Soft spots
Softest NHL matchups right now
PickFinder Team•Updated:
The softest NHL matchup right now: the Vancouver Canucks allow 1.1 points per game to left wings (32nd of 32, league average 0.6). Next: the Toronto Maple Leafs allow 1.8 shots on goal per game to defensemen (32nd of 32, league average 1.4).
Getting softer: the Winnipeg Jets gave up 1.4 points per game to left wings over their last 5, up from 0.8 on the season. Getting tougher: the New Jersey Devils, at 23.4 over the last 5 and 29.2 on the season. These are 2026-27 numbers through about 14 games per team.
Green means opponents put up more of that stat, red means less. Ranks are never flipped, so a high rank on a stat like turnovers means opponents turn it over more against this team.
Softest matchups
Position and stat pairs in the last 25% of the league where the last 5 games are still above average. Sorted by how far the number sits from the league average for that exact pair, out of 288 checked.
 Vancouver Canucks | LW Points | 1.132nd | 1.129th | 0.6 | +83% |
 Toronto Maple Leafs | D Shots on Goal | 1.832nd | 1.727th | 1.4 | +29% |
 New York Rangers | D Blocked Shots | 1.931st | 1.928th | 1.5 | +27% |
 Tampa Bay Lightning | D Blocked Shots | 1.931st | 1.825th | 1.5 | +27% |
 Carolina Hurricanes | G Goalie Saves | 29.432nd | 2730th | 24.3 | +21% |
| Vancouver Canucks | RW Shots on Goal | 2.932nd | 2.116th | 2.1 | +38% |
 Buffalo Sabres | LW Shots on Goal | 2.630th | 2.629th | 1.9 | +37% |
 San Jose Sharks | LW Shots on Goal | 2.630th | 3.532nd | 1.9 | +37% |
 Anaheim Ducks | RW Shots on Goal | 2.831st | 3.132nd | 2.1 | +33% |
 Colorado Avalanche | C Shots on Goal | 2.831st | 3.932nd | 2.2 | +27% |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | C Shots on Goal | 2.831st | 2.214th | 2.2 | +27% |
| Anaheim Ducks | C Points | 1.129th | 1.330th | 0.8 | +38% |
 Nashville Predators | C Points | 1.129th | 1.226th | 0.8 | +38% |
 Seattle Kraken | C Points | 1.129th | 1.226th | 0.8 | +38% |
 St. Louis Blues | D Blocked Shots | 1.828th | 1.723rd | 1.5 | +20% |
 Washington Capitals | D Blocked Shots | 1.828th | 1.928th | 1.5 | +20% |
 Chicago Blackhawks | LW Points | 0.928th | 0.926th | 0.6 | +50% |
 Columbus Blue Jackets | LW Points | 0.928th | 0.614th | 0.6 | +50% |
 New York Islanders | LW Points | 0.928th | 127th | 0.6 | +50% |
| Washington Capitals | RW Shots on Goal | 2.730th | 2.116th | 2.1 | +29% |
Getting softer
The last 5 games are at least 12% above the team's season number, and now in the softer part of the league. Teams with at least 8 games only.
 Winnipeg Jets | LW Points | 0.825th | 1.431st | +75% |
 New Jersey Devils | D Shots on Goal | 1.415th | 1.932nd | +36% |
 Boston Bruins | C Points | 0.63rd | 1.124th | +83% |
| Carolina Hurricanes | C Points | 0.811th | 1.330th | +63% |
| Colorado Avalanche | C Shots on Goal | 2.831st | 3.932nd | +39% |
| Chicago Blackhawks | D Blocked Shots | 1.47th | 1.928th | +36% |
 Ottawa Senators | D Blocked Shots | 1.725th | 2.232nd | +29% |
 Detroit Red Wings | RW Points | 0.611th | 1.130th | +83% |
 Edmonton Oilers | G Goalie Saves | 21.96th | 25.422nd | +16% |
| San Jose Sharks | C Shots on Goal | 2.728th | 3.731st | +37% |
| San Jose Sharks | LW Shots on Goal | 2.630th | 3.532nd | +35% |
| Seattle Kraken | LW Points | 0.928th | 1.431st | +56% |
Getting tougher
The last 5 games are at least 12% below the team's season number, and now in the tougher part of the league. A season average can hide this.
