ESPN staff preview a loaded Thursday NHL slate featuring 22 teams in action, led by the first regular-season meeting of 2026-27 between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, the Battle of the Hudson. The rivals meet four times this season, with the Devils having won two of three against the Rangers in 2025-26. Both clubs are led in scoring by former first-overall picks, with Alexis Lafreniere (2020) recording 10 points and Jack Hughes (2019) recording eight. Both teams are coming off wins on Frozen Frenzy night.
Elsewhere, the Buffalo Sabres visit the Toronto Maple Leafs in an Atlantic Division rivalry, with Toronto looking to challenge Buffalo for a playoff spot. The New York Islanders travel to the Ottawa Senators, a matchup that could showcase two elite goaltenders: Linus Ullmark of Ottawa (5-0-0, 1.27 GAA, .948 save percentage) and Ilya Sorokin of New York (3-2-0, 1.81 GAA, .934 save percentage). The Seattle Kraken, currently third in the Pacific with a 120-point pace, face the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are on pace for 112 points. Florida is a heavy favorite at -298 against Vancouver, a game expected to be high-scoring.
The Philadelphia Flyers, still seeking their first win, face the Detroit Red Wings, who have just one victory. Both teams rank in the bottom third of the league in goals against per game. In Chicago, the Blackhawks welcomed back Connor Bedard on Tuesday as they host the Winnipeg Jets.
All odds are provided by DraftKings and are subject to change.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing