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NHL Best Bets Today | Best NHL Player Props & Anytime Goal Scorer Picks (NHL Predictions for Oct 1)

NHL Best Bets Today | Best NHL Player Props & Anytime Goal Scorer Picks (NHL Predictions for Oct 1) article feature image
13 min read

Thursday's NHL slate is stacked with eight games and some of the league's best finishers lacing up, making this one of the deeper nights of the young season for NHL best bets today, from Jack Hughes in New Jersey to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Vancouver.

Polymarket has anytime goalscorer contracts priced on every one of those games, and the board moved fast once lineups were confirmed.

Here is a full breakdown of the best NHL player props today, built around 10 anytime goalscorer tickets worth trading across tonight's eight-game slate.

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
PHI vs NJD (7:00 PM ET)Jack Hughes | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (38¢)$252.28Trade it on Polymarket!
TBL vs NYR (7:00 PM ET)Nikita Kucherov | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (36¢)$265.94Trade it on Polymarket!
BUF vs CBJ (7:00 PM ET)Tage Thompson | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (36¢)$265.94Trade it on Polymarket!
MIN vs NSH (8:00 PM ET)Steven Stamkos | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (32¢)$298.39Trade it on Polymarket!
SEA vs CGY (9:00 PM ET)Jordan Eberle | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (26¢)$354.43Trade it on Polymarket!
CHI vs UTA (9:30 PM ET)Patrick Kane | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (27¢)$352.48Trade it on Polymarket!
EDM vs VAN (10:00 PM ET)Leon Draisaitl | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (48¢)$201.06Trade it on Polymarket!
EDM vs VAN (10:00 PM ET)Connor McDavid | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (46¢)$209.52Trade it on Polymarket!
FLA vs SJS (10:00 PM ET)Macklin Celebrini | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (41¢)$234.29Trade it on Polymarket!
FLA vs SJS (10:00 PM ET)Sam Reinhart | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (35¢)$273.36Trade it on Polymarket!

Flyers vs Devils Prediction

New Jersey opens its season leaning hard on Jack Hughes after he piled up 27 goals and 77 points in just 61 games a year ago, missing 21 outings due to injury.

A full, healthy season out of Hughes is the single biggest swing factor for this Devils roster, and Polymarket traders are already pricing him as the board's best bet in this matchup.

Along with the current Polymarket promo code: ACTION, which allows new users to Deposit $10, Get a $50 Trading Bonus!

Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Jack Hughes

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
PHI vs NJD (7:00 PM ET)Jack Hughes | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (38¢)$252.28Trade it now on Polymarket!

Hughes centers New Jersey's top line between Jesper Bratt and Connor Brown, and he carried the Devils' offense whenever he was in the lineup last season.

At 38¢ on the board, the market is giving him better than one-in-three odds to find the net in the opener, which lines up with a player who scored 27 times in 61 games a year ago.

This anytime goalscorer price reflects a center who was a legitimate Hart Trophy conversation piece when healthy, and tonight's full lineup gives him every chance to open the campaign with a goal, placing him among the best NHL player props today.

Lightning vs Rangers Prediction

Nikita Kucherov enters the season as the reigning Hart Trophy winner after a 44-goal, 130-point campaign, and Tampa Bay is once again building its offense around him.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Nikita Kucherov

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
TBL vs NYR (7:00 PM ET)Nikita Kucherov | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (36¢)$265.94Trade it now on Polymarket!

Kucherov posted 44 goals last season on his way to his second career Hart Trophy, and he remains Tampa Bay's clear first option on both the rush and the power play.

A 36¢ price for the opener against a Rangers team breaking in new faces on the blue line looks like fair value given his track record of fast starts.

Sabres vs Blue Jackets Prediction

Tage Thompson broke out for 40 goals and 81 points last season as Buffalo won the Atlantic Division and ended a lengthy playoff drought, and he opens this season as the Sabres' first-line centerpiece on the road in Columbus.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Tage Thompson

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
BUF vs CBJ (7:00 PM ET)Tage Thompson | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (36¢)$265.94Trade it now on Polymarket!

Thompson hit the 40-goal mark for the third time in four seasons in 2025-26, and he's carried that shooting touch into a Buffalo lineup that finally looks like a true playoff contender.

