Canucks vs. Wild Odds
| Canucks Odds | -114 |
| Wild Odds | -105 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -102 / -120 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild on Monday, February 19 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
The league-leading Canucks will head to Xcel Energy Center for an afternoon date with the Wild on Monday.
Minnesota is getting some credit from oddsmakers for a 7-2-1 stretch entering this matchup, and team is priced as only slight underdogs on home ice against the NHL's top team.
Here's my Canucks vs. Wild pick and prediction for today.
Vancouver Canucks
For the majority of the NHL season, the Canucks have been a hot topic for analysts, pundits and fans, who all wonder just how good they are. Even the more positive preseason outlooks suggested the team would bounce back into the playoff picture, but few counted on legitimate contention.
Couple the average preseason outlook with the fact that they have consistently outscored their expected finishing rates while receiving an unsustainably high save percentage, and it's taken time for people to be fully convinced of the Canucks as an elite side.
Their recent spell of play does make a case that they are an elite team, though. Although they probably had more fortuitous bounces than an average side early on, that doesn't change how we should evaluate their current game.
Over the last 10 games, the Canucks have a 6-2-2 record, and they own a 53.85% expected goal rating in that span. Even if they start to finish chances at a close-to-league-average rate, they can still win a lot of games down the stretch with Thatcher Demko in goal. They do a better-than-average job of pressuring shooters in the defensive zone, though, and they have the scoring talents and playmaking ability to create high-quality shots at the other end.
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Elias Lindholm has fit in fairly well so far with his new side. He has four goals and one assist in seven games with the Canucks. Lindholm, Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander have shown well on a new-look top line over the last two outings. They have played to a 60.9% expected goal share at even strength in a small sample of 25.7 minutes.
Noah Juulsen has also trended upward on the third pair and is beginning to pay off his high draft position. His solid play could be taken as another feather in the cap for Rick Tocchet, who appears destined to win Coach of the Year at this point.
Dakota Joshua was injured Tuesday against Chicago, and he's considered week-to-week. He has been one of the better depth forwards in the entire league this season, and he's exactly the type of player who will garner lots of attention if the Canucks indeed make a deep playoff run.
The Canucks play Tuesday night in Colorado, and they will surely give one of these back-to-back games to backup Casey DeSmith. It wouldn't be surprising to see Demko get the tougher matchup versus the Avs, so keep your eye out on goalie confirmations on Monday morning.
DeSmith has posted better-than-average results himself this season, though. In 16 appearances, he has played to a +1.7 GSAx and .906 save %.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild enter this matchup at 20-13-2 since a coaching change brought in John Hynes, and their only meaningful sample of bad results in his tenure came with a decimated roster. With numerous key bodies back in the lineup and playing at a high level again, Minnesota has stabilized coming out of the All-Star break.
Kirill Kaprizov is back in top form, and he's helped unlock Matt Boldy's high offensive potential on a newly formed top unit. Marcus Johansson, Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello have also displayed some solid play on what could be a league-average second line the rest of the way.
They have played to an expected goal share of 53.42% over the last 10 games, and they've been rewarded with the results.
It's not easy to build a complete roster with the amount of dead cap space the Wild have, though, and they do have some sub-par skaters playing each night. Particularly on the blue line; only the Jonas Brodin-Brock Faber pair has been overly successful this season.
Taking a chance claiming defender Declan Chisholm on waivers from the Jets could potentially help the situation, though. Chisholm has the upside to be a quality third-pairing guy, but he couldn't find a role to develop in Winnipeg. For a team in need of an effective budget piece, he makes for a smart flier.
Filip Gustavsson will likely get the start on Monday. He has had a disappointing season overall after a spectacular campaign in 2022-23. In 32 games played, he owns a -2.6 GSAx and .897 save % this season.
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Canucks vs. Wild
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Canucks might not be as entirely dominant as their 37-13-6 record suggests, but it is still tough to see how they are priced this evenly with the Wild in this matchup. The Canucks feature a lot of offensive firepower throughout the lineup, and they do a good job of creating challenging shots that make life tough for opposing goaltenders.
Perhaps those parts of their process are still being a little underrated by oddsmakers models here.
The Wild should continue trending upward playing at full health, and they are likely the best of the teams fighting for the final wild-card spot out West at this current point. There are still several areas where the Canucks are clearly just a better side on paper, though, and you have to give some respect to their record and superb goal differential.
It's logical to believe that the Canucks may opt to play DeSmith in this matchup and give Demko the start Tuesday in Colorado. I'm handicapping this game expecting as much, and I would still play the Canucks down to -125. If Demko starts, I would back the Canucks down to -130.
Pick: Canucks (-115 FanDuel | Play to -130 if Demko Starts)
