Underdog Fantasy NHL Picks December 9th: Nikita Kucherov Among The Top Targets
For tonight's NHL slate we have nine games on tap, which means lots of options for player props. There are many different ways to approach props but I have selected a few of my favorites from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Detroit Red Wings. For tonight's slate we're targeting some star NHL players that should put up plenty of shots and fantasy points. Be sure to check out our NHL Tools when locking in your picks on Underdog Fantasy so you can ring in the holiday season with a little extra green.
NHL Underdog Fantasy Top Picks December 9
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning - Higher than 4.0 Shots
Nikita Kucherov is an absolute monster on the ice. He currently leads the league in points with 44 through 27 games, making things extremely difficult for the opposing team. On the season, he is averaging 4.88 shots per game and has shown no signs of slowing down. Over his last 12 games, he has gone higher than 4.0 shots nine times. The Kraken allow the 7th fewest shots per game at 28.7 but he has already had eight shots on goal against them this year. Granted, that game went into overtime, but he still easily went higher than 4.0.
J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks - HIGHER than 8.05 Fantasy Points
J.T. Miller is having himself a season. Through 27 games he has recorded 39 points, trailing only the league-leading Nikita Kucherov. I don’t often go for fantasy points props, but the stars feel aligned here. Miller averages two shots, two hits, and nearly one blocked shot per game. These stats essentially give him a 4.0-point floor, and considering he has points in all but four games this season, he should be able to add to his floor. Carolina allows a league-low of 25.1 shots per game, but they also have the worst save percentage in the league at .873.
Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings - HIGHER than 6.55 Fantasy Points
Moritz Seider does a little bit of everything. On the season he is averaging 1.88 hits, 2 shots, and 2.36 blocks per game. He is not quite a point-per-game player but with 17 points in 25 games, he is not far off either. He’s a guy that can go higher than 6.55 fantasy points without scoring a point, but the bonus here is that Detroit has one of the best attacks in the league, averaging the 2nd most goals per game at 3.84. He had an impressive seven hits in the last meeting with Ottawa and we won’t need much beyond an average game for Mo to go higher here.
Player News
CJ Abrams hit a solo homer, but the Nationals fell to the Angels on Saturday.
Abrams hit a solo homer in the fifth inning to the game at 1-1 off an otherwise effective Kyle Hendricks. He’s been excellent in June with a .313/.377/.469 with four homers and nine stolen bases. It appears he’s putting together his best season at the age of 24, and he has a chance to be a fantasy star for the foreseeable future.
Kevin Newman hit a three-run homer in a win for the Angels on Saturday over the Nationals.
Mike Trout hit a solo homer to help the Angels to an 8-2 win over the Nationals on Saturday.
Kyle Hendricks held the Nationals to one run over five innings in a no-decision for the Angels on Saturday.
Hendricks scattered five hits, and he was able to strike out five; a total he’s only reached five times in his 16 starts. The veteran right-hander put together a solid June with an ERA of 3.21 over 28 innings, and it lowers his season mark to 4.66. Even with Hendricks pitching relatively well, this is a hard profile to trust, and it would be a mistake to ignore his struggles in the previous months/years. He’ll be back on the bump for the Angels on Independence Day when he faces the Blue Jays.
Michael Soroka fired six innings of one-run baseball while striking out five in a no-decision versus the Angels on Saturday.
Soroka pitched well. The Nationals’ bullpen did not. Soroka exited with a 2-1 lead and it was immediately vanquished on homers by Mike Trout and Kevin Newman an inning later. That’s a bummer, but doesn’t completely negate a start for Soroka where he allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out five. He still has a 4.70 ERA, but there have been flashes of the pitcher he was with Atlanta a few years ago as of late. He’ll get a chance to keep it going against the Red Sox on Friday.
Seiya Suzuki homered and tripled in a blowout win for the Cubs over the Astros on Saturday.
Suzuki hit a two-run shot off Ryan Gusto that gave the Cubs an 11-2 lead. He’s tripled three times in 2025, while the homer brings that total up to 22 at just-over the halfway point of the season. Suzuki doesn’t get nearly enough plaudits for how solid of a player he is, but the Cubs are well aware.