A 36¢ anytime goalscorer price against a Columbus club still finding its footing early in the season looks like one of the sharper plays on tonight's board.

Wild vs Predators Prediction

Steven Stamkos needed time to find his footing in Nashville last season, but he closed 2025-26 as the Predators' leading goal scorer and the clear first option on their power play.

He gets Minnesota on home ice tonight in a game Polymarket traders have flagged as this slate's best anytime goalscorer value.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Steven Stamkos

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
MIN vs NSH (8:00 PM ET)Steven Stamkos | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (32¢)$298.39Trade it now on Polymarket!

This is the trade we're making tonight: Stamkos at 32¢ to score anytime against Minnesota.

He finished last season on a tear after an ice-cold start, scoring eight goals over a nine-game stretch down the stretch and ending up as Nashville's team leader in goals.

The Predators missed the playoffs again a year ago, but Stamkos personally proved he still has a finisher's touch once he found his game, and he carries that momentum into tonight's home opener.

The ticket shown here is a straightforward $100 buy at a 32¢ average price, matching the board's listed price exactly since this size didn't move the market.

At 32¢ a share, $100 buys roughly 312.5 shares, each worth $1 if Stamkos scores at any point in regulation or overtime.

  • If Stamkos scores: profit of $298.39.
  • If he's held off the scoresheet: the $100 stake is lost entirely, since Polymarket contracts settle all-or-nothing.

That's just under a 3-to-1 payout on a player who enters the night as his team's most trusted finisher, a solid risk/reward shape for an anytime goalscorer ticket this early in the season.

Kraken vs Flames Prediction

Jordan Eberle led Seattle in points last season with 26 goals and 55 points, and the Kraken captain opens this season on the road against a Calgary team breaking in a new-look lineup of its own.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Jordan Eberle

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
SEA vs CGY (9:00 PM ET)Jordan Eberle | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (26¢)$354.43Trade it now on Polymarket!

Eberle bounced back from an injury-shortened 2024-25 to post his best season in years, and he remains Seattle's top option on the power play entering this one.

The ticket here filled at a 26.85¢ average price, a touch above the board's quoted 26¢ line, a reminder that a $100 order can nudge the price slightly on a thinner Kraken goal market.

Even with that small premium, this is the longest shot of tonight's flagship-adjacent picks, paying $354.43 on a $100 stake if Eberle finds the net.

Blackhawks vs Mammoth Prediction

Patrick Kane is back in Chicago on a two-year deal after three seasons in Detroit, and with Connor Bedard sidelined into November following shoulder surgery, Kane opens the season as the Blackhawks' top offensive option.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Patrick Kane

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
CHI vs UTA (9:30 PM ET)Patrick Kane | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (27¢)$352.48Trade it now on Polymarket!

Kane posted 16 goals and 57 points in 67 games with Detroit last season, and he returns to the organization that drafted him first overall with a clear path to top-line minutes while Bedard recovers.

A 27¢ price on his Blackhawks debut against a Utah club still finding its identity looks like a reasonable number for a former Hart Trophy winner making his season debut in a featured role.

Oilers vs Canucks Prediction

Edmonton and Vancouver split their opening two meetings of the season already, and the Oilers bring the league's two highest-priced anytime goalscorer threats back to British Columbia for the rematch.

Connor McDavid put up 48 goals and 138 points last season, while Leon Draisaitl remains his unstoppable running mate on a line that has carried Edmonton to the last two Stanley Cup Finals.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Leon Draisaitl

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
EDM vs VAN (10:00 PM ET)Leon Draisaitl | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (48¢)$201.06Trade it now on Polymarket!

Draisaitl is priced as the single most likely goalscorer on tonight's entire slate at 48¢, and that's before accounting for his track record of elite finishing against Pacific Division opponents.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Connor McDavid

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
EDM vs VAN (10:00 PM ET)Connor McDavid | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (46¢)$209.52Trade it now on Polymarket!

McDavid sits just behind his linemate at 46¢, and after an early playoff exit last spring, both Oilers stars enter this season with extra motivation to put on a show in Vancouver.

Stacking both Edmonton stars gives traders two cracks at the same outcome, with McDavid and Draisaitl combining to account for nearly half the implied probability on this matchup's goalscorer board.

