Check out our NHL anytime goalscorer prop picks for the big nine-game hockey slate on Thursday.
Our hockey experts have identified five players from five different games who have big potential to score a goal tonight. You can tail their best bets and watch all of the action on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).
For newer NHL bettors, a bet on an anytime goal is pretty simple: If your player scores a goal at any point during the game, you win. Because these bets often come with juicy odds, they're a favorite among NHL bettors.
Hockey fans can also bet on which player will score the first and the last goal of a game. However, for this feature, we're focused solely on "anytime" goalscorers.
Check out all of the anytime picks for tonight's NHL games below.
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NHL Best Bets – Anytime Goalscorers
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our NHL betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Goalscorer Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
  | 10:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Coyotes vs. Blue Jackets
By Ryan Dadoun
Clayton Keller set a career high with 37 goals last season, and he should do even better in 2023-24.
Last season he needed to be rather efficient with his shot to achieve that level of success, and he finished with a 16.6 shooting percentage.
Keller has been far more aggressive this year, firing a personal-best 3.47 shots per game, up from 2.72 in 2022-23. The result is that he’s already tallied seven goals this campaign despite his shooting percentage dipping somewhat to 13.5.
Keller has also found a lot more success on the power play this year, which is how he’s gotten four of his seven markers. To put that into context, he had just six markers with the man advantage in all of 2022-23 – and that tied a career high.
However, Arizona’s power play is leagues better than it’s been at any other part during his tenure with a 29.8 success rate (fifth overall), up from 18.9 in 2022-23 (24th), and Keller is a key component of that.
That ties into the final piece of the puzzle. After years of playing for a rebuilding squad, Arizona’s youth movement is finally paying dividends, and Keller is reaping the rewards.
Rookie Logan Cooley and offseason acquisition Sean Durzi have done a lot to bolster the offense and give Keller more to work with, particularly on the power play. Nick Schmaltz has come into his own too in recent years, giving Keller a capable linemate to play off in all situations, which has gone hand-in-hand with Keller’s rise over the same timeframe.
This team is a real threat nowadays, and Keller along with the Coyotes are primed to make things tough for Columbus, which ranks 27th defensively at 3.56 goals per game.
Pick: Clayton Keller (+155)
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Devils vs. Penguins
Since Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier landed on the sidelines, Timo Meier has been firing like a madman.
In the last six games, he has generated 4.54 expected goals from 48 shot attempts.
Meier is a reasonably strong finisher who scored 40 goals last year. Therefore, it's not surprising to see his efforts are finally being rewarded, which have included a goal in three straight matchups.
The Penguins have raised their level considerably but by no means are a defensive stalwart.
We should see a high-event matchup that features a ton of chances for both sides. There's a good chance this game gets over its high total of 6.5, which makes me view the matchup as a good option for finding value in betting on anytime goalscorers.
At +160 odds, we are getting a good number to target the hot hand with Meier.
Pick: Timo Meier (+160)
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Lightning vs. Blackhawks
By Tony Sartori
The Hawks went to Tampa last week in what ended up being the best game of Connor Bedard's career thus far. He posted two goals in a four-point performance en route to Chicago's 5-3 win.
With the Blackhawks returning home for another go at the Bolts, I expect Bedard to keep the hot hand going. He has been on fire, posting multi-goal games in back-to-back efforts and has now scored at least one goal in six of his past eight games.
Everything runs through him when he's on the ice, and if the Hawks are to be competitive in this game, it will need to once again be through the rookie. The good news for Chicago is that Tampa has been playing even worse while getting shut out in back-to-back games and dropping six of the past eight.
While Tampa Bay's offense has been lifeless, the blue line and goaltending have not been any better. At 5-on-5, the Lightning rank 29th in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes.
Backing up this defensively poor group is goaltender Jonas Johansson, who has also been struggling. Through 13 starts, Johansson is 5-4-4 with a .896 SV% and 3.47 GAA.
He was in net when Bedard scored twice against the Bolts last week, and he's expected to be in the crease once again on Thursday night.
Pick: Connor Bedard (+170)
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Canucks vs. Flames
By Greg Liodice
The Vancouver Canucks are an absolute wagon. They’ve currently won six out of their last seven games, including a big comeback against the Islanders last night. One of the players that sticks out to me on this squad is Andrei Kuzmenko.
The Russian winger scored 39 goals in his first NHL season last year, and this season he's notched only three. Boy is he getting chances, though.
Last night there were three or four legitimate chances for him to light the lamp. This season, he’s fifth on the team in expected goals and fourth in scoring chances for. Yet, the puck luck just hasn’t been there.
I really like what I've seen out of Kuzmenko, though. He’s been flying all over the ice.
Tonight the Canucks take on the Calgary Flames, and the Flames are in a bit of disarray. From trade requests to poor goaltending to going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, the Flames are very vulnerable.
Almost as if it was a perfect time for a certain sniper to break his six-game goalless drought, right?
The playmakers on the Canucks are elite. Quinn Hughes has brought his game to a new level, JT Miller is back to playing the right way, and everyone is buying into what coach Rick Tocchet is preaching.
No matter who starts for Calgary, I think Kuzmenko has a great chance to find the back of the net. Both Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar have underperformed, and Dustin Wolf is still green. At +280 and with the way Kuzmenko's been playing, I think it’s a heck of a play.
Pick: Andrei Kuzmenko (+280)
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Blues vs. Sharks
By Carol Schram
Jordan Kyrou is usually a reliable scorer; he put up 37 goals in the 2022-23 season.
This year, he’s sitting at just four goals in 14 games. But his St. Louis Blues are starting to heat up with wins in five of their last six games. And Kyrou logged his first multi-goal game of the season in the Blues' 5-0 win over the Lightning on Tuesday.
What could be a better situation to keep those good vibes going than a visit to San Jose on Thursday?
The Sharks have stopped giving up 10 goals a game, but that’s not to say they’ve become defensively stingy. They’ve allowed 14 goals in their last three games and have also been just 4-for-8 on the penalty kill in their last two.
Kyrou is a volume shooter with pinpoint accuracy who has connected on 13.1% of his shots in his NHL career. This season, he’s shooting more than ever, but his conversion rate sits at just 7.5% even after his two-goal performance on Tuesday.
Kyrou is a perfect candidate for regression, up against an opponent that has allowed more goals than any other team in the league. He’s worth your consideration to score on Thursday.
Pick: Joran Kyrou (+145)
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