The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins on Tuesday with two significant matchups. The Washington Capitals, led by Alex Ovechkin, will face off against their Metropolitan Division rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes. In the Western Conference, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are set to battle the Vegas Golden Knights, adversaries from the Pacific Division.
Alex Ovechkin, recently crowned the NHL`s all-time leading goal scorer, helped the top-seeded Capitals advance past the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, marking their first series win since clinching the Stanley Cup in 2018. Washington and Carolina split their regular-season series, with home teams winning each game. However, the Hurricanes eliminated the Capitals in their last playoff encounter in seven games back in 2019.
Connor McDavid, who earned the Conn Smythe Trophy last postseason as the Oilers nearly reached the championship, was highly productive in their first-round series win over the Los Angeles Kings, a team Edmonton has now eliminated four years in a row. The Vegas Golden Knights secured their spot in the second round by defeating the Minnesota Wild in six games, winning the final three contests, including two in overtime. Edmonton and Vegas also split their four regular-season games in 2024-25, while the Golden Knights won their only previous playoff series against the Oilers in 2023.
Player Prop Bet Considerations for Tuesday
Here are some players offering potential value for prop bets in Tuesday`s playoff action:
Alex Ovechkin, Capitals – Anytime Goal Scorer (+135, FanDuel)
Ovechkin has been finding the back of the net frequently, scoring in 10 of his last 14 games dating back to the regular season. The nine-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner, who surpassed Wayne Gretzky`s goal record, scored in three out of five games against Montreal in the first round. His next playoff goal will move him past Mario Lemieux into 12th place all-time. The veteran forward scored twice in three games against Carolina this season and netted four goals during their intense seven-game series in 2019.
Leon Draisaitl, Oilers – Anytime Goal Scorer (+130, DraftKings)
Draisaitl hit the 50-goal mark for the fourth time in his career this season, leading to a Richard Trophy win with 52 goals. He scored in three of Edmonton`s first four games against Los Angeles but was kept off the scoreboard in the final two. However, Draisaitl scored twice in four games versus Vegas this past season and was a prolific scorer with six goals in their six-game playoff series in 2023.
Evan Bouchard, Oilers – 1+ Assist (+110, DraftKings)
Defenseman Evan Bouchard has a solid history of contributing assists in the playoffs, with 48 helpers in 59 career games. He started the first round strongly with three assists in Game 1 against the Kings but has gone five games without one since. This is his longest assist drought since early in the regular season. Given his playmaking ability and power-play role, it`s likely he will end this streak soon, making the plus money on a single assist appealing.
Connor McDavid, Oilers – 2+ Assists (+190, DraftKings)
A five-time Art Ross Trophy winner, McDavid is known for his exceptional playmaking, evidenced by 89 assists in 80 career playoff games. He has recorded multiple assists in 28 of his last 67 postseason contests. Three of these multi-assist performances came in the recent series win against Los Angeles. McDavid also notched at least two assists twice in the 2023 playoff series against Vegas and set an NHL record with 34 assists in 25 games during last year`s playoffs.
For further insights and predictions, consider checking out expert analysis.
Elton Marrow