Wednesday brings an NHL slate is a good 3-game appetizer to a packed schedule on Thursday in which 26 of the 32 teams will be suited up. Don’t let a smaller slate fool you. All 3 games on Wednesday are division rivalry games. Blues-Blackhawks is a great rivalry that always brings the juice. Sabres-Senators and Kings-Oilers are both games that have the makings of high totals which means plenty of back and forth scoring. Wednesday’s slate is small in stature but will bring plenty of jam for your entertainment!
If you’re looking to have some action, check out our favorite player props for Wednesday night. Along with our player props, be sure to also check out our NHL picks for each of today’s games.
Tage Thompson anytime goal scorer (+145)
Tage Thompson has picked up right where he left off last season. Through 16 games played, he has 11 goals and 10 assists. The Sabres have the NHL's 5th best goal scoring led by Thompson who leads the team in goals, assists, and points. He centers Buffalo's top line, is on the Sabres' top power play unit, and averages over 18 minutes of ice time per game. The Sabres' first line of Thompson, Jeff Skinner, and Alex Tuch has a combined 49 points in 48 games played. Any offense Buffalo generates likely will go through their first line with Thompson serving as the catalyst.
Thompson's performance and situation in Buffalo's system has been great. It looks even better from a pure matchup standpoint on Wednesday night against Ottawa. The Senators allow an average of 3.53 goals per game which is bottom 10 in the league. Neither Ottawa goaltender has found consistent success early on. Buffalo has weak goal prevention and a weak penalty kill themselves matched up against Ottawa's 10th ranked scoring. The Sabres have lost 6 straight games after a great start, and are going to play with added urgency to break out of this slump. In a game that should see plenty of offense, it's tough to imagine a game script in which Thompson doesn't light the lamp.