The NHL is back in action with a bang this weekend as we’ve got 14 games on the slate following the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
There are plenty of stars to choose from with so many teams in action, but my NHL picks for Saturday, February 22, focus on Cale Makar, who returns to play with some new hardware in hand, as well as Brady Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov.
Read on for my NHL player props for Saturday, February 22.
NHL prop picks and best bets for February 22
Cale Makar Over 0.5 goals (+275 at Pinnacle)
Brady Tkachuk 5+ shots on net (+140 at bet365)
Aleksander Barkov 2+ points (+178 at Pinnacle)
Today’s NHL prop picks and best bets
Cale Makar Over 0.5 goals (+275 at Pinnacle)
Cale Makar slides back into the Colorado Avalanche lineup with some shiny new hardware around his neck after helping Canada skate to victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this week.
The blueliner was on a tear before the international tournament and I’ll look for him to pick up where he left off with another goal tonight.
Makar went into the break on the heels of a two-goal, three-point outing against the Oilers and has scored nine times in his last 11 games. That success can likely be attributed to his increased shot output as he put 3.36 pucks on net per game over that span.
The Avs star leads all defensemen with 22 goals and has scored half of his tallies in just 19 games since the calendar flipped to 2025.
At +275, I think this is an easy play against a Nashville Predators team that’s been very porous defensively. The Preds are giving up 3.31 gapg (26th) this season and have been significantly worse over their last seven contests, allowing 4.39 gapg while picking up just one win during that span.
Brady Tkachuk 5+ shots on net (+140 at bet365)
Brady Tkachuk and the United States fell to Canada in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday, but the Ottawa Senators star should be holding his head high after racking up three goals in four games during the tournament.
Tkachuk was all over the ice for the United States as he averaged nearly 4 shots per game during the 4 Nations Face-Off against the NHL’s best defenders – a continuation of a trend we’ve seen all season.
The winger leads all skaters with 234 shots on net in 2024-25 and has put at least five pucks on net in three straight games and four of his last five outings.
The Montreal Canadiens have been abysmal since late January, going 1-8-0 over their last nine contests while allowing 30.2 shots against per game (22nd) and 64.18 shot attempts per game (26th) through that stretch.
Tkachuk should be motivated to build on his 4 Nations momentum and help the Sens continue their playoff push with another high-octane performance against the sinking Habs.
Aleksander Barkov 2+ points (+178 at Pinnacle)
We've been mesmerized by the 4 Nations Face-Off for a couple of weeks, but let’s not forget the fact that the Florida Panthers have been one of the NHL’s best teams over the last month or so. The Cats are 9-4-0 since January 14 and rank third among all clubs with a .692 points percentage.
Aleksander Barkov has unsurprisingly been a driving force behind Florida’s surge as he enters Saturday on a six-game point streak while racking up four multi-point performances in his last five contests.
Barkov and the Panthers will look to pounce on a Seattle Kraken squad that’s floundered with just two wins in their last seven contests. The Kraken have surrendered 3.43 gapg during their skid, which should play right into the hands of the high-scoring Panthers.
Florida has tallied 45 goals since January 14 – one shy of Dallas and Winnipeg for the league lead – with Barkov factoring on nearly one-third of those goals.
NHL odds today
Here are the full NHL odds for all of today’s matchups.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
