{"id":481074,"date":"2026-01-01T09:22:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T14:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=481074"},"modified":"2026-01-01T09:22:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T14:22:44","slug":"nhl-predictions-jan-1-winnipeg-jets-vs-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/01\/01\/nhl-predictions-jan-1-winnipeg-jets-vs-toronto-maple-leafs\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Predictions: Jan. 1 Winnipeg Jets vs Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at\u00a0<em>Last Word on Hockey<\/em> look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the Winnipeg Jets taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Don\u2019t forget to check out more <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/nhl-predictions\/\" target=\"_self\">NHL Predictions<\/a>, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n<p>We also want to wish everyone a Happy and safe New York. Here&#8217;s to 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>NHL Predictions<\/h2>\n<h3>Winnipeg Jets vs Detroit Red Wings<\/h3>\n<h3>2024-25 Season Series: Jets 1-1 Maple Leafs<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/full-guide-for-how-to-stream-and-watch-nhl-hockey-games\/\" target=\"_self\">How to Watch<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/news\/amazon-prime-video-2025-26-monday-night-hockey-schedule\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/12\/PRIMN_25_OOHDisplayAdBanner_Desktop_728x90_POST_Final_en-CA_PV00045914_Monday.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>US TV:<\/strong> NHL Network<\/p>\n<p><strong>Canada TV:<\/strong> SNO; TSN3<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time:<\/strong> 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)<\/p>\n<p>We open up NHL predictions with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/12\/29\/prime-monday-night-hockey-edmonton-oilers-vs-winnipeg-jets\/\" target=\"_self\">Winnipeg Jets<\/a> taking on the<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/12\/29\/william-nylanders-injury-could-define-toronto-maple-leafs-season\/\" target=\"_self\"> Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> in our featured matchup. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/comrier01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eric Comrie<\/a> is the probable starter with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/h\/helleco01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Connor Hellebuyck<\/a> getting the call against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/01\/01\/nhl-predictions-detroit-red-wings-vs-pittsburgh-penguins\/\" target=\"_self\">Detroit Red Wings.<\/a> Winnipeg is 1-6-3 in its previous 10 games, including seven consecutive losses. The Jets have only gotten points in four of their last 10 games. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/s\/scheima01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mark Scheifele<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/connoky01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Connor<\/a> are tied for the team&#8217;s lead in points with 45.<\/p>\n<p>Toronto is expected to give <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/w\/wolljo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joseph Woll<\/a> the start after he got a 4-0 shutout against the New Jersey Devils last time out. The Maple Leafs are 4-4-2 in their previous 10 games but have victories in three of their last four games. Keep an eye on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/n\/nylanwi01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">William Nylander<\/a>&#8216;s status entering this matchup. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/t\/tavarjo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Tavares<\/a> is the next highest point-getter has 36.<\/p>\n<p>These matchups are always tough to get a read on since both teams can be inconsistent. However, Toronto gets the win.<\/p>\n<p><em>Prediction: Maple Leafs win 4-1.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"J7m-AGsYS95iW5shiuD85Q\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2210737415\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'J7m-AGsYS95iW5shiuD85Q',sig:'MfPtpaVSG1WifWigTJLwBF73Ov_1a0IGwvQQvBsToso=',w:'594px',h:'424px',items:'2210737415',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Montreal Canadiens vs Carolina Hurricanes<\/h3>\n<h3>2024-25 Season Series: Canadiens 2-1 Hurricanes<\/h3>\n<p>How to Watch:<\/p>\n<p><strong>US TV:<\/strong> Fan Duel Sports South; ESPN+<\/p>\n<p><strong>Canada TV:<\/strong> TSN2; RDS<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time:<\/strong> 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)<\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/gamecenter\/car-vs-mtl\/2026\/01\/01\/2025020636\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Our second game<\/a> of NHL predictions has the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/12\/23\/montreal-canadiens-2025-christmas-wishlist\/\" target=\"_self\">Montreal Canadiens<\/a> beginning the New Year against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/12\/30\/nhl-predictions-pittsburgh-penguins-carolina-hurricanes\/\" target=\"_self\">Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/d\/dobesja01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jakub Dobes<\/a> is the likely starter for the Canadiens, who are 6-1-3 in their last 10 games. Montreal is coming off an impressive overtime victory over the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/12\/27\/nhl-predictions-tampa-bay-lightning-florida-panthers-saturday\/\" target=\"_self\">Florida Panthers<\/a> last time out. