With the whole hockey world watching, these three superstars will come through for their teams on opening night.
The 2026-27 NHL season opens Tuesday evening, with the Carolina Hurricanes raising their Stanley Cup banner to the rafters in front of the Florida Panthers, which should only fuel a Florida team ready to be a problem this season. Opening night continues with two Original 6 matchups: the Montreal Canadiens visit the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. In the late games, the Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks and the Vegas Golden Knights host the Chicago Blackhawks.
Tonight's 3-leg anytime goalscorer parlay will feature a couple of the league's superstars, all with something to prove in front of the entire hockey world on opening night. As the season goes on, we will go with some more longshots in these Hat Trick parlays, but for now, we'll trust three captains to lead their teams on Tuesday night.
The Pick: Auston Matthews (+150) + David Pastrnak (+140) + Connor McDavid (+115)
3-leg anytime goalscorer parlay (+1190)
Sportsbook: BetMGM Sportsbook
All betting lines are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict, so please gamble responsibly.
Auston Matthews
Matthews is reportedly in the best shape of his life and skating faster than he has in the past five seasons. He looked noticeably leaner in the preseason, and in his second preseason game, he looked like his vintage self when he walked into the slot and fired a shot past the goaltender. If the Maple Leafs are going to have a resurgence, it starts with their captain having a bounce-back year, and it'd be fitting if he finds the back of the net on opening night.
David Pastrnak
Pastrnak became the 28th captain in Boston Bruins history this past week, and he gets the chance to show why he is the team's leader with a big performance against the New York Rangers on Tuesday evening at TD Garden. The Czech superstar has a history of showing up in big moments, and his new linemate, JJ Peterka, is poised to open up more space for him and get him back to his scoring ways this season.
Connor McDavid
McDavid put it all on the line by recommending Mike Babcock to be the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. It could be a move that works out well, or it could backfire spectacularly. McDavid will get the chance to prove Edmonton isn't messing around this season by making a statement against the league's worst team on opening night, and starting the year with Leon Draisaitl on his wing will have the captain at his best.
