The NHL All-Star Skills Competition has had a facelift for the 2024 season as there is a $1 million prize for the winner and some nuance in terms of the events and their betting markets.
There will be 12 skaters competing in six first-round competitions with the top eight players advancing to the 1-on-1 shootout in the second round and then the top six skaters advancing to the third and final round — the obstacle course. In the first-round events, players will get five points for first, four for second, three for third, two for fourth, one for fifth, and zero for anything after that. In the final round (which is a collection of the first-round events), the points will be worth double.
Let’s take a look at three of the most popular markets as well as who has the edge in the overall winner.
I break down the NHL odds and offer my free NHL picks for the event on Friday, February 2.
Be sure to check out our NHL All-Star Game predictions for tomorrow's games!
Hardest shot competition odds and prediction
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
 Elias Pettersson |
+200 |
| JT Miller |
+275 |
 Cale Makar |
+400 |
 David Pastrnak |
+500 |
 Auston Matthews |
+550 |
Odds courtesy DraftKings Sportsbook February 1, 2024.
The hardest shot is one of the more exciting markets to bet on. Players, in the past, got two shots to register their hardest shot so there isn’t a lot of leeway to mess up.
David Pastrnak is my favorite of the five in this competition at his price of +600 which is available at FanDuel, BetMGM, and SIA at the time of writing. The favorites of Elias Pettersson (+230) and JT Miller (+330) are the only two players clocked this year with a shot at 97 mph or higher but Pastrnak has a 95.9 mph shot which is fourth highest in the group above Cale Makar at 96.18 mph.
Auston Matthews is a player I’m avoiding here as his hardest shot this year is just 91.42 mph.
If you’re looking to get on the top three guys, I’d suggest hitting Makar with his best price at +400 at DraftKings. This is a skill that has been dominated by defensemen in the previous years despite Pettersson winning last year at +400.
If you’re betting on size for an edge, Matthews is the tallest at 6-foot-3, followed by Pettersson at 6-foot-2, and then JT Miller at 6-foot-1.
In weight, Miller is the heaviest at a listed 218 lbs, then Matthews at 215 lbs, and then Pastrnak at 196 lbs.
Best of the favorites: Cale Makar (+400 at DraftKings)
Best longshot: David Pastrnak (+600 at FanDuel)
Recent hardest shot winners
| Year | Winner (mph) | Runner-Up (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Elias Pettersson (103.2) | Rasmus Dahlin (102.3) |
| 2022 | Victor Hedman (103.2) | Adam Pelech (102.2) |
| 2020 | Shea Weber (106.5) | John Carlson (104.5) |
| 2019 | John Carlson (102.8) | Brent Burns (100.6) |
| 2018 | Alex Ovechkin (101.3) | P.K. Subban (98.7) |
| 2017 | Shea Weber (102.8) | Patrik Laine (101.7) |
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Fastest skater competition odds and prediction
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
 Connor McDavid |
+130 |
 Mathew Barzal |
+200 |
| Cale Makar |
+500 |
| Quinn Hughes |
+1,000 |
| William Nylander |
+1,000 |
Odds courtesy DraftKings Sportsbook February 1, 2024.
Connor McDavid is easily the favorite here with a price between +105 (BetMGM/SIA) and +130 (DraftKings). McWheels won the competition in three straight years starting in 2017 before losing to Mathew Barzal in the finals in 2021. He took last year’s event off.
Mathew Barzal is the No.2 betting favorite with his best price at BetMGM/SIA for +230. After that, there are only three other skaters: Cale Makar (+400 to +500), Quinn Hughes (+1,000 to +1,200), and William Nylander (+1,000 to +1,200).
Looking at NHL Edge’s fastest speed burts recorded this year, McDavid leads the pack at 24.05 mph, Barzal is next at 23.45 mph, then Makar at 22.97, then Hughes at 22.40 mph, and finally Nylander at 22.25 mph.
It’s a two-round event with the top two fastest skaters advancing to the finals. This is not a good event for anyone who burned the midnight oil the previous night which could put Nylander in a tougher spot as he is a local and could be hosting.
I’m not betting the chalk here and bypassing McDavid. I have some Makar positions (at +1,400) and think he is the best value when looking at chances and price. If I had to take a long shot, I’d want Hughes at +1,200.
