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NHL Player Bets – season 2026/2027
Updated August 24, 2026
We have an interesting season ahead with great player bets available! The obvious NHL stars will score their points again, no doubt. The more interesting question for bettors is which players can produce more than their reputation give out.
The 2026–27 regular season begins on September 29 and this time it expands to 84 games. With every team now facing its divisional rivals four times during season, repeat matchups and coaching should also become more important when looking at these updates.
This preview is not a ranking of the NHL’s best players who score points from one night to another. This preview focuses on players who is doing more in the shadows, showing great performances from game to game and might give some great value for player bets this season.
Betting Tips at Lionbonuses
Throughout the season, Lionbonuses will also organize betting competitions for customers with big prize pools, while our betting tips follows player picks and other NHL markets.
This seasons target will not be to back the biggest name on the ice with low odds. It will be to identify the changing role of players before the market catches up and take the value away.
That is where the most interesting part of the 2026–27 NHL season may be found, not among the players everyone already expects to score, but among the players one coach desicion away from changing their entire season.
Bet responsibly. Player roles usually change quickly, so always check confirmed lineups and stake only what you can afford to lose. Have a FUN season coming up!
NHL Season 26/27
Breakouts in forward to keep an eye on
Zach Benson, Buffalo Sabres
Zach Benson is no longer merely an interesting prospect. He produced 43 points in 65 games last season despite injuries and a 17-game goal drought. From December 11 onward, he recorded 32 points in 48 games with a plus-27 rating, before adding five goals and four assists in Buffalo’s playoff run.
Buffalo currently projects Benson beside Josh Norris and Tage Thompson on the first line. That is a major opportunity for a player who has already shown he can create offense without receiving traditional superstar usage.
Markets to watch: Points, assists and shots on goal.
Justin Hryckowian, Dallas Stars
Justin Hryckowian may be the most fascinating projected linemate in the league. Dallas currently has him skating with Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen. He does not need to become a star himself to produce useful numbers in that position.
Winning battles, recovering pucks and getting the puck to Johnston or Rantanen could generate secondary assists and inexpensive point props.
Hryckowian previously scored 60 points in 67 AHL games and was named the league’s outstanding rookie. NHL.com now projects him for 42 points.
Markets to watch: Anytime point and assists.
Collin Graf, San Jose Sharks
Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith will attract most of the attention in San Jose. Collin Graf may be the player who quietly benefits from it.
The Sharks currently project Graf on the first line with Celebrini and Smith. If that combination survives camp, Graf will be playing with two elite young creators while opposing defenses focus most of their energy on stopping Celebrini.
This is the type of role that can produce an unexpected 45–55-point season.
Markets to watch: Assists, points and shots when playing beside Celebrini.
Mavrik Bourque, Nashville Predators
Mavrik Bourque scored 20 goals and 41 points for Dallas while averaging only 15:29 of ice time. He was then traded to Nashville and signed to a six-year contract.
Dallas possessed enough attacking depth to keep Bourque in a limited role. Nashville has considerably more reason to test him in the top six and on the power play.
A larger role could move Bourque from a useful depth forward to a 25-goal candidate.
Markets to watch: Goals, shots and power-play points.
Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven, Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina’s established stars receive most of the attention, but Blake and Stankoven could become the team’s next major offensive pair. Stankoven scored 21 goals and 44 points in the regular season before leading Carolina with 11 playoff goals. Blake then led the Hurricanes with 20 postseason points.
Their whole line produced excellent numbers and spent large amounts of time in the offensive zone last season.
These are no longer speculative prospects. The potential market opportunity comes from books continuing to price them as secondary players.
Markets to watch: Blake assists and points – Stankoven goals and shots.
Matt Savoie, Edmonton Oilers
Savoie enters the season as one of Edmonton’s most important unknowns. NHL.com projects him for 49 points, and he has a plausible route into the top six beside Leon Draisaitl.
Playing with Draisaitl can transform the value of a winger almost overnight. Savoie also has the speed and skill to become more than a passenger on that line.
Markets to watch: Points and assists when confirmed in Edmonton’s top six.
Frank Nazar, Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Bedard is expected to miss the opening part of the season following shoulder surgery. That creates additional responsibility for Frank Nazar, who currently projects as Chicago’s first-line center.
The absence of Bedard makes Chicago a weaker team, but it may make Nazar a more interesting individual prop player. His minutes, puck touches and power-play responsibility should all increase.
Markets to watch: Assists, points and power-play points
Mackie Samoskevich, Seattle Kraken
Seattle paid a first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick to acquire Mackie Samoskevich from Florida. That is a meaningful organizational investment in a player who scored 12 goals and 32 points in 77 games last season.
The Kraken describe him as a fast, shot-first forward whose numbers could rise with a larger role. A promotion into the top six or first power-play unit would make him especially interesting.
Markets to watch: Shots and goals after a line promotion
Mason Marchment, San Jose Sharks
Mason Marchment is not a traditional breakout candidate, but he could be a strong change-of-environment play. He scored 15 goals in his final 39 games last season and now joins a San Jose roster filled with talented young playmakers.
He also recorded 84 hits in 68 games, giving him more betting routes than a pure scoring winger.
Markets to watch: Goals, shots and hits.
Bowen Byram, Chicago Blackhawks
Bowen Byram is arguably the best defenseman breakout candidate in the entire league. He scored 42 points last season despite receiving limited first-unit power-play time. He also registered 109 shots and 93 blocked shots. In Chicago, he has a solid opportunity to become the teams leading defenseman, with good offensive skills.
The Blackhawks were the only NHL team without a 30 point defenseman last season. Their defensemen also scored only one power-play goal. Byram does not have to replace an established power-play quarterback, he only has to claim an open position.
