It has been nearly a full calendar year since Jack Eichel skated in an NHL game. The Eichel we saw back on March 7, 2021, however, was a disgruntled star on an underwhelming, underperforming Buffalo Sabres team.
Finally recovered from the oft-debated artificial disk replacement surgery and the Sabres drama now in the past, the 2015 second-overall pick can finally begin the next chapter of his career when he makes his Vegas Golden Knights debut Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.
Eichel is expected to skate on a line centring Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov.
Vegas is listed as a +120 home underdog and won’t have winger Mark Stone in the lineup, which will allow Colorado to focus more on the Eichel line.
Eichel’s odds vs. Avalanche…
Anytime goal +200 (first goal +1200, last goal +1200)
OVER -0.5 points -185 | UNDER -0.5 points +145
OVER -0.5 assists +105 | UNDER -0.5 assists -130
OVER -0.5 PP points +175 | UNDER -0.5 PP points -230
Eichel accumulated 64 goals and 96 assists including 53 power-play points in 145 total games in the two seasons leading up to that disastrous and career-altering 2020-21 season. He even finished 2019-20 eighth in Hart Trophy voting after posting a career high 36 goals in 68 games.
Fans can watch Eichel’s anticipated debut for free on SN Now. Other featured matchups this week on Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey include the Winnipeg Jets hosting the red-hot Minnesota Wild on Sportsnet, the Calgary Flames hosting the Anaheim Ducks on Sportsnet 360, plus the Florida Panthers visit the Carolina Hurricanes in a battle of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference in terms of points percentage.
Ride or fade Kaprizov’s hot streak vs. Jets?
Kaprizov had a pedestrian three goals and 11 points in his first 15 games of the season, but the reigning Calder Trophy winner has been on fire since mid-November.
Nineteen goals, 27 assists for 46 points in his past 28 games. That includes a two-goal, three-point night Monday in a 7-4 win against the Red Wings and a four-point against the Jets on Nov. 26.
In fact, Kaprizov has seven points in three games against Winnipeg this season. He had a three-assist effort in October during a 6-5 Wild win but was held off the scoresheet in last week’s 2-0 Jets win.
One of Kaprizov’s game lines that stands out is his 3.5 shots total that sees the over getting plus-money. At least four shots from Kaprizov nets a +105 return and he has 16 shots in his three games vs WPG this season. Kaprizov’s price on the under (three shots or fewer) is favoured at -135. He has 18 shots in the past three games skating with Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello, including a seven-shot outing last week against the Jets.
Kaprizov has the shortest goal odds of any Wild player at +130. As of Wednesday afternoon he was the only player in the game with a listed points total of 1.5 (+150 for the over and -195 for the under); all other players had lines at 0.5 points set at various prices.
Minnesota is 11-1-1 in their past 13 games, while Winnipeg has alternated wins and losses in their past six since ending a six-game slide in January.
BARGAIN HUNTING
Here are a handful of players in action Wednesday laying juicy anytime goal odds.
Trevor Zegras (+310) to score vs. Flames: The trick-play whiz has lost some ground in the rookie points race of late. He’s more of a threat to record an assist but at better than three-to-one odds it may be worth wagering he notches his 13th of the season.
Owen Tippett (+330) to score vs. Hurricanes: Tippett only has two goals since returning from a brief stint in the AHL in January but he has been generating some scoring chances despite playing just north of 12 minutes per game. He’s expected to skate on the Panthers’ second line with Sam Bennett and Jonathan Huberdeau, who’s third in league scoring, tonight versus Florida.
Matt Boldy (+330) to score vs. Jets: Coming off the best game of his young career, a hat trick and an assist against the Red Wings Monday, Boldy has never scored in two consecutive games. He was quiet against the Jets last week but has shown chemistry with linemates Frederick Gaudreau and Kevin Fiala.
All betting odds via the DraftKings sportsbook