Panthers vs Sharks Prediction

Florida captain Sam Reinhart returns from a foot injury that cost him the final 17 games of last season, while San Jose counters with reigning franchise points-record holder Macklin Celebrini, who signed a five-year extension this summer after a 45-goal, 115-point sophomore season.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Macklin Celebrini

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
FLA vs SJS (10:00 PM ET)Macklin Celebrini | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (41¢)$234.29Trade it now on Polymarket!

Celebrini was directly involved in nearly half of San Jose's goals a year ago, and the board's 41¢ price makes him this slate's second-most-likely goalscorer behind only the Oilers' top line.

The board flagged that a full $100 order may not fully fill at this price given the market's current depth, so traders sizing up this ticket should watch the fill carefully.

Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Sam Reinhart

🏒 Game (Start)🏷️ Player Goal Yes | Price🤑 Profit on $100📈 Trade It
FLA vs SJS (10:00 PM ET)Sam Reinhart | Anytime Goalscorer Yes (35¢)$273.36Trade it now on Polymarket!

Reinhart posted 29 goals in just 64 games last season before his injury, and a healthy return to Florida's top line alongside Aleksander Barkov makes this 35¢ price look like a fair number for the opener.

More games are on the board beyond this slate, and the same anytime goalscorer markets are live across the rest of tonight's and this week's NHL schedule.

Use Polymarket Promo Code 'ACTION' to Trade the Best NHL Player Props Today

Ready to take a position? You can start trading these event contracts in minutes.

  • Read a comprehensive Polymarket review to understand how this exchange operates.
  • Monitor the relevant tab on Polymarket to stay ahead of the live order book movements.

📝 POLYMARKET TERMS & CONDITIONS

18+ Only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Not available in all jurisdictions. Trading is risky. 100% loss can occur. See polymarket.com/tos for more information. The Polymarket US App serves as an independent software provider and affiliate of Polymarket US and Polymarket Clearing, the CFTC-regulated exchange and clearing organization.

NHL Best Bets Today: Final Thoughts on the Anytime Goalscorer Slate

Eight games and 10 anytime goalscorer tickets make tonight one of the deeper slates of the young season, with prices ranging from Draisaitl's market-best 48¢ down to Eberle's longer-shot 26¢ line.

Stacking a few of these NHL best bets today together, rather than leaning on a single ticket, is a reasonable way to spread exposure across a slate this wide.

Nights like this one, with a full main-market board across every game, are exactly when it pays to shop around for the best NHL player props today rather than settling for the first number on the screen.

For more context on how these contracts settle, the prediction market apps landscape and the full prediction markets hub are worth a look before placing a first ticket.

Best NHL Player Props Today: Anytime Goalscorer Promo Code FAQs

What is the current Polymarket promo code?

The current promo code is ACTION, which unlocks a $50 trading bonus for new users who deposit $10.

Who is favored to score first tonight?

Leon Draisaitl carries the board's best anytime goalscorer price at 48¢ in Edmonton's matchup with Vancouver, with linemate Connor McDavid close behind at 46¢.

What is the best anytime goalscorer prop on tonight's slate?

Steven Stamkos against Nashville is this piece's featured pick at 32¢, offering a near 3-to-1 payout on a player who closed last season as his team's leading goal scorer, making him one of the top NHL best bets today across the entire slate.

How do anytime goalscorer contracts work on Polymarket?

A contract settles Yes if the named player scores at any point during regulation or overtime, and settles No if they're held off the scoresheet; shootout goals don't count toward resolution.

What is the Polymarket promo code and how do I use it?

Enter ACTION during signup to unlock the deposit-and-bonus offer described above before placing a first trade.

Where can I find NHL Predictions for Today across the full slate?

Beyond these 10 tickets, Polymarket has moneyline, puck line, and additional prop markets live on every game across tonight's NHL schedule.

How do I use the Polymarket promo code with NHL Predictions for Today?

The same ACTION code applies across every market on the platform, so it only needs to be entered once at signup to cover any NHL predictions for today's slate or beyond.

When do these anytime goalscorer markets resolve?

Markets resolve shortly after each game ends, once official NHL scoring is confirmed.

Author Profile
About the Author

Zach Parkes is a Toronto-based casino enthusiast and an avid Toronto sports fan. As a Betting Expert, Analyst, and Editor for Better Collective, he provides expertise in sports betting and the rapidly growing North American online casino market.

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