Coyotes vs. Canucks Odds
| Coyotes Odds | +195 |
| Canucks Odds | -230 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (+100 / – 120) |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The NHL All-Star break came at a cost for the Vancouver Canucks as they will be without their talented defensemen Quinn Hughes, who tested positive for COVID-19 after the weekend.
The Arizona Coyotes have been far and away the worst team in the NHL this year, but before the All-Star break they were finding ways to keep games close.
Coyotes Should Not Be Taken So Lightly
The Coyotes had a little bit of momentum going into the break after ending the Colorado Avalanche's home win streak. They are just as bad as their numbers show, but they have not given up their season.
The Coyotes will have their work cut out for them tonight as they are the worst offensive team in the entire league. Arizona is only averaging 2.18 goals per game and is also getting the least amount of shots on net with 25.8 each contest.
The Coyotes have some talented players on their roster like Clayton Keller, Phil Kessel and Shayne Gostisbehere, but this team just continues to struggle generating offense.
Despite their offense being arguably non existent, they have been a little better on the defensive end. They have only given up 11 goals in their last four games prior to the break thanks to the efforts of Scott Wedgewood and Karel Vejmelka in the blue paint.
Vejmelka has established himself as the starter this season and he is expected to get the nod tonight. He has a record of 6-18-1 while posting a .903 save percentage and a -5.2 Goals Saved Above Expected. Vejmelka is coming off of a very strong performance against the Calgary Flames where he stopped 46 of the 50 shots he faced, but the Coyotes came up short in a 4-2 loss.
Who Will Step Up For Vancouver Without Hughes?
Hughes is such an integral piece of the Canucks' lineup. He does such an incredible job at driving the play and leading the breakout in their defensive end. Not having him in the lineup tonight will be very noticeable.
The Canucks' offense hasn't been anything to write home about either. They currently rank 28th at 2.43 goals per game while only generating 10.17 high-danger chances per game, which ranks 26th. Take away arguably their best offensive player in Hughes and that's a recipe for a bad performance.
The biggest advantage that the Canucks have in this matchup is the goaltending battle. Thatcher Demko's record might not show it, but he has been stellar for the Canucks this season. Demko is 17-15-2 with a .917 save percentage and a +7.7 Goals Saved Above Expected.
Demko will be the difference maker in this matchup.
Coyotes-Canucks Pick
The Vancouver Canucks are a completely different team without Hughes on the backend. Hughes is the quarterback of their first power-play unit and they will struggle to produce on the man advantage without him.
The Coyotes have started to show some fight in their game before the All-Star break and they should be able to feed off what they were building leading into the time off.
I think there is way too much value on the Coyotes to pass up. Vancouver is not a team that should be this heavy of a favorite, especially when it hasn't been dominant on home ice as it is 8-8-3 at the Rogers Arena.
I think the Coyotes can pull off the upset tonight.
Pick: Arizona Coyotes ML +215
