Stanley Cup Playoff Picks for April 21

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Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially underway, with four more first-round series set to get underway April 21.

Sunday’s schedule kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET with a meeting between Sunshine State rivals as the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Florida Panthers. Elsewhere in the East, the Conference champion New York Rangers will host the Washington Capitals at 3 p.m. ET. Later, the first Western Conference series will begin at 7 p.m. ET when the Winnipeg Jets visit the Colorado Avalanche. Finally, the Vancouver Canucks will host the Nashville Predators to round out the slate at 10 p.m. ET.

Our AI-powered dfsPro model projects a number of individual performances worth keeping an eye on during Sunday’s games. Let’s dive into some of our favorite NHL player props for Day 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Hottest Props: Eastern Conference

Mika Zibanejad: Over 0.5 Assists (+105, DraftKings)

Our model projects Rangers winger Mika Zibanejad to outperform his averages across the board on offense against the Capitals. He ended the regular season on a six-game point streak, recording one assist in each contest, and our model likes him to continue the trend in Game 1 of the first round.

Brandon Montour: Over 0.5 Points (+105, DraftKings)

Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour averaged exactly 0.5 points per game during the regular season, but our model projects a 61% increase over that average in Game 1 against the Lightning. Montour was a key contributor in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, recording 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) and a +2 rating in 21 playoff games.

Steven Stamkos: Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+135, DraftKings)

Prior to his final game of the regular season on April 17, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos put four or more shots on goal in five consecutive contests. He averaged 3.32 shots per game all season, but our model projects a 22% increase over that average in Game 1 against the Panthers; this puts him over the betting line at 4.04.

Hottest Props: Western Conference

Nathan MacKinnon: Under 4.5 Shots on Goal (+110, DraftKings)

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon averaged nearly five shots per game during the regular season, but our model projects a 19% decline in his shot potential in Game 1 against Winnipeg, down to 3.98. MacKinnon totaled four points (1 goal, 3 assists) against Winnipeg during the 2023-24 season but exceeded four shots on goal in just one of three regular-season meetings with the Jets.

Ryan O’Reilly: Over 0.5 Assists (+140, DraftKings)

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly finished the regular season on a four-game point streak, recording assists in three of those games. He is a skilled playmaker who finds opportunities to dish the puck to the NHL’s sixth-leading goalscorer in Filip Forsberg on his wing. O’Reilly has 65 points (20 goals, 45 assists) in 75 career playoff games, and Nashville will be relying on his postseason experience and offensive production during the first playoff round against the Canucks.

Devon Toews: Over 0.5 Points (+120, DraftKings)

Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews averaged 0.61 points per game during the regular season, and our model projects a 35% increase over that average in Game 1 against the Jets. Toews has been a key postseason contributor for the Avalanche over the previous four seasons, putting up 40 points (9 goals, 31 assists) in 59 playoff games with Colorado.

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Emma Lingan covers the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. She has covered the NHL in multiple capacities since 2018, including as a senior content manager and beat reporter for the Nashville Predators and a team site editor for The Hockey News. More about Emma Lingan