Both Makar and Hughes are incredible skaters and the Colorado defenseman wiped out last year so some redemption would be nice. Makar was the No.3 betting favorite last year at +300 but McDavid wasn’t in the event.
Cale Makar wipes out during the NHL fastest skater competition pic.twitter.com/9Bv8HVjXHy
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 4, 2023
Andrei Svechnikov had the longest odds last year at +700 and won the event.
Best of the favorites: Cale Makar (+500 at DraftKings)
Best longshot: Quinn Hughes (+1,200 at bet365)
Recent fastest skater competition winners
| Year | Winner (time) | Runner-Up (time) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Andrei Svechnikov (13.699) | Kevin Fiala (14.114) |
| 2022 | Jordan Kyrou (13.550) | Adrian Kempe (13.585) |
| 2020 | Mathew Barzal (13.175) | Connor McDavid (13.215) |
| 2019 | Connor McDavid (13.378) | Jack Eichel (13.582) |
| 2018 | Connor McDavid (13.454) | Brayden Point (13.579) |
| 2017 | Connor McDavid (13.310) | Nikita Kucherov (13.160) |
Shot accuracy competition odds and prediction
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| David Pastrnak |
+650 |
| Connor McDavid |
+650 |
| Nathan MacKinnon |
+700 |
| Leon Draisaitl |
+700 |
| Auston Matthews |
+700 |
| William Nylander |
+800 |
 Nikita Kucherov |
+800 |
| Cale Makar |
+800 |
| Quinn Hughes |
+850 |
| JT Miller |
+850 |
Odds courtesy DraftKings Sportsbook February 1, 2024.
This is the event of the main three that has the most variance and is a legit coin toss. It’s evident in the pricing as there is no heavy favorite. Last year, the longest odds of Brock Nelson at +1,100 won the event.
Every one of these guys can run the table. The fastest four guys will advance to the semi-finals, then the top two guys from there will duel in the finals.
McDavid is my favorite play here at +650 at DraftKings with most other books at +600. McDavid made it to the semi-finals last year and had the only sub-10 second round of the event last year in the opening round.
Best of the favorites: Connor McDavid (+650 at DraftKings)
Best longshot: Nikita Kucherov (+800 at DraftKings)
Recent shot accuracy competition winners
| Year | Winner (mph) | Runner-Up (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Brock Nelson (12.491) | Nazem Kadri (18.276) |
| 2022 | Sebastian Aho (10.937) | Jake Guentzel (12.017) |
| 2020 | Jaccob Slavin (9.505) | Leon Draisaitl (10.257) |
| 2019 | David Pastrnak (11.309) | Kris Letang (12.683) |
| 2018 | Brock Boeser (11.136) | Brian Boyle (11.626) |
| 2017 | Sidney Crosby (10.73) | Auston Matthews (12.280) |
Overall winner odds and prediction
This is the format from NHL.com
"The Skills event will have a new look this year with 12 All-Stars competing for a first prize of $1 million.
Each of the 12 All-Stars will take part in four of the first six events: the Fastenal NHL Fastest Skater, Rogers NHL Hardest Shot, Upper Deck NHL Stick Handling, Tim Hortons NHL One Timers, Scotiabank NHL Passing Challenge, and Cheetos NHL Accuracy Shooting. First place will be worth five points, second place four points, and so on.
The top eight will advance to the seventh event: the Honda/Hyundai NHL One-on-One.
From there, the top six will advance to the final event: the Pepsi NHL Obstacle Course. The event will include all the skills and be worth double the points. First place will be worth 10 points, second place eight points, and so on.”
From my understanding, all the points are cumulative so points earned in the first round count towards the final standings.
The eighth and final event — the obstacle course — looks to be a combination of each of the previous seven events but the points are worth double for the final six skaters.
The best edge I have in this market is with Cale Makar at +750 at FanDuel (+700 at other books).
Makar has a point edge early as he is the only skater in the hardest shot and faster skater events that have just five players competing. That means he is guaranteed points even with a last-place finish but his odds are implying five total points in those events.
This will help him get to the next round where he gets to choose his goalie. His teammate Alex Georgiev is a possible target and the edge would lie with the shooter here as he likely knows Georgiev’s tendencies and weaknesses.
The obstacle course looks like a crapshoot but Makar has the best path to get there in my opinion and has the best value in the market at +750.
Outright best bet: Cale Makar (+750 at FanDuel)
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