NHL best bets today are built around the anytime goalscorer market, and Opening Night of the 2026-27 season is stacked with value across a five-game slate.
- The Carolina Hurricanes raise their second Stanley Cup banner in franchise history before a rematch with the Florida Panthers, the two-time champs they dethroned in June.
- Montreal and Toronto renew their Original Six rivalry, the Rangers debut big offseason addition Pavel Dorofeyev against Boston, and Connor McDavid's Oilers host the Canucks before Chicago closes the night against Vegas.
Here's a full breakdown of the best NHL player props today, built around 10 live Polymarket goalscorer tickets across all five Opening Night games.
Best NHL Player Props Today: Our Top Anytime Goalscorer Picks for Opening Night
Each of these 10 tickets comes straight off a live Polymarket board, not a hypothetical line.
We've got two anytime goalscorer picks lined up for every game on the slate, ranked by implied probability within each matchup.
Panthers vs Hurricanes
Carolina raises its second Stanley Cup banner in franchise history before facing the Panthers, the club it dethroned in June's Final.
Florida enters with a retooled top six after acquiring Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa this summer, giving the Panthers fresh juice for the rematch.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Sam Reinhart
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLA vs CAR (5:00 PM ET) | Sam Reinhart | Anytime Goal Yes (31¢) | $307.80 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Sam Reinhart enters the year fresh off a 29-goal regular season, and Florida just handed him a stacked look up front by importing Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa this summer.
Reinhart still logs top power-play minutes for the Panthers, and Carolina is replacing depth pieces from its Cup-winning roster on the back end.
At 31% implied, the market is pricing Reinhart as roughly a coin flip's underdog to find the net in a game both teams will be desperate to set a tone in.
This buy ticket shows a $100 stake landing at an average price of 31¢, working out to roughly 323 shares on the Yes side.
- If Reinhart scores: profit of $307.80.
- If he's held off the scoresheet: the full $100 stake is lost, since Polymarket contracts settle all-or-nothing.
That's better than 3-to-1 on the payout side for a player who's found the net in nearly a third of his outings dating back to last season.
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Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Nikolaj Ehlers
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLA vs CAR (5:00 PM ET) | Nikolaj Ehlers | Anytime Goal Yes (29¢) | $328.62 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Nikolaj Ehlers joins Carolina after signing with the Hurricanes in free agency, slotting into a top-six role for the defending champs on a roster still built to score in bunches.
The $100 ticket landed at an average price of 29¢, good for roughly 345 shares, with a profit of $328.62 if Ehlers scores and the full stake gone if he doesn't.
At under 30% implied, this is the longer-shot side of tonight's Panthers-Hurricanes goalscorer market.
Canadiens vs Maple Leafs
Montreal and Toronto renew their Original Six rivalry to open the season, with Toronto's top pick from this year's draft, Gavin McKenna, in line for a possible NHL debut.
Cole Caufield is coming off a 51-goal breakout that made him the first Canadien to reach the 50-goal mark since Stephane Richer, even after Montreal's run ended against eventual champion Carolina in the East final.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Cole Caufield
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTL vs TOR (7:00 PM ET) | Cole Caufield | Anytime Goal Yes (41.27¢) | $232.80 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Cole Caufield is picking up right where his 51-goal season left off, and he's set up in the middle of a Montreal power play that ranked among the league's most productive units.
The $100 buy lands at an average price of 41.27¢, roughly 242 shares, with $232.80 in profit if Caufield scores and the stake lost if he's shut out.
At 41% implied, Caufield projects as the safer of the two Montreal-Toronto goalscorer looks tonight.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Auston Matthews
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTL vs TOR (7:00 PM ET) | Auston Matthews | Anytime Goal Yes (38¢) | $252.28 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Auston Matthews remains Toronto's primary trigger man even with a new running mate potentially skating alongside him if McKenna cracks the lineup.
The $100 ticket priced in at an average of 38¢, about 263 shares, worth $252.28 in profit if Matthews scores and the full stake if he doesn't.
Rangers vs Bruins
Pavel Dorofeyev makes his Rangers debut after a stunning draft-day trade out of Vegas and an immediate seven-year, $77 million extension in New York.
David Pastrnak anchors a Boston top line that should see plenty of ice time against a Rangers blue line still adjusting to a new top-six winger.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – David Pastrnak
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYR vs BOS (8:00 PM ET) | David Pastrnak | Anytime Goal Yes (39¢) | $245.97 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
David Pastrnak has been one of the league's most consistent finishers for the better part of a decade, and Boston's top power-play unit still runs through him.
The Rangers' back end is absorbing a major roster shakeup this summer, and a Bruins team looking to atone for last season leans on Pastrnak early and often.
At 39% implied, the market gives Pastrnak better than a one-in-three shot to open his season with a goal.
This $100 buy landed at an average price of 39¢, roughly 256 shares purchased on the Yes side.
- If Pastrnak scores: profit of $245.97.
- If he's held off the board: the $100 stake is lost outright.
That's nearly 2.5-to-1 on the payout for a player who's cleared 30 goals in six of his last seven full seasons.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Alexis Lafreniere
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYR vs BOS (8:00 PM ET) | Alexis Lafreniere | Anytime Goal Yes (25.81¢) | $368.48 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Alexis Lafreniere heads into a contract year still searching for a true breakout, but he's carved out a role on New York's second power-play unit that keeps him around the net.
