NHL player props for Stanley Cup Playoffs: Carter Verhaeghe among Monday's best bets
SportsLine NHL analyst Scott Erskine gives his thoughts on the top picks in Monday's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers
The reigning champions Florida Panthers attempt to complete a sweep and book their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final when they host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final Monday. Florida, which lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final but defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games last year for the first championship in franchise history, has won each of the previous five playoff series in which it owned a 3-0 lead.
After outscoring the Hurricanes 10-2 in winning the first two games on the road, the Panthers entered the third period of Game 3 at home in a 1-1 deadlock but scored five consecutive goals en route to a 6-2 triumph. Captain Aleksander Barkov recorded two goals and an assist, defenseman Niko Mikkola also tallied twice and Jesper Boqvist - who was in the lineup in place of an injured Sam Reinhart - notched a goal and two assists.
Logan Stankoven scored one goal and set up the other for Carolina, which has lost an NHL-record 15 straight Eastern Conference Final games. The Hurricanes were swept in this round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, the Boston Bruins in 2019 and the Panthers two years ago.
Florida, which is looking to give the Sunshine State a representative in the Stanley Cup Final for a sixth consecutive year, will be without Reinhart (lower body), Mikkola (upper body) and left wing A.J. Greer (undisclosed) Monday. Carolina likely will be without defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker due to undisclosed injuries. Chatfield has missed the Hurricanes' last four contests, while Walker was injured in the second game of this series and sat out Game 3.
Carolina, which has allowed 16 goals in the conference final after giving up a total of 18 in 10 games over the first two rounds of the playoffs, is hoping to take the first step toward becoming the fifth team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. Only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers and 2014 Los Angeles Kings have accomplished the difficult feat.
Here are some players with value to consider when making NHL player prop bets for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final Monday.
Carter Verhaeghe anytime goal scorer (+210, FanDuel)
Verhaeghe got Florida rolling in the Eastern Conference Final, scoring the first of the team's 16 goals in the series thus far. The 29-year-old center has notched four assists since but didn't land on the scoresheet in Saturday's victory despite finishing at plus-2. Verhaeghe recorded two goals in each of the Panthers' first two series this postseason, and I like that trend to continue Monday.
Aaron Ekblad Over 0.5 assists (+128, bet365)
Ekblad missed Florida's first four playoff games due to suspension but has been an integral part of the team's offense since returning to the lineup. The 29-year-old, who also has scored three goals, is tied for third in the league among defensemen with seven assists in 11 contests. The first overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, Ekblad has notched three assists over his last two games and also recorded a pair in three regular-season meetings with the Hurricanes in 2024-25. The Panthers have had no problem scoring in this series, so it's not a stretch to think that Ekblad will help set up a goal or two Monday.
Shayne Gostisbehere Over 0.5 points (+130, bet365)
Gostisbehere was kept off the scoresheet in the last two games of the series but to be fair, Carolina has registered only two goals in that span. The 32-year-old did register an assist in Game 1 and ranks fifth in the NHL among blue-liners with eight points this postseason after amassing the same amount in his previous 32 career playoff contests. If the Hurricanes can get something going offensively in Game 4, Gostisbehere is likely to be involved.
Evan Rodrigues Over 0.5 points (+105, BetMGM)
Rodrigues recorded just three points in his first 10 games this postseason before missing Games 5 and 6 of Florida's second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an undisclosed injury. The 31-year-old center has been on fire since returning, notching seven assists over four contests - including two in each of the first three games against Carolina. By setting up two goals Saturday, Rodrigues became the sixth player in NHL history to record multiple assists in each of the first three games of a conference final and first since Al MacInnis of the Calgary Flames in 1986. He also became the 10th member of the Panthers to reach double digits in points this postseason. Rodrigues was fourth on the team with seven goals during Florida's run to the championship last year but has yet to tally in these playoffs. Considering that he's due for one, this bet seems like the best one for him.