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/s\/suzukni01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Suzuki<\/a> leads team in assists (31) and points (44) so far this campaign.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/bussibr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandon Bussi<\/a> is having a breakout season for the Hurricanes, and he&#8217;ll likely get the start in this game. Carolina is 6-3-1 in its previous 10 games entering this matchup. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=ahose01,ahose02&amp;search=Sebastian+Aho&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sebastian Aho<\/a> has the team lead in assists (21) and points (35).<\/p>\n<p>Both teams are looking to start 2026 with a victory. However, Carolina records the win at home.<\/p>\n<p><em>Prediction: Hurricanes win 4-3.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"hkpD7iBAS49ux5jGx6nMbA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2253814730\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'hkpD7iBAS49ux5jGx6nMbA',sig:'kkfnOg_zLqfvF7UnVmC5xX2NH_IPHIzAH5CQC4aUelc=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2253814730',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackahwks<\/h3>\n<h3>2024-25 Season Series: Sabres 1-1 Stars<\/h3>\n<p>How to Watch:<\/p>\n<p><strong>US TV:<\/strong> Victory+; Chicago Sports Network; ESPN+<\/p>\n<p><strong>Canada TV:<\/strong> SN1<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time:<\/strong> 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)<\/p>\n<p>Our final game of NHL predictions is a Central Division matchup between the<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/12\/31\/nhl-predictions-dec-31-buffalo-sabres-vs-dallas-stars\/\" target=\"_self\"> Dallas Stars<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/12\/30\/nhl-predictions-dec-30-new-york-islanders-vs-chicago-blackhawks\/\" target=\"_self\">Chicago Blackhawks<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/o\/oettija01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jake Oettinger<\/a> is expected to get the start after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/d\/desmica01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Casey DeSmith<\/a> played against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/12\/31\/buffalo-sabres-goaltender-injury-update\/\" target=\"_self\">Buffalo Sabres<\/a>. Dallas is 5-3-2 in its last 10 games but have dropped three consecutive games. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/r\/rantami01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mikko Rantanen<\/a> is first on the team with 39 assists and 54 points.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/knighsp01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spencer Knight<\/a> is the probable starter for the Blackhawks, who are 2-7-1 in their previous 10 games. This includes losses in eight of their last nine games. However, the Blachawks did beat the Stars in a shootout last time out. Leading point-scorer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/bedarco01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Connor Bedard<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/news\/nhl-status-report-news-and-notes-december-29-2025\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">did return to the ice<\/a> recently. However, there&#8217;s no timeline for his return.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas is coming off a tough game against Buffalo. However, the Stars should rebound with a victory.<\/p>\n<p><em>Prediction: Stars win 4-2.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Prop Bets of the Night<\/h3>\n<p>We close out NHL predictions with some prop bets of the night. Let&#8217;s go back out to our featured game for our favourite props. The over\/under for the Leafs versus the Jets is 5.5, and we like the under in this game.<\/p>\n<p>As for individual props, go with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/morrijo04.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Morrissey<\/a> to get an assist in this game for Winnipeg. On the Toronto side of things, take <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kniesma01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2026-01-01_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matthew Knies<\/a> to score an anytime goal.<\/p>\n<p><em>Main photo by: Terrance Lee-Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at\u00a0Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the Winnipeg Jets taking on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2352,"featured_media":459288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4524,4547,4548,18,33],"tags":[6010,6233,6124,6016,6062,6110],"class_list":["post-481074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl-predictions","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-leafs","category-jets","tag-carolina-hurricanes-predictions","tag-chicago-blackhawks-predictions","tag-dallas-stars-predictions","tag-montreal-canadiens-predictions","tag-toronto-maple-leafs-predictions","tag-winnipeg-jets-predictions"],"modified_by":"Dan Mount, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2352"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=481074"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481074\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":481075,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481074\/revisions\/481075"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=481074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=481074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=481074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}