The $100 ticket priced at an average of 25.81¢, about 387 shares, good for $368.48 in profit if he scores and the full stake if he's held off the board.
Canucks vs Oilers
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl lead an Oilers team under new head coach Mike Babcock, hosting a Canucks club that brought in Manny Malhotra behind the bench.
Edmonton's top line has historically feasted on Opening Night matchups, and neither team has faced live game action since the offseason.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Leon Draisaitl
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAN vs EDM (10:00 PM ET) | Leon Draisaitl | Anytime Goal Yes (48¢) | $201.06 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Leon Draisaitl finished as one of the league's most prolific finishers again last season, and he still plays alongside the sport's best playmaker on Edmonton's top unit.
The $100 buy landed at an average price of 48¢, roughly 208 shares, worth $201.06 in profit if Draisaitl scores and the stake lost if he doesn't.
At 48% implied, this is close to a true coin-flip goalscorer look for Opening Night.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Connor McDavid
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAN vs EDM (10:00 PM ET) | Connor McDavid | Anytime Goal Yes (47¢) | $205.21 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Connor McDavid remains the engine of Edmonton's attack, and a favorable home matchup against a Canucks blue line breaking in a new coaching staff sets up well for him.
The $100 ticket priced at an average of 47¢, about 213 shares, good for $205.21 in profit if McDavid scores and the full stake lost if he's shut out.
Blackhawks vs Golden Knights
Vegas enters the year still processing a Stanley Cup Final loss to Carolina, while Chicago brings in veteran winger Tyler Bertuzzi to add scoring punch to a young lineup.
Mark Stone remains Vegas's captain and top-line fixture even as the roster around him has churned since June's Final.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Pick Today – Mark Stone
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHI vs VGK (10:30 PM ET) | Mark Stone | Anytime Goal Yes (35.88¢) | $266.86 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Mark Stone's two-way game keeps him on Vegas's top power-play unit, and a home slate opener against a rebuilding Chicago team sets up as a good spot to strike early.
The $100 buy landed at an average price of 35.88¢, roughly 279 shares, worth $266.86 in profit if Stone scores and the stake lost if he's held off the board.
At 35% implied, Stone projects as the more likely of tonight's two Golden Knights-Blackhawks goalscorer tickets.
Best Anytime Goalscorer Prop Today – Tyler Bertuzzi
| 🏒 Game (Start) | 🏷️ Player Anytime Goal Yes | Price | 🤑 Profit on $100 | 📈 Trade It |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHI vs VGK (10:30 PM ET) | Tyler Bertuzzi | Anytime Goal Yes (24.56¢) | $386.96 | Trade it now on Polymarket! |
Tyler Bertuzzi joins a young Chicago lineup looking for secondary scoring punch, and he's shown he can still finish when given middle-six minutes.
The $100 ticket priced at an average of 24.56¢, about 407 shares, good for $386.96 in profit if Bertuzzi scores and the full stake if he's shut out, the richest payout multiple on tonight's board.
Tonight's five-game slate is just the start. Polymarket's board carries goalscorer, moneyline, and total markets for every other NHL matchup as the 2026-27 season rolls on, with a fresh slate of games arriving tomorrow night.
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NHL Predictions for Today: Final Thoughts on Opening Night
NHL best bets today all point toward the anytime goalscorer market as the most efficient way to attack a slate with almost no in-season form to lean on.
Every pick above comes from a live Polymarket ticket, not a hypothetical line, and the combined board leans toward stars in top-six, top-power-play roles across all five games.
Check out the full range of prediction market apps and the broader prediction markets hub at Action Network for more NHL predictions for today and beyond the Opening Night slate.
Polymarket Promo Code FAQs
What is the Polymarket promo code for NHL Opening Night?
The current Polymarket promo code is ACTION, and it unlocks a $50 trading bonus for new users who deposit $10 or more.
What are the best NHL player props today?
The best NHL player props today are built around the anytime goalscorer market, where stars like Sam Reinhart, Cole Caufield, David Pastrnak, Leon Draisaitl, and Mark Stone all carry live Polymarket tickets on Opening Night.
What is the best anytime goalscorer bet on Opening Night?
Leon Draisaitl's 48% implied ticket against Vancouver is the shortest price on the board, while Tyler Bertuzzi's 24.56¢ ticket against Vegas carries the richest payout of the slate.
Who is favored in each NHL Opening Night game?
Carolina (-130), Montreal (-112), Edmonton (-305), and Vegas (-258) are favored on the moneyline, while New York Rangers and Boston sit close to even, per sportsbook lines set ahead of puck drop.
How do Polymarket anytime goalscorer contracts work?
Each contract asks a yes-or-no question, like whether a specific player scores at least one goal in a game, and the price in cents reflects the market's implied probability of a Yes outcome.
When do these Opening Night markets resolve?
Every goalscorer contract on tonight's board resolves once its respective game reaches a final result, typically within a few hours of the final buzzer.
What are the top NHL predictions for today's slate?
The top NHL predictions for today lean on scoring depth up front: Reinhart, Ehlers, Caufield, Matthews, Pastrnak, Lafreniere, Draisaitl, McDavid, Stone, and Bertuzzi all carry live goalscorer tickets across the five-game slate.
Are there other Opening Night games available to trade on Polymarket?
Yes, Polymarket's board covers every other NHL matchup beyond tonight's five games, with markets refreshing as the 2026-27 season continues.
