Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are happening and gives our predictions for each one, breaking down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play in. Today, we are looking at the first game to be played in the United States this season, the St. Louis Blues vs. the Seattle Kraken. Be sure to check out more NHL predictions in the coming days as the 2024-25 season starts.
NHL Predictions
St. Louis Blues vs. Seattle Kraken
Time: 4:30 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
TV: ESPN; ESPN+
The 2024-25 NHL season got underway last Friday and Saturday overseas in the NHL Global Series. After a fun two games, the NHL returns to the United States as the Blues and Kraken get the honour of playing the first game back in the states. The Blues swept the Kraken in the season series last year, 3-0. Overall, the Blues lead in head-to-head matchups, 7-2.
The Blue Notes Are Back
Drew Bannister begins his first full season behind an NHL bench after becoming the official head coach over the summer. Bannister took over as the interim coach last December after the Blues fired Craig Berube. Under Bannister, the Blues posted a 30-19-5 record the remainder of the season. Furthermore, they remained in playoff contention until the final weekend of the regular season.
The Blues roster has a combination of old and new faces. Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours look to establish a core for the team. Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko look to lead the defence while Jordan Binnington looks to continue his success between the pipes. New faces include Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, who were acquired via offers in August. Meanwhile, forwards Raden Faksa, Alexandre Texier, and Mathieu Joseph were all acquired via trades. Defencemen Ryan Suter and Pierre-Olivier Joseph joined the Blues via free agency. The Blues roster is different from last year as they hope to right the ship during their retool.
Release the Kraken!
Like the Blues, the Kraken had a busy offseason, which started with a head coaching change. The club hired 2009 Stanley Cup Champion Dan Bylsma in May. Bylsma will look to help the Kraken boost their offence after finishing 29th in the NHL in goals last season. Jared McCann and Oliver Bjorkstrand were the only players to crack the 20-goal plateau for the Kraken.
The head coaching change was not the only change in Seattle. Forward Chandler Stephenson and defenceman Brandon Montour joined the Kraken via free agency. Like Bylsma, both Stephenson and Montour have championships on their resume, having won Lord Stanley in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The Kraken are only a year separated from a trip to the Western Conference Quarterfinal. They are looking to return to the playoffs in 2025.
Prediction
Both teams will have new players take the ice on Tuesday. Both teams will see things they really like. Conversely, they will see things that need improvement. This will be a close, low-scoring game. Both goalies will be the stars of the game.
The question that sticks out is if one or both teams have slow starts as a result of the early start time. Teams do not play many afternoon games. Furthermore, afternoon games during the week are in rarer. The time of the game does impact player’s pregame routines, so it will be interesting to see if the early start has any effect.
This game may need a shootout. Kraken fans who took off work to go to the game will be glad they did.
Prediction: Kraken win in a shootout, 3-2.
Prop Bets for the Showdown in Seattle
How about some prop bets for the first game in the United States? The over/under is 5.5 goals, which goes along with our prediction of five goals scored. With both teams rolling with their number one goaltender, this seems like a safe bet for the first game.
Fanduel has some fun prop bets for us. If you want to place a bet for an anytime scorer, Jared McCann and Jordan Kyrou have the best odds at +200. In addition, if you are a fan of defenceman, Brandon Montour is a +350 for four or more shots on goal. Likewise, Blues defenceman Justin Faulk is a +375. Montour is looking for a strong first impression with his new team while Faulk is looking to shake off injury concerns and have a bounce-back season. Those two will be on a mission to start the new season. Let us take a chance on them.
That is it for today! Do not forget to check back in for more predictions and prop bets and the 2024-25 season gets underway. Hockey is back, indeed!
Main Photo: Jeff Le-Imagn Images