Markets to watch: Points, power-play points, shots and blocks.
Alexander Nikishin, Carolina Hurricanes
Alexander Nikishin’s rookie season included 11 goals, 33 points, 100 hits and more than 90 blocked shots. He became one of only two NHL defensemen to reach double figures in goals and power-play points while also recording at least 100 hits and 90 blocks.
That combination is extremely valuable. Nikishin can contribute even on nights when he does not score.
Markets to watch: Hits, blocks, shots and goals at high value
Olen Zellweger, Buffalo Sabres
Olen Zellweger recorded 22 points in 76 games for Anaheim before being traded to Buffalo. His most interesting numbers were related to skating and puck movement: he finished among the NHL’s fastest defensemen and ranked highly in puck carries that created shots.
Buffalo has enough finishing talent to turn some of those transitions into assists.
Markets to watch: Shots and assists, particularly if he receives power-play time.
Zayne Parekh and Simon Nemec, Calgary Flames
Calgary traded both MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson, leaving a major opening on the blue line and the power play. Zayne Parekh offers the greater offensive ceiling.
One important preseason battle in Calgary may be which of them, Simon Nemec or Parekh receives first-unit power-play responsibility.
Markets to watch: Points and power-play points, but only after the role is confirmed
Cole Hutson, Washington Capitals
Cole Hutson is one of the more adventurous rookie-defenseman selections. Washington used him on its second power-play unit after his late-season NHL arrival, and his puck-moving ability gives him a chance to produce immediately.
Washington’s deeper forward group should also offer more finishers for his passes.
Markets to watch: Assists and points
Denton Mateychuk, Columbus Blue Jackets
Denton Mateychuk is projected for 37 points and should receive a larger role after a promising start to his NHL career. He moves the puck well enough to produce at even strength and on the second power-play unit.
Markets to watch: Assists and points against weak defences.
Finnish names beyond the star players
Ville Koivunen
Pittsburgh gave Koivunen an eight-year, $32 million contract despite his limited NHL resume. His 41 points in 34 AHL games explain the belief in his upside.
Koivunen carries an unusually wide range of outcomes: he could become a cheap long-term top-six forward, or struggle to justify one of the summer’s boldest contracts.
Oliver Kapanen
Kapanen has already shown that his 22-goal rookie season was no accident. The problem is Montreal’s depth chart, which currently places him in the bottom six.
He should be followed for goals and shots whenever injuries or line changes return him to Ivan Demidov’s side. His betting value will be much more sensitive to linemates than his overall season totals suggest.
Jani Nyman
Nyman’s heavy shot makes him an intriguing goal scorer, especially after Eeli Tolvanen’s departure created another opening in Seattle.
His value depends almost entirely on NHL selection and power-play deployment. He is a player to follow closely during camp rather than back blindly in preseason markets.
Matias Maccelli
Maccelli signed a one-year contract with the Islanders after scoring 39 points in Toronto. He has previously produced a 57-point NHL season and remains an effective playmaker.
A place on the Islanders’ power play could make assists his strongest market. The short contract also gives him every reason to rebuild his value immediately.
Joakim Kemell
Kemell remains a genuine goal-scoring sleeper in Nashville. His shot is NHL quality; the unanswered question is whether he receives enough ice time to use it.
If Kemell makes the roster and reaches the second power-play unit, his shot and anytime-goal props should be monitored before the wider market reacts.
Konsta Helenius
Helenius is the most interesting Finnish breakout candidate, but the key is patience. He recorded 63 points in 63 AHL games at age 19 and added four points in nine NHL appearances.
Buffalo currently projects him as its third-line center. That is not yet an automatic betting role. If Helenius moves into the top six or onto a power-play unit, he becomes a completely different proposition.
Top three Dark Horse teams to follow – NHL season 26/27
Washington Capitals
Washington is our strongest surprise pick. The Capitals missed the playoffs despite finishing 43–30–9, then added Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner to a lineup that already included Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson. Washington should return to the playoffs and has enough depth to aim for a top-three place in the Metro Division.
Nashville Predators
Nashville is the most interesting rebound candidate. Mavrik Bourque scored 20 goals for Dallas despite averaging quite small minutes and Preds also added Ross Colton, Jack Drury and Nils Höglander to the roster. That creates more support behind Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos. The decisive player is Juuse Saros: if he recovers from last season’s .894sv%, Nashville could return to the playoff race.
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis exchanged Kyrou for Connor McMichael and also got Mason McTavish and Brandon Carlo. McTavish and McMichael give the Blues two young forwards who could do alot of damage in offense when in big roles. The Blues are not an obvious contender, but their younger and deeper lineup gives them a realistic chances as surpriser.
Laine and Tolvanen remain unsigned
Patrik Laine and Eeli Tolvanen were still free agents in the NHL’s latest official update. Laine missed most of last season, but been looking decent on ice off season, and scored some goals before that. Tolvanen produced 36 points in 78 games for Seattle. A 1st power-play role could make Laine immediately interesting.
Rumours been going around, Laine been mentioned with Florida, and Tolvanen with Dallas, we’ll see what happens.
Could the NHL expand to Texas?
The NHL is possibly expanding to Houston or Austin as possible homes for a 33rd franchise. No team has been approved, but the estimated $3.5 billion project could bring NHL hockey to Texas during the early 2030s, or who knows maybe even sooner.
What we already can expect regarding this is that if 33 teams happen, there’s a big chance it will be 34 not too long after.
NHL Global Series returns to Helsinki
Carolina and Seattle will play at Helsinki’s Veikkaus Arena on November 12 and 14. The games should feature names like Sebastian Aho, Kaapo Kakko and potentially Jani Nyman, making them one of the highlights of the Finnish hockey year.
Tickets on Global Series Helsinki is available at around 229-550€.