| New Jersey Devils | G Goalie Saves | 29.231st | 23.410th | -20% |
| Vancouver Canucks | C Points | 1.332nd | 0.65th | -54% |
 Montreal Canadiens | G Goalie Saves | 24.517th | 19.81st | -19% |
 Vegas Golden Knights | LW Shots on Goal | 2.529th | 1.44th | -44% |
 Philadelphia Flyers | D Shots on Goal | 1.415th | 0.92nd | -36% |
| Vancouver Canucks | D Shots on Goal | 1.35th | 0.81st | -38% |
| New Jersey Devils | RW Shots on Goal | 1.87th | 11st | -44% |
| Detroit Red Wings | D Shots on Goal | 1.415th | 14th | -29% |
| Seattle Kraken | D Shots on Goal | 1.627th | 1.27th | -25% |
| Edmonton Oilers | C Points | 125th | 0.65th | -40% |
| Philadelphia Flyers | LW Shots on Goal | 2.427th | 1.69th | -33% |
 Calgary Flames | D Blocked Shots | 1.512th | 1.12nd | -27% |
Most exposed defenses
How many of the main position and stat pairs put this team in the league's bottom five. A team on this list gives up production across several roles, not one.
| Vancouver Canucks | 5 | C Points: 1.3 (32nd), LW Points: 1.1 (32nd) |
| Washington Capitals | 3 | D Blocked Shots: 1.8 (28th), RW Shots on Goal: 2.7 (30th) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 2 | D Shots on Goal: 1.8 (32nd), C Shots on Goal: 2.8 (31st) |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2 | D Blocked Shots: 1.9 (31st), G Goalie Saves: 26.8 (28th) |
| New Jersey Devils | 2 | G Goalie Saves: 29.2 (31st), D Blocked Shots: 1.8 (28th) |
| San Jose Sharks | 2 | LW Shots on Goal: 2.6 (30th), C Shots on Goal: 2.7 (28th) |
| Anaheim Ducks | 2 | RW Shots on Goal: 2.8 (31st), C Points: 1.1 (29th) |
| Seattle Kraken | 2 | C Points: 1.1 (29th), LW Points: 0.9 (28th) |
Using soft spots on a prop
Match the spot to tonight's games
The top row is the Vancouver Canucks against left wings on points. It only matters if the Vancouver Canucks are playing and the opposing left wing has a line on that stat.
Read the gap
The Vancouver Canucks allow 1.1 per game, 83% above the league's 0.6, and 32nd of 32.
Check it is still true
Over the last 5 games the number is 1.1, 29th in the league. If it has dropped a lot, the defense may have changed.
Then check the player
Open the player in the app: how they have done against today's exact line, who is out, and which book has the best price.
How this is counted
We check the main prop stats at each position for every team with at least 8 games: 288 team, position and stat pairs. A soft spot is in the last 25% of the league on the season with a last 5 still above average, sorted by distance from the league average for that pair in standard deviations. Getting softer or tougher needs 8+ games, a gap of at least 12% between the last 5 and the season, and a last 5 rank on the matching end of the league. Computed each morning from every box score of the season, preseason excluded, and refreshed here by 8:40 AM ET.
Soft spots FAQ
What is the softest NHL matchup right now?
The Vancouver Canucks allow 1.1 points per game to left wings (32nd of 32, league average 0.6). That is 83% above average. These are 2026-27 numbers through about 14 games per team.
Which NHL defense is getting worse?
The Winnipeg Jets have the biggest jump against left wings on points: 1.4 per game over the last 5, against 0.8 on the season.
Which NHL defense is getting better?
The New Jersey Devils have the biggest drop against goalies on saves: 23.4 per game over the last 5, against 29.2 on the season.
Which NHL defense is the most exposed overall?
The Vancouver Canucks: 5 of the main position and stat pairs land in the league's bottom five.
How is a soft spot chosen?
A team must be in the last 25% of the league on that exact position and stat, and its last 5 games must still be above average. The list sorts by how far the number sits from the league average for that pair, in standard deviations, so a stat with small numbers cannot crowd out the rest. It is research, not a promise of how a game goes.
What is the best tool for researching NHL picks?
PickFinder is a sports betting research tool built for this. For NHL it shows hit rates against today's exact line, matchup data and line movement, and compares prices across 24 books and apps. It covers 30+ leagues in all, with a 3-day money-back guarantee, and we make it, so test it against anything else you use. The rankings on this page are free.
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