For tonight's NHL slate, we have four games on tap, which means fewer options for player props. There are plenty of different ways to approach props but I have selected two of my favorites from the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues. The season is still young so we will be relying heavily on statistics from last year combined with trends that develop this season.

 

NHL Underdog Fantasy Top Picks November 1

Ryan Johansen, Colorado Avalanche - HIGHER than 2.0 Shots

Ryan Johansen has been a more effective player since being moved up to Colorado's top power-play unit. He will forever be overshadowed by superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, but he gets plenty of chances. It's a defensive nightmare trying to account for those two guys while on a penalty kill, which has helped Johansen score four goals in his last five games. He does not shoot a ton, but he has gone over two shots in three of the last four games and has recorded at least two shots in all but two games.

Kevin Hayes, St. Louis Blues - LOWER than 2.5 Shots

Kevin Hayes averaged 2.5 shots per game last season, but that has not been the case this year. Through seven games, he has only recorded shots in five. In each of these five games, he topped out at one shot on goal. While he does skate on the top power-play unit, he centers the third line and skates about 15 minutes per game. He spent most of his time on the Flyers last year as a top 6 forward and saw two more minutes of ice time per game than he is seeing right now. Some positive regression is probably due at some point but considering how this season has gone for him, I like him to go lower than 2.5 shots.