NHL Who’s Hot, Who’s Not: Tavares Heating Up
The NHL is starting to heat up again after the NHL All-Star Game with the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks tied atop the NHL standings after the Bruins blanked the high-scoring Canucks. The shutout defied the NHL odds.
Goalie Linus Ullmark, who recorded the shutout, landed on the Who’s Hot as the reigning Vezina Trophy winner looks to make a move in the Vezina Trophy race.

Toronto’s John Tavares is among the forwards who earned a spot on the “Who’s Hot” list while Calgary’s Noah Hanifin is among the defensemen trending in the right direction,
The biggest NHL news item was the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights snapping Edmonton’s winning streak at 16 games, one shy of the NHL record.
The Golden Knights end the Oilers’ win streak at 16 games! 🤯🙅♂️ pic.twitter.com/JJ8yo8PxaS
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) February 7, 2024
There was also the serious injury suffered by Tampa Bay defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.
When looking at the NHL odds and predictions, the Colorado Avalanche, and Edmonton Oilers are priced at +800 in the odds of winning the Stanley Cup followed by the Boston Bruins at +850.
Keep reading for information on the hottest forwards, defensemen and goalies, as well as players recently struggling, to help with your NHL spread picks.
Who’s Hot
Forwards
- Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils: In the first two games after the end of the NHL All-Star break, Bratt had a goal and four assists as he posted his third consecutive 20-goal season.
- Martin Necas, Carolina Hurricanes: Necas scored three times in a win over Colorado for his first multi-goal game since Oct. 26. He has seven goals and two assists over his last eight games.
- John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs: It wasn’t that long ago that Tavares went nine games without a point. After scoring a goal in his last game in January, he had a goal and an assist in his most recent matchup against the New York Islanders – his former team – and then had a goal and two assists as Toronto edged the Dallas Stars.
Defensemen
- Samuel Girard, Colorado Avalanche: It has been a quiet offensive season for Girard. Perhaps that is changing as Girard had a goal and two assists over the last two games.
- Noah Hanifin, Calgary Flames: A prominent name in the trade rumor market, Hanifin had a goal as Calgary upset the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins and then added a pair of assists in another road win in New Jersey.
- Sean Walker, Philadelphia Flyers: Walker had assists as the Flyers came out of the NHL All-Star break with back-to-back wins. He was also +3 in the wins over Florida and Winnipeg.
Goaltenders
- Mackenzie Blackwood, San Jose Sharks: Blackwood has stopped 61 of 63 shots over his last two games for the Sharks.
- Jonathan Quick, New York Rangers: Quick is 3-0 with a 1.32 goals-against average as he has stopped 78 of 82 shots over his last three games.
- Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins: The reigning Vezina Trophy winner only had to make 17 saves in a shutout of the Vancouver Canuck to lower his goals-against average to 1.69 over his last three games.
Who’s Not
Forwards
- Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks: After recording an assist in his first game of the season as he made his long-awaited season debut, Couture has gone five consecutive
- games without either a goal or an assist.
- Conor Garland, Vancouver Canucks: Garland has gone five games in a row without a goal or an assist for the Western Conference-leading Canucks.
- Gabe Vilardi, Winnipeg Jets: After getting off to a sizzling start for his new team, Vilardi is cooling off a bit. In his last four games, he has no points and a -4 defensive rating.
Defensemen
- Kevin Korchinski, Chicago Blackhawks: During Chicago’s five-game losing streak, Korchinski has no goals and no assists to go with a -2 defensive rating.
- Torey Krug, St. Louis Blues: The difficult season continues for the veteran defenseman as Krug doesn’t have a point in his last two games and he has gone five consecutive games without recording a positive plus/minus rating.
- Neal Pionk, Winnipeg Jets: Pionk doesn’t have a goal or an assist and has a plus-minus rating of -4 during Winnipeg’s five-game losing streak.
Goaltenders
- Samuel Ersson, Philadelphia Flyers: Ersson hasn’t received much support as he is 2-4 over his last six games. He has a 3.24 goals-against average and a save percentage of .873 during that span.
- Charlie Lindgren, Washington Capitals: Lindgren is 0-3-1 over his last four games. He has a 5.25 goals-against average and a save percentage of .837 for a Washington team that has lost six games in a row.
- Cam Talbot, Los Angeles Kings: Talbot is 0-4 with a 6.10 goals-against average and a save percentage of .827 in his last four games.
Questions Of The Day
Who is the leading scorer in the NHL right now?
Nikita Kucherov’s 87 points are the most in the NHL while Toronto’s Auston Matthews leads the league with 41 goals.
Which team has the best record against the spread this season?
The Vancouver Canucks are 33-19 against the Las Vegas odds followed by the Philadelphia Flyers at 33-19.