NHL predictions: Deals changing the landscape before NHL trade deadline

The trade deadline in the National Hockey League arrives at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 8, but there have already been a lot of significant deals leading up to the deadline. Will any of these moves swing the balance of power?

Last season’s champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, have been slumping lately, with one win in their past seven games. That has not deterred the Golden Knights from making an effort to repeat last season’s glory and they acquired defenseman Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames and towering winger Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals. Neither one is a star, but both are productive veteran players that will improve the Golden Knights’ depth.

The New York Rangers ventured into the trade market, acquiring center Alexander Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken. Wennberg is a capable third-line center who will fill the void created by Filip Chytil’s injury. It’s not a big splash, but a solid move from an Eastern Conference contender.

The Colorado Avalanche made two separate deals, acquiring center Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres and defenseman Sean Walker from the Philadelphia Flyers. Colorado sent defenseman Bowen Byram to Buffalo and center Ryan Johansen to Philadelphia, so the net gain from these deals may not be massive.

Favored to win the Stanley Cup, the Edmonton Oilers acquired centers Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks. Carrick is a depth option, but Henrique has been a consistently reliable scorer and is two goals away from the seventh 20-goal season of his career.

The Eastern Conference team with the shortest odds, the Florida Panthers, made a deal to get right winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators. Tarasenko is not the star that he once was in St. Louis but remains a productive scorer and gives the Panthers even more scoring options.

It does not look like any one of these deals makes a dramatic difference in the marketplace, but it all becomes relative. If a contending team does not make any upgrades before the deadline that will likely result in longer championship odds. The Oilers were already favorites, but adding Henrique solidifies that position, at least for now.

Best Money Line Bet

Even though the Nashville Predators suffered a 4-3 overtime defeat against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, snapping an eight-game winning streak, they are still a quality team playing well at this stage of the season. 

The Buffalo Sabres have generally been playing better lately, though they have just one regulation win in the past six games. Having suffered a 2-1 loss in overtime at Toronto on Wednesday, the Sabres are on the second game of a back-to-back scenario, and it would make sense for backup goaltender Eric Comrie to get the nod in goal. He has managed a .868 save percentage in eight starts this season. 

The schedule is favorable for Nashville in this case, as a rested home team against the traveling Sabres, and it’s enough to like the Predators to get back in the win column.

Predators ML (-156*)

Best Handicap Bet

Winners of four straight games, the New York Islanders have won the past three games by a margin of two goals or more. Even if they are not the most overpowering offensive squad, the Islanders are pushing for a playoff spot and will not let up against a lesser opponent.

Enter that lesser opponent, the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have dropped eight straight contests, with five of those losses by a margin of two goals or more. San Jose has been in tank mode all season, but with Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture injured, their lineup is even less competitive.

These teams have different objectives. The Islanders are committed to challenging for a playoff spot and need to win, whereas the Sharks are much more interested in improving their draft lottery odds, so a loss is not the end of the world for them.

Islanders -1.5 (-102*)

Best Total Bet

Over the past month, the Edmonton Oilers rank fourth in the NHL with 3.74 goals per 60 minutes. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the headliners, but the Oilers continue to tinker with their depth – most recently adding Henrique – to improve the offense throughout the lineup.

The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to have problems keeping the puck out of their net. In the past month, they are tied for 26th with a 3.67 goals against average. Combined with Columbus averaging 3.25 goals per 60 minutes over that span, they are capable of getting into higher-scoring games, hitting a total of seven goals or more in seven of their past 10 contests.

Both the Oilers and Blue Jackets have goaltending questions, and the explosiveness of the Oilers’ offense makes this a game that can hit the Over.

Oilers-Blue Jackets Over 6.5 (-133*)

Best Player Prop Bet

Minnesota Wild rookie defenseman Brock Faber has recorded just one assist in the past 10 games, but he continues to log big minutes, including time on Minnesota’s top power play unit.

More importantly, Faber and the Wild are visiting the Arizona Coyotes, and the Coyotes have a league-high 4.20 goals against average across the past month. The Coyotes have surrendered four goals or more in eight of their past 10 games.

Arizona’s poor play makes them a team to target for player props and Faber’s recent slump leads to him having a better potential pay out in the prop market.

Brock Faber Over 0.5 points (+118*)

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