 1.50 xGoals per 60 rank T-16th, while he’s 10th in medium-danger xGoals per 60 (0.90). Only one of his 2.35 power-play xGoals has found the back of the net, and the positive regression should be on its way for a player who scored a career-high 45 goals last season.
The Blue Jackets have allowed the most high-danger shots per 60 over their past 10 outings, and they rank second in 5v5 high-danger shots allowed per 60 on the season. Cam Talbot has held up well between the pipes, ranking 15th in GSAx (+3.9) and 13th in SV% above expected (+1.12%), but Johnston skates on Dallas’ top line and first power-play unit, and +180 is a fair price for a sniper who ranks second on the Stars in shot attempts per 60.
Advanced stats courtesy of MoneyPuck.
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