There’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the top ten in tonight’s NHL draft, with multiple player props you can target for where players will be selected.
Below you can find multiple NHL player draft position odds from the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Number 2 Overall Selection
Juraj Slafkovsky (-172), Shane Wright (+205), David Jiricek (+520), Simon Nemec (+1200)
If the Montreal Canadiens select Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick, there’s no doubt that a defenseman is in play for the New Jersey Devils with the second overall pick. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Slafkovsky to the Habs, meaning there’s definite value in looking towards either David Jiricek (+520) or Simon Nemec (+1200) with the second overall pick.
Number 3 Overall selection
Logan Cooley (-225), Simon Nemec (+470), Juraj Slafkovsky (+490), Shane Wright (+490), Cutter Gauthier (+1500)
Even with Logan Cooley being the odds-on favorite to be selected third overall, the Arizona Coyotes are a tricky team to project because they’ve been known to go off the board in prior years. If Shane Wright falls to three, there’s value in him at this position at +490, while there are also some people around the Arizona team that believe they like Cutter Gauthier, which has a lot of value at +1500.
First Three Picks Exact Order
The odds on favorite for this order is Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Logan Cooley, sitting at -150. There are a lot of different outcomes this top three could take with some uncertainty, which means you should likely look towards some of the plus-money value that’s present here. With that in mind, there should be some value here with the order of Slafkovsky, David Jiricek, and Wright, which currently is priced at +1300.
Cutter Gauthier 5.5 (O+126, U-165)
There’s reason to believe Cutter Gauthier could be a selection for the Arizona Coyotes at third overall or the Philadelphia Flyers at fifth overall. Gauthier has been a late riser in this year’s draft class as teams continue to get enamored with a bigger center, which has him in the current conversation to go in the top five. It might be somewhat likely he’s selected in the top five, but there’s a world where he falls below that number, and there’s some nice value in the over at +126.
Joakim Kemell 8.5 (O+116, U-152)
Many people are marrying the Ottawa Senators and Joakim Kemell together at seventh overall. With that being said, there’s also a realistic chance Pierre Dorion moves the selection for someone who could come in and play right away for the Sens. If they do that, all bets are off, and you could see Kemell fall past ten here. If they ultimately pick, though, don’t be surprised if it’s Kemell.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki 8.5 (O-168, U+128)
This is one of the more fascinating players to track come tonight. Jonathan Lekkerimaki might have the best shot in this draft class and has the speed to go with that, which could see some teams move into the top ten to select this player. There could be some value in choosing the under 8.5, which presents a friendly price of +128.
Matthew Savoie 9.5 (O-12o, U-108)
Matthew Savoie of the Winnipeg Ice is one of this draft’s most polarizing players. It’s not for lack of talent or skill; it’s mostly a size debate about whether or not scouts project him to ultimately play down the middle of the ice in the NHL. Players of Savoie’s caliber have fallen in prior years, and it’s not difficult to see that transpiring again. Even if you like this player, it won’t be a surprise to see him fall out of the top ten, considering the over 9.5 at -120 has some merit.
Conor Geekie 12.5 (O-146, U+112)
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Conor Geekie, a big center, and teammate of Savoie in the Western Hockey League. It’s not difficult to see a team falling in love with the package this player brings to the table, which could make some value present here with the under 12.5 at +112. That said, the hype train on this player has cooled off of late, meaning the over is a safer play here.
Pavel Mintyukov 11.5 (O-114, U-114)
There’s much to like about Pavel Mintyukov and his potential as a future powerplay quarterback in the NHL. There are also some questions about how he’ll fare defensively in the NHL, which could give teams some pause in the top 15 of the draft. If he falls that far, there’s potential, he could be someone highlighted as a future draft day steal, but siding with the over 11.5 at -114 has good built-in value.
Rutger McGroarty 24.5 (O-102, U-128)
Many teams love this type of player, and it’s not difficult to make a case for him to be selected in the top 20. There’s a lot of jam and compete to his game, and there’s no doubt some scouts will go to bat for this player, which should lead to him being selected in the top 24.
