Alex Ovechkin's chase to break Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring record really starts to take center stage

The first Saturday of 2025 is a busy one in the NHL with 12 games taking place.

The first game to get the action going sees the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers as the subplot of Alex Ovechkin’s chase to break Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record really starts to take center stage.

After missing six weeks with a broken leg, Ovechkin has hit the ground running in his return with three goals in four games and now sits 24 goals away from becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer.

FanDuel has priced the 39-year-old at +150 to break the record this year. Assuming he stays healthy Ovechkin will have 44 games to score 24 goals.

At the same time, FanDuel has the Rangers at +186 to make the playoffs.

It’s pretty wild to think that the odds suggest that a 39-year-old that entered the season needing 42 goals to break the all-time scoring record and broke his leg is more likely to achieve that than last year’s Presidents Cup team is to make the playoffs. But that’s the world we live in.

Anyway, with that game already underway we’ll turn our focus to tonight’s slate which features 10 games.

Let's take a look at three player props I have circled for today and the five most popular teams the public is backing on the moneyline.

Happy 2025, let’s get to the action.

PLAYER PROPS TO MONITOR

So far I have spotlighted 37 props in this portion of the article with a 19-18 record, which includes going 1-1 last week.

This week I have three player props that have cashed in seven of their last 10 games while also having good head-to-head matchups.

PLAYER PROPS TO MONITOR

Pavel Zacha has a point in just three of his last 10 games and only one in his last five against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins forward has failed to log one point in seven straight games against a top 10 defense for assists and takes on a Toronto team allowing the 10th fewest assist per game this year.

Cole Caufield has at least one point in eight of his last 10 games and has three points four career games against the Colorado Avalanche. Caufield has at least one point in eight of his last nine games against bottom 10 defenses for goals allowed and takes on a Avalanche team allowing the eighth most goals per game this year.

Mark Stone has at least one point in seven of his last 10 games at home this year. Tonight the Golden Knights host the Buffalo Sabres and their bottom five defense in goals and assist allowed per game.

A parlay of all three props is currently +350 on FanDuel.

MOST PUBLIC SIDES

Most Popular sides

PUBLIC VS. COIN

For the first time this season the public has taken a lead. A clean sweep last Saturday, combined with a 1-2 performance from the coin has seen the public take a one-game lead as we enter 2025.

It was a good start for the coin, but another 1-2 Saturday made it four straight weeks the coin has failed to pick two winners, meanwhile the public is 8-4 over that same time period.

After 24 games the public sits 12-12 with the coin falling below .500 and sits 11-13.

Here are this week's picks.

Public: Golden Knights, Avalanche, Stars

Coin: Sabres, Avalanche, Utah